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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
22:1-51 Song of David. David's song is almost identical with Psalm 18. There are many differences in spelling, etc., in the Hebrew text of the two passages, but few of the differences come across in a translation. Most of these differences can be understood when one realizes that, while the book of Psalms, regularly used in worship, uses "standard" Hebrew spelling, the spelling in the Samuel passage is much more phonetic in character because as a narrative it was written as it was meant to be heard. In other words, David's personal song of 2 Samuel 22 has been adapted to serve as a public hymn in Psalm 18 (see note). Such phonetic spelling is common throughout the books of Samuel (see Introduction to 1-2 Samuel: Text).
22:1 The heading to David's song does not refer to one particular incident, but to David's deliverance from the hand of all his enemies. Similar elaborate descriptions, followed by "He said" (v. 2), can be found in the headings of Egyptian songs.
22:5-6 The name Sheol can refer to the place of the dead; here it is used as a synonym for "death." All four lines say in prose, "I was facing death."
22:7 Having described his situation, David now describes the Lord's response. Heard (Hb. shama‘) does not simply mean a passive "hearing"; it implies an attentive listening and, usually, a positive response. Temple probably refers to the heavenly temple of God, from which he came down (v. 10; see Ps. 11:4; Mic. 1:2-3).
22:8-16 The Lord's sudden appearance to help David is described in vivid metaphor. The natural phenomenon that would cover most of the description is a volcano, which causes earthquake, smoke, fire, fiery coals, and ash clouds. Earthquake imagery is often associated with the Lord (Ps. 77:18; Isa. 5:25; 24:18). Earthquakes, if not volcanoes, were well known in that region; see Amos 1:1. Judges 5:4-5 reads, "Lord, when you went out from Seir . . . the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water. The mountains quaked before the Lord." Many of the references can also be taken as storm images; describing battle in terms of a storm is common both in the Bible and in other ancient Near Eastern literature. In this song, the Lord is depicted as a mighty warrior riding in a chariot drawn by the wind or a cherub. David is probably thinking mainly of actual fighting, though he may have also been thinking of some instances of spiritual battle.
22:10 The Lord bowed (or "spread open" or "parted"; Hb. natah) the heavens.
22:15 Them refers to David's enemies.
22:20 The Hebrew for broad place is the opposite of an expression for being "greatly distressed" (lit., "the matter is narrow for") in 1 Sam. 30:6; 2 Sam. 13:2; etc.
22:26-27 In Hebrew these are four lines, all of the form "With the X [person] you show yourself X." To the crooked, i.e., to deceptive, dishonest people, God shows himself tortuous, i.e., he makes simple truths seem confusing and impossible to understand.
22:28 This verse restates the theme of Hannah's song at the beginning of Samuel (1 Sam. 2:7-8): God controls human destiny, humbling the proud but raising the humble.
22:32-33 This also (cf. note on v. 28) is similar to 1 Sam. 2:2 (in Hannah's song), extolling the Lord as a rock and the one and only God. It also reflects back to the beginning of David's song (2 Sam. 22:2-3), calling God a refuge. The first part of the song (vv. 2-31) has described the fight in terms of the actions of the Lord; this next section (vv. 32-49) covers the fight with enemies in terms of what David did, thanks to the Lord, who equipped him for battle (v. 40).
22:35 A bow of bronze is probably a bow reinforced with bronze, which would be difficult to draw but powerful. Note that "bronze" is a symbol of strength in Job 6:12; 40:18; Jer. 1:18; etc. God gave David skill and strength to conduct warfare and defeat his enemies.
22:47-49 These verses end the second half of David's song, summarizing what the Lord has done and repeating the key word rock.
22:50-51 This is the conclusion of the whole of David's song, with a reference to ch. 7 and to the last verse of the Song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:10).
