“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
Parallel translations
- WEB You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.
- KJV Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
- BSB You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.
- NASB “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your help makes me great.
- NLT You have given me your shield of victory; your help has made me great.
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 gives David the shield of his salvation, and his gentleness makes David great. Divine protection and condescending kindness lift David up.
Overview
David acknowledges that his protection and his very greatness are gifts of God's saving care and gracious humility toward him. Remarkably, it is God's gentleness, his stooping condescension, that exalts the king. This anticipates the gospel paradox that God's gracious humility, supremely in Christ, is what truly lifts us up.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Eph 6:16above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
- Ps 84:11For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
- Ps 115:14May Yahweh increase you more and more, you and your children.
- Ps 18:35You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
- Gen 22:17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.
- Gen 15:1After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- Gen 12:2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 22:36 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
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