Psalm 18:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

NIV: The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

NASB: The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.

CSB: The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; he repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

NLT: The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.

KJV: The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

NKJV: The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

David credits the Lord with rescuing him in accordance with David's righteousness. This does not imply that David was sinless, or perfect. Rather, David sees his rescue as a reward from the Lord for his integrity.

In a sense, there are parallels between this idea and the account of Daniel. Several centuries after David, Daniel had faithfully honored the Lord, and the Lord rewarded him by rescuing him from the lions. God rescued Daniel from the lions' den, whereas his enemies became meals for the lions (Daniel 6:21–24).

Prophetically, David's words here apply to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was thoroughly righteous in word and deed (1 Peter 2:22), and three days after He died for our sins, God responded by raising Him from the dead (Romans 4:24–25). In Psalm 16:10 David declares: "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." At Pentecost, when Peter addressed a crowd of Jews, he applied David's words in Psalm 16 to Christ. He said, "He [David] foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:31).

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.