Psalm 18:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

NIV: to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

NASB: With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

CSB: with the pure you prove yourself pure, but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd.

NLT: To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

KJV: With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

NKJV: With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

David testifies that the Lord shows Himself pure to those who are purified. The purified are those whose sins have been forgiven, and they are therefore led to pursue a clean life before God (John 14:15). Matthew 5:8 promises that the pure in heart will see God. Believers have the assurance that they will see God in heaven because the blood of Jesus has made them pure. The apostle John writes praise "to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5).

Still, "purified" believers must decide to maintain that purity of life. The apostle John said whoever entertains the hope of seeing Jesus at His appearing "purifies himself as he [Jesus] is pure" (1 John 3:3). And Paul counseled Timothy to keep himself pure (1 Timothy 5:22). Those whose hearts are pure discover that the Lord is pure, but those whose lives are perverse will learn that God will deal harshly with them.

Saul's actions toward David were perverse (2 Samuel 22:1), and the Lord harshly punished Saul by allowing the Philistines to destroy him (1 Samuel 31:1–4).

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 11:01:13 AM