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 . 25 With the kind You show Yourself kind ; With the blameless You show Yourself blameless ; 26 With the pure You show Yourself pure , And with the crooked You show Yourself astute . 27 For You save an afflicted people , But haughty eyes You abase . 28 For You light my lamp ; The Lord my God illumines my darkness .
29 For by You I can run upon a troop ; And by my God I can leap over a wall . 30 As for God , His way is blameless ; The word of the Lord is tried ; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31 For who is God , but the Lord ? And who is a rock , except our God , 32 The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless ? 33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places . 34 He trains my hands for battle , So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze . 35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation , And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great . 36 You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped . 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed . 38 I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise ; They fell under my feet .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:17-38
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.
Commentary on Psalm 18:29-50
(Read Psalm 18:29-50)
When we praise for one mercy, we must observe the many more, with which we have been compassed all our days. Many things had contributed to David's advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise. In verse 32, and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.