--- title: "Psalms 18 - Study King James Bible with trapps complete commentary" description: "Read Psalms 18 with trapps complete commentary commentary. 1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler," image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18" --- [ Read](/kjv/psalms/18)[ Commentary](/study/psalms/18)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/psalms/18) Audio 1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 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.* 3 I will call upon the LORD, *who is worthy* to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.* 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.* 6 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. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.* 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness *was* under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him *were* dark waters *and* thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness *that was* before him his thick clouds passed, hail *stones* and coals of fire. 13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail *stones* and coals of fire. 14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.* 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all his judgments *were* before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. 23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.* 24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.* 25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.* 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. 28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.* 29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.* 30 *As for* God, his way *is* perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he *is* a buckler to all those that trust in him.* 31 For who *is* God save the LORD? or who *is* a rock save our God? 32 *It is* God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ *feet*, and setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.* 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.* 37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.* 40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cried, but *there was* none to save *them: even* unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; *and* thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people *whom* I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.*** 45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.* 46 The LORD liveth; and blessed *be* my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 *It is* God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.** 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.* 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.* 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore. [Psalms 17](/study/psalms/17) [Psalms 19](/study/psalms/19) ## Commentary To verse 1 [Psalms 18:1](/kjv/psalms/18/1) « 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*[2Sa 22:1-51](/kjv/-2sa/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](/kjv/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. *Sic ubi fata vocant, &c.* This he did after that, as a faithful servant of the Lord, he had done all the wills of God, [Acts 13:22](/kjv/acts/13/22) , had served out his full time, [Psalms 18:36](/kjv/psalms/18/36) , and dwelt in God’s house to length of days, [Psalms 23:6](/kjv/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](/kjv/matthew/1/21) , because they do us the most mischief. **** Ver. 1. **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](/kjv/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](/kjv/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, &c., [Hebrews 6:10](/kjv/hebrews/6/10) . "I love them that love me," saith Christ, [Proverbs 8:17](/kjv/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. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18","name":"Psalms 18 - Study King James Bible with trapps complete commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Psalms 18 with trapps complete commentary commentary. 1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler,","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary","name":"trapps complete commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms","name":"Psalms"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/18","name":"18"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```