“For You have encircled me with strength for battle; You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
Parallel translations
- WEB For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
- KJV For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
- BSB You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
- NKJV For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me.
- NLT You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
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 armed David with strength for battle and subdued his adversaries under him. Victory is credited wholly to God's empowering.
Overview
David again confesses that his strength for war and his triumph over enemies are God's gifts. He is the instrument; God is the source. This humility before God's sovereignty marks true faith and finds its fulfillment in the kingdom established not by human might but by God's power in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 44:5Through you, will we push down our adversaries. Through your name, will we tread them under who rise up against us.
- Col 1:11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
- Isa 60:14The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you; and all those who despised you will bow themselves down at the soles of your feet. They will call you Yahweh’s City, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
- Ps 18:32the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
- Ps 18:39For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
- Rev 5:9They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
- Isa 45:5I am Yahweh, and there is no one else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;
- 1 Sam 17:49–51David put his hand in his bag, took a stone, and slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.
- Ps 144:2my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge; who subdues my people under me.
- 1 Sam 23:5David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
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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 22:40 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.