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« To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, » I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

To the chief Musician — Some render it, Ad triumphandum; and well they may; for this is old David’s επινικιον , or triumphant song after so many victories and deliverances; and it is twice recorded in Scripture, with very little variation, see 2 Samuel 22:1-51 for the great worth and weightiness of the matter; that we may the more observe it, and be the better versed in it. This here recorded seemeth to be the review of it, and hence those small additions and alterations that are found here and there, but not of any great moment.

A Psalm of David — Who having now gotten some breathing while from his troubles, gave not himself to idleness or worldly pleasures (as the Romans used to do after that they had once ridden in triumph), but, calling to mind God’s great mercies towards him, composed this sweet psalmody to his glory.

The servant of the Lord — So he styled himself before, Psalms 36:1 , when he first entered upon the kingdom; and now here again, when being to lay it down together with his life, he breatheth out his holy soul to God in this divine ditty.

This he did after that, as a faithful servant of the Lord, he had done all the wills of God, Acts 13:22 , had served out his full time, Psalms 18:36 , and dwelt in God’s house to length of days, Psalms 23:6 .

Who spake unto the Lord the words of this song — God lets out his mercies to us for this rent of our praises; and is content we have the benefit of them, so he may have the glory. The Hebrews give this note here; every man for whom there is wrought a miracle of mercy, and he thereupon uttereth a song, hath his sins forgiven him. This is better yet than that of the Papists, who promise pardon of sin to those that shall hear two masses a day. We who have received so many mercies should compass God about with songs of deliverances, and not only servire Deo, sed et adulari, serve God and make obeisance, as Tertullian hath it.

From the hand of all his enemies — Heb. From the palm of other enemies, as less considerable, but from the hand (or clutched fist) of Saul.

And from the hand of Saul — His greatest enemy, and of longest continuance. So Christ is said to save his people from their sins, by a specialty, Matthew 1:21 , because they do us the most mischief.

I will love thee, O Lord my strength — Heb. I will love thee dearly and entirely, ex intimis visceribus, from the very heart-root, from the bottom of my bowels; with like intention of affection, as a tender hearted mother doth her dearest babe, that is her own bowels; herself of the second edition. Neither did David herein supererogate: For God requireth to be loved with all the heart, mind, soul, strength, as one that is best worthy; good without measure, that hath loved us without measure, and therefore is without measure by us to be beloved. Modus sit sine mode (Bern.). Not that we are bound to love God in quantum est diligibilis so much as he is lovely or love worthy; for so God can only love himself; but, Nihil supra, aeque, aut contra, nothing must we love above God or so much as God, much less against God; we must be able to say affectionately, with David, Psalms 73:25-26 , "Whom have I in heaven but thee? there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." And as Bernard, Amo te, Domine, plus quam mea, meos, me I love thee, Lord, more than my goods, my friends, myself. A Christian begins with loving God for himself, but he ends in loving himself, and all other, both persons and things, in and for God. His friend he loveth in the Lord, his foes for the Lord; but God he loveth absolutely, and for himself, affecting not only a union with him, but even a unity, his heart being turned, as it were, into a very lump of love, as was Mary’s, Luke 7:47 . Histories tell of a certain woman that came to Vespasian the emperor, professing that she was in love with him; he commanded that a liberal reward should be given her for the same; and when his steward asked him under what item he should put that gift in the book of account, Vespasiano adamato, said the emperor, Item, To her that loved Vespasian. God, saith the apostle, is not unrighteous, to forget your labour of love, …, Hebrews 6:10 . "I love them that love me," saith Christ, Proverbs 8:17 . And his love is not like the winter sun, which hath light, but no heat; he is the strength of his people, their rock, fortress.

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The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, … — i.e. He is all in all for my preservation. Ten words, say the Hebrews, he here heapeth up, in reference to ten signal victories; or rather because his thankful heart was so enlarged, that he could never satisfy himself in saying what God had been to him and done for him; and hence this congeries, or heap of holy expressions; and all to show that God is a rock of refuge, a firm fortress, a receptacle of rest, a sanctuary of safety to all his saints in time of trouble. David had had his share, and had been put to his shifts; glad to hide himself, as he could, in rocks and strong holds that sheltered him from the storm. To these he alludeth when he calls God his rock, fortress, …

And my deliverer — Rocks and strong holds do not always deliver (witness the Shechemites, Jebusites, Arimasphes), but God always doth.

And the horn of my salvation — Qui veluti cornu petit et conficit hostes meos, saith Vatablus; who goreth and dispatcheth mine enemies. A metaphor either from horned beasts, or else (as some will have it) from the ancient custom of wearing horns of iron upon their helmet, for a crest or military ornament; whereupon the raised horn was a sign of victory, and the horn beaten down a sign of being overcome.

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I will call upon the LORD, [who is worthy] to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised — Or, is the proper object of praises, because he is good and doth good, Psalms 119:68 . David vows to praise him,

1. By loving him entirely.

2. By trusting in him steadfastly, Psalms 18:1

3. By calling upon him continually, here, and Psalms 116:2-3 , which psalm is very like to this (in the beginning especially) both for matter and method.

So shall I be saved, … — He hath often proved the power of prayer, especially when he came ready prepared to praise God for the return of prayer; and thence he is bold to promise himself all good.

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The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

The sorrows of death compass me — Or, the pangs, pains, throes as of a travailing woman, these environed me, or came thick and threefold upon me, perveniebant usque ad àó even to my face (as the Rabbins descant upon the word), or flew upon me; desperate and deadly dangers assailed me. Medrash. Tillin. Aphaphuni pro gnaphaphuni. The worst of an evil escaped is to be thankfully acknowledged, and highest strains of eloquence therein to be used so that pride be avoided, and the praise of God only aimed at.

And the floods of ungodly men — Heb. of Belial, that is, of Belialists, acted and agitated by the devil; these same tumbling upon him like many and mighty waters, Fluctus fluctum trudit. Torrentes Belial terrebant me.

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The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

The sorrows — Or, throes, or cords, such as wherewith they bind malefactors led forth to execution.

The snares of death prevented me — David knew how to make the most of a mercy; he means, I was almost surprised, and all hope of help seemed to be anticipated; if help should come, it would some too late.

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In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, [even] into his ears.

In my distress I called upon the Lord — This was David’s anchora sacra; sacred anchor, prayer, he knew, could never come too late, nor God want a way to deliver his distressed. The time of affliction is the time of supplication; and man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.

And cried unto my God — He grew more and more earnest. We must pray and not faint, Luke 18:1 , but rise in our suits.

Out of his temple — i.e. Heaven, whereof the temple was a type, as being the place of God’s special presence, and of transcendent holiness.

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Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

Then the earth shook and trembled, … — Upon David’s prayer all this befell; like as, Acts 4:31 , the house shook wherein they were praying; and the thundering legion procured thunder and rain; and so did Samuel by his prayers, 1 Samuel 12:17-18 . But this terrible tempest here described is to be taken rather allegorically than historically. The prophet, in most lofty and lively terms and expressions (far above the strain of the most sublime either poets or orators), describeth God’s powerful presence and concurrence in David’s conquests.

The foundations also of the hills — That is, so vehement was the earthquake, that it shook, as it were, the roots of the mountains, which lie deep within the ground, 2 Samuel 22:8 . These hills are called the foundation of heaven, as Job 26:11 , the pillars of heaven; because the tops of high mountains seem to touch the clouds, and the heavens seem to lean upon them; and because the earth is in the centre of the world, about the which the heavens do continually turn.

Because he was wroth — Or, burn did his nose. So

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There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils — As angry men breathe vehemently, and seem to spit fire by their blustering speeches and menaces, so here ανθρωποπαθως omnia, quae tamen θεοπρεπως sunt intelligenda.

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