Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”
- KJV He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
- NKJV “Heis the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.”
- NASB “He is a tower of salvation to His king, And shows favor to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.”
- NLT You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.”
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 ends his psalm praising God for giving great victories to His anointed king and showing covenant love to David and his descendants forever.
Overview
This closing verse of David's song (2 Samuel 22) celebrates God's faithfulness to His promise that David's throne would endure. The phrase "to his offspring, forever more" points beyond David to the everlasting kingdom secured in Christ, the greater Anointed One (Messiah), in whom God's loving kindness toward David's line reaches its fulfillment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 2 Sam 7:12–13And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
- Ps 144:10to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.
- Ps 89:20I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
- Ps 89:29I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
- Ps 18:50Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
- Ps 48:3God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.
- Rev 11:15Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
- Ps 3:3But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.
- Ps 89:26He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.’
- Ps 89:36his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun,
- Ps 91:2I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
- 2 Sam 22:2He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
- Luke 1:31–33Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
- Jer 30:9Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
- Ps 21:1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation!
- Ps 89:24My faithfulness and loving devotion will be with him, and through My name his horn will be exalted.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 22:51 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.