He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
Parallel translations
- WEB He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
- KJV He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
- NKJV He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me.
- NASB “He rescued me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
- NLT He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God delivers David from enemies too strong for him. When David's strength failed, the Lord's did not.
Overview
David confesses that his foes were mightier than he, so his rescue must be credited to God alone. This honest admission of weakness magnifies divine grace. It points believers to rely not on their own strength but on the Lord, who saves us from enemies we could never defeat ourselves, sin, death, and the devil.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ps 3:7Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
- Ps 56:9Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.
- 2 Cor 1:10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,
- 2 Tim 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
- 2 Sam 22:1And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.