Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:37

I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

37. Cp. Exo 15:9. 2 Sam. reads destroyed for overtaken.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them – He had not only routed them, but had had strength to pursue them; he had not only pursued them, but he had been enabled to come up to them. The idea is that of complete success and absolute triumph.

Neither did I turn again – I was not driven back, nor was I weary and exhausted, and compelled to give over the pursuit.

Till they were consumed – Until they were all either slain or made captive, so that the hostile forces vanished. None of my enemies were left.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

37-41. In actual conflict, withGod’s aid, the defeat of his enemies is certain. A present andcontinued success is expressed.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them,…. Which may refer to David’s pursuing the Amalekites, who overtook them and recovered all they had carried away, 1Sa 30:8; so Kimchi explains it;

neither did I turn again till they were consumed; for not a man escaped, save four hundred young men that rode on camels and fled,

Ps 18:17.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(Heb.: 18:38-41) Thus in God’s strength, with the armour of God, and by God’s assistance in fight, he smote, cast down, and utterly destroyed all his foes in foreign and in civil wars. According to the Hebrew syntax the whole of this passage is a retrospect. The imperfect signification of the futures in Psa 18:38, Psa 18:39 is made clear from the aorist which appears in Psa 18:40, and from the perfects and futures in what follows it. The strophe begins with an echo of Exo 15:9 (cf. supra Psa 7:6). The poet calls his opponents , as in Psa 18:49, Psa 44:6; Psa 74:23, cf. Job 22:20, inasmuch as by itself has the sense of rising up in hostility and consequently one can say instead of ( 2Ki 16:7).

(Note: In the language of the Beduins kom is war, feud, and koman (denominative from kom ) my enemy ( hostis); kom also has the signification of a collective of koman , and one can equally well say: entum waijana kom , you and we are enemies, and: benatna kom , there is war between us.)

The frequent use of this phrase (e.g., Ps 36:13, Lam 1:14) shows that in Psa 18:39 does not mean “to stand (resist),” but “to rise (again).” The phrase , however, which in other passages has those fleeing as its subject (2Ch 29:6), is here differently applied: Thou gavest, or madest me mine enemies a back, i.e., those who turn back, as in Exo 23:27. From Psa 21:13 ( , Symm. ) it becomes clear that is not an accusative of the member beside the accusative of the person (as e.g., in Deu 33:11), but an accusative of the factitive object according to Ges. 139, 2.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

The point on which David insists so much is, that of showing from the effect or issue, that all his victories were to be traced to the favor of God; and from this it follows that his cause was good and just. God, no doubt, sometimes grants successes even to the ungodly and wicked; but he at length shows by the issue, that he was all the while opposed to them and their enemy. It is his servants alone who experience such tokens of his favor as he shewed towards David, and he intends by these to testify that they are approved and accepted by him. We are apt to think that David here speaks too much after the manner of a soldier, in declaring that he will not cease from the work of slaughter until he has destroyed all his enemies; or rather that he has forgotten the gentleness and meekness which ought to shine in all true believers, and in which they should resemble their heavenly Father; but as he attempted nothing without the command of God, and as his affections were governed and regulated by the Holy Spirit, we may be assured that these are not the words of a man who was cruel, and who took pleasure in shedding blood, but of a man who faithfully executed the judgment which God had committed to him. And, indeed, we know that he was so distinguished for gentleness of disposition as to abhor the shedding of even a single drop of blood, except in so far as duty and the necessity of his office required. We must, therefore, take into consideration David’s vocation, and also his pure zeal, which was free from all perturbation of the flesh. Moreover, it should be particularly attended to that the Psalmist here calls those his enemies whose indomitable and infatuated obstinacy merited and called forth such vengeance from God. As he represented the person of Christ, he inflicted the punishment of death only on those who were so inflexible that they could not be reduced to order by the exercise of a mild and humane authority; and this of itself shows, that there was nothing in which he more delighted than to pardon those who repented and reformed themselves. He thus resembled Christ, who gently allures all men to repentance, but breaks in pieces, with his iron rod, those who obstinately resist him to the last. The sum of these verses is, that David, as he fought under the authority of God, being chosen king by him, and engaging in no undertaking without his warrant, was assisted by him, and rendered invincible against the assaults of all his enemies, and enabled even to discomfit vast and very powerful armies. Farther, let us remember, that under this type there is shadowed forth the invincible character and condition of the kingdom of Christ, who, trusting to, and sustained by, the power of God, overthrows and destroys his enemies, — who, in every encounter, uniformly comes off victorious, — and who continues king in spite of all the resistance which the world makes to his authority and power. And as the victories secured to him involve a security of similar victories to us, it follows that there is here promised us an impregnable defense against all the efforts of Satan, all the machinations of sin, and all the temptations of the flesh. Although, therefore, Christ can only obtain a tranquil kingdom by fighting, let us not on that account be troubled, but let it be enough to satisfy us, that the hand of God is always ready to be stretched forth for its preservation. David was, for a time, a fugitive, so that it was with difficulty he could save his life, by taking shelter in the dens of wild beasts; but God, at length, made his enemies turn their backs, and not only put them to flight, but also delivered them over to him, that he might pursue and utterly discomfit them. In like manner, our enemies for a time may be, as it were, just ready to put the knife to our throat (431) to destroy us, but God, at length, will make them not only to flee before us, but also to perish in our presence, as they deserve. At the same time, let us remember what kind of warfare it is to which God is calling us, against what kind of persons he will have us to contend, and with what armor he furnishes us, that it may suffice us to have the devil, the flesh, and sin overthrown and placed under our feet by his spiritual power. With respect to those to whom he has given the power of the sword, he will also defend them, and not suffer them to be unrighteously opposed, provided they reign under Christ, and acknowledge him as their head. As to the words, interpreters almost unanimously render the beginning of the 40 verse, My enemies have turned the back, a phrase of the same import as, They have been put to flight; but as the Hebrew word ערף, oreph, properly signifies the head or neck, we may very suitably view the words as meaning that God gave David the neck of his enemies, inasmuch as he delivered them into his hands to be slain.

(431) “ Comme tous prests a nous mettre le cousteau sur la gorge.” — Fr.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(37-40) Another retrospective glance of the poet over his past wars. Notice slight variations in Samuel.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

37-42. In these verses David describes his victories and the stirring scenes of the battle field. Calvin says, “David seems to speak too soldierlike.” But his expressions have a Messianic outlook upon the triumphs of the cross, like Rev 19:17-21, through the literal imagery of war.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

He Declares That YHWH Has Given Him Victory Over All His Enemies ( Psa 18:37-42 ).

We should note as we consider this cry of triumph that this is not describing peaceful nations who are being subjugated by a tyrant, but nations who ‘rose up against me’. David’s world was a violent place, with neighbouring nations always on the lookout for weaknesses in their fellow nations so that they could take advantage of it. And Israel had in general been the whipping boy, as a glance at the Book of Judges will reveal. Aram, Canaanites, Edom, Moab, Amalek, Midian, Arabians, Philistines, all had had their bite of the pie. Each in turn had, it is true, been defeated, but undoubtedly only to return again at any sign of weakness, and constantly attacking the peripheries. But now God has raised up His champion to deliver Israel, and make her safe, and this champion acknowledges that he does so by the help of YHWH.

Psa 18:37-38

‘I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them,

Nor will I turn again until they are consumed.

I will smite them through, so that they will not be able to rise,

They will fall under my feet.’

With YHWH’s help he is confident of victory. His enemies will not be able to escape, he will pursue and overtake them and not withdraw until he has utterly defeated them. Then, and then only, can Israel feel permanently secure. He will smite them through so that they cannot recover. They will be subjected to him.

Note that the emphasis is on his victory with the help of YHWH. It is the latter which is his prime concern here. He succeeds because God is with him.

Psa 18:39-40

‘For you have girded me with strength for the battle,

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,

That I might cut off those who hate me.’

It is God Who has girded him with strength for the battle. It is God Who subdues his enemies. It is God Who makes them turn and flee, turning their backs on him and thus enabling David to deal with those who hate him. And they have demonstrated their hate by their invasions. But now they have learned that YHWH is with him. They will be cut off and invade no more.

And it was the singers’ hope that God would do this for them too. We too can hope like this. Unlike David our battles may rather be spiritual ones and not physical but we too can have David’s confidence. No weapon that is formed against us can prosper, even though it seem to do so for a time as it did with David. But in the end God will subdue our enemies too, and we will triumph.

Psa 18:41-42

‘They cried, but there was none to save,

Even to YHWH, but he answered them not.

Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind,

I cast them out as the mire of the streets.’

These people were so harried that they cried to their gods, and when those failed they got so desperate that they cried to YHWH. This is sarcastic. They saw how powerful YHWH was on his behalf and they hoped that they could steal his God and undermine him. (compare 2Ki 18:25). But it was a vain hope. They were not the faithful of YHWH. He could not be manipulated. He acts for those who are true to Him.

The result was overwhelming victory. His enemies were like beaten dust, blown by the wind (compare 2Ki 13:7), they were like rubbish tossed into the streets, turning to mire. They were as nothing before YHWH.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Psa 18:37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

Ver. 37. I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them, &c. ] Of David we may say, as one did of Julius Caesar, you may perceive him to have been an excellent soldier by his very language; for he wrote with the same spirit he fought. In eo tanta vis, id acumen, ea concitatio, saith Quintilian concerning Caesar’s Commentaries, ut illum eodem animo dixisse appareat quo bellavit.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)