Psalm 18:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

NIV: He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

NASB: He also brought me out into an open place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

CSB: He brought me out to a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

NLT: He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

KJV: He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

NKJV: He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

David reflects on the fact that the Lord freed him from a harsh life in the wilderness and gave him liberty (2 Samuel 22:1). He cites the reason the Lord did this as "he delighted in me."

As believers, we owe our salvation and every blessing to the fact the Lord delights in us. However, we cannot pat ourselves on the back. We cannot understand why the Lord loved us enough to give His Son to die on the cross for us. Romans 5:8 declares, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Ephesians 1:3 says the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing." These blessings do not come to us because we deserve them. They come to us by God's grace: God's unmerited favor. Ephesians 2:8–10 explains that we have been saved by grace and are God's workmanship.

Psalm 18:1–19 expresses David's love for the Lord and his praise to God for delivering him from his enemies. This is very similar—perhaps an updated version—of David's song of praise recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 22. Psalms 3—5 recall David's prayer for deliverance from his foes and his trust in the Lord to deliver him from them. Psalms 48:1; 96:4; 145:3; and 150 also express praise to the Lord. An account of David's deliverance from his enemies is found in 2 Samuel 19—21. Other passages of Scripture that reveal God's deliverance of His people include Exodus 14; Joshua 10; Judges 7; 2 Kings 19:20–37; and Revelation 19:11–21.

In 2 Samuel chapter 22, David expresses praise for all the times in his life where God gave him victory. That prayer or song is copied almost identically here. Psalm 18, itself, might have been adapted for use in public worship. David remembers dire situations where God rescued him. He dramatically recounts how God provided rescue and power. David also credits God with rewarding his obedience by making him a powerful and successful military leader. For these reasons, David commits himself to the praise and worship of the Lord.

This psalm is David's prayer to the Lord in which David praises the Lord for making him victorious over his enemies. Second Samuel 5, 8, and 10 are companion chapters, and 2 Samuel 22 provides another version of this psalm. Second Samuel 22:1 tells us David composed Psalm 18 on the day the Lord delivered him from his enemies and Saul. Second Samuel 19 reports David's victorious return to Jerusalem after David vanquished his enemies.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 12/18/2024 12:57:23 PM