I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
Parallel translations
- WEB I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.
- BSB I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
- NKJV “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
- NASB “I pursued my enemies and eliminated them, And I did not turn back until they were finished off.
- NLT “I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
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
David pursued and destroyed his enemies, not turning back until they were consumed. God granted him decisive victory over his foes.
Overview
As Israel's anointed king fighting the LORD's battles, David overcame his enemies completely. The language reflects the holy-war context of establishing God's kingdom against hostile nations. It foreshadows the greater Son of David, who will fully and finally subdue every enemy of God's reign.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 21:8–9Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
- 2 Sam 10:14And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
- 2 Sam 8:13–14And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
- Rom 8:37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
- 2 Sam 8:1–2And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
- 2 Sam 5:18–25The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
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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 22:38 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.