THE SECOND BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
2 Samuel 22 ©
A very excellent song of praise and thanksgiving made by David, wherein he, with all the strength of his spirit, extols his God to the highest, setting forth very lively his extreme necessities and dangers, wherein he was, by reason of the bitter persecution of all his enemies who hated him wrongfully and continually sought his ruin and destruction; besides, describing in very lofty terms, the incomprehensible mercy and almighty power of God, Who has ever most wonderfully delivered him, (being innocent and walking in uprightness before Him), and has lifted him up, quelled and subdued all his enemies and at length brought him to rest and peace. In the meanwhile he points by the spirit of prophecy to the stable, everlasting and unconquered kingdom of our Savior Jesus Christ, Whose type he was, witnessing the future calling of the Gentiles to the obedience and fellowship of the Lord Christ and His church.
AND David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, 1and out of the hand of Saul:
And he said, 2Thea LORD is my 3rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
4The God of my rock; in him will Ib5trust: he is my shield, and the 6horn of my salvation, my 7high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
I 8will call on the LORD, 9who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
When the 10waves of death compassed me, the floods of 11ungodly men made me afraid;
The sorrows of 12hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of 13his temple, and my cry 14did enter into his ears.
Then the earth 15shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because 16he was wroth.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled 17by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and 18came down; and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a 19cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
And he made darkness pavilionsc round about him, dark waters, and 20thick clouds of the skies.
21Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his 22voice.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and 23discomfited them.
And the 24channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the 25rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath 26of his nostrils.
He 27sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of 28many waters;
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
They prevented me in the day of my 29calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD rewarded me according to my 30righteousness: according to the 31cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not 32wickedly departed from my God.
For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine 33iniquity.
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness 34in his eye sight.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself 35unsavoury.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the 36haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
For thou art my 37lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will 38lighten my 39darkness.
For 40by thee I have 41run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
As for 42God, hisd43way is perfect; thee word of the LORD is 44tried: 45he is a bucklerf to all them that trust in him.
For whogis God, save the LORD? and who is a 46rock, save our God?
God is my strength 47and power: and he 48maketh my 49way perfect.
He maketh my feet 50like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my 51high places.
He 52teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of 53steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me 54the shield of thy salvation: and thy 55gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my 56steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
I 57have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
Thou hast also given me the 58necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
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.
Thou also hast delivered me from the 59strivings of my people, thou hast 60kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
61Strangers shall 62submit themselves unto me: 63as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
Strangers shall 64fade away, and they shall be 65afraid out of their close places.
The LORD liveth; and 66blessed be my rock; and 67exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
It is God that 68avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,
And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the 69violent man.
70Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen,h and I will sing praises unto thy name.
He is 71the tower of 72salvation for his 73king: and sheweth mercy to his 74anointed, unto 75David, and to his seed 76for evermore.