Thursday, September 21, 2023

II Samuel 22, Song of David

As we reach the end of the scroll of Samuel, we have a praise song of David. This song also occurs, with minor changes, as Psalm 18.

This song is ancient poetry and so, argues Robert Alter, like much poetry, it uses terms that were old and antiquated even in the day it was written. Modern Hebrew scholars struggle to translate some of these really old Hebrew terms, terms that do not appear elsewhere in ancient writings.

2 Samuel 22: 1-4, David's song of praise
David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, 
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
 He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior--
from violent men you save me.

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, 
and I am saved from my enemies.

David identifies YHWH with a rock or fortress, something that does not break down.

This version of the song does not include the first burst of an expression of love that occurs in Psalm 18: 1, "I love you YHWH, my strength".  In contrast, Psalm 18 does not have the last half of verse 3, regarding refuge and savior from violence.

2 Samuel 22: 5-6, Waves of death
 "The waves of death swirled about me; 
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
 The cords of the grave coiled around me; 
the snares of death confronted me.

The grave is pictured as overwhelming waves or as strong cords tying him down.

2 Samuel 22: 7-9, Response from the temple 
 In my distress I called to the LORD; 
I called out to my God. 
From his temple he heard my voice; 
my cry came to his ears.

 "The earth trembled and quaked, 
the foundations of the heavens shook;
 they trembled because he was angry.
 Smoke rose from his nostrils; 
consuming fire came from his mouth, 
burning coals blazed out of it.

Some manuscripts (and Psalm 18:7) have the foundations of the mountains shaking, instead of the foundations of the heavens.

YHWH is personified as shaking the earth and breathing out fire and smoke, like a dragon.

2 Samuel 22: 10-13, Riding on clouds
 He parted the heavens and came down; 
dark clouds were under his feet.
 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

 He made darkness his canopy around him--
 the dark rain clouds of the sky.
 Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.

YHWH responds, riding down from the heavens with clouds at his feet, riding on cherubim. Verses 11 and 12 differ slightly from Psalm 18: 10-11.  Some ancient Hebrew manuscripts reflect the texts of Psalm 18. 

2 Samuel 22: 14-16, Bolts of lightning
 The LORD thundered from heaven; 
the voice of the Most High resounded.
 He shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], 
bolts of lightning and routed them.

 The valleys of the sea were exposed 
and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, 
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

Again, we have the image of a blast from the nostrils of a gigantic being, One who can use bolts of lightning as arrows. YHWH has access to all things that might frighten us, including the foundations of the earth, the depths of the sea and the mighty storms.

2 Samuel 22: 17-21, Rescued
 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; 
he drew me out of deep waters.
 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, 
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, 
but the LORD was my support.
 He brought me out into a spacious place; 
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

 "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
 according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

David rejoices at rescue, a rescue given in regard to his own righteousness.  What is this righteousness?  The next passage says more.

2 Samuel 22: 22-25, Blameless
 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; 
I have not done evil by turning from my God.
 All his laws are before me; 
I have not turned away from his decrees.
 I have been blameless before him
 and have kept myself from sin.
 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, 
according to my cleanness in his sight.

David's righteousness comes from following all the decrees of YHWH. One might cynically ask, "What about adultery?" But David has earnestly sought to follow YHWH and even in his human brokeness, kept returning to seek refuge in Him.

(Psalm 18:24 and some old manuscripts replace "cleanness in his sight" with " cleanness of my hands in his sight.")

2 Samuel 22: 26-28, Faithful
 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, 
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure, 
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

 You save the humble, 
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

YHWH responds to the intent of His people, protecting the humble but bringing down the arrogant.

2 Samuel 22: 29-30, Lamp
 You are my lamp, O LORD; 
the LORD turns my darkness into light.
 With your help I can advance against a troop; 
with my God I can scale a wall.

With YHWH's help, David is guided in darkness, he can break through barriers and scale walls, assaulting an enemy's defenses.

(NIV footnotes: The translation in verse 30, "advance against a troop" is unclear and could be "run through a barricade".)

2 Samuel 22: 31-34, Flawless
 "As for God, his way is perfect; 
the word of the LORD is flawless. 
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

 For who is God besides the LORD? 
And who is the Rock except our God?
 It is God who arms me with strength
 and makes my way perfect.
 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; 
he enables me to stand on the heights.

Apparently some ancient manuscripts, in place of the line "who arms with me strength", in verse 33, have "who is my strong refuge."

2 Samuel 22: 35-37, Stooping down
 He trains my hands for battle; 
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
 You give me your shield of victory; 
you stoop down to make me great.

 You broaden the path beneath me, 
so that my ankles do not turn.

God stoops down to lift David up. He protects him as he runs and fights, so that David does not stumble or turn his ankle.

2 Samuel 22: 38-41, Victory
 "I pursued my enemies and crushed them; 
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; 
they fell beneath my feet.

 You armed me with strength for battle; 
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, 
and I destroyed my foes.

The result of YHWH's protection of David is victory.

2 Samuel 22: 42-43, Trampled down
 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them--
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; 
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

At times, David's victory was brutal. 

2 Samuel 22: 44-46, Head of nations!  
 You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; 
you have preserved me as the head of nations. 
People I did not know are subject to me,
 and foreigners come cringing to me; 
as soon as they hear me, they obey me.
 
They all lose heart; 
they come trembling from their strongholds.

David has been saved and indeed, his dynasty is "head of nations", with foreigners bowing before him, foreigners trembling in their strongholds. One wonders if this passage is hyperbole, are predicting a future leader (the Messiah?) with these attributes.

(NIV footnote: Some manuscripts apparently say, in the last line, "they arm themselves...")

2 Samuel 22: 47-49, YHWH reigns
 "The LORD lives! 
Praise be to my Rock! 
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!
 
He is the God who avenges me, 
who puts the nations under me,
 who sets me free from my enemies. 
You exalted me above my foes; 
from violent men you rescued me.

YHWH lives, avenging David, putting the nations under him. No one reigns but YHWH!

2 Samuel 22: 50-51, Reign forever
 Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; 
I will sing praises to your name.
 He gives his king great victories; 
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, 
to David and his descendants forever."

David and his descendants will reign forever.  There is a strong Messianic feeling in these lines.

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