2 Samuel 22:44

22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army; ¹ 

you preserve me as a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ² 

2 Samuel 7:23

7:23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation ³  on the earth? Their God ⁴  went ⁵  to claim ⁶  a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, ⁷  before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods. ⁸ 

[22:44]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[7:23]  ³ tn Heb “a nation, one.”

[7:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “whose God” or “because God.” In the Hebrew text this clause is subordinated to what precedes. The clauses are separated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:23]  ⁵ tn The verb is plural in Hebrew, agreeing grammatically with the divine name, which is a plural of degree.

[7:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “redeem.”

[7:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “and to do for you [plural form] the great [thing] and awesome [things] for your land.”

[7:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “from Egypt, nations and their gods.” The LXX has “nations and tents,” which reflects a mistaken metathesis of letters in אֶלֹהָיו (e’lohav, “its gods”) and אֹהָלָיו (’ohalav, “its tents”).