2 Samuel 22

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

1 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul. 2 He said:  * 22:2–51 Ps 18:2–50

The Lord is my rock, my fortress,  * 22:2 Ps 31:3; 71:3 and my deliverer,

3 my God,  * 22:3 LXX, Ps 18:2 read my God; MT reads God of my rock where I seek refuge.

My shield, the horn of my salvation,  * 22:3 Lk 1:69 my stronghold,  * 22:3 Ps 9:9; 59:9,16–17; 62:2,6 my refuge,  * 22:3 Ps 14:6; 71:7; Jr 16:19

and my Savior, you save me from violence.

4 I called to the  Lord, who is worthy of praise,  * 22:4 1Ch 16:25; Ps 48:1; 96:4

and I was saved from my enemies.

5 For the waves of death engulfed me;  * 22:5 Ps 42:7; Jnh 2:3

the torrents of destruction terrified me.

6 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.  * 22:6 Ps 116:3

7 I called to the  Lord in my distress;

I called to my God.  * 22:7 Ps 116:4; 120:1; Jnh 2:2

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry for help reached his ears.

8 Then the earth shook and quaked;

the foundations of the heavens  * 22:8 Some Hb mss, Syr, Vg read mountains; Ps 18:7 trembled;  * 22:8 Jdg 5:4; Ps 77:18; 97:4

they shook because he burned with anger.  * 22:8 Jb 26:11

9 Smoke rose from his nostrils,

and consuming fire came from his mouth;

coals were set ablaze by it.  * 22:9 Or him

10 He bent the heavens and came down,  * 22:10 Ps 144:5; Is 64:1

total darkness beneath his feet.

11 He rode on a cherub and flew,

soaring  * 22:11 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss, Syr, Tg read he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness a canopy around him,

a gathering  * 22:12 Or sieve, or mass; Hb obscure of water and thick clouds.  * 22:12 Ps 97:2

13 From the radiance of his presence,

blazing coals were ignited.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven;

the Most High made his voice heard.  * 22:14 Jb 37:4

15 He shot arrows and scattered them;  * 22:15 Dt 32:23; Ps 7:13; 77:17; Hab 3:11

he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.  * 22:15 Ps 144:6

16 The depths of the sea became visible,

the foundations of the world were exposed

at the rebuke of the  Lord,

at the blast of the breath  * 22:16 Jb 4:9; Is 30:33 of his nostrils.  * 22:16 Ex 15:8

17 He reached down from on high

and took hold of me;

he pulled me out of deep water.  * 22:17 Ps 144:7

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too strong for me.

19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

20 He brought me out to a spacious place;  * 22:20 Ps 31:8; 118:5

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21 The Lord rewarded me

according to my righteousness;  * 22:21 1Sm 26:23; 1Kg 8:32; Ps 7:8

he repaid me

according to the cleanness of my hands.  * 22:21 Ps 24:3–4

22 For I have kept the ways of the  Lord* 22:22 Pr 8:32

and have not turned from my God to wickedness.

23 Indeed, I let all his ordinances  * 22:23 Ps 119:30,102 guide me  * 22:23 Lit Indeed, all his ordinances have been in front of me

and have not disregarded his statutes.

24 I was blameless before him

and kept myself from my iniquity.

25 So the Lord repaid me

according to my righteousness,

according to my cleanness  * 22:25 LXX, Syr, Vg read to the cleanness of my hands; Ps 18:24 in his sight.

26 With the faithful

you prove yourself faithful,

with the blameless

you prove yourself blameless,

27 with the pure

you prove yourself pure,

but with the crooked

you prove yourself shrewd.

28 You rescue an oppressed people,  * 22:28 Ps 72:12–13

but your eyes are set against the proud —

you humble them.  * 22:28 Is 2:11–12,17; Lk 1:51

29 Lord, you are my lamp;

the Lord illuminates my darkness.  * 22:29 Jb 29:3; Ps 27:1

30 With you I can attack a barricade,  * 22:30 Or a ridge, or raiders

and with my God I can leap over a wall.  * 22:30 2Sm 5:6–9

31 God — his way is perfect;  * 22:31 Dt 32:4

the word of the  Lord is pure.  * 22:31 Ps 119:140

He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God besides the  Lord?

And who is a rock? Only our God.

33 God is my strong refuge;  * 22:33 DSS, some LXX mss, Syr, Vg read God clothes me with strength; Ps 18:32

he makes my way perfect.  * 22:33 Some LXX mss, Syr; MT reads he sets free the blameless his way; Hb obscure

34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer

and sets me securely on the  * 22:34 LXX; some Hb mss read my; other Hb mss read his  heights.  * 22:34 Or on my high places

35 He trains my hands for war;  * 22:35 Ps 144:1

my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation;  * 22:36 Eph 6:16–17

your help  * 22:36 LXX reads humility; Ps 18:35 exalts me.

37 You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps,

and my ankles do not give way.

38 I pursue my enemies and destroy them;

I do not turn back until they are wiped out.

39 I wipe them out and crush them,

and they do not rise;

they fall beneath my feet.

40 You have clothed me with strength for battle;

you subdue my adversaries beneath me.  * 22:40 Ps 44:5

41 You have made my enemies retreat before me;  * 22:41 Lit you gave me the neck of my enemies

I annihilate those who hate me.

42 They look, but there is no one to save them —

they look to the  Lord, but he does not answer them.  * 22:42 1Sm 28:6; Pr 1:28

43 I pulverize them like dust of the earth;

I crush them and trample them like mud in the streets.  * 22:43 Is 10:6; Mc 7:10; Zch 10:5

44 You have freed me from the feuds among my people;  * 22:44 2Sm 2:8–10; 15:1–6; 20:1–2

you have preserved me as head of nations;

a people I had not known serve me.  * 22:44 2Sm 8:1–14; Is 55:5

45 Foreigners submit to me cringing;

as soon as they hear, they obey me.

46 Foreigners lose heart

and come trembling from their fortifications.  * 22:46 Mc 7:17

47 The Lord lives — blessed be my rock!

God, the rock of my salvation,  * 22:47 Ps 89:26; 95:1 is exalted.

48 God — he grants me vengeance

and casts down peoples under me.  * 22:48 Ps 144:2

49 He frees me from my enemies.

You exalt me above my adversaries;

you rescue me from violent men.  * 22:49 Ps 140:1

50 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations,  Lord;

I will sing praises about your name.  * 22:50 Rm 15:9

51 He is a tower of salvation for  * 22:51 DSS read he gives great victory to  his king;

he shows loyalty to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.  * 22:51 2Sm 7:12–16; Lk 1:55