Psalm 18:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

NIV: To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

NASB: With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless;

CSB: With the faithful you prove yourself faithful, with the blameless you prove yourself blameless,

NLT: To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

KJV: With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

NKJV: With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

In this statement, David explains that some parts of our relationship with the Lord are reciprocal. If we are merciful to others, the Lord will be merciful to us. In celebrating God's mercy to him, David might have recalled how he showed mercy to his own enemies. David had shown mercy to his persecutor, Saul, by sparing his life (1 Samuel 24:4–11; 26: 1–25), and in turn the Lord extended mercy to David. God rescued David from Saul (2 Samuel 22:1) and made him king of Israel. David had been loyal to the Lord, and the Lord was faithful to David.

Though we clearly cannot earn our eternal salvation through our own good works or supposed righteousness (Titus 3:5; Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:8–10), God does respond to our actions. Galatians 6:7 assures us that "whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Matthew 5:7 states: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Christ's model prayer for us contains a reciprocal relationship: we are to ask God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). Jesus likewise says "if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14–15).

Psalm 18:20–27 describes David's relationship with the Lord as the reason God rescued him. Second Samuel 22:21–26 presents a slight variation of the words found in this passage. Most likely, the words David originally spoke, as recorded in 2 Samuel 22, were adapted for use in a worship setting, as presented in Psalm 18. David began this psalm by telling the Lord he loved Him. Next, he described dire circumstances, such as when Saul and his men pursued him in the wilderness. He closed the first section of the psalm with a poetic description of how the Lord rescued him from his enemies.

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.