Psalm 18:2

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 18:1-3

Psalms 18:1-3. I will love thee Hebrew, ארחמךְ , erchamecha, I will love thee most affectionately, and with my whole soul. I can make thee no better return for all thy favours than my love, which I pray thee to accept. By loving the Lord, however, here and elsewhere, we are not only to understand giving him the inward affection of the soul, but also all the proper outward expressions and testimonies of it, in praising, glorifying, and serving him. O Lord, my strength From whom alone I... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:1-50

Psalms 18:0 David’s song of victoryThe outpouring of praise recorded in Psalms 18:0 is applicable to many of David’s experiences. It was probably put into its present form after David reached the height of his power as king. He had conquered all his enemies and now controlled all the country from Egypt to the Euphrates (2 Samuel 8:1-18). The psalm is also recorded in 2 Samuel 22:0.David opens by declaring his love for God (1) and thanking God for hearing his prayers and saving him from death at... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 18:2

rock = fortress. Hebrew. sela'. See notes on Deuteronomy 32:13 , and Exodus 17:6 . Note the Figures of speech Anthropopatheia and Exergasia. App-6 . fortress = mountain stronghold. Hebrew. mezad. My GOD. Hebrew El. App-4 . strength = rock (in original situation): hence, refuge. Hebrew. zur. See Deuteronomy 32:13 ; not same as verses: Psalms 18:17 , Psalms 18:32 , Psalms 18:39 . trust = flee for refuge. See App-69 . buckler = shield. Hebrew. magen, as in Psalms 18:30 and Psalms 5:12... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Psalms 18:2

Psalms 18:2. The Lord is my rock, &c.— These words, by which David expresses his security under the protection of God's providence, will appear to be well chosen, if we consider that under Saul, when he was driven into banishment by him, he was forced to conceal himself in rocks and caverns, and to retreat for his safety to steep hills and precipices, rendered by nature almost inaccessible. See 1 Samuel 19:24; 1 Samuel 24:2. He further declares, that God is his buckler, or shield; or who,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 18:2

2, 3. The various terms used describe God as an object of the most implicit and reliable trust. rock—literally, "a cleft rock," for concealment. strength—a firm, immovable rock. horn of my salvation—The horn, as the means of attack or defense of some of the strongest animals, is a frequent emblem of power or strength efficiently exercised (compare Deuteronomy 33:17; Luke 1:69). tower—literally, "high place," beyond reach of danger. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 18:1-3

1. God’s character 18:1-3David began his praise by verbalizing his love for God for being so good to him. He proceeded to describe how much the Lord meant to him by using many metaphors. Yahweh was the source of his strength, stability, safety, and salvation. He was the one in whom David sought refuge, his defense, his power, and his protection. Because God had proved to be such a reliable Savior, the psalmist regarded Him worthy of his praise."One of the great tragedies of the human spirit is... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 18:1-50

Psalms 18As the title indicates, David wrote this psalm after he had subdued his political enemies and had established the kingdom of Israel firmly under his control. In this poem, David expressed his delight in the Lord and thanked Him for giving him the victories he enjoyed. This royal thanksgiving psalm also appears in 2 Samuel 22. The slight variations may be due to changes that Israel’s leaders made, under divine inspiration, when they adapted this poem for use in Israel’s public worship.... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:1-50

Of all the Pss. this is the one which can be ascribed with greatest confidence to David. It is found, with some variations, in 2 Samuel 22, and the title is largely taken from 2 Samuel 22:1. It consists of a series of triumphant thanksgivings to God, with which the writer connects a highly figurative account of his deliverance from danger (Psalms 18:4-19), an assertion of his own uprightness (Psalms 18:20-24), and a description of the victories he has won by God’s assistance (Psalms... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Psalms 18:2

(2) Rock.—Better here, cliff, keeping “rock” for the next clause. In the first figure the ideas of height and shelter, in the second of broad-based and enduring strength, are predominant.Fortress.—Properly, mountain castle. We have the joint figure of the lofty and precipitous cliff with the castle on its crest, a reminiscence—as, in fact, is every one in this “towering of epithets”—of scenes and events in David’s early life.My God . . .—Better, my God, my rock, I trust in Him. God is here El,... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Psalms 18:1-50

Psalms 18:17-19 These words were sung upon the scaffold by four sons of the Huguenots: 'He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 'They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay 'He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.' They were sung by the last martyrs of the desert, Francis Rochette, and three brothers of the name of Grenier, who suffered as late as 1762, under... read more

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