Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:47
[It is] God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
47. Render:
Even the God that executed vengeance for me,
And subdued peoples under me.
Vengeance is the prerogative of God (Psa 94:1); it is His vindication of the righteousness and integrity of His servants. Such a thanksgiving as this does not shew a spirit of vindictiveness in David, but is a recognition that God had ‘pleaded his cause,’ and maintained the right. God had avenged him for the cruel injustice of Saul (1Sa 24:12); for the contemptuous insults of Nabal (1Sa 25:39); for the factious opposition of those who refused to acknowledge him as king in spite of his Divine call (2Sa 4:8).
The second line of the verse refers, like Psa 18:43, to success in overcoming internal as well as external opposition to his rule. Cp. Psa 144:2. It is not, however, the boast of a triumphant despot, but the thanksgiving of a ruler who recognised the vital importance of union for the prosperity of Israel, and knew that the task of reconciling the discordant elements in the nation was beyond his own unaided powers.
For subdueth 2 Sam. has ‘bringeth down.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is God that avengeth me – Margin, giveth avengements for me. The marginal reading is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The meaning is, that God had punished the enemies of the author of the psalm for all the wrongs which they had done to him. Compare Rom 12:19.
And subdueth the people under me – Margin, destroyeth. The idea is that he had subdued the nations so that they became obedient to him. The primary notion of the word used here – from dabar – is to set in a row; to range in order; to connect; to lead; to guide; – then, to reduce to order; to subdue. This God had done in respect to the nations. Instead of being rebellious and tumultuous, God had reduced them to obedience, and had thus set him over a kingdom where all were subject to order and to law.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 47. God that avengeth me] The way that I took was after his own heart; therefore he sustained me in it, and did me justice over my enemies.
Subdueth the people under me.] He keeps down the spirits of the disaffected, and weakens their hands. They are subdued, and they continue under me; and this is the Lord’s doing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
That avengeth me; that executed vengeance both by me against malicious enemies, and for me against Saul, of whom I would not avenge myself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
47, 48. avengeth meHis causeis espoused by God as His own.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[It is] God that avengeth me,…. Or “gives vengeance unto me”, or “for me” t: vengeance only belongs to God, and he repays it for and in behalf of his people. Private revenge is not to be exercised by any; public vengeance on delinquents may be exercised by the civil magistrate, to whom God gives power and authority to exercise it,
Ro 13:4; as he did to David, as king of Israel; though the phrase rather seems to design the victories which he obtained over his enemies, which were punishments to them, vengeances inflicted on them; and owing to God; so the acceptable year of the Messiah’s coming, and the time of his people redeemed by him, is called the day of vengeance of our God, both on his and their enemies, Isa 61:2;
and subdueth the people under me; the Edomites, Moabites, and others, as in 2Sa 8:1, or the Gentiles under Christ;
[See comments on Ps 18:39];
t “qui dat ultiones mihi”, Pagninus, Gejerus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Musculus, Cocceius, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
47. The God who giveth me vengeance. The Psalmist again attributes to God the victories which he had obtained. As he could never have expected to obtain them unless he had been confident that he would receive the aid of God, so now he acknowledges God to be the sole author of them. That he may not seem carelessly to bestow upon him, as it were, in passing, only a small sprinkling of the praise of his victories, he repeats, in express terms, that he had nothing but what God had given him. In the first place, he acknowledges that power was given him from above, to enable him to inflict on his enemies the punishment which they deserved. It may seem at first sight strange that God should arm his own people to execute vengeance; but as I have previously shown you, we ought always to remember David’s vocation. He was not a private person, but being endued with royal power and authority, the judgment which he executed was enjoined upon him by God. If a man, upon receiving injury, breaks forth to avenge himself, he usurps the office of God; and, therefore, it is rash and impious for private individuals to retaliate the injuries which have been inflicted upon them. With respect to kings and magistrates, God, who declares that vengeance belongeth to him, in arming them with the sword, constitutes them the ministers and executioners of his vengeance. David, therefore, has put the word vengeance for the just punishments which it was lawful for him to inflict by the commandment of God, provided he was led under the influence of a zeal duly regulated by the Holy Spirit, and not under the influence of the impetuosity of the flesh. Unless this moderation is exemplified in performing the duties of their calling, it is in vain for kings to boast that God has committed to them the charge of taking vengeance; seeing it is not less unwarrantable for a man to abuse, according to his own fancy and the lust of the flesh, the sword which he is allowed to use, than to seize it without the command of God. The Church militant, which is under the standard of Christ, has no permission to execute vengeance, except against those who obstinately refuse to be reclaimed. We are commanded to endeavor to overcome our enemies by doing them good, and to pray for their salvation. It becomes us, therefore, at the same time, to desire that they may be brought to repentance, and to a right state of mind, until it appear beyond all doubt that they are irrecoverably and hopelessly depraved. In the meantime, in regard to vengeance, it must be left to God, that we may not be carried headlong to execute it before the time. David next concludes, from the perils and distresses in which he had been involved, that if he had not been preserved by the hand of God, he could not in any other way have escaped in safety: My deliverer from my enemies; yea, thou hast lifted me up from those who had risen up against me. The sense in which we are to understand the lifting up of which he speaks is, that he was wonderfully raised up above the power and malice of his enemies that he might not sink under their violence, and that they might not be victorious over him.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
47. Avengeth Executeth justice for me.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 18:47 [It is] God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
Ver. 47. It is God that avengeth me ] Heb. that giveth vengeances for me; whence also he is called the God of vengeances, Psa 94:1 , and the God of recompenses, Jer 51:56 .
And subdueth the people under me
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
avengeth: Heb. giveth avengements for me, Deu 32:35, 2Sa 22:48, Nah 1:2, Rom 12:19
subdueth: or, destroyeth, Psa 47:3
Reciprocal: Jdg 4:23 – General Jdg 5:2 – for the avenging 1Sa 14:24 – I may be 1Sa 25:26 – avenging thyself 2Sa 19:5 – saved Est 9:5 – smote Psa 127:5 – speak Psa 144:2 – who subdueth Act 26:22 – obtained 1Co 15:28 – all things Rev 18:20 – God
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 18:47-50. It is God that avengeth me That executeth vengeance, both by me, against his malicious enemies, and for me, against Saul, on whom I would not avenge myself. Thou liftest me up above those, &c. Above their malice and power. Thou hast delivered me from the violent man From Saul, whose name, for honours sake, he forbears to mention. Therefore I will give thanks to thee among the heathen In the great congregations, consisting of the Israelites of all the tribes, of whom the word , goim, nations, here rendered heathen, is used, Jos 3:17; Jos 4:1; Eze 2:3, and elsewhere. Or, he means that he would give thanks to Jehovah, in the presence of those Gentiles who resorted to Jerusalem in great numbers, and before others of them who were either subject to him, or confederate with him, as he should have occasion of speaking or writing to any of them. It is probable, however, that David was here transported beyond himself, and spoke this with a special reference to Christ, who was to be his seed, of whom he was an eminent type, and by whom, what he here mentions, was most eminently done. Accordingly these words are applied to him, and to his calling of the Gentiles, Rom 15:9. Great deliverance giveth he to his king The king whom he himself hath chosen and constituted. Literally the words, mean, He magnifies the salvations of his king, which are said to be magnified, because they are great and wonderful in themselves, and because they add a dignity and lustre to the king on whom they are bestowed; there being nothing that can tend more to advance the honour, and heighten the reverence, due to a prince than his being highly distinguished by the divine protection and care, and delivered thereby out of numerous dangers which threatened his prosperity and life.
Chandler. And showeth mercy to his anointed, to David and his seed To all his posterity, and especially to the Messiah, in whom only the words, for evermore, are properly accomplished, it being only true of his kingdom, that it shall have no end.