Bible Commentary

Psalms 18

Psalms 18 — Overview

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible · Matthew Henry (1662–1714) · Public Domain

This psalm we met with before, in the history of David's life, 2 Sam. xxii. That was the first edition of it; here we have it revived, altered a little, and fitted for the service of the church. It is David's thanksgiving for the many deliverances God had wrought for him; these he desired always to preserve fresh in his own memory and to diffuse and entail the knowledge of them. It is an admirable composition. The poetry is very fine, the images are bold, the expressions lofty, and every word is proper and significant; but the piety far exceeds the poetry. Holy faith, and love, and joy, and praise, and hope, are here lively, active, and upon the wing. I. He triumphs in God, ver. 1-3. II. He magnifies the deliverances God had wrought for him, ver. 4-19. III. He takes the comfort of his integrity, which God had thereby cleared up, ver. 20-28. IV. He gives to God the glory of all his achievements, ver. 29-42. V. He encourages himself with the expectation of what God would further do for him and his, ver. 43-50.

David's Triumphs in God; Devout Confidence.

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.

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Psalms 18 — OverviewPsalms 18 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgePsalms 18:1, David praises God for his manifold and marvellous blessings. Psalms 36:1 *title Psalms 116:16; 2Sam. 22:1-51; Acts 13:36; Hebrews 3:5Psalms 18 — OverviewPsalms 18 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTo the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David. This is the same with that in 2Sa 22:1, with some variations, omissions, and alterations:the servant of the Lord; not only by creation, nor merely by regeneration, but by…Psalms 18:1-19Psalms 18:1-19 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThe title gives us the occasion of penning this psalm; we had it before (2 Sam. xxii. 1), only here we are told that the psalm was delivered to the chief musician, or precentor, in the temple-songs. Note, The…Psalms 18:1Psalms 18:1 · The Pulpit CommentaryI will love thee, O Lord, my Strength. This opening is very remarkable. The verb translated "I will love" expresses the very tenderest affection, and is elsewhere never used to denote the love of man towards God, but…Psalms 18:1-50Psalms 18:1-50 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION THIS psalm has many characteristics which distinguish it, not only from all that have preceded it in the collection, but from all those which are assigned to David by their titles. In the first pace, it is…Psalms 18:1-50Psalms 18:1-50 · The Pulpit CommentaryThe conqueror's song of praise and hope. It is not our purpose, nor is it our province, in this section of the 'Pulpit Commentary,' to write homilies on specific texts; but rather to deal with this psalm (as we have…