Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Jesus Creed

Home
Evangelical
Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 18 – 6

Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 18 – 6

Last updated on: June 23, 2010 at 12:03 pm by Scot McKnight

Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 18 – 6 2010-06-23T12:03:32-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The language of defeat is prominent in Psalm 18:35-45 (see after the jump), so prominent it might offend. David, or whoever this might be, exults in the defeat of his enemies and he looks to God for that victory. In fact, the whole is framed through looking to God for that victory: “You have given me…” etc.

As Goldingay puts it: YHWH acts and does not abandon; the psalmist triumphs instead of being overwhelmed; the enemy loses instead of triumphing. That’s the substance of these verses.

He speaks of slaughter, and he gives thanks to God for it. There’s no mercy here. So, what to do? Here’s Goldingay (Psalms 1): “A Christian might think that the psalm is mistaken and that Yhwh was not so involved… Or … might think that God was so involved then but is no longer so involved … might thus allegorize the psalm so that its battles refer to our battling against our own faults. Or a Christian might think that the perspective of the psalm fits the NT attitude expressed in Romans 13:4…” and all of this means the psalm can be abused but all texts suffer from that possibility.

Or perhaps this is phenomenological experience: the psalmist was victorious and thanks God and thinks God was with him.

Psalms 18

Psalm 18

For the music director; by the Lord‘s servant David, who sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.

18:1 He said:

“I love you, Lord, my source of strength!

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,

my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.

18:3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I was delivered from my enemies.

18:4 The waves of death engulfed me,

the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,

the snares of death trapped me.

18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried out to my God.

From his heavenly temple he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.

18:7 The earth heaved and shook;

the roots of the mountains trembled;

they heaved because he was angry.

18:8 Smoke ascended from his nose;

fire devoured as it came from his mouth;

he hurled down fiery coals.

18:9 He made the sky sink as he descended;

a thick cloud was under his feet.

18:10 He mounted a winged angel and flew;

he glided on the wings of the wind.

18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness,

in thick rain clouds.

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals.

18:13 The Lord thundered in the sky;

the sovereign One shouted.

18:14 He shot his arrows and scattered them,

many lightning bolts and routed them.

18:15 The depths of the sea were exposed;

the inner regions of the world were uncovered

by your battle cry, Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose.

18:16 He reached down from above and took hold of me;

he pulled me from the surging water.

18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

18:18 They confronted me in my day of calamity,

but the Lord helped me.

18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with
me.

18:20 The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds;

he rewarded my blameless behavior.

18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord‘s commands;

I have not rebelled against my God.

18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations,

and I do not reject his rules.

18:23 I was innocent before him,

and kept myself from sinning.

18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;

he took notice of my blameless behavior.

18:25 You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful;

you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent.

18:26 You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless,

but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.

18:27 For you deliver oppressed people,

but you bring down those who have a proud look.

18:28 Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord.

My God illuminates the darkness around me.

18:29 Indeed, with your help I can charge against an army;

by my God’s power I can jump over a wall.

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;

the Lord‘s promise is reliable;

he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.

18:31 Indeed, who is God besides the Lord?

Who is a protector besides our God?

18:32 The one true God gives me strength;

he removes the obstacles in my way.

18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer;

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.

18:34 He trains my hands for battle;

my arms can bend even the strongest bow.

18:35 You give me your protective shield;

your right hand supports me;

your willingness to help enables me to prevail.

18:36 You widen my path;

my feet do not slip.

18:37 I chase my enemies and catch them;

I do not turn back until I wipe them out.

18:38 I beat them to death;

they fall at my feet.

18:39 You give me strength for battle;

you make my foes kneel before me.

18:40 You make my enemies retreat;

I destroy those who hate me.

18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them;

they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.

18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust;

I beat them underfoot like clay in the streets.

18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army;

you make me a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.

18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.

Foreigners are powerless before me;

18:45 foreigners lose their courage;

they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.

18:46 The Lord is alive!

My protector is praiseworthy!

The God who delivers me is exalted as king!

18:47 The one true God completely vindicates me;

he makes nations submit to me.

18:48 He delivers me from my enemies;

you snatch me away from those who attack me;

you rescue me from violent men.

18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!

I will sing praises to you!

18:50 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;

he is faithful to his chosen ruler,

to David and his descendants forever.”

Psalms

Previous Post

June 23, 2010

Christ and the Dragons 1

Next Post

June 23, 2010 Like ...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Isaiah say about Egypt's future in his oracles?

Select your answer to see how you score.

It would be conquered It would conquer Israel It would prosper It would rule Persia