You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all 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.
- BSB Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
- 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.”
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 7:12–13When your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, I will set up your offspring after you, who will proceed out of your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
- Ps 144:10You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
- Ps 89:20I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,
- Ps 89:29I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
- Ps 18:50He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
- Ps 48:3God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
- Rev 11:15The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”
- Ps 3:3But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
- Ps 89:26He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!’
- Ps 89:36His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
- Ps 91:2I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
- 2 Sam 22:2and he said: “Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
- Luke 1:31–33Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
- Jer 30:9but they will serve Yahweh their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up to them.
- Ps 21:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!
- Ps 89:24But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In 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.