What does Psalm 18:28 mean?

God receives credit and ample praise from David in this section of Scripture. David thanks the Lord for keeping him alive during the wilderness years. During that long period, being hunted by Saul (2 Samuel 22:1), David was confident the Lord would preserve his life. He held similar confidence in other situations where danger lurked.

Light symbolizes life, goodness, and truth in Hebrew culture. Job 18:5–6 and 21:17 allude to the death of the wicked as God putting out their lamps. In Psalm 27:1 David testified: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

When the kingdom of Israel divided, the Lord promised to preserve the tribe of Judah. He explained, "that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem" (1 Kings 11:36). In Psalm 132:17 we find the Lord's promise regarding Zion, which is another name for Jerusalem: "There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed."