Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
Chapter Twenty-two
This chapter contains a Hymn, or Eucharistic Psalm, in which David, after the wars, full peace having been obtained, gives thanks to God for so many victories. Furthermore, this Psalm is placed among the Psalms, and is the 17th in order. Wherefore it will be more conveniently explained in its own place there, as a Psalm among the Psalms.
1. And David spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, 2. And he said:
The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my saviour.
3. God is my strong one, in him will I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation; he lifteth me up, and is my refuge; my saviour, thou wilt deliver me from iniquity.
4. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised; and I shall be saved from my enemies.
5. For the waves of death have surrounded me; the torrents of Belial have made me afraid.
6. The cords of hell have encompassed me; the snares of death have prevented me.
7. In my affliction I will call upon the Lord, and I will cry to my God; and he will hear my voice from his holy temple, and my cry shall come before him into his ears.
8. The earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains were moved, and were shaken, because he was angry with them.
9. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and a fire out of his mouth hath devoured; coals were kindled by it.
10. He bowed the heavens, and came down; and a dark cloud was under his feet.
11. And he rode upon the cherubims, and he flew; and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12. He made darkness his covert round about him; he sifted the waters from the clouds of the heavens.
13. At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.
14. The Lord shall thunder from heaven; and the Most High shall give his voice.
15. He sent forth arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and consumed them.
16. And the springs of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.
17. He sent from on high, and took me; and drew me out of many waters.
18. He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were too strong for me.
19. They prevented me in the day of my affliction; and the Lord became my stay.
21. The Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands he will recompense me.
22. Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not done wickedly against my God.
23. For all his judgments are in my sight; and his commandments I have not put away from me.
24. And I shall be perfect with him; and shall keep myself from my iniquity.
25. And the Lord will restore to me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands, in the sight of his eyes.
26. With the holy thou wilt be holy; and with the mighty, perfect.
27. With the elect thou wilt be elect; and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.
28. And thou wilt save the poor people; and with thy eyes thou wilt bring down the high.
29. For thou art my lamp, O Lord; and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.
30. For in thee I shall run girded; in my God I shall leap over a wall.
31. God, his way is undefiled, the word of the Lord is tried in the fire; he is the shield of all that trust in him. 32. For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mighty besides our God?
33. God who hath girded me with strength; and made my way perfect.
34. Making my feet like the feet of harts, and setting me upon high places.
35. Teaching my hands to war; and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.
36. Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy meekness hath multiplied me.
37. Thou wilt enlarge my steps under me; and my ankles shall not fail.
38. I will pursue my enemies, and crush them; and I will not return till I consume them.
39. I will consume them and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise; they shall fall under my feet.
40. Thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; thou hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.
41. Thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me; I have destroyed them that hated me, and I will utterly destroy them.
42. They shall cry, and there shall be none to save them; to the Lord, and he will not hear them.
43. I will beat them as small as the dust of the earth; I will crush them and break them as the mire of the streets.
44. Thou wilt save me from the contradictions of my people; thou wilt keep me to be the head of the nations; a people which I knew not hath served me.
45. Strange children have resisted me; at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.
46. Strange children have faded away, and shall be straitened in their paths.
47. The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God; and exalted be God the strong one of my salvation.
48. God, who givest me revenges, and bringest down the people under me.
49. Who bringest me out from my enemies, and liftest me up from them that rise up against me; from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.
50. Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O Lord, among the nations; and I will sing to thy name.
51. Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed for ever.