Psalm 18
The LORD is my rock and fortress. Seeing the victory.
NOTE: This Psalm is quite similar to 2 Samuel 22
THE LORD IS MY ROCK AND FORTRESS
For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,
VERSE 1. I love you, LORD, my strength.
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I love you, LORD. Do you love the LORD? Can you tell him so right now?
my strength. The LORD is the source of our strength.
VERSE 2. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
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The LORD is my rock. He is the bedrock under our feet.
my fortress. He is the castle in which we live.
VERSE 3. I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
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I am saved from my enemies. The LORD delivers us from our enemies.
VERSE 4. The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
VERSE 5. The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me.
VERSE 6. In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
his temple. That is, his temple in heaven.
VERSE 7. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
VERSE 8. Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
VERSE 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
VERSE 10. He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
VERSE 11. He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his hiding place. He shrouds himself in darkness. He makes it is dwelling. That is called the Dark Night. Even David experienced the Dark Night.
VERSE 12. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
VERSE 13. The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
VERSE 14. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.
VERSE 15. Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
VERSE 16. He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
VERSE 17. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
my strong enemy. The LORD rescues us from our powerful foes.
they were too mighty for me. That is, “enemies whose strength I could not match” (NIV translation).
VERSE 18. They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
VERSE 19. He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
ESV translation. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me out also into a large place. The LORD God brings us forth into freedom!
He delivered me. The LORD God saves us because he loves us!
he delighted in me. Many Christians labor under a heavy burden that God is against them. However, the Bible tells us God delights in his people! Read more »
VERSE 20. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
VERSE 21. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
VERSE 22. For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
all his ordinances were before me. The Law required that the new king write his own copy of the Law. He was to carry it with him all the time. And he was to read from it every day of his life. Read more »
VERSE 23. I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
VERSE 24. Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
VERSE 25. With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
VERSE 26. With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
VERSE 27. For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Psalms and from the entire Bible.
save the afflicted people. This reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
VERSE 28. For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
light my lamp. God scatters the darkness and lights our way. How can you let more of God’s light shine into your life?
light up my darkness. When the time is right, God will bring us out of the Dark Night.
VERSE 29. For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
I advance through a troop. The child of God is an overcomer! With God’s help, nothing is impossible.
The LORD God is filling us with his can-do power. Even if we don’t feel that limitless power right now, one day we will! Read more »
VERSE 30. As for God, his way is perfect. the LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
his way is perfect. He acts in a faithful manner.
take refuge in him. Do you take shelter in the LORD?
VERSE 31. For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
SEEING THE VICTORY
VERSE 32. the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
strength. The Hebrew word is “chayil.” It means strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army, ability, force.
The biblical woman in Proverbs chapter 31 is an eschet chayil:
Proverbs 31:30. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (NIV translation)
makes my way perfect. Here are two other renderings:
- removes the obstacles in my way
- made my enemies fall beneath me
VERSE 33. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
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makes my feet like deer’s feet. That is, the LORD “makes me fast.” We will run and not be weary.
sets me on my high places. Like an eagle that soars high above the vultures and crows that try to annoy it, the LORD God will lift us high above our enemies. Don’t lose hope! Read more »
VERSE 34. He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
teaches my hands to war. That is, “trains my hands for battle” (NIV). We will be able to fight the good fight …
1 Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
VERSE 35. You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
the shield of your salvation. God “shields” us with his divine protection.
We are, in a sense, “indestructible,” until God’s purpose for our earthly existence has come to a close.
Are there any areas of your life where you need to act with more courage? Is God calling you to take some leap of faith?
right hand. The Bible often mentions “the right hand” of God. That is a position of power and honor. We believe it refers to Jesus Christ. More verses about the right hand.
Your gentleness has made me great. Mediocrity is no longer possible for us. God stoops down to make us great.
VERSE 36. You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
enlarged my steps under me. The LORD broadens the path beneath us.
VERSE 37. I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
I will. Who acts on behalf of the people of God?
Is it themselves? The verse itself seems to say so. It says “I” will pursue my enemies.
However, some Christians feel that since “the battle is the Lord’s,” they need to do nothing whatsoever. And then the LORD God will supernaturally bring about the victory.
But this verse and others show that we are to actively defend ourselves against our enemies.
consumed. That is, conquered or destroyed.
VERSE 38. I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
I will strike them. That is, crush them.
VERSE 39. For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
NIV translation. You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
VERSE 40. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
NLT translation. You made them turn and run; I have destroyed all who hated me.
VERSE 41. They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
VERSE 42. Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
VERSE 43. You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
the strivings of the people. That is, the “attacks” of the people.
VERSE 44. As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
VERSE 45. The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
VERSE 46. The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
VERSE 47. even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
VERSE 48. He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
VERSE 49. Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
VERSE 50. He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.