> [[2-samuel-21|← Previous]] | [[2-samuel-00|TOC]] | [[2-samuel-23|Next →]] --- # 2 Samuel, Chapter 22 ## Chapter 22 **Song of Thanksgiving.** 1 David proclaimed the words of this song to the LORD when the LORD had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul. ^2-samuel-22-1 2 He said: ^2-samuel-22-2 O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock of refuge! ^2-samuel-22-3 My shield, my saving horn, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior, from violence you keep me safe. 4 Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! ^2-samuel-22-4 I have been delivered from my enemies. 5 The breakers of death surged round about me, ^2-samuel-22-5 the menacing floods terrified me; 6 The cords of Sheol tightened; ^2-samuel-22-6 the snares of death lay in wait for me. 7 In my distress I called out: LORD! ^2-samuel-22-7 I cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, my cry reached his ears. 8 The earth rocked and shook; ^2-samuel-22-8 the foundations of the heavens trembled; they shook as his wrath flared up. 9 Smoke rose in his nostrils, ^2-samuel-22-9 a devouring fire from his mouth; it kindled coals into flame. 10 He parted the heavens and came down, ^2-samuel-22-10 a dark cloud under his feet. 11 Mounted on a cherub he flew, ^2-samuel-22-11 borne along on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness the cover about him, ^2-samuel-22-12 a mass of water, heavy thunderheads. 13 From the brightness of his presence ^2-samuel-22-13 coals were kindled to flame. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven; ^2-samuel-22-14 the Most High made his voice resound. 15 He let fly arrows and scattered them; ^2-samuel-22-15 lightning, and dispersed them. 16 Then the bed of the sea appeared; ^2-samuel-22-16 the world’s foundations lay bare, At the roar of the LORD, at the storming breath of his nostrils. 17 He reached down from on high and seized me, ^2-samuel-22-17 drew me out of the deep waters. 18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, ^2-samuel-22-18 from foes too powerful for me. 19 They attacked me on a day of distress, ^2-samuel-22-19 but the LORD came to my support. 20 He set me free in the open; ^2-samuel-22-20 he rescued me because he loves me. 21 The LORD acknowledged my righteousness; ^2-samuel-22-21 rewarded my clean hands. 22 For I kept the ways of the LORD; ^2-samuel-22-22 I was not disloyal to my God. 23 His laws were all before me, ^2-samuel-22-23 his decrees I did not cast aside. 24 I was honest toward him; ^2-samuel-22-24 I was on guard against sin. 25 So the LORD rewarded my righteousness, ^2-samuel-22-25 the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 26 Toward the faithful you are faithful; ^2-samuel-22-26 to the honest you are honest; 27 Toward the sincere you are sincere; ^2-samuel-22-27 but to the perverse you are devious. 28 Humble people you save, ^2-samuel-22-28 though on the haughty your eyes look down. 29 You are my lamp, O LORD! ^2-samuel-22-29 My God brightens the darkness about me. 30 With you I can rush an armed band, ^2-samuel-22-30 with my God to help I can leap a wall. 31 God’s way is unerring; ^2-samuel-22-31 the LORD’s promise is tried and true; he is a shield for all who trust in him. 32 Truly, who is God except the LORD? ^2-samuel-22-32 Who but our God is the rock? 33 This God who girded me with might, ^2-samuel-22-33 kept my way unerring, 34 Who made my feet swift as a deer’s, ^2-samuel-22-34 set me safe on the heights, 35 Who trained my hands for war, ^2-samuel-22-35 my arms to bend even a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me your protecting shield, ^2-samuel-22-36 and your help has made me great. 37 You gave me room to stride; ^2-samuel-22-37 my feet never stumbled. 38 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; ^2-samuel-22-38 I did not turn back till I destroyed them. 39 I struck them down, and they did not rise; ^2-samuel-22-39 they fell dead at my feet. 40 You girded me with strength for war; ^2-samuel-22-40 subdued adversaries at my feet. 41 My foes you put to flight before me; ^2-samuel-22-41 those who hated me I destroyed. 42 They cried for help, but no one saved them, ^2-samuel-22-42 cried to the LORD but got no answer. 43 I ground them fine as the dust of the earth; ^2-samuel-22-43 like mud in the streets I trod them down. 44 You rescued me from the strife of my people; ^2-samuel-22-44 you made me head over nations. A people I had not known became my slaves; 45 Foreigners cringed before me; ^2-samuel-22-45 as soon as they heard of me they obeyed. 46 Their courage failed; ^2-samuel-22-46 they came trembling from their fortresses. 47 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! ^2-samuel-22-47 Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation. 48 O God who granted me vindication, ^2-samuel-22-48 subdued peoples under me, 49 and helped me escape from my enemies, ^2-samuel-22-49 Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries, from the violent you have rescued me. 50 Thus I will proclaim you, LORD, among the nations; ^2-samuel-22-50 I will sing the praises of your name. 51 You have given great victories to your king, ^2-samuel-22-51 and shown kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever. \* (22:1] – [51) This psalm of thanksgiving also appears in the Psalter, with a few small variants, as [Ps 18]. In both places it is attributed to David. Two main sections can be distinguished. In the first part, after an introductory stanza of praise to God (vv. [2] – [4]), the writer describes the peril he was in (vv. [5] – [7]), and then poetically depicts, under the form of a theophany, God’s intervention in his behalf (vv. [8] – [20]), concluding with an acknowledgment of God’s justice (vv. [21] – [31]). In the second part, God is praised for having prepared the psalmist for war (vv. [32] – [35]), given him victory over his enemies (vv. [36] – [39]), whom he put to flight (vv. [40] – [43]), and bestowed on him dominion over many peoples (vv. [44] – [46]). The entire song ends with an expression of grateful praise (vv. [47] – [51]). \* (22:3) My saving horn: my strong savior. The horn, such as that of an enraged bull, was a symbol of strength; cf. ([[luke-01|Lk 1]]:69]. \* (22:5] – [6) Breakers…floods: traditional Old Testament imagery for lethal danger, from which the Lord is uniquely able to rescue; cf. [Ps 69:2], [15] – [16]; [89:10] – [11]; [Jon 2:3] – [6]. \* (22:7) His temple: his heavenly abode. \* (22:8] – [10) The Lord’s coming is depicted by means of a storm theophany, including earthquake (vv. [8], [16]) and thunderstorm (vv. [9] – [15]); cf. [Jgs 5:4] – [5]; [Ps 29]; [97:2] – [6]; [Hb 3]. \* (22:11) Mounted on a cherub: in the traditional storm theophany, as here, the Lord appears with thunder, lightning, earthquake, rain, darkness, cloud, and wind. Sometimes these are represented as his retinue; sometimes he is said to ride upon the clouds or “the wings of the wind” ([Ps 104:3]). The parallelism in v. [11] suggests that the winged creatures called cherubim are imagined as bearing the Lord aloft. In the iconography of the ark of the covenant, the Lord was “enthroned upon the cherubim”; cf. [Ex 37:7] – [9]; [1 Sm 4:4]; [2 Sm 6:2]; [[2-kings-19|2 Kgs 19]]:15; [Ps 80:2]; [99:1]. \* (22:26] – [27) People are treated by God in the same way they treat him and other people. a. (22:1) ([[psalm-18|Ps 18]]:1]. b. (22:2] – [51) ([[psalm-18|Ps 18]]:3] – [51]. c. (22:3) [1 Sm 2:1] – [2]. d. (22:10) [Ps 144:5]. e. (22:11) ([[exodus-25|Ex 25]]:18] – [22]. f. (22:15) [Ps 144:6]. g. (22:16) ([[exodus-15|Ex 15]]:8]. h. (22:17) [Ps 144:7]. i. (22:26] – [27) [1 Sm 2:30]. j. (22:31) [Prv 30:5]. k. (22:34) [Ps 62:3]; [Hb 3:19]. l. (22:50) ([[psalm-22|Ps 22]]:23]; [Rom 15:9]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[2-samuel-21|← Previous]] | [[2-samuel-00|TOC]] | [[2-samuel-23|Next →]]