"Let the God of my salvation be exalted." As our Saviour, the Lord should
more than ever be glorified. We should publish abroad the story of the
covenant and the cross, the Father's election, the Son's redemption, and the
Spirit's regeneration. He who rescues us from deserved ruin should be very
dear to us. In heaven they sing "Unto him that loved us and washed us in
his blood;" the like music should be common in the assemblies of the saints
below.
Verse 47. "It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me."
To rejoice in personal revenge is unhallowed and evil, but David viewed
himself as the instrument of vengeance upon the enemies of God and his
people, and had he not rejoiced in the success accorded to him he would have
been worthy of censure. That sinners perish is in itself a painful
consideration, but that the Lord's law is avenged upon those who break it is
to the devout mind a theme for thankfulness. We must, however, always
remember that vengeance is never ours, vengeance belongeth unto the Lord,
and he is so just and withal so longsuffering in the exercise of it, that we
may safely leave its administration in his hands.
Verse 48. From all enemies, and especially from one who was pre-eminent in
violence, the Lord's anointed was preserved, and at the last over the head
of Saul and all other adversaries he reigned in honour. The like end awaits
every saint, because Jesus who stooped to be lightly esteemed among men is
now made to sit far above all principalities and powers.
Verse 49. Paul cites this verse (Romans 15:9): "And that the Gentiles might
glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess
to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name." This is clear evidence
that David's Lord is here, but David is here too, and is to be viewed as an
example of a holy soul making its boast in God even in the presence of
ungodly men. Who are the despisers of God that we should stop our mouths
for them? We will sing to our God whether they like it or no, and force
upon them the knowledge of his goodness. Too much politeness to traitors
may be treason to our King.
Verse 50. This is the winding up verse into which the writer throws a
fulness of expression, indicating the most rapturous delight of gratitude.
"Great deliverance." The word "deliverance" is plural, to show the
variety and completeness of the salvation; the adjective "great" is well
placed if we consider from what, to what, and how we are saved. All this
mercy is given to us in our King, the Lord's Anointed, and those are blessed
indeed who as his seed may expect mercy to be built up for evermore. The
Lord was faithful to the literal David, and he will not break his covenant
with the spiritual David, for that would far more involve the honour of his
crown and character.
The Psalm concludes in the same loving spirit which shone upon its
commencement; happy are they who can sing on from love to love, even as the
pilgrims marched from strength to strength.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS
Whole Psalm. The general argument of the Psalm may be thus stated: it is
a magnificent eucharistic ode. It begins with a celebration of the glorious
perfections of the Divinity, whose assistance the speaker has so often
experienced. He describes, or rather, he delineates, his perils, the power
of his enemies, his sudden deliverance from them, and the indignation and
power of his divine deliverer manifested in their overthrow. He paints
these in so lively colours, that while we read we seem to see the lightning,
to hear the thunders, to feel the earthquake. He afterwards describes his
victories, so that we seem to be eye-witnesses of them, and take part in
them. He predicts a wide-extended empire, and concludes with a lofty
expression of grateful adoration of Jehovah, the Author of all his
deliverances and triumphs. The style is highly oratorical and poetical,
sublime, and full of uncommon figures of speech. It is the natural language
of a person of the highest mental endowments, under a divine inspiration,
deeply affected by remarkable divine benefits, and filled with the most
lofty conceptions of the divine character and dispensations.— John Brown, D.D., 1853.
Whole Psalm. Kitto, in "The Pictorial Bible," has the following note upon
2 Samuel 22:—"This is the same as the eighteenth Psalm. . . . The
Rabbins reckon up seventy-four differences between the two copies, most of
them very minute. They probably arose from the fact that the poem was, as
they conjecture, composed by David in his youth, and revised in his later
days, when he sent it to the chief musician. The present is, of course, to
be the earlier copy."
Whole Psalm. The eighteenth Psalm is called by Michaelis more artificial,
and less truly terrible, than the Mosaic odes. In structure it may be so,
but surely not in spirit. It appears to many besides us, one of the most
magnificent lyrical raptures in the Scriptures. As if the poet had dipped
his pen in "the brightness of that light which was before his eye," so he
describes the descending God. Perhaps it may be objected that the nodus
is hardly worthy of the vindex —to deliver David from his enemies,
could Deity ever be imagined to come down? But the objector knows not the
character of the ancient Hebrew mind. God in its view had not to descend
from heaven; he was nigh—a cloud like a man's hand might conceal—a
cry, a look might bring him down. And why should not David's fancy clothe
him, as he came, in a panoply befitting his dignity, in clouds spangled with
coals of fire? If he was to descend, why not in state? The proof of the
grandeur of this Psalm is in the fact that it has borne the test of almost
every translation, and made doggerel erect itself, and become divine. Even
Sternhold and Hopkins its fiery whirlwind lifts up, purifies, touches into
true power, and then throws down, helpless and panting, upon their ancient
common. Perhaps the great charm of the eighteenth, apart from the poetry of
the descent, is the exquisite and subtle alternation of the I and the
Thou. We have spoken of parallelism, as the key to the mechanism of
Hebrew song. We find this as existing between David and God—the
delivered and the deliverer—beautifully pursued throughout the whole of
this Psalm. "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength." "I will call upon the
Lord, who is worthy to be praised." "He sent from above; he took me; he
drew me out of many waters." "Thou wilt light my candle." "Thou hast given
me the shield of thy salvation." "Thou hast girded me with strength unto
battle." "Thou hast given me the necks of mine enemies." "Thou hast made
me the head of the heathen." It has been ingeniously argued, that the
existence of the I suggests, inevitably as a polar opposite, the thought
of the Thou, that the personality of man proves thus the personality of
God; but, be this as it may, David's perception of that personality is
nowhere so intense as here. He seems not only to see, but to feel and
touch, the object of his gratitude and worship.— George Gilfillan, in " The Bards of the Bible," 1852.
Whole Psalm. He that would be wise, let him read the Proverbs; he that
would by holy, let him read the Psalms. Every line in this book breathes
peculiar sanctity. This Psalm, though placed among the first, was penned
among the last, as the preface assures us, and is left as the epitome of the
general history of David's life. It is twice recorded in the Scripture (2
Samuel 22, and in this book of Psalms), for the excellency and sweetness
thereof; surely that we should take double notice of it. Holy David, being
near the shore, here looks on his former dangers and deliverances with a
thankful heart, and writes this Psalm to bless the Lord: as if each of you
that are grown into years should review your lives and observe the wonderful
goodness and providence of God towards you; and then sit down and write a
modest memorial of his most remarkable mercies, for the comfort of
yourselves and posterity; an excellent practice. What a comfort would it be
for you to read how good your God was to you father or grandfather, that are
dead and gone! So would your children rejoice in the Lord upon the reading
of his goodness to you; and you cannot have a better pattern for this than
holy David, who wrote this Psalm when he was threescore and seven years old;
when he had outlived most of his troubles, and almost ready for his journey
to his Father in heaven, he resolves to leave this good report of him upon
earth. And I pray mark how he begins: he sets not up trophies to himself,
but triumphs in his God— "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength." As
the love of God is the beginning of all our mercies, so love to God
should be the end and effect of them all. As the stream leads us to the
spring, so all the gifts of God must lead us to the giver of them. Lord,
thou hast saved me from sickness, "I will love thee;" from death and hell,
"I will love thee;" on me thou hast bestowed grace and comfort, "I will
love thee, O Lord, my strength." And after he had heaped on God all the
sweet names he could devise (verse 2), as the true saint thinks he can never
speak too well of God, or too ill of himself, then he begins his narrative.
1. Of his dangers (verse 4); "Snares of death," "Floods of ungodly
men," "Sorrows of hell." Hell and earth are combined against each holy
man, and will trouble sufficiently in this world, if they cannot keep him
out of a better. 2. Of his retreat, and that was, earnest prayer to God
(verse 6), "I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God." When our
prayers are cries ardent and importunate, then they speed: "My cry came
before him, even into his ears." The mother trifles while the child
whimpers, but when he raises his note—strains every nerve and cries
every vein—then she throws all aside, and gives him his desire. While
our prayers are only whispers, our God can take his rest; but when we fall
to crying, "Now will I arise, saith the Lord." 3. Of his rescue (verses
7 to 20), by the powerful and terrible arm of the Lord, who is in a lofty
strain brought in to his servant's help, as if he would mingle heaven and
earth together, rather than leave his child in the lion's paws. 4. Of the
reason of this gracious dealing of God with him (verse 20, etc.). He was
a righteous person, and he had a righteous cause. And thereupon he turns to
God, saying, Thou hast dealt with me just as thou art wont to do, "with the
merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show
thyself upright." — Richard Steele's "Plain Discourse upon Uprightness," 1670.
Whole Psalm. Sometimes the Lord cheers and comforts the heart of his
people with smiling and reviving providences, both public and personal.
There are times of lifting up, as well as casting down by the hand of
providence. The scene changes, the aspects of providence are very cheerful
and encouraging; their winter seems to be over; they put off their garments
of mourning; and then, ah, what sweet returns are made to heavenly gracious
souls! Doth God lift them up by prosperity? they also will lift up their
God by praises. See title, and verses 1-3 of Psalm 18. So Moses, and the
people with him (Exodus 15), when God had delivered them from Pharaoh, how
do they exalt him in a song of thanksgiving, which for the elegancy and
spirituality of it, is made an emblem of the doxologies given to God in
glory by the saints. Revelation 15:1.— John Flavel.
Title. "The servant of the Lord;" the name given to Moses (Joshua 1:1,
13, 15, and in nine other places of that book) and to Joshua (Joshua 24:29;
Judges 2:8); but to none other except David (here, and in the title to Psalm
36). Compare Acts 13:36, uphreteoas. This is significant; reminding us
of the place occupied by David in the history of Israel. He was the
appointed successor of Moses and Joshua, who extended the power of Israel
over the whole region allotted to them by Divine promise.— W. Kay, 1871.
Title. This Psalm, which is entitled a shirah (or song), is David's
hymn of praise to God for his deliverance from all his enemies (see the
title, and above, 2 Samuel 22), and has an appropriate place in the present
group of Psalms, which speak of resurrection after suffering. It is
entitled a Psalm of David, "the servant of the Lord," and thus is coupled
with another psalm of deliverance, Psalm 36.— Christopher Wordsworth.
Verse 1. "I will love thee, O Lord." The word whereby the psalmist
expresseth his entire affection, in the noun signifieth a womb, and
imparteth such an affection as cometh from the innermost part of man (Heb.
matrix), from his bowels, from the bottom of his heart, as we speak.
It is, therefore, oft put for such pity and compassion as moveth the bowels.
Some, therefore, thus translate that phrase, "From my innermost bowels will