2 Samuel 22:1–22:51
Sources
Reformed ConsensusReformation Study BibleGeneva Bible Notes (1599)John Trapp (1647)Matthew Poole (1685)John Gill (1748)Matthew Henry (1714)Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBarnes (1832)Cross-References (TSK)Reformed Consensus
David's victory hymn in 2 Samuel 22 is not a monument to human heroism but a confession of sovereign grace, as Calvin observes that every metaphor of fortress and deliverer (vv. 2–3) attributes David's rescue entirely to God's free initiative rather than any merit of the king. The protestation of righteousness in verses 21–25 must be read covenantally, not as a claim to sinless perfection, but as David's maintained integrity within the terms of God's covenant — a point Matthew Henry underscores when he notes that the "clean hands" spoken of here concern David's cause against his enemies, not his standing before God's strict justice. The theophany of verses 8–16 echoes Sinai and signals that the same God who redeemed Israel from Egypt now acts eschatologically through His anointed king, so that each divine intervention in David's life rehearses and advances the whole of redemptive history. Dale Ralph Davis rightly presses the typological weight of the closing verses, where "the anointed" (v. 51) points beyond David to the greater Son who would perfectly fulfill the covenant obedience David could only approximate. The doxology thus stands as a paradigm for all redeemed people: every deliverance, from the most personal rescue to the final victory over sin and death, flows from God's steadfast covenant love and is to be sung back to Him alone.
Reformation Study Bible
this song. David's song of praise (which appears also in Ps. 18, with minor variations), together with the prayer of Hannah, forms a fit- ting frame for the books of 1 and 2 Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1-10 note). This song focuses on the Lord's deliverance of David. It may be outlined as follows: introductory praise of God as “savior” (vv. 2-4); the psalmist's distress (vv. 5, 6); the psalmist’s petition (v. 7); the Lord’s response in cosmic demonstration (vv, 8-16) and personal rescue (vv. 17-20); the psalmist's innocence (vv. 21-25) and the Lord's faithfulness (vv. 26-30); the Lord’s deliverance (vv. 31-37) and the psalmist's resultant victories (vv. 38-46); concluding praise of God as Savior (vv. 47-51). Ps. 144, also ascribed to David, shows many similarities in theme and lan- guage. all his enemies. See 8:1-14; cf. 5:8; 7:1, 9, 11; 18:32. from the hand of Saul. See 12:7; 1 Sam. 18-31 (especially 18:9-11; 19:2, 10-11, 15-16). | rock. See also vy. 32, 47; note on 1 Sam. 2:2. | horn, See notes 1 Sam. 2:1, 10. | waves ... torrents. See v. 17. The image of overflowing water recurs frequently in Old Testament poetry as a symbol of distress and destruction (Ps. 32:6; 69:1, 2, 14; 144:7; Is. 43:2; Jon. 2:5). | In my distress. Being in a narrow or tightly confined space is a com- mon figure for distress. In v. 20 (note) relief is described as being brought into a “broad place’ | Smoke went up from his nostrils. Compare the imagery used to describe the awesome power of Leviathan in Job 41:18-21. | rode on a cherub and flew. See Ex. 25:17-22; Num. 7:89; Ezek. 10:19; 11:22. | The Lorp thundered. See 1 Sam. 2:10; 7:10. The Lord's voice is often likened to thunder (Job 37:4, 5; 40:9; Ps. 29:3; Is, 33:3). Most High. See Gen. 14:19 and notes. | he sent out arrows. For similar imagery, see Deut. 32:23, 42; Job 6:4; Ps. 64:7. Lightning is sometimes described as the Lord’s arrows (Ps. 77:17, cf. Hab, 3:11; Zech. 9:14). | many waters. See v. 5 note. | broad place. See v. 7 note. | David is not laying claim to righteousness or sinlessness in any absolute sense. Rather he asserts his blamelessness with respect to his enemies and his confidence that the Lord rewards those who seek to be faithful to Him (v. 26; 1 Sam. 26:23). If this were not the case, David would surely be classed among “the haughty” (v. 28). | tortuous, Lit. “And with the twisted you will deal tortuously.” In the economy of God's justice, those who take “twisted” paths will find the way tortuous. | humble ... haughty. See the theme of divine reversal of fortunes in Hannah's prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10 and note; especially v. 7). | my lamp. Cf. notes on 21:17; 1 Sam. 3:3. | rock. See v. 2 and note. | my people. This is possibly a reference to the many perils that David experienced at the hands of Saul, Absalom, and others. The corre- sponding verse in Ps. 18:43 reads simply “the people,’ as does the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament translation) of this verse. | his king ... anointed. The mention of the Lord’s “king” and His “anointed” is reminiscent of the closing verse of Hannab’s prayer in 1 Sam. 2:10. After the dynastic promise of 2 Sam. 7:5-16, David can speak confidently of God's unfailing mercy to his descendants forever. The dynastic theme is the transition to ch. 23, where David celebrates the “everlasting covenant” he has with the Lord (23:5).
Geneva Bible Notes (1599)
And David spake unto the LORD the words of this {a} song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: (a) In token of the wonderful benefits that he received from God.
John Trapp (1647)
And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: The words of this song. — Which being the same, for substance, with Psalms 18:1-50 , see the notes there. See Trapp on " Psalms 18:1 "
Matthew Poole (1685)
2 SAMUEL Chapter 22 A Psalm of thanksgiving for Godâs powerful deliverance and manifold blessings. This chapter is in a manner wholly the same with Psa 18 , and therefore I shall adjourn the exposition of it to that place.
John Gill (1748)
And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. See Gill on Psalm 18:1 .
Matthew Henry (1714)
David's psalm of thanksgiving. - This chapter is a psalm of praise; we find it afterwards nearly as Ps 18. They that trust God in the way of duty, shall find him a present help in their greatest dangers: David did so. Remarkable preservations should be particularly mentioned in our praises. We shall never be delivered from all enemies till we get to heaven. God will preserve all his people, 2Ti 4:18. Those who receive signal mercies from God, ought to give him the glory. In the day that God delivered David, he sang this song. While the mercy is fresh, and we are most affected with it, let the thank-offering be brought, to be kindled with the fire of that affection. All his joys and hopes close, as all our hopes should do, in the great Redeemer.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
CHAPTER 22 2Sa 22:1-51. David's Psalm of Thanksgiving for God's Powerful Deliverance and Manifold Blessings. The song contained in this chapter is the same as the eighteenth Psalm, where the full commentary will be given [see on [278]Ps 18:1, &c.]. It may be sufficient simply to remark that Jewish writers have noticed a great number of very minute variations in the language of the song as recorded here, from that embodied in the Book of Psalms—which may be accounted for by the fact that this, the first copy of the poem, was carefully revised and altered by David afterwards, when it was set to the music of the tabernacle. This inspired ode was manifestly the effusion of a mind glowing with the highest fervor of piety and gratitude, and it is full of the noblest imagery that is to be found within the range even of sacred poetry. It is David's grand tribute of thanksgiving for deliverance from his numerous and powerful enemies, and establishing him in the power and glory of the kingdom.
Barnes (1832)
This song, which is found with scarcely any material variation as Psalm 18 , and with the words of this first verse for its title, belongs to the early part of David's reign when he was recently established upon the throne of all Israel, and when his final triumph over the house of Saul, and over the pagan nations 2 Samuel 22:44-46 , Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Ammonites, and Edomites, was still fresh 2 Samuel 21 . For a commentary on the separate verses the reader is referred to the commentary on Psalm 18 . The last words of David - i. e., his last Psalm, his last "words of song" 2 Samuel 22:1 . The insertion of this Psalm, which is not in the Book of Psalms, was probably suggested by the insertion of the long Psalm in 2 Samuel 22 . David the son of Jesse said ... - The original word for "said" is used between 200 and 300 times in the phrase, "saith the Lord," designating the word of God in the mouth of the prophet. It is only applied to the words of a man here, and in the strikingly similar passage Numbers 24:3-4 , Numbers 24:15-16 , and in Proverbs 30:1 ; and in all these places the words spoken are inspired words. The description of David is divided into four clauses, which correspond to and balance each other.
Cross-References (TSK)
2Samuel 21:22; 2Samuel 22:2; Psalms 50:14; Psalms 103:1; Psalms 116:1; Exodus 15:1; Judges 5:1; 2Samuel 22:49; Psalms 18:1; Psalms 34:19; Isaiah 12:1; 2Corinthians 1:10; 2Timothy 4:18; Revelation 7:9; 1Samuel 23:14; 1Samuel 24:15; 1Samuel 25:29; 1Samuel 2:24; 1Samuel 27:1; 2Samuel 22:1; 2Samuel 21:9; 2Samuel 19:9; 2Samuel 3:34; 2Samuel 18:32; 2Samuel 3:33; 2Samuel 21:14; 2Samuel 17:6; 2Samuel 20:17; 2Samuel 22:51; 2Samuel 22:18; 2Samuel 22:4; 2Samuel 23:6; 2Samuel 22:21; 2Samuel 22:38; 2Chronicles 20:21; 1Chronicles 1:48; 2Samuel 22:50; 1Kings 1:11; 2Samuel 23:1