Discovery Box2 Samuel 21:1--22:51
Context21:1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. 1 The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, 2 because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
21:2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to 3 them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 21:3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless 4 the Lord’s inheritance?”
21:4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We 5 have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family, 6 nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked, 7 “What then are you asking me to do for you?” 21:5 They replied to the king, “As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without status throughout all the borders of Israel – 21:6 let seven of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute 8 them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s chosen one.” 9 The king replied, “I will turn them over.”
21:7 The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 21:8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah whom she had born to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab 10 whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 21:9 He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the Lord. The seven of them 11 died 12 together; they were put to death during harvest time – during the first days of the beginning 13 of the barley harvest.
21:10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain fell on them, 14 she did not allow the birds of the air to feed 15 on them by day, nor the wild animals 16 by night. 21:11 When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 21:12 he 17 went and took the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan 18 from the leaders 19 of Jabesh Gilead. (They had secretly taken 20 them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines 21 publicly exposed their corpses 22 after 23 they 24 had killed Saul at Gilboa.) 21:13 David 25 brought the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.
21:14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the grave of his father Kish. After they had done everything 26 that the king had commanded, God responded to their prayers 27 for the land.
21:15 Another battle was fought between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his soldiers 28 and fought the Philistines. David became exhausted. 21:16 Now Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, 29 had a spear 30 that weighed three hundred bronze shekels, 31 and he was armed with a new weapon. 32 He had said that he would kill David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!”
21:18 Later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha. 21:19 Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jair 33 the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 34 the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 21:20 Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man 35 who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. 21:21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, killed him. 21:22 These four were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed 36 by David and his soldiers. 37
22:1 38 David sang 39 to the Lord the words of this song when 40 the Lord rescued him from the power 41 of all his enemies, including Saul. 42 22:2 He said:
“The Lord is my high ridge, 43 my stronghold, 44 my deliverer.
22:3 My God 45 is my rocky summit where I take shelter, 46
my shield, the horn that saves me, 47 my stronghold,
my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! 48
22:4 I called 49 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 50
and I was delivered from my enemies.
22:5 The waves of death engulfed me;
the currents 51 of chaos 52 overwhelmed me. 53
22:6 The ropes of Sheol 54 tightened around me; 55
the snares of death trapped me. 56
22:7 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called to my God. 57
From his heavenly temple 58 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 59
22:8 The earth heaved and shook; 60
the foundations of the sky 61 trembled. 62
They heaved because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke ascended from 63 his nose; 64
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 65
he hurled down fiery coals. 66
22:10 He made the sky sink 67 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
22:11 He mounted 68 a winged angel 69 and flew;
he glided 70 on the wings of the wind. 71
22:12 He shrouded himself in darkness, 72
in thick rain clouds. 73
22:13 From the brightness in front of him
came coals of fire. 74
22:14 The Lord thundered 75 from the sky;
the sovereign One 76 shouted loudly. 77
22:15 He shot 78 arrows and scattered them, 79
lightning and routed them. 80
22:16 The depths 81 of the sea were exposed;
the inner regions 82 of the world were uncovered
by the Lord’s battle cry, 83
by the powerful breath from his nose. 84
22:17 He reached down from above and grabbed me; 85
he pulled me from the surging water. 86
22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 87
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
22:19 They confronted 88 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 89
22:20 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 90
22:21 The Lord repaid 91 me for my godly deeds; 92
he rewarded 93 my blameless behavior. 94
22:22 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 95
I have not rebelled against my God. 96
22:23 For I am aware of all his regulations, 97
and I do not reject his rules. 98
22:24 I was blameless before him;
I kept myself from sinning. 99
22:25 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 100
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 101
22:26 You prove to be loyal 102 to one who is faithful; 103
you prove to be trustworthy 104 to one who is innocent. 105
22:27 You prove to be reliable 106 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 107 to one who is perverse. 108
22:28 You deliver oppressed 109 people,
but you watch the proud and bring them down. 110
22:29 Indeed, 111 you are my lamp, 112 Lord.
The Lord illumines 113 the darkness around me. 114
22:30 Indeed, 115 with your help 116 I can charge 117 against an army; 118
by my God’s power 119 I can jump over a wall. 120
22:31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 121
the Lord’s promise is reliable; 122
he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
22:32 Indeed, 123 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 124 besides our God? 125
22:33 The one true God 126 is my mighty refuge; 127
he removes 128 the obstacles in my way. 129
22:34 He gives me the agility of a deer; 130
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 131
22:35 He trains 132 my hands for battle; 133
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 134
22:36 You give me 135 your protective shield; 136
your willingness to help enables me to prevail. 137
my feet 139 do not slip.
22:38 I chase my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
22:39 I wipe them out and beat them to death;
they cannot get up;
they fall at my feet.
22:40 You give me strength for battle; 140
you make my foes kneel before me. 141
22:41 You make my enemies retreat; 142
I destroy those who hate me.
22:42 They cry out, 143 but there is no one to help them; 144
they cry out to the Lord, 145 but he does not answer them.
22:43 I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;
I crush them and stomp on them like clay 146 in the streets.
22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army; 147
you preserve me as a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 148
22:45 Foreigners are powerless before me; 149
when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 150
22:46 Foreigners lose their courage; 151
they shake with fear 152 as they leave 153 their strongholds. 154
My protector 156 is praiseworthy! 157
The God who delivers me 158 is exalted as king! 159
22:48 The one true God completely vindicates me; 160
he makes nations submit to me. 161
22:49 He delivers me from my enemies; 162
you snatch me away 163 from those who attack me; 164
you rescue me from violent men.
22:50 So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations! 165
I will sing praises to you. 166
22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 167
he is faithful to his chosen ruler, 168
to David and to his descendants forever!”
[21:1] 1 tn Heb “sought the face of the
[21:1] 2 tn Heb “and the house of bloodshed.”
[21:2] 3 tn Heb “swore an oath to.”
[21:3] 4 tn After the preceding imperfect verbal form, the subordinated imperative indicates purpose/result. S. R. Driver comments, “…the imper. is used instead of the more normal voluntative, for the purpose of expressing with somewhat greater force the intention of the previous verb” (S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 350).
[21:4] 5 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:4] 7 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:6] 8 tn The exact nature of this execution is not altogether clear. The verb יָקַע (yaqa’) basically means “to dislocate” or “alienate.” In Gen 32:26 it is used of the dislocation of Jacob’s thigh. Figuratively it can refer to the removal of an individual from a group (e.g., Jer 6:8; Ezek 23:17) or to a type of punishment the specific identity of which is uncertain (e.g., here and Num 25:4); cf. NAB “dismember them”; NIV “to be killed and exposed.”
[21:6] 9 tc The LXX reads “at Gibeon on the mountain of the
[21:8] 10 tc The MT reads “Michal” here, but two Hebrew manuscripts read “Merab,” along with some LXX manuscripts. Cf. 1 Sam 18:19.
[21:9] 11 tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew
[21:9] 13 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[21:10] 14 tn Heb “until water was poured on them from the sky.”
[21:10] 16 tn Heb “the beasts of the field.”
[21:12] 17 tn Heb “David.” For stylistic reasons the name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation.
[21:12] 18 tn Heb “the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son.” See also v. 13.
[21:12] 21 tc Against the MT, this word is better read without the definite article. The MT reading is probably here the result of wrong word division, with the letter ה (he) belonging with the preceding word שָׁם (sham) as the he directive (i.e., שָׁמָּה, samah, “to there”).
[21:12] 22 tn Heb “had hung them.”
[21:12] 23 tn Heb “in the day.”
[21:12] 24 tn Heb “Philistines.”
[21:13] 25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:14] 26 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[21:14] 27 tn Heb “was entreated.” The verb is an example of the so-called niphal tolerativum, with the sense that God allowed himself to be supplicated through prayer (cf. GKC 137 §51.c).
[21:15] 28 tn Heb “his servants.”
[21:16] 29 tn This name has the definite article and may be intended to refer to a group of people rather than a single individual with this name.
[21:16] 30 tn This is the only occurrence of this Hebrew word in the OT. Its precise meaning is therefore somewhat uncertain. As early as the LXX the word was understood to refer to a “spear,” and this seems to be the most likely possibility. Some scholars have proposed emending the text of 2 Sam 21:16 to כוֹבַעוֹ (khova’o; “his helmet”), but in spite of the fact that the word “helmet” appears in 1 Sam 17:5, there is not much evidence for reading that word here.
[21:16] 31 tn Either the word “shekels” should be supplied here, or the Hebrew word מִשְׁקַל (mishqal, “weight”) right before “bronze” is a corrupted form of the word for shekel. If the latter is the case the problem probably resulted from another occurrence of the word מִשְׁקַל just four words earlier in the verse.
[21:16] 32 tn The Hebrew text reads simply “a new [thing],” prompting one to ask “A new what?” Several possibilities have been proposed to resolve the problem: perhaps a word has dropped out of the Hebrew text here; or perhaps the word “new” is the result of misreading a different, less common, word; or perhaps a word (e.g., “sword,” so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT) is simply to be inferred. The translation generally follows the latter possibility, while at the same time being deliberately nonspecific (“weapon”).
[21:19] 33 tn Heb “Jaare-Oregim,” but the second word, which means “weavers,” is probably accidentally included. It appears at the end of the verse. The term is omitted in the parallel account in 1 Chr 20:5, which has simply “Jair.”
[21:19] 34 sn The Hebrew text as it stands reads, “Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite.” Who killed Goliath the Gittite? According to 1 Sam 17:4-58 it was David who killed Goliath, but according to the MT of 2 Sam 21:19 it was Elhanan who killed him. Many scholars believe that the two passages are hopelessly at variance with one another. Others have proposed various solutions to the difficulty, such as identifying David with Elhanan or positing the existence of two Goliaths. But in all likelihood the problem is the result of difficulties in the textual transmission of the Samuel passage; in fact, from a text-critical point of view the books of Samuel are the most poorly preserved of all the books of the Hebrew Bible. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 20:5 reads, “Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath.” Both versions are textually corrupt. The Chronicles text has misread “Bethlehemite” (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, bet hallakhmi) as the accusative sign followed by a proper name אֶת לַחְמִי (’et lakhmi). (See the note at 1 Chr 20:5.) The Samuel text misread the word for “brother” (אַח, ’akh) as the accusative sign (אֵת, ’et), thereby giving the impression that Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath. Thus in all probability the original text read, “Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath.”
[21:20] 35 tn Heb “a man of stature.”
[21:22] 36 tn Heb “they fell.”
[21:22] 37 tn Heb “his servants.”
[22:1] 38 sn In this long song of thanks, David affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. His experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the song appears in Ps 18.
[22:1] 40 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[22:1] 42 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[22:2] 43 tn Traditionally “is my rock”; CEV “mighty rock”; TEV “is my protector.” This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[22:2] 44 tn Traditionally “my fortress”; TEV “my strong fortress”; NCV “my protection.”
[22:3] 45 tc The translation (along with many English versions, e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) follows the LXX in reading אֱלֹהִי (’elohi, “my God”) rather than MT’s אֱלֹהֵי (’elohe, “the God of”). See Ps 18:2.
[22:3] 47 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation,” or “my saving horn.”
[22:3] 48 tn The parallel version of the song in Ps 18 does not include this last line.
[22:4] 49 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where David recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense (cf. CEV “I prayed”), not an imperfect (as in many English versions).
[22:4] 50 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[22:5] 51 tn The noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[22:5] 52 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (bÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness” (see HALOT 133-34 s.v. בְּלִיַּעַל). It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[22:5] 53 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (note “engulfed” in the preceding line) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[22:6] 54 tn “Sheol,” personified here as David’s enemy, is the underworld, place of the dead in primitive Hebrew cosmology.
[22:6] 55 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[22:6] 56 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[22:7] 57 tn In this poetic narrative the two prefixed verbal forms in v. 7a are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects. Note the use of the vav consecutive with the prefixed verbal form that follows in v. 7b.
[22:7] 58 tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly, not earthly, temple is in view.
[22:7] 59 tn Heb “and my cry for help [entered] his ears.”
[22:8] 60 tn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[22:8] 61 tn Ps 18:7 reads “the roots of the mountains.”
[22:8] 62 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive in the verse.
[22:9] 63 tn Heb “within” or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition בְּ (bet) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[22:9] 64 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here (most English versions, “nostrils”). See also v. 16, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[22:9] 65 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[22:9] 66 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (see Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (see Ps 120:4).
[22:10] 67 tn The verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[to cause to] bend; [to cause to] bow down” (see HALOT 693 s.v. נָטָה). For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “He bowed the heavens”; NAB “He inclined the heavens”). Here the
[22:11] 69 tn Heb “a cherub” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “the cherubim” (plural); TEV “his winged creature”; CEV “flying creatures.”
[22:11] 70 tc The translation follows very many medieval Hebrew
[22:11] 71 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict the
[22:12] 72 tc Heb “he made darkness around him coverings.” The parallel text in Ps 18:11 reads “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 omits “his hiding place” and pluralizes “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering” ) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the letter ס (samek): סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvyvotav sukkato).
[22:12] 73 tc Heb “a sieve of water, clouds of clouds.” The form חַשְׁרַת (khashrat) is a construct of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”), which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חשׁר (“to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic (see HALOT 363 s.v. *חשׁר). The phrase חַשְׁרַת־מַיִם (khashrat-mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground. (See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry, 146, note 33.)
[22:13] 74 tc The parallel text in Ps 18:12 reads “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ (minnogah negdo ’avru barad vÿgakhale ’esh, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire”) which is the basis for the present translation. The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבְרוּ (’avÿru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avav, “his clouds”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ), or it could have accidentally dropped from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ [ba’aru], which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The term בָּרָד (barad, “hail”; Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[22:14] 75 tn The shortened theme vowel indicates that the prefixed verbal form is a preterite.
[22:14] 76 tn Heb “the Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[22:14] 77 tn Heb “offered his voice.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the preterite form in the preceding line. The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.
[22:15] 79 tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to David’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).
[22:15] 80 sn Lightning is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 187, 190-92.
[22:16] 82 tn Or “foundations.”
[22:16] 83 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָעַר (nag’ar) which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[22:16] 84 tn Heb “blast of the breath” (literally, “breath of breath”) employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[22:17] 85 tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[22:17] 86 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 5 and Ps 144:7).
[22:18] 87 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
[22:19] 88 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 6. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect. Cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT “attacked.”
[22:19] 89 tn Heb “became my support.”
[22:20] 90 tn Or “delighted in me” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[22:21] 91 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[22:21] 92 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-25 make clear, David refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. He explains that the Lord was pleased with him and willing to deliver him because he had been loyal to God and obedient to his commandments. Ancient Near Eastern literature contains numerous parallels. A superior (a god or king) would typically reward a subject (a king or the servant of a king, respectively) for loyalty and obedience. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 211-13.
[22:21] 93 tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 25) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.
[22:21] 94 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” Hands suggest activity and behavior.
[22:22] 95 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[22:22] 96 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical, the idea being, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[22:23] 97 tn Heb “for all his regulations are before me.” The term מִשְׁפָּטָו (mishpatav, “his regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[22:23] 98 tn Heb “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” Ps 18:22 reads, “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; David here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The
[22:24] 99 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way. Leading a “blameless” life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the
[22:25] 100 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” See v. 21.
[22:25] 101 tn Heb “according to my purity before his eyes.”
[22:26] 102 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 26-30 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 26-28) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 29-30). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[22:26] 103 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A חָסִיד (khasid, “faithful follower”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[22:26] 105 tc Heb “a warrior of innocence.” The parallel text in Ps 18:25 reads, probably correctly, גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”) instead of גִּבּוֹר (gibor, “warrior”).
[22:27] 106 tn Or “blameless.”
[22:27] 107 tc The translation follows two medieval Hebrew
[22:27] 108 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20) and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4). Verses 26-27 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28.
[22:28] 109 tn Or perhaps “humble” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT; note the contrast with those who are proud).
[22:28] 110 tc Heb “but your eyes are upon the proud, you bring low.” Ps 18:27 reads “but proud eyes you bring low.”
[22:29] 111 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:29] 112 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[22:29] 113 tc The Lucianic Greek recension and Vulgate understand this verb to be second person rather than third person as in the MT. But this is probably the result of reading the preceding word “
[22:29] 114 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[22:30] 115 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:30] 117 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 30 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [literally, “cause to run”] an army.”
[22:30] 118 tn More specifically, the noun refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops (see HALOT 177 s.v. II גְדוּד). The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
[22:30] 119 tn Heb “by my God.”
[22:30] 120 tn David uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[22:31] 121 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (see BDB 42 s.v. II אֵל 6; Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[22:31] 122 tn Heb “the word of the
[22:32] 123 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[22:32] 124 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of protection.
[22:32] 125 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[22:33] 126 tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.
[22:33] 127 tc 4QSama has מְאַזְּרֵנִי (mÿ’azzÿreni, “the one girding me with strength”) rather than the MT מָעוּזִּי (ma’uzzi, “my refuge”). See as well Ps 18:32.
[22:33] 128 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive here carries along the generalizing tone of the preceding line.
[22:33] 129 tn Heb “and he sets free (from the verb נָתַר, natar) [the] blameless, his [Kethib; “my” (Qere)] way.” The translation follows Ps 18:32 in reading “he made my path smooth.” The term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[22:34] 130 tc Heb “[the one who] makes his feet like [those of] a deer.” The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:34] 131 tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured. Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.
[22:35] 133 tn The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enabling. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[22:35] 134 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms.” The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) apparently means “to pull back; to bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The bronze bow referred to here was probably laminated with bronze strips, or a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.
[22:36] 135 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed verb with vav consecutive with a past tense, “you gave me.” Several prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive also appear in vv. 38-44. The present translation understands this section as a description of what generally happened when the author charged into battle, but another option is to understand the section as narrative and translate accordingly.
[22:36] 136 tc Ps 18:35 contains an additional line following this one, which reads “your right hand supports me.” It may be omitted here due to homoioarcton. See the note at Ps 18:35.
[22:36] 137 tn Heb “your answer makes me great.” David refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer.
[22:37] 138 tn Heb “step.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives him the capacity to run quickly.
[22:37] 139 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[22:40] 140 tn Heb “you clothed me with strength for battle.”
[22:40] 141 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[22:41] 142 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck” ].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” See Exod 23:27 and HALOT 888 s.v. II ערף.
[22:42] 143 tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew
[22:42] 144 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[22:42] 145 tn The words “they cry out” are not in the Hebrew text. This reference to the psalmists’ enemies crying out for help to the
[22:43] 146 tn Or “mud” (so NAB, NIV, CEV). See HALOT 374 s.v. טִיט.
[22:44] 147 tn Heb “from the strivings of my people.” In this context רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עַם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. עַם 2.d). The suffix “my” suggests David is referring to attacks by his own countrymen, the “people” being Israel. However, the parallel text in Ps 18:43 omits the suffix.
[22:44] 148 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context the verb “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 45-46). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[22:45] 149 tn For the meaning “to be weak; to be powerless” for the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. Verse 46, which also mentions foreigners, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15).
[22:45] 150 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of David’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[22:46] 151 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[22:46] 152 tc The translation assumes a reading וְיַחְרְגוּ (vÿyakhrÿgu, “and they quaked”) rather than the MT וְיַחְגְּרוּ (vÿyakhgÿru, “and they girded themselves”). See the note at Ps 18:45.
[22:46] 154 tn Heb “prisons.” Their besieged cities are compared to prisons.
[22:47] 155 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) as used exclusively as an oath formula, but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the
[22:47] 156 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection.
[22:47] 157 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[22:47] 158 tn Heb “the God of the rock of my deliverance.” The term צוּר (tsur, “rock”) is probably accidentally repeated from the previous line. The parallel version in Ps 18:46 has simply “the God of my deliverance.”
[22:47] 159 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[22:48] 160 tn Heb “The God is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun “vengeance” indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.
[22:48] 161 tn Heb “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[22:49] 162 tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”
[22:49] 163 tn Heb “you lift me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רוּם (rum) probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt; elevate” here, indicating that the
[22:49] 164 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[22:50] 165 sn This probably alludes to the fact that David will praise the
[22:50] 166 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[22:51] 167 tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[22:51] 168 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty to his anointed one.”
