2 Samuel 22

First Samuel 2 records the song Hannah sang when she brought her son Samuel to serve the Lord at the tabernacle, and 2 Samuel 22 records the song of David after the Lord helped him defeat his enemies (v. 1; Ps. 18). How significant that two books full of burdens and bloodshed are bracketed by praise! No matter how dark the days or how painful the memories, we can always praise the Lord.

In this song, David offered thanks to the Lord for the many victories He had given him and for the gracious way He had worked to bring him to the throne of Israel. Note that Saul is not included among David’s enemies, for no matter what Saul did to him, David never treated Saul like an enemy. It’s likely that 2 Samuel 22 is the original version, but when the song was adapted for corporate worship David wrote a new opening: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength” (Ps. 18:1). The Hebrew word used here for “love” means “a deep and fervent love,” not just a passing emotion. He also deleted from verse 3 “my savior; thou savest me from violence.” There are other differences, but they do not deter us from grasping the glorious message of this song of praise.

It’s unlikely that this song was written just after the defeat of Saul and the beginning of David’s reign in Hebron. From verse 51 we infer that David wrote this psalm after God made His dynastic covenant with him (2 Sam. 7) and gave him the victories recorded in 2 Samuel 8 and 10. We further infer from verses 20–27 that he wrote the psalm before his terrible sins in connection with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam. 11–12), for he could never have written verses 20–27 after that sad episode.

The emphasis in this psalm is on what the Lord in His grace and mercy did for David.

“Deliver” is a key word in this song (vv. 1, 2, 18, 20, 44, 49), and it carries with it the meanings of “drawing out of danger, snatching, taking away, allowing to escape.” For at least ten years before he became king, David was pursued by Saul and his army, and the record shows that Saul tried to kill David at least five times. (See 1 Sam. 18:10–11; 19:8–10, 18–24.) After he became king, David had to wage war against the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Syrians, the Moabites, and the Edomites, and God enabled him to triumph over all his enemies.

David began by praising the Lord for who He is— a rock, a fortress, and a deliverer (v. 20)—images that certainly came out of David’s years in the wilderness when he and his men hid in caves and natural fortresses. “God is my rock” (v. 3) can be translated, “My rock-like God.” The image of the Lord “the rock” goes back to Genesis 49: and is used often in “The Song of Moses” in Deuteronomy 32 (vv. 4, 15, 18, 30–31). Hannah used it in her song (1 Sam. 2:2), and it’s found frequently in the psalms. A rock reminds us of strength and stability, that which is dependable and unchanging. No matter how David’s enemies tried to destroy him, he was always guided and protected by the Lord. God was a shield around him and a deliverer in every time of danger.

The image of the rock gives way to the image of the flood (vv. 4–7), and this leads to the vivid picture of the storm (vv. 8–20. While he was exiled in the wilderness, David certainly saw many rainstorms (see Ps. 29) that transformed the dry riverbeds into raging torrents (Ps. 126:4). No matter what the season, David was constantly fighting the strong currents of Saul’s opposition. Waves of death, floods of ungodly men, the cords of sheol (the land of the dead), and the hidden traps of death all made David’s life difficult and dangerous. No wonder he told Jonathan, “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam. 20: nkjv). What do you do when you’re drowning in a flood of opposition? You call on the Lord and trust Him for the help you need (v. 7). David was a man of prayer who depended on the Lord for wisdom, strength, and deliverance, and the Lord never failed him. Why did God wait all those years before delivering David and putting him on the throne? For one thing, the Lord was building himself a leader, and this could be done only by means of trial, suffering, and battle. But the Lord also had his own timetable, for “when the fullness of the time had come” (Gal. 4: nkjv), out of David’s family the Messiah would come to the world. When the Lord answered David’s cries and delivered him from Saul and the enemies of the people of God, it was like a great thunderstorm being released over the land (vv. 8–20). David describes God’s intervention as an earthquake (v. 8) followed by lightning, fire, and smoke (v. 9). The Lord was angry! (See Ps. 74: and 140:10.) Against the background of the black sky, the Lord swooped down on a cloud propelled by the cherubim. The storm raged! In Scripture, a storm can picture an advancing army (Ezek. 38:9; Dan. 11:40; Hab. 3:14) or the judgment of God (Jer. 11:6; 23:19; 25:32). God’s arrows were like the lightning, His voice like the thunder, and the winds like the angry breath of His nostrils. No wonder His enemies fled in terror! David didn’t see himself as a great commander who led a victorious army, but as God’s servant who trusted Jehovah to win the victory. He gave all the glory to the Lord. God not only “came down” (v. 10), but He “reached down” and plucked David out of the dangerous waters.

For at least ten years, David had been in “tight” places, but now the Lord had brought him out “into a spacious place” (v. 20 niv). God could give him a larger place because David had been enlarged in his own life through his experiences of trial and testing. “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress” (Ps. 4:1). David had often cried out, “The troubles of my heart are enlarged,” but at the same time, God was enlarging His servant and preparing him for a bigger place (18:19, 36). “I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place” (Ps. 118: nkjv). In the school of life, God promotes those who, in times of difficulty, learn the lessons of faith and patience (Heb. 6:12), and David had learned his lessons well.

David’s righteousness (vv. 21–25). A superficial reading of these verses might lead us to believe that David was bragging about himself, but this isn’t the case at all. David was praising the Lord for enabling him to live a blameless life in dangerous and uncomfortable situations. Just think of how difficult it would be to keep the law of the Lord in the Judean wilderness while fleeing for your life! In all that he did, David sought to please the Lord, obey His law, and trust His promises. These verses describe David as a man of integrity (see Ps. 78:72), a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). David knew and claimed God’s covenant promises and the Lord honored him. King Saul violated the terms of the covenant, and the Lord judged him.

This doesn’t mean that David was spotless and always did the right thing. He had his days of despair when he fled to the enemy for help, but these were incidents in a life that was otherwise wholly devoted to the Lord. David honored only the Lord and never turned to idols. He did not dishonor the name of the Lord; he was careful to love and protect his parents (1 Sam. 22:1–4); and when he had opportunities to slay Saul, David refused to touch the Lord’s anointed and commit murder. There is no evidence that during his “battle years” David was a thief, an adulterer, or a false witness against others. (Actually, it was Saul and his men who lied about David.) David was a generous man who didn’t cultivate a covetous heart. We don’t know how David honored the Sabbath when he was away from the covenant community, but there’s no reason to believe that he broke the fourth commandment. Measured by the righteousness of the law, David was a man with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:3–6), and he received his reward from the Lord.

The Lord’s faithfulness (vv. 26–28). The Lord never violates His own attributes. God deals with people according to their attitudes and their actions. David was merciful to Saul and spared his life on at least two occasions, and the Lord was merciful to David. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7). David was faithful to the Lord, and the Lord was faithful to Him. David was upright; he was single-hearted when it came to serving God. He was not sinless—no man or woman on earth is—but he was blameless in his motives and loyal to the Lord. In that sense, his heart was pure: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Unlike Saul, David was not perverse in heart but submitted to the will of God (v. 27). The NIV reads, “to the crooked you show yourself shrewd,” reminding us that faith is living without scheming or making excuses, two practices at which Saul excelled. The Hebrew word translated “froward” (kjv) or “crooked” (niv) comes from a root that means “to wrestle.” David didn’t fight God or God’s will, but Saul did, and that’s why David was exalted but Saul was abased (1 Peter 5:5–6; James 4:10).

Finally, David was humble and broken before the Lord, while Saul promoted himself and put himself first. “You rescue those who are humble, but your eyes are on the proud to humiliate them” (v. 28 nlt). Hannah touched on this important theme in her song to the Lord (1 Sam. 2:3, 7–8). When Saul began his reign, he stood head and shoulders above everybody else (1 Sam. 10:23–24), but at the end of his life, he fell on his face in a witch’s house (28:20) and fell as a suicide on the battlefield (31:1–6). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10: nkjv). David fell on his face in submission, and the Lord lifted him up in honor. Saul lifted himself up and eventually fell on his face in humiliation.

God is always faithful to His character and His covenant. Knowing the character of God is essential to knowing and doing the will of God and pleasing His heart. David knew God’s covenant so he understood what God expected of him. The character of God and the covenant of God are the foundations for the promises of God. If we ignore His character and covenant, we will never be successful in claiming His promises.

In this stanza of his song, David looked back and recalled how the Lord helped him during those difficult years of exile.

The Lord enlightened David (v. 29). The image of the burning lamp can refer to God’s goodness in keeping people alive (Job 18:5–6; 21:17). David’s life was constantly in danger, but the Lord kept him alive and provided all he needed. But a burning lamp also speaks of the reign of a king. David’s men were afraid that one day he would be slain in battle and the “light of Israel” be put out (2 Sam. 21:17). Even after David died, the Lord was true to His covenant promise and kept David’s lamp burning by maintaining David’s dynasty (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Chron. 21:7; Ps. 132:17).

But God enlightened David in another way, for He revealed His will to him through the words of the prophets and the use of the Urim and Thummim. Saul made his own decisions, but David sought the mind of the Lord. During the dark days of his exile, David could say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27: nkjv).

The Lord empowered David (vv. 30–35). The picture here is that of a courageous warrior letting nothing stand in the way of victory. God empowered David to face the enemy without fear, running through a troop and the barricades they put up, and even scaling a wall to take a city. God’s way is perfect (v. 31), and He made David’s way perfect (v. 33), because David trusted in Him. God shielded David in the battle because David relied wholly on the flawless Word of God.

David’s body belonged to the Lord (see Rom. 12:1), and God used his arms, feet and hands (vv. 33–35) to overcome the enemy. David was a gifted warrior, but it was the anointing power of the Lord that enabled him to succeed on the battlefield. Like a fleet-footed deer, he could reach the heights; even his ankles didn’t turn (v. 37 niv). God made David’s arms strong enough to bend a bow of bronze and shoot arrows with great power. In the strength of the Lord, David was invincible.

The Lord enlarged David (vv. 36–43). God enlarged David’s path (v. 37) and put him into a larger place (v. 20), a wonderful truth we have already considered. The remarkable statement “thy gentleness hath made me great” (v. 36) reveals David’s utter amazement that Almighty God would condescend to pay any attention to him. David always saw himself as an ordinary Jewish shepherd with no special position in Israel (1 Sam. 18:18, 23), but the Lord “stooped down” to make him great. He made David a great warrior and gave him a great name (2 Sam. 7:23), and David acknowledged this incredible mercy from God, but David’s greatest desire was to make Jehovah’s name great before the nations (7:18–29).

The gracious condescension of the Lord is a theme that is too often neglected by God’s people. As with David, God the Father condescends to work in our lives to fit us for the work of His choosing (and see Isa. 57:15), and God the Son certainly humbled Himself for us when He came to earth as a servant and a sacrifice for sin (Phil. 2:5–11). The Holy Spirit condescended to come to earth and live in the people of God! David didn’t look back on those difficult exile years and see the “hardness” of God but the gentleness of God. He saw only goodness and mercy following him (Ps. 23:6). The servant in the parable who called the master “a hard man” (Matt. 25:24) certainly didn’t have the same outlook as King David!

We might cringe as we read David’s description of his victories, but we must remember that he was fighting the battles of the Lord. If these nations had defeated and destroyed Israel, what would happen to God’s great plan of salvation? We wouldn’t have a Bible, and we wouldn’t have a Savior! In rebelling against the Lord and worshipping idols, these pagan nations had sinned against a flood of light, so they were without excuse (Rom. 1:18ff.; Josh. 2). The Lord had been patient with them for many years (Gen. 15:16), but they had spurned His grace. David pursued his enemies when they tried to get away (vv. 38, 41); he defeated them, crushed them, and ground them into the dirt! They became like mire in the streets.

It is one thing to fight wars and defeat the enemy, but it is quite something else to keep these nations under control. David not only had to unify and lead the twelve tribes of Israel, but he also had to deal with the nations that were subjected to Israel.

The Lord enthroned David (vv. 44–46). The Gentile nations didn’t want a king on the throne of Israel, especially a brilliant strategist, brave warrior, and beloved leader like David. However, God not only established him on the throne, but also promised him a dynasty that would never end. The Lord promised David a throne, and He kept His promise. He also helped David to unite his own people and deal with those who were still loyal to Saul. The word “strangers” in verses 45–46 (kjv) means “foreigners” and refers to Gentile nations. The Lord’s victories frightened these peoples and drove them into hiding places. Eventually they would come out of their feeble fortresses and submit to David.

The Lord exalted David (vv. 47–49). David’s shout of praise, “The Lord lives” (v. 47), was his bold witness to these subjected peoples that their dead idols could not save them or protect them (see Ps. 115). Only Jehovah, the God of Israel, is the true and living God, and David’s victories and enthronement proved that God was with him. David was always careful not to exalt himself, but to exalt the Lord. David closes his song with high and holy praise for the Lord God of Israel. He exalted the Lord, and the Lord exalted him (Matt. 6:33; 1 Sam. 2:30). If we magnify our own name or our own deeds, we will sin, but if the Lord magnifies us, we can bring glory to His name (Josh. 3:7).

The Lord elected David (vv. 50–51). God’s sovereign choice of David to be king, and His dynastic covenant with him, form the foundation for all that God did for His servant. Israel was called to be a witness to the nations, and it was David’s responsibility to build a kingdom that would honor the name of the Lord. It’s too bad that because of his sin with Bathsheba he brought reproach to God’s name (2 Sam. 12:14). Nevertheless, David was God’s king and God’s anointed, and the covenant between God and David still stands and will ultimately be fulfilled in the reign of Jesus Christ in His kingdom.

Paul quoted verse 50 in Romans 15: as part of the wrap-up of his admonition to the believers in the churches in Rome that they receive one another and stop judging one another. The Gentile believers in Rome were enjoying their freedom in Christ, while many of the Jewish believers were still in bondage to the law of Moses. Paul points out that Christ came to minister to both Jews and Gentiles by fulfilling God’s promises to the Jews and dying for both Jews and Gentiles. From the very beginning of the nation, when God called Abraham and Sarah, the Lord had it in mind to include the Gentiles in His gracious plan of salvation (Gen. 12:1–3; Luke 2:29–32; John 4:22; Eph. 2:11ff.).

The sequence in Romans 15:8–12 is significant. Jesus confirmed the promises made to Israel (v. 8), and Israel brought the message of salvation to the Gentiles (v. 9). Both believing Jews and Gentiles as one spiritual body now praise the Lord together (v. 10), and all the nations hear the good news of the gospel (v. 11). When Jesus returns, He will reign over both Jews and Gentiles in His glorious kingdom (v. 12). From the very beginning, it was God’s plan that the nation of Israel be His vehicle for bringing salvation to a lost world. “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2: nkjv) and “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4: nkjv). The Gentiles owe a great debt to the Jews (Rom. 15:27), and Gentile Christians ought to pay that debt. They can show their appreciation to Israel by praying for their salvation (Rom. 9:1–5; 10:1) and for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6), lovingly witnessing to them as God gives opportunity (Rom. 1:16), and sharing in their material needs (Rom. 15:27).

As you review this psalm, you can see what it was that thrilled the heart of David. He saw God and mentioned Him at least nineteen times. He saw God in the affairs of life, both the happy occasions and the storms that came. He saw God’s purpose in his life and in the nation of Israel and rejoiced to be a part of it. But most exciting of all, in spite of the troubles David had experienced, he still saw the gentle hand of God, molding his life and accomplishing His purposes (v. 35). The enlarged troubles (Ps. 25:17) “enlarged” David (Ps. 4:1) and prepared him to take enlarged steps (2 Sam. 22:37) in the enlarged place God had prepared for him (22:20). That can be our experience as well.