2 Samuel

CHAPTER 22

Song of Thanksgiving.^*

O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,

My shield, my saving horn,^*

my stronghold, my refuge,

my savior, from violence you keep me safe.^c

I have been delivered from my enemies.

the menacing floods^* terrified me;

the snares of death lay in wait for me.

I cried out to my God;

From his temple^* he heard my voice,

my cry reached his ears.

the foundations of the heavens trembled;

they shook as his wrath flared up.

a devouring fire from his mouth;

it kindled coals into flame.

a dark cloud under his feet.^d

borne along on the wings of the wind.^e

a mass of water, heavy thunderheads.

coals were kindled to flame.

the Most High made his voice resound.

lightning, and dispersed them.^f

the world’s foundations lay bare,

At the roar of the LORD,

at the storming breath of his nostrils.^g

drew me out of the deep waters.^h

from foes too powerful for me.

but the LORD came to my support.

he rescued me because he loves me.

rewarded my clean hands.

I was not disloyal to my God.

his decrees I did not cast aside.

I was on guard against sin.

the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

to the honest you are honest;

but to the perverse you are devious.

though on the haughty your eyes look down.

My God brightens the darkness about me.

with my God to help I can leap a wall.

the LORD’s promise is tried and true;

he is a shield for all who trust in him.^j

Who but our God is the rock?

kept my way unerring,

set me safe on the heights,^k

my arms to bend even a bow of bronze.

and your help has made me great.

my feet never stumbled.

I did not turn back till I destroyed them.

they fell dead at my feet.

subdued adversaries at my feet.

those who hated me I destroyed.

cried to the LORD but got no answer.

like mud in the streets I trod them down.

you made me head over nations.

A people I had not known became my slaves;

as soon as they heard of me they obeyed.

they came trembling from their fortresses.

Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.

subdued peoples under me,

Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries,

from the violent you have rescued me.

I will sing the praises of your name.^l

and shown kindness to your anointed,

to David and his posterity forever.

* [22:1–51] This psalm of thanksgiving also appears in the Psalter, with a few small variants, as Ps 18. In both places it is attributed to David. Two main sections can be distinguished. In the first part, after an introductory stanza of praise to God (vv. 2–4), the writer describes the peril he was in (vv. 5–7), and then poetically depicts, under the form of a theophany, God’s intervention in his behalf (vv. 8–20), concluding with an acknowledgment of God’s justice (vv. 21–31). In the second part, God is praised for having prepared the psalmist for war (vv. 32–35), given him victory over his enemies (vv. 36–39), whom he put to flight (vv. 40–43), and bestowed on him dominion over many peoples (vv. 44–46). The entire song ends with an expression of grateful praise (vv. 47–51).

* [22:3] My saving horn: my strong savior. The horn, such as that of an enraged bull, was a symbol of strength; cf. Lk 1:69.

* [22:5–6] Breakers…floods: traditional Old Testament imagery for lethal danger, from which the Lord is uniquely able to rescue; cf. Ps 69:2, 15–16; 89:10–11; Jon 2:3–6.

* [22:7] His temple: his heavenly abode.

* [22:8–10] The Lord’s coming is depicted by means of a storm theophany, including earthquake (vv. 8, 16) and thunderstorm (vv. 9–15); cf. Jgs 5:4–5; Ps 29; 97:2–6; Hb 3.

* [22:11] Mounted on a cherub: in the traditional storm theophany, as here, the Lord appears with thunder, lightning, earthquake, rain, darkness, cloud, and wind. Sometimes these are represented as his retinue; sometimes he is said to ride upon the clouds or “the wings of the wind” (Ps 104:3). The parallelism in v. 11 suggests that the winged creatures called cherubim are imagined as bearing the Lord aloft. In the iconography of the ark of the covenant, the Lord was “enthroned upon the cherubim”; cf. Ex 37:7–9; 1 Sm 4:4; 2 Sm 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15; Ps 80:2; 99:1.

* [22:26–27] People are treated by God in the same way they treat him and other people.

a. [22:1] Ps 18:1.

b. [22:2–51] Ps 18:3–51.

c. [22:3] 1 Sm 2:1–2.

d. [22:10] Ps 144:5.

e. [22:11] Ex 25:18–22.

f. [22:15] Ps 144:6.

g. [22:16] Ex 15:8.

h. [22:17] Ps 144:7.

i. [22:26–27] 1 Sm 2:30.

j. [22:31] Prv 30:5.

k. [22:34] Ps 62:3; Hb 3:19.

l. [22:50] Ps 22:23; Rom 15:9.