He rode upon a cherub , and did fly - he was seen upon the things of the wind - In the original of this sublime passage, sense and sound are astonishingly well connected. I shall insert the Hebrew, represent it in English letters for the sake of the unlearned reader, and have only to observe, he must read from the right to the left. רוח כנפי על וירא ויעף כרוב על וירכב ruach canphey al vaiyera vaiyaoph kerub al vayirkab wind the... read more
EXPOSITION Of the date when David wrote this psalm there can be little doubt. It was at the close of his first great series of victories, after Toi, the Hittite King of Hamath, had sent to him an embassy of congratulation ( 2 Samuel 8:9 , 2 Samuel 8:10 ), referred to very triumphantly in verses 45, 46. But there is no trace in it of the sorrow and shame that clouded over his latter days; and no man whose conscience was stained with sins so dark as those of adultery and murder could... read more
( Psalms 18:1-50 .).—( JERUSALEM .) David's song of praise. "And David spake unto Jehovah the words of this song," etc. ( 2 Samuel 22:1 ). It is a song of: 1 . The anointed ( messiah ) of the Lord, his king ( 2 Samuel 22:51 ), his servant ( Psalms 18:1-50 ; inscription). Like Moses and Joshua, David held a peculiar and exalted position in the kingdom of God under the Old Testament. He was "a man [unlike Saul] of God's own choosing" ( 1 Samuel 13:14 ; 1 Samuel... read more
God's answer to the cry of distress. The facts are: 1 . David represents death, the grave, and ungodly men, under various figures, as causing him deep distress. 2 . He states that, on crying unto God out of the greatness of his distress, his voice entered even into his ears. 3 . He thus indicates, in strong figurative language, the tokens of God's attention to his cry. I. PROVIDENCE PERMITS MEN TO COME INTO GREAT EXTREMITIES . David's life was especially... read more
"And the earth quaked and trembled; The foundations of the heavens shook, And quaked because he was wroth. A smoke went up in his nostril, And fire out of his mouth devoured; Red hot cinders burned from him. And he bowed the heavens and came down, And darkness was under his feet." In describing the manifestation of God for his deliverance, David bore in mind and repeated the description of God's descent to earth given in Exodus 19:16 , Exodus 19:18 . But the poetic vigour... read more
"And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; And he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness booths round about him; Gathering of waters, thickenings of clouds. Out of the brightness before him Coals of fire burned." In 2 Samuel 6:2 Jehovah is described as sitting upon the cherubim; his presence there, called by the rabbins his Shechinah, that is, dwelling, being indicated by a cloud of light. In this psalm the cherub is his chariot, on which he rides forth to... read more
"Jehovah thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent forth arrows, and scattered them [the evil doers]; Lightning, and terrified them. And the sea beds became visible, The foundations of the world were laid bare, At the rebuke of Jehovah, By the breath of the wind of his nostril." Terrified . The verb signifies" to strike with sodden terror and alarm" (see Exodus 14:24 ; Joshua 10:10 ). It describes here the panic caused by the lightning, and... read more
"He stretched forth his hand from on high; he took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me. For they attacked me in the day of my misfortune. But Jehovah became my Staff, And he brought me forth into a wide place He delivered me, because he had pleasure in me." In the midst of this fearful convulsion of nature, while all around are stricken with panic, David sees a hand stretched out from... read more
Rescue from mighty foes. In 2 Samuel 22:8-16 the psalmist depicts Jehovah as appearing in his glory for the deliverance of his servant. The picture may have been occasioned by a storm which, in one of his battles, had terrified his enemies and aided in their discomfiture (comp. Joshua 10:11 ; 1 Samuel 7:10 ). In the text he narrates the deliverance itself. I. THE ENEMIES . Who were: 1 . Malignant. "Hated me." There was not only opposition and contest, but personal... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 22:17
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. See Gill on Psalm 18:16 . read more