INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 18
Psalm 18 is the longest of the more than seventy psalms specifically attributed to David and is the fourth longest (only 78, 89 and 119 are longer) in the Psalter. This psalm is also found in 2 Samuel chapter 22 where it is set near the end of David’s life. The psalm’s length is therefore appropriate to its content since David is reflecting upon a lifetime of deliverance.
THE GENRE AND THEME OF PSALM 18
Psalm 18 is usually categorised as both a Royal Psalm and a Psalm of Thanksgiving. As well as the superscription and 2 Samuel 22 which associate the psalm with David there are some internal hints that it was written by a king (vv. 43b, 44 and 47).
Psalm 18 is a personal testimony (notice the use of ‘I’ and ‘My’) addressed to the psalmist’s audience/readers and also to the Lord. In the poem, using symbolic imagery, David views his life as one big, decisive event, and reflects upon it and upon his relationship with God. The main theme of Psalm 18 is the faithfulness of YHWH who has intervened at key moments in David’s life to deliver him from his enemies. As is typical of songs of thanksgiving Psalm 18 progresses from an opening declaration of praise to a description of the distress to a record of divine deliverance to a closing doxology.
THE SUPERSCRIPTION OF PSALM 18
The psalm itself is long and the superscription also is notable for its length.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,
The chief Musician – the choir director or precentor in the Temple.
Of David – the psalm has been composed by David.
The servant of the Lord – This is a title of distinction used elsewhere in the Old Testament of Moses, of Joshua (Josh 24:29; Judg 2:8) and of the suffering Servant in Isaiah (Isa 42:19). The term ‘servant of the Lord’ occurs also in the title of Psalm 36. Throughout the Psalter David often describes himself as ‘servant’ (e.g. 35:17; 86:4; 116:16).
Who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul – In this psalm David looks back over his life, having experienced deliverance from all his enemies, especially from King Saul.
This superscription is unusual. Generally speaking, psalm titles refer to David asking for help in the midst of stressful and dangerous situations. In Psalm 18, however, David’s problems are over and done with; he has been delivered from trouble and reflecting on his experiences can raise a hymn of praise to YHWH for divine intervention.
OUTLINE OF PSALM 18
1-3 INTRODUCTION
4-6 DISTRESS
7-15 THEOPHANY
16-19 SALVATION
20-24 RIGHTEOUSNESS
25-29 FAITHFULNESS
30-45 THANKSGIVING
46-50 DOXOLOGY
EXPOSITION
1-3 INTRODUCTION
(1) In the opening verses David claims to have a personal relationship with the Lord and declares his confidence in YHWH as protector. The psalm commences with a passionate declaration of love for the Lord, using an intimate and tender but uncommon word for ‘love.’ This is missing from the version of the psalm found in 2 Samuel chapter 22.
(1b-2) David emphasises the personal nature of their relationship with epithets for YHWH that signify strength or protection. These are preceded by ‘my’. Some of them, for example; ‘rock’ v.31, 46 and ‘shield’ v.30, 35 – are taken up again later in the psalm.
my strength – i.e. stronghold
my rock – (sela‘) a crag or cliff, i.e. refuge
my fortress – inaccessible stronghold
my deliverer – one who helps to escape
my God – (’ēl) mighty one
my strength – (ṣûr) large rock or boulder
my buckler – shield
the horn of my salvation – one with superior strength to deliver (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11).
my high tower – stronghold, place of refuge
(3) We now learn the reason for this song of praise: In praise I call to the Lord, for I was delivered from my enemies OR It has been my habit to cry out to YHWH, and he has saved me.
4-6 DISTRESS
(4-5) Using poetic images the psalmist now describes his past experiences of distress and deliverance in dramatic cosmic language. Viewing death as the enemy, he uses four parallel phrases to describe his near death experiences. All four phrases are plural and therefore likely describe multiple events over David’s lifetime.
The cords of death – ropes used to bind and control – see Psa 116:3, cf. Acts 2:24
The torrents of destruction – 2 Sam 22:5 has ‘waves’ – he felt he was sinking – compare the language of Jonah 2:3-6
The cords of the grave – Sheol, the unseen world, grave
The snares of death – death is viewed as a mighty hunter.
(6) In the distressing situations during which David came face to face with death he cried out to the Lord who heard his plea in the heavenly sanctuary and reacted to it. On v.6 Perowne (1898, p.211) observes:
All the verbs in this verse are imperfect, expressing habit. It might be rendered: “In my distress I would call upon Jehovah, and unto my God would I cry; He would hear my voice out of His temple; and my cry before Him would come unto His ears.”
7-15 THEOPHANY
In vv.7-15 David pictures YHWH as responding to his requests for help in a theophany (a word meaning: manifestation of a deity). He uses typical symbolic images to describe the majesty and might of YHWH; such as: the earth heaving, the foundations of the mountains trembling, thunder and lightning, darkness.
These phenomena did not literally occur when YHWH intervened on David’s behalf, the psalmist is expressing himself using theophanic language. For similar descriptions see: Judges 5:4-5; Psa 77:16-20; 97:2-5; 114:1-8; Isa 30:27-63; 63:1-6; Micah 1:3-4; Nahum 1:3-6; Hab 3:3-15; Zech 9:14.
(7) YHWH’s approach was heralded by an earthquake. He was angry.
(8) smoke, fire and burning coals – this may be a continuation of the seismic imagery of v.7 and denote volcanic activity or, more likely, signify an approaching storm with clouds, and lightning. YHWH’s nostrils, denoting anger, are mentioned again in v.15.
(9) The low-hanging clouds made it look as if YHWH had tilted the heavens in order to come down. Whenever God comes down he is surrounded by darkness or thick gloom, for example, at Sinai – And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:21 (see also, Deut 4:11; 1 Kgs 8:12; Psa 97:2).
(10) On his way down to help David YHWH rode on a cherub and soared on the wings of the wind. Cherubim were composite living creatures (man, bull, lion, eagle, see Ezek chps 1 and 10)) that acted as the Lord’s chariot. The word here is singular but Perowne (1898, p.212) suggests that it may be ‘rather a collective noun, and so used for the plural.’
(11) The idea of darkness continues. YHWH was cloaked in the darkness of watery clouds.
(12) At the brightness (of his glory?) the clouds parted and rained hail and burning coals (lightning?).
(13-15) These verses contain more storm imagery;
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
The Lord Most High (‘elyôn, Highest) sounded his terrifying voice which is described as being like thunder (for the voice of YHWH see Psa 29). Again, signifying destructive force, there is repetition of ‘hail stones and coals of fire’ from the previous verse.
YHWH caused havoc with the lightening bolts he shot out and, ‘then’, i.e. ‘as a result of his anger and rebuke, ‘the channels of water’ (stream channels) of the earth were exposed and the foundations of the world revealed. 2 Samuel 22:16 says ‘channels of the sea.’ The idea of waters representing hostile forces occurs in v.4, here in v.15 and again in v.16.
16-19 SALVATION
The above display of power by means of threatening and violent phenomena was for the purpose of rescuing David. In vv.16-19 David testifies to his experience of deliverance.
Verse 16 is the key verse and is a lovely description of salvation. It stands out because the verbs are in the present tense:
- He sends from on high,
- he takes me,
- he pulls me from the many waters
(17) Verse 17 reverts to the past tense.
- he delivered me. – The Lord delivered David from an enemy that hated him and was too strong for him.
(18) The enemies advanced against David in the day of disaster but the Lord supported him. They ‘went before him’ i.e. they anticipated his every move and wherever he went were already waiting for him.
(19) The Lord brought David to a ‘large place’ – a broad space where he was safe and secure. Why did YHWH do this for David? It was because he delighted in me.
20-24 RIGHTEOUSNESS
The section vv.20-24 expands on the last phrase of v.19 (because he delighted in me). The Lord delivered David because David was loyal to the Lord. David reckons that he deserved the Lord’s help and maintains that the Lord dealt with him by merit. The Lord reciprocated:
- his righteousness. v.20
- the purity of his hands v.20
- his guarding of the Lord’s ways v.21
- his not wickedly departing from his God v.21
- his respect for the Lord’s judgments and statutes v.22
- his innocence v.23
- his singlemindedness in keeping himself from iniquity v.23
Verse 24 repeats v.20. The Lord repaid him according to his righteousness (justice) and according to the purity of his hands in God’s sight.
25-29 FAITHFULNESS
(25-26) The psalmist now shifts from personal experience to a general principle. God deals faithfully with people according to their conduct: showing mercy to the merciful and working against the perverted, resisting the proud and lifting up the humble (cf. Lk 1:52).
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward.
Here the word ‘froward’ appears twice in KJV but translates two different Hebrew words. That referring to humans means ‘twisted’ or ‘perverse’ and the one used for God means ‘wrestling’ or ‘contending.’ God acts shrewdly against the crooked person.
(27-29) The next three verses, all beginning with ‘for’, demonstrate God’s faithful dealings.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. – The Lord resists the proud but delivers the humble.
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. – The Lord lights the psalmist’s lamp. God as the source of light is usually interpreted as indicating happiness or prosperity. However, the expression may have to do with granting a dynasty for in 2 Sam 21:17 the quenching of a light refers to the dying out of a dynasty; But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. – Using hyperbolic language (he did not literally perform superhuman feats) David declares his confidence in God who enabled him to achieve the unthinkable. He pictures himself in dangerous positions while leading his men into battle, fighting on foot (vv.29, 33) and able to run against a band of enemy soldiers and scale barriers.
30-45 THANKSGIVING
(30) David affirms YHWH’s perfection. Moving from his own empowerment to to YHWH’s character he says; As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
HIS WAY IS PERFECT – God’s dealings are blameless, complete.
HIS WORD IS PURE – Like refined metal, God’s word has been tested and found reliable.
HIS WORK IS POWERFUL – To David, and to everyone else who trusts him, he is a protective shield.
(31) David affirms YHWH’s uniqueness using two rhetorical questions to which the expected answer is ‘No-one!’ – see also Exod 15:11.
Who is God save the LORD? Who is a rock save our God? There is no true God or ‘rock’ (cf. Deut 32:4, 15, 18) – a reliable place of security and stability – besides YHWH. He alone can be trusted.
In vv.32-36, using military terminology and imagery, David describes his personal experience of help from this reliable God who equipped him for war.
(32) It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. – God bound strength around him like a belt, this is repeated in v.39 (cf. 1 Sam 2:4;). The God whose way is perfect (v.30) made David’s way perfect (i.e. safe) also – all obstacles were removed.
(33) He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. – God made David alert, active, sure-footed and agile like a female deer. God made sure that David occupied strategic and elevated positions.
(34) He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. – God trained his hands for battle and gave him the strength and ability to use heavy weaponry.
(35) Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. – David directly addresses God who gave him salvation, support and sympathy. There are differences of opinion on how to translate the word translated ‘gentleness’ in the KJV. It means humility, mildness or tenderness and could be translated as graciousness. Alter (2009), however, takes it as ‘battle-cry’:
‘Your battle-cry made me many. The version here has anwatkha (“Your humility”?), which does not make evident sense. The text in 2 Samuel has anotkha; one of the meanings of anot is a crying out. (The consonantal text is the same in both readings.) The likely sense is that the warrior’s use of a battle-cry, probably incorporating the name YHWH, terrified the enemy and made his own force seem many even if it may have been outnumbered. In sequence, then, God gives his protected warrior three formidable implements of war—a bow, a shield, and a battle-cry incorporating the divine name.’
Ross (2011, p.436, footnote #10) lists other possibilities;
‘The Hebrew text has “your meekness (or lowliness)”. . . The use of this word for the LORD is unusual, but it can be explained in terms of the LORD’s stooping down to help him (NIV), meaning his gracious intervention. The word would be a metonymy of adjunct then. . . On the other hand, there are different readings for the word. The Greek (with some variations) translated this as “discipline” . . .—your discipline has upheld me. That would reflect a Hebrew piel. . .M. Dahood suggests the root. . . “to conquer,” and translates it as “your triumph” (Psalms, 1:116). More plausible is the suggestion of “your answering” . . ., which is found in the parallel poem of 2 Samuel 22:36; it would form a contrast with verse 41. This could also signify “your hearing, your oracle, your encouragement” . . .’
(36) Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. – God enlarged the path (made room for his steps) so that David’s ankles did not wobble or waver. He did not slip while crossing difficult terrain.
In vv.37-42 David acknowledges that he owes his military success to God, who gave him victory over his enemies.
(37) With God’s help David was able to relentlessly pursue, overtake and destroy his enemies.
(38) David trampled his enemies and killed them.
(39) The Lord equipped him with strength for battle (see v.32) and made those who rose up against him bow before him.
(40) The Lord caused David’s opponents to turn their backs on him in flight (Lit. ‘gave to me their neck’), those who hated David have been destroyed.
(41) David’s enemies prayed (cried in terror) – even to the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 28:5-6) – but their prayers went unanswered. This verse contrasts with v.6 where David cried to the Lord and his prayer was heard.
(42) David speaks disparagingly of his defeated foes, comparing them to dust and mud. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. – This poetic, hyperbolic language indicates that David won decisive victories which utterly humiliated his enemies.
In verses 43-45 David acknowledges that God helped him to conquer the surrounding nations.
(43) Once more David directly addresses the Lord. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. The Lord rescued David from internal conflict (quarrels within his kingdom) and made him head of the nations.
(44) As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. Foreigners who only knew about David by reputation (‘at the hearing of the ear’ – i.e. at a distance without seeing him) obeyed his commands.
(45) The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. – The foreigners faded away before David’s might and trembled in their forts (places in which they had shut themselves up).
46-50 DOXOLOGY
The psalm ends with praise to the Lord.
PRIVATE PRAISE (46-48)
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
David praises YHWH whose demonstration of power is evidence that he is the living God (in contrast to dead idols). In this doxology David harks back to v.2 where he emphasises his personal relationship with YHWH and again describes the Lord as ‘my rock’ and ‘the God of my salvation.’ God deserves praise because:
- God avenged David – The Lord executed vengeance on David’s enemies. The idea behind ‘vengeance’ is just retribution, the correcting of a wrong that has been committed (Gen 4:15; Exod 21:20-21; Judg 15:7; 16:28; Isa 1:24; Ezek 24:8).
- God subdued David’s enemies.
- God delivered the psalmist from his enemies.
- God exalted David above all those who rose up against him.
- God rescued him from men of violence.
PUBLIC PRAISE (49-50)
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed forevermore.
(49) Therefore – because of YHWH’s acts on his behalf David intends to proclaim God’s praise beyond the borders of Israel and sing to his name. In the New Testament the apostle Paul, having stated in Romans 15:7 that Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ ought to receive one another, gives Psalm 18:49 a Messianic dimension by citing it in Romans 15:9 in support of his teaching that Gentiles are included in God’s plan of redemption. He views this verse as ultimately fulfilled by Christ praising God among and through Gentiles who have received mercy.
(50) God guarantees deliverance and mercy (ḥeseḏ: covenant love) to the anointed king. Psalm 18:50 applies this not only to David but to his ‘seed’ (descendants – the Davidic line) forever. Notice that the Lord loves David(v.50) and David loves the Lord (v.1).
SUMMATION
Psalm 18 is a royal psalm of thanksgiving composed by David as he looked back upon his life and deliverance from all his enemies, especially King Saul. In it he celebrates the Lord as his rock, fortress, shield and deliverer who heard his cry of distress and came in a theophany to rescue him. He reflects on God’s faithfulness to the righteous and describes how the Lord equipped and enabled him for battle and gave him victory over his enemies. This calls for fervent praise.
PRACTICAL LESSONS
- When a believer cries out to the Lord in distress he hears and responds powerfully and with compassion.
- God is trustworthy – His way is perfect, his word is pure, his work is powerful (v.30).
- We ought to recognise that any victory we experience is from God, and give him the glory.
- Remembering past deliverances encourages present faith and future praise.
- Knowing that God deals with individuals according to their conduct we need to live with integrity (vv.25-26).
- Personal stories of salvation can point people to the Lord (v.49).
- The ultimate expression of God’s love and salvation for all kinds of people may be seen in David’s greater descendant – Jesus Christ (v.49, Romans 15)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Alter, R. (2009). The Book of Psalms: a Translation with Commentary. New York ; London: W.W. Norton.
Brueggemann, W. and W. H. Bellinger, Jr. (2014). Psalms. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Oesterley, W. O. E. (1955). The Psalms: Translated, with Text-critical and Exegetical Notes, London: S.P.C.K
Perowne, S. (1898). The Book of Psalms : a New Translation, with Introduction and Notes Explanatory and Critical. Andover, W. F. Draper.
Ross, A.P. (2011). A Commentary on the Psalms: Volume 1 (1—41). Kregel Academic, Grand Rapids
Written Exposition 