T¹ U 2,3. Praise. V l 4-7. Prayer made. m 8-16. Overthrow of enemies. Tempest. V l 17-28. Prayer answered. m 29-49. Overthrow of enemies. U 50,51. Praise.
22)
1: And David spoke (at this point in his history [about 1018 B.C.]. This song was written and edited by him later as Ps.18, with the full liberty of all other editors of their own work) to Yehovah the words of this song (cp.Ex.15. Deut.32) in the day that Yehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2: And he said, "Yehovah is my rock (Heb. sel'a = a shadow, or shelter. First occ.), and my fortress (protection), and my deliverer;
3: The Elohim of my rock (= cliff, in situ. See Ps.18:2; 31:3; 42:9; 71:3. Sept. and Sry. read "My God was my rock"); in Him will I trust (prove Him by following Him): He is my shield, and the horn (= strength) of my salvation, my high tower (Watchman. Apply this to last days), and my refuge, my saviour; You save me from violence.
l A 4. Call for deliverance. B 5. Compassed by pangs. B 6. Compassed by sorrows. A 7. Call for deliverance.
4: I will call on Yehovah, Who is worthy to be praised (He is the only one to praise): so shall I be saved from my enemies. (Our enemies outnumber us. So What!)
5: When (or For) the waves of death compassed me, the floods of Beliel (= worthlessness, lawlessness) made me afraid;
6: The meshes of Sheol compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; (If you become entangled in the ways of the world, the web tightens)
7: In my distress I called upon Yehovah, and cried to my Elohim (exercise your trust in Him): and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears.
m C 8-. On earth. Wonders. D -8-10-. In heaven. Fire. E -10. Darkness. F 11. Speedy succour. E 12. Darkness. D 13-15. In heaven. Fire. C 16. On earth. Wonders.
8: Then the earth shook and trembled;
and the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because He was wroth. (This happened in the 1st earth age. See Jer.4:23-26. He will do it again. Cp. Heb.12:26-29.)
9: There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10: He bowed the heavens also, and came down;
and darkness was under His feet. (= Satan. Cp. Ezek.32. Ps.104:3-5, &c.)
11: And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and He was seen (some codices read "and darted") upon the wings of the wind.
12: And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies. (He hid Himself from certain eyes)
13: Through the brightness before Him were coals of fire kindled. (His Spirit does this. Spiritual fire from His altar warms the hearts of His children that do have eyes to see, and burns those that are our enemies.)
14: Yehovah thundered (He spoke) from heaven, and the Most High (= Elyon. It is El and Elohim, not as he powerful Creator, but as "the Possessor of heaven and earth". Hence the name is associated with Christ as the Son of "the Highest". It is Elyon, as Possessor of the earth, Who divides the nations "their inheritance". He is "over all the earth". Elyon is he Dispenser of God's blessings on the earth; the blessing proceeding from a Priest Who is a King upon His throne) uttered His voice.
15: And He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. (Cp. Ezek.39)
16: And the channels of the sea appeared (Heb. 'aphîhîm, a watercourse, constrained by rocks or pipes or rocky channels. First occ. See Job 6:15; 12:21; 40:18; 41:15. Ps.18:15; 42:1; 126:4. Song. 5:12. Isa. 8:7. Ezek.6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13; 35:8; 36:4,6. Joel 1:20; 3:18), the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuking of Yehovah, at the blast of the breath (= Ruach = Spirit) of His nostrils. (His wrath has come to a boiling point and shakes the earth again)
l G 17,18-. Deliverance. H -18. Enemies. H 19-. Enemies. G -19-28. Deliverance.
17: He sent from above (see John 3:3,5), He took me; He drew me out of many waters (= peoples. See Rev.17:15);
18: He delivered me from my strong enemy (Satan himself), and from them that hated me: (Cp. Ps.18:17)
for they were too strong for me. (It doesn't matter. You and God make a majority)
19: They got before me (i.e. got in my face) in the day of my calamity:
but Yehovah was my stay. (God will always stay your course)
20: He brought me forth also into a large place (a safe place): He delivered me, because He delighted in me (that is why He created your soul. Rev.4:11. God takes care of those that delight Him. Why? because of your love).
21: Yehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands (= work) has He recompensed me. (I follow Him because I love Him, trust Him. We all fall short)
22: For I have kept the ways of Yehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my Elohim.
23: For all His judgments were before me (cp. Deut.4:1): and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them. (You must stay in God's Word the best you can)
24: I was also blameless before Him, and have kept myself from my iniquity.
25: Therefore Yehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in His eye sight. (Because of Christ paying the price and cleansing us)
26: With the gracious You will show Yourself gracious, and with the blameless man You will show Yourself blameless.
27: With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the froward You will shew Yourself ready to contend (= a wrestler. Cp. Ps.18:26). (You arrange your own treatment)
28: And the afflicted people You will save: but Your eyes are upon the haughty, that You may bring them down. (Those who set themselves up)
m J 29. Yehovah my light. K 30-32. God my avenger. L 33-40. God my strength. M 41-46. Deliverance. J 47. Yehovah my life. K 48. God my avenger. L 49-. God my exalter. M -49. Deliverance.
29: For You are my light, O Yehovah: and Yehovah will lighten my darkness. (1 Thess. 5)
30: For by You I have run through a troop: and by my Elohim have I leaped over a wall.
31: As for El (is essentially the Almighty. El is Elohim in all His strength and power. It is rendered "God" as Elohim is, but El is God the Omnipotent. Elohim is God the Creator putting His omnipotence into operation. Eloah is God Who wills and orders all, and Who is the one object of the worship of His people. El is the God Who knows all and sees all and that performs all things for His people; and Whom all the Divine attributes are concentrated), His way is perfect; the word (= statements, what is said) of Yehovah has been proved: He is a buckler (small shield) to all them that trust in Him. (See Luke 10:17-19)
32: For who is El, save Yehovah? and who is a rock (you can stand, build upon), save our Elohim?
33: El is my fortress and strength: and He makes my way perfect (or, shows to the blameless His way. Perfect path. Some codices read "my way", as in Ps.18:32).
34: He makes my feet like hinds' feet: and makes me to stand firm upon my high places (Spiritually speaking. Contrast the "high places" so fatal to Jonathan and Saul [1:25]).
35: He teaches my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms. (It broke the back of communism. God is not angry at those who love him)
36: You have also given me the shield of Your salvation: and Your gentleness has made me great.
37: You have enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. (He teaches you how to get it done)
38: I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39: And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yes, they are fallen under my feet.
40: For You have girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me have you subdued under me. (Don't get on an ego trip because of this. You did not do it. God did it!)
41: You have also given me the necks (i.e. the jugular. He gives you their weak spot) of my enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42: They looked about (but some codices read "cried out". Cp. Ps.18:41. See Mark 13), but there was none to save; even to Yehovah, but He answered them not.
43: Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44: You also have delivered me from the contentions of my People, You have kept me to be head of the nations: a people which I knew not shall serve me. (Every knee shall bow to Christ on the 1st day of the millennium [i.e. the Day of the LORD]. See Rev.3:9,10)
45: Foreigners shall submit themselves to me (or give a feigned and unwilling obedience): as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient to me.
46: Strangers shall fade away, and they shall come forth tremblng from their hiding places.
47: Yehovah lives; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the Elohim of the rock of my salvation.
48: It is El that avenges me, and that brings down the Peoples under me,
49: And that brings me forth from my enemies: You also have lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me:
You have delivered me from the violent man (i.e. Saul).
50: Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Yehovah, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to Your name.
51: He is the tower of salvation for His king: and shows mercy to His anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore. (Even through the eternity)