For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
- KJV I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
- NKJV I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
- NASB “I love You, Lord, my strength.”
- NLT I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
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 declares his love for Yahweh, his strength, after deliverance from all his enemies and from Saul. It matters because rescue rightly produces heartfelt love and devotion to God.
Overview
This psalm, also recorded in 2 Samuel 22, is David's song of thanksgiving for deliverance from Saul and all his foes. It opens with the tender confession 'I love you, Yahweh, my strength,' grounding praise in personal affection for God. David's experience of deliverance foreshadows the greater rescue accomplished in Christ, the son of David and ultimate deliverer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- 2 Sam 22:1–51And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
- Col 1:11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
- 1 Jn 4:19We love because He first loved us.
- Isa 12:1–6In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Ps 34:19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
- Ps 116:1–6I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice—my appeal for mercy.
- Ps 28:7–8The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.
- Ps 118:14The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
- Ps 144:1–2Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
- 1 Sam 2:1–10At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD in whom my horn is exalted. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.
- Ps 116:16Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
- Ps 18:32It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
- Ps 36:1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
- Heb 3:5Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.
- Acts 13:36For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
- Exod 15:1–21Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.
- Judg 5:1–31On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 18:1 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.