22:1 Locutus est autem David Domino verba carminis hujus in die qua liberavit eum Dominus de manu omnium inimicorum suorum, et de manu Saul.
*H And David spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,
Ver. 1. Spoke, &c. By comparing this with the 17th Psalm, we may be convinced how much the Hebrew varies, particularly if we examine also the MSS. Kennicott specifies no less than 600 variations in this one canticle, and refutes the opinion of those who say that the 17th Psalm is a second edition, corrected by David's own hand, as the MSS. frequently shew the inaccuracies of the printed copies. He has collated them with Walton's Polyglott. The variations are not however all distinct from each other, sometimes twenty MSS. having the same various readings, and many of them relate to the letter v. See Diss. ii. p. 565. We shall give the explication in the order of the Psalms. The collation of parallel passages is of infinite advantage. Frequently (H.) the words differ so as to explain one another. — Saul. He is specified as the most dangerous. David, by divine inspiration, thanks God for his deliverance from all his enemies, both corporal and spiritual, enjoying peace of mind on account of his sins being forgiven, and all his opponents repressed. W. — This year, the thirty-seventh of David's reign, was free from any commotion. Yet the king seems to have given way to a little vanity, on account of the many valiant men whom God had collected in his service; (C. xxiii.) and hence he consented to the unfortunate resolution of numbering his subjects. Salien, A. 3016.
22:2 Et ait : [Dominus petra mea, et robur meum, et salvator meus.
And he said: The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my saviour.
* Footnote
* Psalms
17 : 3
The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector, and the horn of my salvation, and my support.
22:3 Deus fortis meus : sperabo in eum ; scutum meum, et cornu salutis meae : elevator meus, et refugium meum ; salvator meus : de iniquitate liberabis me.
God is my strong one, in him will I trust: my shield, and the horn of my salvation: he lifteth me up, and is my refuge: my saviour, thou wilt deliver me from iniquity.
22:4 Laudabilem invocabo Dominum, et ab inimicis meis salvus ero.
I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised: and I shall be saved from my enemies.
* Footnote
* Psalms
17 : 4
Praising, I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.
22:5 Quia circumdederunt me contritiones mortis : torrentes Belial terruerunt me.
For the pangs of death have surrounded me: the floods of Belial have made me afraid.
22:6 Funes inferni circumdederunt me : praevenerunt me laquei mortis.
The cords of hell compassed me: the snares of death prevented me.
22:7 In tribulatione mea invocabo Dominum, et ad Deum meum clamabo : et exaudiet de templo suo vocem meam, et clamor meus veniet ad aures ejus.
*H In my distress I will call upon the Lord, and I will cry to my God: and he will hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry shall come to his ears.
Ver. 7. Temple. David was now busy in making preparations for it.
22:8 Commota est et contremuit terra ; fundamenta montium concussa sunt, et conquassata : quoniam iratus est eis.
The earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the mountains were moved, and shaken, because he was angry with them.
22:9 Ascendit fumus de naribus ejus, et ignis de ore ejus vorabit : carbones succensi sunt ab eo.
A smoke went up from his nostrils, and a devouring fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.
22:10 Inclinavit caelos, et descendit : et caligo sub pedibus ejus.
He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
22:11 Et ascendit super cherubim, et volavit : et lapsus est super pennas venti.
*H And he rode upon the cherubims, and flew: and slid upon the wings of the wind.
Ver. 11. Upon. Cordell (M.) would translate the Heb. "as in contest."
22:12 Posuit tenebras in circuitu suo latibulum, cribrans aquas de nubibus caelorum.
He made darkness a covering round about him: dropping waters out of the clouds of the heavens.
22:13 Prae fulgore in conspectu ejus, succensi sunt carbones ignis.
*H By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.
Ver. 13. Kindled. The words abju abru seem to be wanting here, as they are found in Syr. Arab. and the Psalm. Kennicott would render this most striking image, "at the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; They kindled into coals of fire," &c. Diss. i.
22:14 Tonabit de caelo Dominus, et excelsus dabit vocem suam.
*H The Lord shall thunder from heaven: and the most high shall give forth his voice.
Ver. 14. Shall. Heb. as well in the past tense. "The Lord thundered," &c. H.
22:15 Misit sagittas et dissipavit eos ; fulgur, et consumpsit eos.
He shot arrows and scattered them: lightning, and consumed them.
22:16 Et apparuerunt effusiones maris, et revelata sunt fundamenta orbis ab increpatione Domini, ab inspiratione spiritus furoris ejus.
*H And the overflowings of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.
Ver. 16. Overflowings. Heb. "channels," the waters receding as at the Red Sea, and at the passage of the Jordan.
22:17 Misit de excelso, et assumpsit me, et extraxit me de aquis multis.
He sent from on high, and took me, and drew me out of many waters.
22:18 Liberavit me ab inimico meo potentissimo, et ab his qui oderant me : quoniam robustiores me erant.
He delivered me from my most mighty enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
22:19 Praevenit me in die afflictionis meae, et factus est Dominus firmamentum meum.
He prevented me in the day of my affliction, and the Lord became my stay.
22:20 Et eduxit me in latitudinem : liberavit me, quia complacui ei.
And he brought me forth into a large place, he delivered me, because I pleased him.
22:21 Retribuet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam : et secundum munditiam manuum mearum reddet mihi.
The Lord will reward me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands he will render to me.
22:22 Quia custodivi vias Domini, et non egi impie a Deo meo.
*H Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Ver. 22. God. Perhaps David might have written this before his fall; or, if afterwards, his sincere repentance had restored him to his former state.
22:23 Omnia enim judicia ejus in conspectu meo, et praecepta ejus non amovi a me.
For all his judgments are in my sight: and his precepts I have not removed from me.
22:24 Et ero perfectus cum eo, et custodiam me ab iniquitate mea.
And I shall be perfect with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.
22:25 Et restituet mihi Dominus secundum justitiam meam, et secundum munditiam manuum mearum in conspectu oculorum suorum.
And the Lord will recompense me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands in the sight of his eyes.
22:26 Cum sancto sanctus eris, et cum robusto perfectus.
*H With the holy one thou wilt be holy: and with the valiant perfect.
Ver. 26. Holy; treating all according to their deserts. H.
22:27 Cum electo electus eris, et cum perverso perverteris.
With the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.
22:28 Et populum pauperem salvum facies : oculisque tuis excelsos humiliabis.
And the poor people thou wilt save: and with thy eyes thou shalt humble the haughty.
22:29 Quia tu lucerna mea, Domine, et tu, Domine, illuminabis tenebras meas.
*H For thou art my lamp O Lord: and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.
Ver. 29. Lamp. Heb. Thair, "thou wilt light" my lamp, seems deficient; as it is found in some MSS. Syr. Arab. Psalm xvii. &c. Kennicott.
22:30 In te enim curram accinctus : in Deo meo transiliam murum.
For in thee I will run girded: in my God I will leap over the wall.
22:31 Deus, immaculata via ejus ; eloquium Domini igne examinatum : scutum est omnium sperantium in se.
God, his way is immaculate, the word of the Lord is tried by fire: he is the shield of all that trust in him.
22:32 Quis est Deus praeter Dominum, et quis fortis praeter Deum nostrum ?
Who is God but the Lord: and who is strong but our God?
22:33 Deus qui accinxit me fortitudine, et complanavit perfectam viam meam.
God who hath girded me with strength, and made my way perfect.
22:34 Coaequans pedes meos cervis, et super excelsa mea statuens me ;
Making my feet like the feet of harts, and setting me upon my high places.
* Footnote
* Psalms
143 : 1
A psalm of David against Goliath. BLESSED be the Lord my God, who teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to war.
22:35 docens manus meas ad praelium, et componens quasi arcum aereum brachia mea.
He teacheth my hands to war: and maketh my arms like a bow of brass.
22:36 Dedisti mihi clypeum salutis tuae, et mansuetudo tua multiplicavit me.
Thou hast given me the shield of my salvation: and thy mildness hath multiplied me.
22:37 Dilatabis gressus meos subtus me, et non deficient tali mei.
Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me: and my ankles shall not fail.
22:38 Persequar inimicos meos, et conteram, et non convertar donec consumam eos.
I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.
22:39 Consumam eos et confringam, ut non consurgant : cadent sub pedibus meis.
I will consume them and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise: they shall fall under my feet.
22:40 Accinxisti me fortitudine ad praelium : incurvasti resistentes mihi subtus me.
Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast made them that resisted me to bow under me.
22:41 Inimicos meos dedisti mihi dorsum ; odientes me, et disperdam eos.
My enemies thou hast made to turn their back to me: them that hated me, and I shall destroy them.
22:42 Clamabunt, et non erit qui salvet ; ad Dominum, et non exaudiet eos.
They shall cry, and there shall be none to save: to the Lord, and he shall not hear them.
22:43 Delebo eos ut pulverem terrae ; quasi lutum platearum comminuam eos atque confringam.
I shall beat them as small as the dust of the earth: I shall crush them and spread them abroad like the mire of the streets.
22:44 Salvabis me a contradictionibus populi mei ; custodies me in caput gentium : populus quem ignoro serviet mihi.
*H Thou wilt save me from the contradictions of my people: thou wilt keep me to be the head of the Gentiles: the people which I know not, shall serve me,
Ver. 44. Me. Though David conquered some Gentiles, and some were converted to the true faith under the Old Testament, yet the fulness of the Gentiles belongs to the Church of Christ, the perpetual stability of which is here foretold, v. 51. W.
22:45 Filii alieni resistent mihi ; auditu auris obedient mihi.
The sons of the stranger will resist me, at the hearing of the ear they will obey me.
22:46 Filii alieni defluxerunt, et contrahentur in angustiis suis.
The strangers are melted away, and shall be straitened in their distresses.
22:47 Vivit Dominus, et benedictus Deus meus, et exaltabitur Deus fortis salutis meae.
The Lord liveth, and my God is blessed: and the strong God of my salvation shall be exalted:
22:48 Deus qui das vindictas mihi, et dejicis populos sub me.
God who giveth me revenge, and bringest down people under me,
22:49 Qui educis me ab inimicis meis, et a resistentibus mihi elevas me : a viro iniquo liberabis me.
Who bringest me forth from my enemies, and liftest me up from them that resist me: from the wicked man thou shalt deliver me.
* Footnote
* Psalms
17 : 49
And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.
22:50 Propterea confitebor tibi, Domine, in gentibus, et nomini tuo cantabo :
Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.
* Footnote
* Romans
15 : 9
But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles and will sing to thy name.
22:51 magnificans salutes regis sui, et faciens misericordiam christo suo David, et semini ejus in sempiternum.]
Giving great salvation to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed, and to his seed for ever.