Bible Commentaries

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.

And he said, The LORD [is] my ^b rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

(b) By the diversity of these comfortable means, he shows how his faith was strengthened in all temptations.

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

(c) As David (who was the figure of Christ) was by God's power delivered from all dangers: so Christ and his Church will overcome most grievous dangers, tyranny and death.

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

(d) That is, clouds, and vapours.

(e) Lightening and thundering.

He ^f bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness [was] under his feet.

(f) So it seems when the air is dark.

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

(g) To fly in a moment through the world.

Through the brightness before him were ^h coals of fire kindled.

(h) By this description of a tempest he declares the power of God against his enemies.

And the ⁱ 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.

(i) He alludes to the miracle of the Red Sea.

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

(k) I was so beset, that all means seemed to fail.

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

(l) Toward Saul and my enemies.

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

(m) I attempted nothing without his commandment.

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

(n) Their wickedness is cause that you seem to forget your usual mercy.

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

(o) The manner that God uses to aid his own, never fails.

He maketh my feet like ^p hinds' [feet]: and setteth me upon my high places.

(p) He uses extraordinary means to make me win most strongholds.

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

(q) He acknowledges that God was the author of his victories, who gave him strength.

They looked, but [there was] none to save; [even] unto the ^r LORD, but he answered them not.

(r) The wicked in their time of need are forced to flee to God, but it is too late.

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

(s) Meaning, of the Jews, who conspired against me.

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

(t) Not willingly obeying me, but deceitfully.

The LORD liveth; ^u and blessed [be] my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

(u) Let him show his power that he is the governor of all the world.