2 Samuel 22 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

2 Samuel 22

David’s Song of Deliverance

22:1 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,

  “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3     my¹ God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
  my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
    my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
4   I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
5   “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;²
6   the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
7   “In my distress I called upon the LORD;
    to my God I called.
  From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.
8   “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
9   Smoke went up from his nostrils,³
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10   He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
11   He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12   He made darkness around him his canopy,
    thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13   Out of the brightness before him
    coals of fire flamed forth.
14   The LORD thundered from heaven,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.
15   And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and routed them.
16   Then the channels of the sea were seen;
    the foundations of the world were laid bare,
  at the rebuke of the LORD,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17   “He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
18   He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
19   They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the LORD was my support.
20   He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
21   “The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22   For I have kept the ways of the LORD
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23   For all his rules were before me,
    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24   I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
25   And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to my cleanness in his sight.
26   “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27   with the purified you deal purely,
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28   You save a humble people,
    but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29   For you are my lamp, O LORD,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
30   For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31   This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
32   “For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?
33   This God is my strong refuge
    and has made my⁴ way blameless.⁵
34   He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
35   He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36   You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your gentleness made me great.
37   You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet⁶ did not slip;
38   I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
    and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39   I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
    they fell under my feet.
40   For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41   You made my enemies turn their backs to me,⁷
    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42   They looked, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
43   I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
44   “You delivered me from strife with my people;⁸
    you kept me as the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
45   Foreigners came cringing to me;
    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46   Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling⁹ out of their fortresses.
47   “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48   the God who gave me vengeance
    and brought down peoples under me,
49   who brought me out from my enemies;
    you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from men of violence.
50   “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing praises to your name.
51   Great salvation he brings¹⁰ to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.”

Footnotes

[1] 22:3 Septuagint (compare Psalm 18:2); Hebrew lacks my
[2] 22:5 Or terrified me
[3] 22:9 Or in his wrath
[4] 22:33 Or his; also verse 34
[5] 22:33 Compare Psalm 18:32; Hebrew he has blamelessly set my way free, or he has made my way spring up blamelessly
[6] 22:37 Hebrew ankles
[7] 22:41 Or You gave me my enemies’ necks
[8] 22:44 Septuagint with the peoples
[9] 22:46 Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves
[10] 22:51 Or He is a tower of salvation

Commentary

v1-4: David's testimony is of a real, first-hand faith. The words 'I', 'me', 'my' appear 14 times in these first verses. There is victory and deliverance because God has saved, and this is personal. See John 6.44, about the need for a first hand faith centred on Jesus; He is my Saviour and my Salvation.

Having being saved, I must also call on Him, to continue to enjoy deliverance.

This chapter is essentially Psalm 18.

v5-7: Words echoed later by Jonah; his experience was similar to being attacked by floods of ungodliness.

In the hour of difficulty we must pray to the Lord, and have confidence that He will hear.

Here too are David's enemies; the waves of death, the torrents of destruction, the cords of the grave, the snares of death, my distress. David does not speak just of losing his life on earth, but of enduring an impoverished life.

v8-20: God is at work on behalf of an individual. Here is the utter greatness and majesty of God (v8-16), and David's personal testimony (v17-20).

v8: The earth and the very foundations of heaven shook at the power of God.

v9: Smoke and fire from God, before which nothing can stand.

v10: He parted the heavens and came down, becoming involved in earthly events. Compare Isaiah's prayer, Is 64.1.

v11: He flew, not being limited by human weakness; no physical barrier can stop Him.

v12-13: Darkness and brightness; the fearful power of God.

v14: The voice of God, with power and authority.

v15: Enemies were scattered and vanquished; the enemies of God are the enemies of His people; no wonder David was full of gratitude.

v16: The rebuke of God, distinguishing between His own and His enemies.

v17: It was God who took hold of His own and rescued him.

v18: The strong enemy may take advantage of the one who is weak, having been brought low.

v19: "Disaster", or calamity, translated destruction and wrath; this refers to personal disasters that bring us down.

v20: God saved His own; the individual who belongs to God is precious to God. Through His salvation, we find a “spacious place,” a place of freedom.

v21-25: David testified of his life of integrity, compare 1 Kings 15.5.

v21: A life of righteousness.

v22: David claimed to be obedient, not perfect; since he did fall short in some ways, but he did not turn from the Lord, through witchcraft or idolatry.

v23: David loved God's word.

v24: David was conscious of personal sins, Prov 4.23-26. Whilst we show grace to others, we must be ruthless with sins in our own lives.

v25: The Lord has great blessings for those who will honour Him.

v26-27: We often perceive God as we are; we see of His perfect character as we become more like Him. In contrast the ungodly will perceive God to be like Himself; unfair, cruel, inconsistent, weak.

v28: The Lord will work in the life of the humble.

v29-37: All blessing is attributed to God; with God we can do great things, even the impossible. He is our security, giving strength in all situations; He is our protection in all things.

v38-43: David was victorious over enemies outside. These were utterly defeated, giving him rest on every side, 1 Chr 22.18. This victory was through God's work (v40-41). But David was committed to completing what God had given him to do; he did not turn back.

v44-46: David was also victorious over enemies from within Israel. We also read of foreigners identifying with the people of God, through the blessing of God on David, their leader.

v47: In conclusion, David rejoiced in the God who is alive; no lifeless idol here! He is "my Rock" and "my Saviour"; such is the power of a personal experience of God.

v48-49: The enemies were subdued, and David made "head of nations" (v44); and it was God who achieved this. David would not have become king unless God was with him.

v50-51: In response, David testified through sings of praise to God, declaring His character.