Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 55:18
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me: for there were many with me.
He hath delivered my soul in peaee – The Hebrew is, He has redeemed; so also the Septuagint and Vulgate. The meaning is, He has rescued me, or has saved me from my enemies. Either the psalmist composed the psalm after the struggle was over, and in view of it, here speaks of what had actually occurred; or he is so confident of being redeemed and saved that he speaks of it as if it were already done. See Psa 55:19. There are many instances in the Psalms in which the writer is so certain that what he prays for will be accomplished that he speaks of it as if it had already actually occurred. The words in peace mean that God ad given him peace; or that the result of the divine interposition was that he had calmness of mind.
From the battle that was against me – The hostile array; the armies prepared for conflict.
For there were many with me – This language conveys to us the idea that there were many on his side, or many that were associated with him, and that this was the reason why he was delivered. It is doubtful, however, whether this is the meaning of the original. The idea may be that there were many contending with him; that is, that there were many who were arrayed against him. The Hebrew will admit of this construction.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. He hath delivered my soul] My life he has preserved in perfect safety from the sword; for there were many with me: “for in many afflictions his WORD was my support.” – Targum. Or David may refer to the supernatural assistance which was afforded him when his enemies were so completely discomfited.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He hath delivered my soul: either this is an argument whereby he encourageth himself now to trust God, because of former deliverances; or lie speaks of a future deliverance as a thing done, because of the certainty of it.
In peace; or, into peace. He hath restored me from the state of war to my former peace and tranquillity.
For there were many with me; for there were more with me than against me; even the holy angels, whom God employed to defend and deliver me. See 2Ki 6:16; Psa 34:7; 57:3.
3. Or, for (or rather though, as this particle is oft rendered) there were many with me, or about me, or against me, as this particle is rendered, Psa 85:3; 94:16, and in other places. So he speaks here of his enemies; which seems best to suit with the context; for of them he speaks implicitly in the foregoing words, and expressly in the following.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. many with methat is, bythe context, fighting with me.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me,…. That is, God had preserved his life, and delivered him safe and sound from many a battle which was fought against him, and might seem at first to go against him; and had given him peace and rest from all his enemies before the present trouble came upon him, 2Sa 7:1; wherefore he believed, that he who had delivered him in time past would deliver him again; this is the reasoning of faith, 2Co 1:9. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, render the last clause, “from them that draw nigh unto thee”; and the Syriac version renders it, by way of petition, “deliver my soul from them that know me”; and the Targum,
“lest evil should come unto me;”
for there were many with me; either enemies fighting with him; and so this is mentioned to set forth the more the power of God in his deliverance: or friends, who were on his side; all Israel and Judah, who loved David and prayed for him, as Jarchi interprets it: or the angels of God, as Aben Ezra; who being for the Lord’s people, are more than they that are against them, 2Ki 6:16; or God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and if he is for us, who shall be against us? Ro 8:31. The Targum is,
“for in many afflictions his Word was for my help.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18 He hath redeemed my soul into peace Those who read the two preceding verses in the perfect instead of the future tense, are apparently led to this by considering that David here proves his former prayers to have been answered, from the fact of deliverance having been granted. But there is no difficulty involved in adopting the other reading. We may suppose that either he was so confident of being delivered that he speaks as if he actually were so already, or that he inserts what was the substance of his meditations at different times; it being sufficiently common, when mention is made of prayers, to subjoin a statement of the event which followed from them. Having spoken, then, of his prayers, he adverts to the result of them, with the view of expressing his thankfulness for the mercy which he had received. He says that he had been redeemed into peace — a strong expression, signifying the danger to which he had been exposed, and the almost miraculous manner in which he had been delivered from it. What is added, they were in great numbers with me, admits of a double meaning. Some understand him as referring to enemies; with me being, according to them, equivalent to against me. He represents himself as having been beset, by a host of adversaries, and commends the goodness manifested by God in accomplishing his deliverance. Others think that he refers to the angels, whose hosts are encamped round about those that fear the Lord, (Psa 34:7.) The letter ב, beth, which I have rendered in, they consider to be here, as in many other places, merely expletive; (313) so that we may read the words, great numbers were with me. The last of these interpretations conveys a comfortable truth, as God, although he cannot stand in need of auxiliaries, has seen fit, in accommodation to our infirmity, to employ a multitude of them in the accomplishment of our salvation. But David would appear rather to speak of enemies, and to refer to the number of them, with the view of magnifying the deliverance which he had received. (314)
(313) Rogers is of this opinion; and observes, that “in the Appendix to the first volume of Glassius, many instances are adduced of the redundancy of the prefix כ; as Exo 32:22; Psa 68:5; Ezr 3:3.”
(314) Walford renders the sentence, “Though multitudes be in opposition to me.” “The sense,” says he, “which is here given, is evidently required, and is fairly deducible from the Hebrew text.” Bishop Horsley’s rendering is, “For they who stood on my side told for many;” — “they who stood on my side,” denoting the Divine assistance described under the image of numerous auxiliaries. See 2Kg 6:16; 1Jo 4:4. Bishop Mant is satisfied that this is the Psalmist’s meaning, and he accordingly turns the verse thus: —
“
And he shall hear me, he shall shield, And he with peace shall crown; My guardian in the battle-field, An host himself alone.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) He hath delivered.The Targum rightly makes this the petition just mentioned, Deliver, &c
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(18) From the battle.The reading of the LXX. is preferable, from these drawing near to me.
For there were many with me.This is only intelligible if we insert the word fighting. For there were many fighting with me, i.e., against me. But the text seems corrupt.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. For there were many with me The sense is obscure. The Hebrew preposition may take the sense of “with,” co-operative, or “with,” antagonistic. In the former it would be explained by 2Ch 32:7-8; 2Ki 6:16: in the latter we must translate, for there were many against me. In this sense it is used Psa 55:20, “he hath put forth his hands ‘ with’ ( against) such as be at peace,” and in Psa 94:16, “Who will rise up for me ‘with’ [that is, against ] the evil doers?” and elsewhere. As Perowne says, “The preposition must be understood according to the context.” The allusion is evidently to David’s Syrian wars, where there were many allied nations fighting “with him,” that is, against him. God delivered my soul then, and “he shall save me” now.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
He Stresses That God Has Already Redeemed Him Once ( Psa 55:18-19 ).
It would appear from this that an attempt had already been made to get rid of him by an armed assault. As one of Saul’s commanders he would, of course, have had men who were loyal to him, thus the attempt would have had to be made by a good number of men. It was possibly this large contingent, which he had either driven off or defeated, which had been led by his one-time friend. If the situation in life was of the time when David was under threat from Saul, while still acting as one of his commanders, it was clearly at a stage when Saul did not feel that he could act openly against one of the people’s favourites, with the consequence that his attempts had to be made surreptitiously. It could be that his erstwhile friend, with a group of willing soldiers, had tried to enter his house at night, or that they had tried to catch him unawares by subtlety in some lonely place when he was away from the city on a military mission. Indeed his ‘friend’ might have used his friendship in order to lure him into danger. One possible instance of this was 1Sa 19:11-17.
Psa 55:18
‘He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle which was against me,
For they were many (who strove) with me.’
David confidently asserts how God had ‘redeemed his life in peace’ (delivered him safely), when a goodly number of men had come to do battle against him. We can understand why, if the group was led by his supposed friend, he had received such a shock. There is no verb in the second clause and one thus has to be read in. But the point is that with God’s help he had survived the attack on his life.
‘For there were many with me’ might indicate that the attempt had failed because he himself at the time was able to call on his men, but it more probably signifies men who were ‘battling with me’.
Psa 55:19
‘God will hear, and answer them,
Even he who abides of old, [Selah
Those who have no changes,
And who do not fear God.’
‘God will hear’ probably refers to David’s prayers (alternately it could mean that He would hear their false calumnies and their plots against David). But the ones who will be answered are his enemies. God will provide a full answer to their accusations and attempts on David’s life, by saving David and bringing judgment on them. For He is the One Who is from of old, and has always in the past proved faithful to His own. Note the emphasis on God as continually active in the past, something which is drawn to men’s attention by a pause in the music (selah).
The ones who will be answered are those who ‘have no changes and who do not fear God’. The word for ‘changes’ usually refers to changes of clothing, but in Job 10:17 it seemingly refers to changes of circumstances or changing troops (‘changes and a host’). It probably here signifies ‘no changes of mind and attitude’ (they are obstinate in the performance of their evil task). But it could mean that it was always the same men who made attempts on his life. That they do not fear God (among other things they ignore the fact that David is God’s anointed) indicates that they are unscrupulous and ready to do anything that is required of them without a twinge of conscience.
The purpose of the musical pause may well be in order that the hearers might for a brief moment concentrate their thoughts on the permanence of God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 55:18. He hath delivered my soul He will redeem my soul from their conflict with me, and restore me to peace; for with multitudes they came against me. Chandler. Houbigant renders it, He will restore my soul in peace from him who makes war on me, though there are many against me.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 55:18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me: for there were many with me.
Ver. 18. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle ] This he speaketh upon his prayer, by the force of his faith; as being assured of victory before the battle was fought or stroke struck, as they say.
For there were many with me
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
delivered = plucked (with power). Hebrew. padah. See notes on Exo 6:6; Exo 13:13.
my soul = me (emphatic). Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
in peace. Note Ellipsis: “[and set it] in peace”.
many with me = many [in conflict] with me. Figure of speech Ellipsis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
He hath: Psa 3:6, Psa 3:7, Psa 27:1-3, Psa 57:3, Psa 118:10-12, 2Sa 18:28, 2Sa 22:1, Act 2:33-36
there: 2Ki 6:16, 2Ch 32:7, 2Ch 32:8, Mat 26:53, 1Jo 4:4
Reciprocal: Psa 118:7 – taketh
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 55:18. He hath delivered my soul He may be considered, either as referring to former deliverances, and mentioning them as a reason why he should now trust in God; or as speaking of a future deliverance as already effected, because he was confident it would be effected. He adds, in peace, because he was persuaded God would restore him to his former peace and tranquillity. But, perhaps, he speaks of inward peace, peace of soul. By patience and trusting in God, he kept possession of his peace, in the midst of the tumult, clamour, and confusion, yea, and the bloodshed and slaughter attending the rebellion. For there were many with me David thought, at first, almost all were against him, but now he sees there were many with him, more than he imagined; his interest proved better than he expected, and of this he gives God the glory. For it is he that raiseth us up friends when we need them, and makes them faithful to us. There were many with him; for though his subjects in general deserted him, and went over to Absalom; yet God was with him, and the good angels. With an eye of faith he now sees himself surrounded, as Elisha was, with chariots of fire, and horses of fire, and, therefore, triumphs thus: There are many with me, more with me than against me, 2Ki 6:16-17.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
55:18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me: for there were {n} many with me.
(n) Even the angels of God fought on my side against my enemies, 2Ki 6:16.