2 Samuel 22:24

22:24 I was blameless before him;

I kept myself from sinning. ¹ 

2 Samuel 22:33

22:33 The one true God ²  is my mighty refuge; ³ 

he removes ⁴  the obstacles in my way. ⁵ 

[22:24]  ¹ 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 Lord (see Ps 101).

[22:33]  ² tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.

[22:33]  ³ tc 4QSam^a 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]  ⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive here carries along the generalizing tone of the preceding line.

[22:33]  ⁵ 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).