Psalm 18

David wrote this great psalm as a song when God had defeated all his enemies and Saul.

A few reminders about David

God identified David as the man after His own heart, so love him (I Sam 13:14; 15:28; Acts 13:22).
God revealed David’s life experiences and his special heart to us more than the next ten characters.
C. If you desire to have the heart of the man after God’s own heart, then you should love his P
D. David was a man’s man; the Psalms display prayers, praise, confessions, curses, thanksgivings, etc.
Though God’s favorite for sure, David had much opposition and trouble of his own and God’s doing.
His enemies included Saul and Absalom and many foreign armies between Egypt and the Euphrates.
H. He thought big for God … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/sermons/church/exceeding-magnifical/sermon.php.
I. For much more about the heart of David … https://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/heart-of-david.pdf.

General information about the Psalm

David composed this psalm after God had defeated all his enemies, including Saul for many years.
David defeated enemies and occupied from the Euphrates to the Sinai Peninsula, the largest extent.
It was composed in conjunction with his ambition to build God a magnificent temple (II Sam 7:1).
D. The Holy Spirit included this psalm in the Bible twice, and we honor the repetition (II Samuel 22).
E. It is quoted in the N.T. at least once (Rom 15:9 cp Ps 18:49), possibly twice (Heb 2:13 cp Ps 18:2).
F. Is Jesus Christ in it? Some think it Messianic. The last two verses seem to combine David and Jesus.
This psalm was intended as a song, as it is stated in the introduction, and we should enjoy singing it.

How you can benefit by the study

Copy the intimate and personal way that David spoke of God.
Be lifted up by the incredible rescue God worked for David.
Learn the confidence you can have by personal righteousness.
Build your faith God can deliver you from any circumstances.
Enjoy the sublime and grand language of victory exceeding all.
Learn how the prophets used similitudes, contrary to Scofield.
Be moved to greater love of God for His goodness to you also.
Learn well that God treats men according to their own works.

Simple Outline

1-3 Introduction and declaration

4-6 General prayer for help against enemies

7-19 General deliverance by God from enemies

20-24 David’s character securing God’s blessing

25-29 General blessings for righteous character

30-31 God’s character as Deliverer of His people

32-45 God’s deliverances of David detailed

46-49 Worshipful summary of deliverances

50 Conclusion and prophecy of Christ

Introduction and Declaration (1-3)

18:1

This inspired verse is not in II Sam 22, so it was added by David or scribes later.

The first person singular I is very personal. Do you talk to or about God this way?

The future tense will is a commitment for the future, greater than past or present.

The verb love is affectionate, committed, devoted, intimate, personal, passionate.

The second person singular Thee is very personal. It is between David and God.

O LORD reverently identifies our God’s great name, Jehovah, I AM THAT I AM.

My strength is personal – David admits his source of ability and power is in God.

18:2

My is used eight times for personal possession, beyond general or doctrinal intent.

My is used eight times for military objects. Redundant? Never! Passionate? Yes!

I will trust is David’s personal commitment for future walking with God always.

18:3

I will is personal commitment for future use of prayer, as he stated Psalm 106:1-9.

Worthy to be praised is more than lip service, for that is what David greatly did.

Who is worthy to be praised. If you are not known for it, why not? Be like David!

So shall I be saved is confidence that God would deliver David from any enemies.

General Prayer for Help against Enemies (4-6)

18:4

David recounted in general how he prayed for God’s help when fearful of enemies.

David faced great odds at times, as Saul and Absalom led large armies against him.

When David speaks of confidence in the face of odds, he knows it (Ps 3:1,6; 27:3).

David was stressed at Ziklag when his friends thought of killing him (I Sa 30:1-8).

It is not sinful or weak to be afraid, as long as you call on God and do your duty.

18:5

The hell in this context (compare previous verse) refers to the grave and his death.

The snares of death prevented him – that is, preceded, anticipated, surprised David.

18:6

What did David do facing great odds when afraid in distress? He prayed! Amen!

God in his temple heard David’s voice, and His ears were open to David’s cry.

General Deliverance by God from Enemies (7-19)

18:7

Then the earth shook! These should be some of your favorite words of God’s aid.

Do you want a God that will shake earth to rescue you? Then love David’s God.

Because he was wroth! Do you want a God that will get mad at your enemies?

David’s glorious language is just starting, as he used his gift of poetry to praise.

18:8

God does not have nostrils or mouth, but David poetically gave both powerfully.

In this place, David has God looking like a fire-breathing dragon coming to rescue.

18:9

While fire was visible, God brought his habitation in the skies down

18:10

David includes the angelic cherubim here as his transport like in the case of Elijah.

God flew to His rescue. Believer, He will come quickly and save you. Trust Him!

18:11

arkness and storms are frightening to us; they were God’s mysterious pavilion.

18:12

Preceding God was brightness, and in the thick clouds were lightning and hail.

18:13

Not only was there lightning and hail, there was His voice in thunder (Ps 29:3-9).

Believer, you should embrace thunder as the voice of God against your enemies.

18:14

God riding on a violent storm sent arrows of lightning against David’s enemies.

God discomfited David’s enemies – to undo in battle; to defeat or overthrow completely; to beat, to rout. To defeat or overthrow the plans or purposes of.

18:15

The bottom of seas were revealed by earthquakes occurring by blast of His nostrils.

To discover something in this context is to have it revealed to your observation.

18:16

Waters here and elsewhere stand for people, and God delivered David from them.

When you are drowning in water, you can only be rescued from above, as here.

18:17

David’s enemies were strong – far outnumbering him, so he needed God’s help.

David’s enemies were malicious – for they hated David with vicious envy.

18:18

They prevented David in his calamity by preceding, anticipating, surprising him.

Though enemies may anticipate and surprise us, they never surprise our God.

18:19 God not only saved David from dying but delivered him into a large estate.

God’s special favor to David indicated that God took special delight in David.

Believer, why should you think any less of yourself, if you consider all wisely?

David’s Character Securing God’s Blessing (20-24)

18:20

David is not arrogant or proud here, but calmly states the facts of his character.

There was a difference between David and his enemies – think Saul and Absalom.

Let every reader humble himself, confess his sins, and find David’s righteousness.

Reward here is not for his eternal, legal, vital, or final righteousness, but practical.

18:21

David’s overall character was faithful and good, and it is not wrong to mention it.

Hezekiah did similarly when confronted with death – appealed to good (Is 38:3).

David most definitely sinned, but they were not the general rule of his life at all.

He did not wickedly reject God and choose the way of ungodliness like others.

David’s sins include: adultery, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, collateral deaths, royal polygamy (Deut 17:17), no feast of booths (Neh 8:17), poor fathering (I Kg 1:6), violated due order with ark (I Chr 15:13), sinful anger against Nabal (I Sam 25:26,31), numbered Israel against correct advice (II Sam 24:1-4), obsession about Absalom (II Sam 18:33), and did not punish Amnon (II Sam 13:21).

Before you get critical or haughty, he repented like you never have (Ps 51:1-19).

18:22

Believer, exceptions are ignored, if your overall character is one of zeal for Him.

Believer, do you love God’s law and consider it every day of your life, or defy it?

18:23

God in His word speaks often of upright men (none perfect), and David was one.

Can you make any such claim before Him, which means it is so in sight of God?

David knew he was prone to sin and sorely tempted, but in general ruled his spirit.

18:24

Therefore indicates a conclusion being drawn based on the previous four verses.

In God’s eyesight it was not hard to be righteous when compared to his enemies.

Of course David sinned, but the Bible refers to blameless men (Luke 1:6; etc.).

God Himself testified comparably of David’s righteousness (I Kings 9:4; 15:3-5).

On a similar basis we can find Samson in the hall of faith (Hebrews 11:32).

General Blessings for Righteous Character (25-29)

18:25

Here is a principle and important rule of God’s dealing with men, so grasp it well.

What goes around, comes around. God will reward men according to their conduct.

A man that shows mercy to other men will obtain God’s mercy in his own life.

David was merciful to Saul often and in other situations and obtained great mercy.

Men like David that are upright and good receive similar treatment from God.

18:26

David had pure motives and honest humility in his dealings, so God toward him.

Froward men – obnoxious, naughty, perverse, wicked – get the same from God.

Consider Saul and Absalom as two great examples of this rule perfectly fulfilled.

18:27

God will save afflicted people that humbly obey him, but He will judge the proud.

There is a consequence to every choice and action in your life. Heed these rules.

18:28

Without electricity, a candle brought light in a room that previously was fully dark.

David operated with the blessing of God’s clear direction and vision for his life.

The righteous have a light that shines more and more to the perfect day (Pr 4:18).

The wicked, like Saul, have a life of darkness, causing them to trip and stumble.

Light, or a lamp, represents favor, happiness, prosperity, and success from God.

This verse leads into the next by virtue of the coordinating conjunction for there.

18:29

God’s favor gave David ability to do exploits like the Maccabees later (Da 11:32).

Verses like this can be memorized and used to encourage yourself in the Lord.

What troop or group may oppose you? What wall stops your advancement in life?

God’s Character as Deliverer of His People (30-31)

18:30

David leaves his own story for a two-verse interjection to describe God’s character.

Having fully listed and rewarded his own character, David now praise the Lord’s.

God is perfect in everything He does – every action of God’s is fully without sin.

God’s word has been purified and refined so that there is no mixture of evil in it.

God is a buckler – a small, round shield – to protect those that put trust in Him.

Believer, do you know this God, exalt His perfect word, and have faith in Him?

18:31

There are many that are called Gods, but Jehovah is the only God (I Cor 8:4-6).

Only the LORD Jehovah – I AM THAT I AM – is truly God in any sense at all.

Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Rama, Buddha, the Great Spirit, and others are all lies.

A rock – or a rocky crag of a mountain – was a place sought for during battles.

Only the LORD Jehovah is truly such a place of refuge, comparable to the buckler.

God’s Deliverances of David Detailed (32-45)

18:32

David gave God all glory for his successes; God gave him strength and success.

18:33

God gave David lightness of foot and speed and delivered him to his high places.

18:34

God taught David military arts so well that he could overpower a bow of steel.

18:35

God gave David a shield, larger than a buckler, to protect him in all his battles.

We need not run to any of the five phases of salvation here, for David’s life is it.

The mighty right hand of Almighty God held David up against any of his foes.

God was gentle to David and made him great, thus indicating his need for mercy.

18:36

It is very easy to be knocked off your feet in battle, but God enlarged David’s feet.

18:37

David was able to pursue his enemies, overtake them, and utterly destroy them.

18:38

He overcame his enemies totally so thoroughly that they could not rise up again.

18:39

God prepared David with strength for the battles of all kinds he had to fight.

God subdued under him all those foes that rose up against him to fight him.

18:40 T

hose enemies that hated David, God gave him their necks to put them to death.

18:41

They cried for help to their gods and confederates, but there was none to help.

They even cried for God Jehovah’s help, but the LORD God would not hear them.

Think Saul and Absalom. God would not hear either of them. Consider it well.

Sometimes enemies may be those that claim the name of Christ, but do not fear.

18:42

David utterly defeated and destroyed his enemies, for God gave them to David.

18:43

Foreign powers conspired against David in various settings, and he defeated them.

David established his authority and rule far beyond the ordinary borders of Israel.

18:44

By successive victories, the foreign nations sued for peace and willing paid tribute.

18:45

Any foreign adversaries trying to resist David would disappear and fear in hiding.

Worshipful Summary of Deliverances (46-49)

18:46

David turned to bless and praise the LORD his God in worshipful summary of aid.

The Almighty God of David, the LORD Jehovah, the I AM THAT I AM, lives!

He is the only living God. All other gods are mere idols or the imagination of men.

The rock – the mountain crag of easy defense – is to be blessed for help to David.

The only true God, David’s God, should be exalted for the salvation of David.

18:47

David gave all the credit to God, only God, always God, and forever God. Do it!

Believer, do you give God all the glory and honor for all you are and all you have?

18:48

David faced great opponents in his life, but God delivered him from them all.

18:49

Because of past deliverances, David planned to give great praise to God anywhere.

This verse is quoted in Romans 15:9, where Paul described Gentile conversions.

While David did praise God among heathen neighbors, Jesus did it in the gospel.

Conclusion and Prophecy of Christ (50)

18:50

David identifies both God and himself in the third person of his great deliverance.

David makes allusion to his seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, thus a hint of the Messiah.

Conclusion:

1. Refer to the top of this outline and those ways in which you can benefit by studying this Psalm 18.
You should find a song that properly presents this psalm, for remember it was designed to be sung.
Can you find the words for our song, “I Will Call upon the LORD”? See Psalm 18:3,46,31,33,49.
What commentary is the best for use with the Psalms? Charles Spurgeon’s, Treasury of David.
Here is a good modern commentary … http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/19018.htm.
What are your favorite sections, verses, phrases, or words in this Psalm? Use them to be like David.
You could go through this psalm looking for Messianic inferences to Jesus, but it is mainly David.

II Samuel 22

Psalm 18

Observations

1 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:

2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;

18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?

33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.

39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.

40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

«To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,»

1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

We may trust scribal introductions as here.

David, though victorious king of Israel, identified himself as the servant of Jehovah!

David’s praise was to the LORD Himself.

He gave all credit for victory to the LORD.

These precious words are in Psalm 18 only.

I Will Call Upon the Lord (the song)

King James Bible

I will call upon the Lord,

Who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.

Chorus

The Lord liveth,

And blessed be my Rock;

And let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Who is God except the Lord?

Who a rock beside our God?

To a higher place He delivered me.

So will I give thanks to Thee,

And sing praises to Thy name.

Be exalted, Lord, in Thy mighty power.