6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it. 9 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire. 13 And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire. 14 And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them. 15 And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16 He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters: 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I. 18 They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay. 19 And he brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:6-19

Commentary on Psalm 18:1-19

(Read Psalm 18:1-19)

The first words, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, Hebrews 5:7. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.