Psalm 18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:26

With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure ,.... None of Adam's posterity are pure by nature; they are all defiled with sin; and though some are pure in their own eyes, they are far from being cleansed from their filthiness; such only are pure who are sanctified by the Spirit of God, have clean hearts created in them, and whose hearts are purified by faith in the blood of Christ; who are justified by Christ's righteousness, and are washed from their sins in his blood; and who, in consequence... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:27

For thou wilt save the afflicted people ,.... As the people of God commonly are; they are afflicted with sin, and the corruption of their own hearts, and with Satan and his temptations, and with the world, its reproaches, and persecutions; but God in his own time saves them out of them, if not here, yet hereafter. This is particularly and eminently true of the Christians who lived between the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem; who were greatly afflicted and persecuted by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:28

For thou wilt light my candle ,.... Or lamp F4 נרי "lucernam meam", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.; : in 2 Samuel 22:29 , it is, "Thou art my lamp, O Lord"; which may either design outward prosperity, and the flourishing condition of David's kingdom; or internal spiritual light, and an increase of it, by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace, to cause the lamp to burn more clearly; or rather the prosperous estate of Christ's kingdom; and may be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:29

For by thee I have run through a troop ,.... Or, "I have run to a troop": to meet one F6 ארוץ גדוד "occurram turmae", so some in Vatablus. with courage and intrepidity, as some interpret it F7 Apud Kimchi in loc. ; or, as others F8 Apud Aben Ezra in loc. , "I have run after a troop": that is, pursued after one, as David pursued after the troops of the Amalekites who burnt Ziklag, 1 Samuel 30:8 ; to which Jarchi refers this passage; or rather, "I have broke a troop",... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:30

As for God, his way is perfect ,.... Or "without spot" F13 תמים αμωμος , Sept. "impolluta", V. L. so Syriac. Aethiop. , as the Septuagint render the word; without any just charge of inequality, or unrighteousness; such is God's way of providence, though sometimes his methods of providence are cavilled at by wicked men, and murmured at by his own people: they are at a loss, at times, to reconcile promises and providences together, and to account for the justice and equity of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:31

For who is God save the Lord ?.... Or Jehovah: there is but one God, and Jehovah is he; there is none besides him, nor any like him: there are many that are called gods, nominal deities, who are not by nature gods; fictitious ones, the idols of the Gentiles, made of gold, silver, brass, wood, and stone; but there is but one true God: there are gods, in an improper sense, as civil magistrates; but there is none really and truly so but the Lord; which is to be understood, not of Jehovah the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:32

It is God that girdeth me with strength ,.... For battle, as in Psalm 18:39 ; with strength of body and fortitude of mind; both which are from the Lord, and were in David; and were acknowledged by him as bestowed on him by the Lord; and which confirms what he had before said of him: or with spiritual strength, with strength in his soul, against sin, Satan, and the world; and to do the will and work of God: saints are girt by the Lord with the whole armour of God, and among the rest with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:33

He maketh my feet like hind's feet ,.... As light and swift as theirs, as the Targum; that is, either to flee, when there was a necessity for it, as Kimchi observes; or rather to pursue after the enemy, to run through a troop, and leap over a wall, as before; see 1 Chronicles 12:8 ; the same phrase is used in Habakkuk 3:19 ; and may be understood in a spiritual sense of that readiness and cheerfulness with which the saints run the ways of God's commandments, when their hearts are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:34

He teacheth my hands to war ,.... From whence it appears, that war, in some cases, is lawful; and that all the skilfulness and art in training men for war, in the use of armour, in marshalling of armies, in forming sieges, &c.; is all from God; see Psalm 144:1 ; and so is all that spiritual skill, in making use of the whole armour of God against every enemy, sin, Satan, and the world; and even the wisdom and skill, counsel and instruction, which Christ as man and Mediator had, when it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:35

Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation ,.... Meaning either temporal salvation, which was a shield to him when he had no outward one, as when he fought with Goliath; and was what preserved him in all his battles at other times: or spiritual salvation, which is of the Lord, of his contriving, effecting:, and applying, and in which his glory is concerned; interest in which is a free gift of his, as are the knowledge, application, and possession of it; and this is as a shield, which... read more

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