Psalm 18
18
The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, #Ps. 36, title; 89:3, 20; [2 Sam. 3:18; 7:5] the servant of the Lord, #See 2 Sam. 22 who addressed the words of this #Ex. 15:1; Deut. 31:30song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2The Lord is my #ver. 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; 31:3 rock and my #Ps. 91:2; 144:2 fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my #ver. 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; 31:3 rock, in #[Heb. 2:13] whom I take refuge,
my #ver. 30; Gen. 15:1 shield, and #Ps. 112:9; Luke 1:69 the horn of my salvation, my #See Ps. 9:9stronghold.
3I call upon the Lord, who is #Ps. 48:1; 96:4; 113:3; 145:3worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 #
Ps. 116:3; [Ps. 119:61] The cords of death encompassed me;
# See Ps. 32:6 the torrents of destruction assailed me;#18:4 Or terrified me
5 # [See ver. 4 above] the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 #
Ps. 66:14; 102:2; 120:1; [Jonah 2:2] In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his #See Ps. 11:4temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth #[Judg. 5:4; Acts 4:31; 16:26]reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils,#18:8 Or in his wrath
and devouring #See Ps. 21:9fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He #Ps. 144:5 bowed the heavens and #Isa. 64:1 came down;
# See Ex. 20:21 thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on #Ps. 104:3the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his #Job 36:29; [Ps. 97:2] canopy around him,
thick clouds #[Ps. 29:3]dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
# [Ps. 148:8; Josh. 10:11] hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The Lord also #1 Sam. 2:10; 7:10; See Job 37:4 thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his #Isa. 30:30; See Ps. 29:3-9voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his #Ps. 7:13; 64:7; 77:17; 144:6; Deut. 32:23, 42; Hab. 3:11 arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and #Ex. 14:24; Josh. 10:10routed them.
15Then #Ps. 42:1; Joel 1:20 (Heb.); [Job 36:30] the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your #Ps. 106:9; Nah. 1:4 rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of #[Ex. 15:8]the breath of your nostrils.
16He #[Ps. 144:7] sent from on high, he took me;
he #[Ex. 2:10] drew me out of #See Ps. 32:6; Job 22:11many waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were #Ps. 142:6too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19He brought me out into #Ps. 31:8; 118:5; [ver. 36] a broad place;
he rescued me, because he #Ps. 22:8; 2 Sam. 15:26delighted in me.
20The Lord dealt with me #Ps. 7:8; 1 Sam. 24:19; 26:23; 1 Kgs. 8:32 according to my righteousness;
according to #See Job 22:30the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21For I have #[Gen. 18:19; Prov. 8:32]kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For #Ps. 119:30, 102all his rules#18:22 Or just decrees were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23I was #Gen. 17:1; [1 Kgs. 14:8]blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25With #Matt. 5:7the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with #Ps. 81:12; Lev. 26:23, 24; Prov. 3:34; Acts 7:42; Rom. 1:28the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27For you save #[Ex. 3:7] a humble people,
but #See Ps. 101:5the haughty eyes you bring down.
28For it is you who light my #Ps. 132:17; 1 Kgs. 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kgs. 8:19; [2 Sam. 21:17]; See Job 18:5, 6lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can #[Isa. 35:6] leap over #See 2 Sam. 5:6-9a wall.
30This God—his way is #Deut. 32:4; Dan. 4:37; Matt. 5:48; [Rev. 15:3] perfect;#18:30 Or blameless
the word of the Lord #See Ps. 12:6 proves true;
he is #ver. 2 a shield for all those who #Ps. 17:7take refuge in him.
31For #[Ps. 86:8] who is God, but the Lord?
And who is #See ver. 2a rock, except our God?—
32the God who #1 Sam. 2:4; Isa. 45:5 equipped me with strength
and made my way #Ps. 101:2, 6; 119:1; Job 22:3blameless.
33He made my feet like the feet of a #Hab. 3:19 deer
and set me secure on #Deut. 32:13; Isa. 58:14the heights.
34He #Ps. 144:1trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand #Ps. 20:2 supported me,
and your #[Isa. 63:9]gentleness made me great.
36You #Ps. 31:8; Prov. 4:12; [ver. 19]gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40You made my enemies #Ex. 23:27; [Ps. 21:12]turn their backs to me,#18:40 Or You gave me my enemies’ necks
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 # See Job 27:9 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42I beat them fine as #2 Kgs. 13:7 dust before the wind;
I cast them out like #Isa. 10:6; Mic. 7:10; Zech. 10:5the mire of the streets.
43You delivered me from #[2 Sam. 3:1; 19:9, 43; 20:1] strife with the people;
you made me #[Ps. 2:8]; See 2 Sam. 8:1-14 the head of the nations;
#
Isa. 55:5; [Ps. 22:27] people whom I had not known served me.
44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
#
Ps. 144:7 foreigners #Ps. 66:3; 81:15; Deut. 33:29came cringing to me.
45 # [See ver. 44 above] Foreigners lost heart
and #Mic. 7:17came trembling out of their fortresses.
46The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47the God who gave me vengeance
and #Ps. 47:3; 144:2; [Isa. 45:1]subdued peoples under me,
48who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you #Ps. 59:1 exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from #Ps. 140:1the man of violence.
49 # Cited Rom. 15:9 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and #Ps. 66:4sing to your name.
50Great #Ps. 144:10 salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his #See Ps. 2:2 anointed,
to #[Ps. 89:29; 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 29]David and his offspring forever.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Tehillim 18
18
(For the one directing. Of Dovid Eved Hashem who sang to Hashem the lyrics of this shirah on the day Hashem delivered him from the hand of all his oyevim and from the hand of Sha'ul; and he said)
1I will love Thee, Hashem, my strength.
2 Hashem is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; Eli my Tzur (rock), in whom I take refuge; my mogen, and the keren of my salvation, and my misgav (high place as a refuge).
3 I will call upon Hashem, Who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine oyevim.
4 The chevlei mavet entangled me, and the floods of Beliya'al terrorized me.
5 The chevlei Sheol snaked around me; the snares of mavet confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon Hashem, and cried unto Elohai; He heard my voice out of His Heikhal, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.
7 Ha'aretz shook and trembled; the foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, and eish out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.
9 He parted Shomayim, and descended, and dark clouds were under His feet.
10 And He rode upon a keruv (cherub), and did fly; yea, He soared upon the wings of the ruach.
11 He made choshech His secret place; His sukkah round about Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 Out of the brightness that was before Him there broke through barad (hailstones) and coals of eish out of His clouds.
13 Hashem also thundered in Shomayim, and Elyon gave His voice amid barad and coals of eish.
14 Yea, He sent out His khitzim (arrows), and scattered them; and He shot out great lightning bolts, and did put them to rout.
15 Then the channels of waters were exposed, and the foundations of the tevel (world) were laid bare at Thy rebuke, Hashem, at the blast of the ruach of Thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, He took hold of me, He drew me out of mayim rabbim (many waters).
17 He delivered me from my strong oyev, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but Hashem was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a place merkhav (spacious); He delivered me, because He delighted in me.
20 Hashem dealt with me according to my tzedek; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.
21 For I have been shomer regarding the Darkhei Hashem, and have not wickedly departed from Elohai.
22 For all His mishpatim were before me, and I did not put away His chukkot from me.
23 I was also tamim (blameless) before Him, and I kept myself from mine avon.
24 Therefore hath Hashem recompensed me according to my tzedek, according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.
25 With the chasid Thou wilt show Thyself chesed; with a perfect man Thou wilt show Thyself perfect;
26 With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the ikesh (crooked, perverted, false) Thou wilt show Thyself shrewd.
27 For Thou wilt save the ani (poor); but wilt bring down low haughty looks.
28 For Thou wilt light my ner; Hashem Elohai will enlighten my choshech.
29 For by Thee have I scattered a troop; and by Elohai have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for El, His derech is tamim (perfect); the word of Hashem is tzerufah (tested and proved flawless, inerrant); He is a mogen to all those that take refuge in Him.
31 For who is Elohim besides Hashem? Or who is Tzur but Eloheinu?
32 It is El that armeth me with chayil, and maketh my derech tamim (perfect).
33 He maketh my raglayim like deer feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 He traineth my hands for milchamah, so that a keshet-nechushah mine arms can bend.
35 Thou hast also given me the mogen of Thy salvation; and Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy lowliness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast made rakhav (broad) the place for my footsteps under me, that my ankles did not turn.
37 I have pursued mine oyevim, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
38 I have crushed them that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my raglayim.
39 For Thou hast armed me with chayil unto the milchamah; Thou hast made bow down under me those that rose up against me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine oyevim; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried for help, but there was no Moshi'a to save them, even unto Hashem, but He answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the ruach; I did empty them out as the dirt in the chutzot (streets).
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou hast made me the Rosh (head) of the Goyim (nations); an Am (people) whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the Bnei Nekhar (foreigners) shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The Bnei Nekhar shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their misgerot (stongholds, fastnesses, secure places).
46 Hashem chai; and baruch be my Tzur; and let the Elohei of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the nations under me.
48 He saveth me from mine oyevim; yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the ish chamas.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, Hashem, among the Goyim, and sing praises unto Shimecha.
50 Great deliverance giveth He to His Melech; and showeth chesed to His Moshiach, to Dovid, and to his Zera ad olam.
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