Psalm 18:1-24
Thanksgiving for Deliverance
181 "I love You, O Lord , my strength ." 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer , My God , my rock , in whom I take refuge ; My shield and the horn of my salvation , my stronghold . 3 I call upon the Lord , who is worthy to be praised , And I am saved from my enemies . 4 The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. 5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord , And cried to my God for help ; He heard my voice out of His temple , And my cry for help before Him came into His ears . 7 Then the earth shook and quaked ; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken , because He was angry . 8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils , And fire from His mouth devoured ; Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet . 10 He rode upon a cherub and flew ; And He sped upon the wings of the wind . 11 He made darkness His hiding place , His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters , thick clouds of the skies . 12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds , Hailstones and coals of fire . 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens , And the Most High uttered His voice , Hailstones and coals of fire . 14 He sent out His arrows , and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance , and routed them. 15 Then the channels of water appeared , And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke , O Lord , At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils . 16 He sent from on high , He took me; He drew me out of many waters . 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy , And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity , But the Lord was my stay . 19 He brought me forth also into a broad place ; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
20 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness ; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord , And have not wickedly departed from my God . 22 For all His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity . 24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness , According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes .
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Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:1-24
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.
Commentary on Psalm 18:20-28
(Read Psalm 18:20-28)
Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful to God, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. The words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on, and very sweet to be delighted in. Those who resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will walk contrary to them, Leviticus 26:21-24. The gracious recompence of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud; "Thou wilt bring down high looks." And he speaks encouragement to himself; "Thou wilt light my candle:" thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit; thou wilt guide my way, that I may avoid the snares laid for me. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee. Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under discouragements, take courage; God himself will be a Light to them.