Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Parallel translations
- WEB You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
- BSB You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
- NKJV You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.
- NASB You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.
- NLT You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.
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's saving shield, sustaining hand, and gentleness are what make David great. Greatness flows from God's condescending kindness, not human achievement.
Overview
David names three gifts: the 'shield of your salvation' (divine protection), the 'right hand' that upholds him, and God's 'gentleness' (or condescension) that exalts him. Strikingly, it is God's humility in stooping to help that makes a man great. This anticipates the gospel, where God's gentleness in Christ lifts up the lowly and the One who humbled himself is exalted.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 2 Sam 22:36Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
- Jas 3:17–18But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- Ps 28:7The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
- Gal 5:22–23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- 2 Cor 10:1Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
- Deut 33:29Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
- Isa 40:11He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
- Ps 17:7Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
- Isa 22:3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
- Ps 45:3–4Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
- Ps 5:12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
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 18:35 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
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