I will 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.
- BSB 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.
- 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 22:1–51David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,
- Col 1:11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;
- 1 Jn 4:19We love him, because he first loved us.
- Isa 12:1–6In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me.
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
- Ps 34:19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
- Ps 116:1–6I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy.
- Ps 28:7–8Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him.
- Ps 118:14Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.
- Ps 144:1–2By David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle:
- 1 Sam 2:1–10Hannah prayed, and said: “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
- Ps 116:16Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant. You have freed me from my chains.
- Ps 18:32the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
- Ps 36:1For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh. An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”
- Heb 3:5Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,
- Acts 13:36For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.
- Exod 15:1–21Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
- Judg 5:1–31Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.