2 Samuel 22:21

22:21-30 David’s divine rescue and success were related to his own obedient walk with God. God honors those who order their lives in a way that pleases him (see also Lev 26:1-13; Deut 28:1-14; Ps 1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Toward Saul and mine enemies.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

21. according to my righteousness] This is no vain-glorious boasting of his own merits, but a testimony to the faithfulness of Jehovah to guard and reward His faithful servants. David does not lay claim to a perfect righteousness, but to sincerity and single-heartedness in his devotion to God. Compare his own testimony (1Sa_26:23), God’s testimony (1Ki_14:8), and the testimony of history (1Ki_11:4; 1Ki_15:5), to his essential integrity.

Is not this conscious rectitude, this “princely heart of innocence,” a clear indication that the Psalm was written before his great fall?

the cleanness of my hands] = the purity of my actions. Cp. Psa_24:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. See Gill on Psa 18:38.

.

2 Samuel 22:40

sa2 22:40

sa2 22:40

sa2 22:40For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. See Gill on Psa 18:39.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

21. My righteousness — “The righteousness and cleanness of hands, that is, the innocence, which David attributed to himself, were not perfect righteousness or holiness before God, but the righteousness of his endeavors and deeds as contrasted with the unrighteousness and wickedness of his adversaries and pursuers, and consisted in the fact that he endeavored earnestly and sincerely to walk in the ways of God, and to keep the divine commandments.” — Keil.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 21-25.

Jehovah hath requited me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And sinned not so as to depart from my God. For all his judgments have been kept in sight,

And from his statutes I have not departed. I was also perfect towards him, And was on my guard against my sin. Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

It is impossible to suppose that these verses could have been written after David"s fall. For while be acknowledges in them a tendency to sin, he affirms that he had been on his guard against it, and that he had ever kept God"s statutes present before his view. However complete may be the penitent"s recovery, yet can he never again be "perfect," the word applied to an animal without blemish, and therefore fit for sacrifice. The crime remains a blemish, even though the intense sorrow for the sin may make it the means of even attaining to a higher stage of spirituality and devotion. In ver. 22 the words literally are, "I have not sinned away from God," sin necessarily removing the sinner away from that nearness to God which is the privilege of the saint.

Vers. 21-25.

God rewarding the righteous.

delivered me because he delighted in me," the psalmist had just said. The reasons of the Divine delight in him, and his consequent deliverance, are given in these verses. They at first startle us, as inconsistent with the humility which is part of the character of a godly man, and as peculiarly unsuitable in the mouth of one who had been guilty of adultery and murder. The latter part of the difficulty is removed if, as is most probable, the psalm belongs to the earlier period of David"s reign, before his commission of those grievous sins. As to the former, we should hardly find the Apostle Paul writing in this strain; but rather referring all his successes to the exceeding grace of God. (see 1Co_15:9, 1Co_15:10) His consciousness of sin in general, and of his special guilt on account of his persecution of Christians, prevented everything that savoured of boasting, at least before God. But even he, in appealing to men, did not shrink from reciting his excellences and devoted labours, (see 2Co_1:12 2Co_6:3-10 2Co_11:5-31) though ready to call himself a "fool" for recounting them. And, after all, the truth that God does reward the righteous according to their righteousness is as much a doctrine of the New Testament as of the Old; and there are occasions when Christians may fittingly recognize and declare that the favour God is showing them is according to their righteousness; although the deeper consciousness of sin, and of entire dependence on the mercy of God, which is awakened by the revelations of the gospel, makes the Christian more reluctant to mention his virtues as a reason for the kindness of God to him. As the meritorious ground of such kindness, David would have been as far as St. Paul from regarding them. Notice

I THE PSALMIST"S CHARACTER. This he describes by various words and phrases, which only in part differ from each other.

1. Righteousness. Uprightness, rectitude, moral and spiritual goodness in general.

2. Cleanness of hands. Hands free from the stain of innocent blood, of "filthy lucre," etc.

3. Observance of God"s ways. The ways he prescribes of thought, feeling, speech, and action. These are inquired after and followed by the good man.

4. Adherence to God. "Have not wickedly departed from my God from his presence, worship, the ways he prescribes, and in which he is to be found. Some degree of turning from God at times, every one who knows himself will be conscious of; but "wickedly" to depart from him, to do so consciously, deliberately, persistently, this is apostasy, the very opposite of godliness and righteousness. The Christian will esteem the slightest deviation from God as wicked; but he justly recalls his perseverance in the habits of piety and holiness, in spite of all temptations, with thankfulness.

5. Mindfulness of his Word, and persevering obedience to it. God"s Word is "his statutes," what he has determined and appointed, and "his judgments," what he declares and prescribes as just and right. These the psalmist "kept before" him, and from them he "did not depart." And his attention and obedience to them were universal they extended to "all" of them. One necessary quality of a true obedience. "Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments". (Psa_119:6)

6. Uprightness before God. With regard both to him and to men.

7. Avoidance of the besetting sin. "I have kept myself from mine iniquity." There is a particular sin to which each is specially prone. To keep one"s self from that, by watchfulness, prayer, and resolute resistance, is special evidence of genuine piety.

8. Purity of life in general. "My cleanness," and that "in his eyesight," a very different thing from being pure in the eyes of men. Includes purity of heart as well as conduct, such as is so true and genuine as to bear the Divine inspection.

II THE PSALMIST"S RECOMPENSE. In his preservation and deliverance from so many perils and enemies, he recognized the Divine reward of his righteousness, the Divine reply to the calumnies of his enemies, the Divine attestation of his innocence.

1. There is a real righteousness in the character of godly men. By this they are essentially distinguished from others. It is not a mere difference of taste.

2. The Divine recompense of such righteousness is certain. On account of:

(1) The character of God. "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness". (Psa_11:7)

(2) His relation to the righteous. As their Father, etc.

(3) His promises.

(4) His almighty power. He is able to do all that is suitable to his nature, and that he has bound himself to do by his Word.

3. Those who receive such recompense should recognize and acknowledge it. The righteous do continually receive recompense for their righteousness; rewards, both spiritual, material, and social. But sometimes the happy results of their piety are very manifest, and then they should be specially noticed.

(1) To the glory of God. Praising him and inciting others to praise him.

(2) For encouragement of themselves and their brethren. Increasing their faith, and strengthening their determination to continue in their chosen course, and their assurance of ultimate, complete recognition and reward. For the whole reward is not yet. "Great is your reward in heaven; (Mat_5:12) but on earth the "guerdon" may be

Many a sorrow, many a labour, Many a tear.

Finally, in the Lord Jesus Christ we have the perfect Example of righteousness and its recompense; how it may be tried, and how sure is its reward. In him, too, we behold the Source of righteousness for us, and the Pledge of its ultimate triumph. G.W.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21 Jehovah rendered to me according to my righteousness,

According to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me.

22 For I have observed the ways of Jehovah,

And have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For all His rights are before my eyes;

And His statutes,-I do not depart from them.

24 And I was innocent towards Him,

And kept myself from mine iniquity.

גּמל signifies to do to a person good or evil, like the Greek εὖ and κακῶς πράττειν τινά. The righteousness and cleanness of hands, i.e., the innocence, which David attributed to himself, were not perfect righteousness or holiness before God, but the righteousness of his endeavours and deeds as contrasted with the unrighteousness and wickedness of his adversaries and pursuers, and consisted in the fact that he endeavoured earnestly and sincerely to walk in the ways of God and to keep the divine commandments. מן רשׁע, to be wicked from, is a pregnant expression, signifying to depart wickedly from God. לנגדּי, i.e., as a standard before my eye. In the psalm we find עמּו תמים, innocent in intercourse with the Lord, instead of לו תמים (see Deu 18:13); and for the fact itself, David's own testimony in Sa1 26:23-24, the testimony of God concerning him in Kg1 14:8, and the testimony of history in Kg1 15:5. מעוני, from mine iniquity, i.e., from the iniquity which I might have committed.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Praise and Prophecy

v. 21. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. The righteousness of the heart is seen in the purity of the acts of his hands, in their abstaining from sin and unrighteousness.

v. 22. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, observing the rules of conduct laid down in His Law, and have not wickedly departed from my God, not fallen away from God through wickedness.

v. 23. For all His judgments were before me, the instructions to which He obligated all men; and as for His statutes, the precepts of His covenant, I did not depart from them, he was a sincere believer In, and follower of, Jehovah.

v. 24. I was also upright before Him, that was his immediate, inner relation to God, and have kept myself from mine iniquity, guarding himself against committing sin, and so contracting guilt. This testimony of David concerning himself agrees with that of the Lord, 1Ki 14:8; 1Ki 15:5.

v. 25. Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyesight, rewarding every believer in accordance with the evidence presented in his life and works.

v. 26. With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful, and with the upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright.

v. 27. With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure, and with the froward, the perverse, Thou wilt show Thyself unsavory, every man thus reaping as he sowed, being rewarded or punished according to his deeds.

v. 28. And the afflicted people Thou wilt save, those bowed down by a weight of misery; but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, those who look down upon and oppress the poor and afflicted, that Thou mayest bring them down. Cf Luk 1:52.

v. 29. For Thou art my Lamp, O Lord, as the Source of all his joy and good fortune; and the Lord will lighten my darkness, by taking away all affliction, wretchedness, and ruin.

v. 30. For by Thee I have run through a troop, running against the hostile forces and trampling them under foot; by my God have I leaped over a wall, conquering fortified places with ease.

v. 31. As for God, His way is perfect, He is altogether blameless in His government; the Word of the Lord is tried, without guile, pure, and true; He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him, offering protection against all dangers.

v. 32. For who is God save the Lord? He is the only true God. And who is a rock save our God? He only may be relied upon absolutely as trustworthy.

v. 33. God is my strength and Power, a Fortress of strength; and he maketh my way perfect, leading and guiding the perfect man on his way.

v. 34. He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, swift in strength and in the pursuit of the enemies; and setteth me upon my high places, which the singer victoriously holds against his enemies.

v. 35. He teacheth my hands to war, and thus to hold their own against the enemies, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms, so that his arms are able to bend the bronze bow without difficulty.

v. 36. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation, whereby God protects and saves His people; and Thy gentleness hath made me great, by the favorable hearing of his prayer.

v. 37. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, giving to the wanderer a wide space for free movement, so that my feet did not slip, his ankles standing unwavering and firm; he was able to move with a light and strong step.

v. 38. I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them, and turned not again until I had consumed them; they could not rise for further contest; they fell under his feet in helpless submission.

v. 39. And I have consumed them and wounded them that they could not arise; yea, they are fallen under my feet.

v. 40. For Thou hast girded me with strength to battle, all his strength and prowess came from Jehovah; them that rose up against me hast Thou subdued under me, they had to bow down their necks like helpless slaves.

v. 41. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, causing them to turn their back in flight, that I might destroy them that hate me.

v. 42. They looked, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but he answered them not. Though in their extreme need they cried to the God of Israel for help, they received no deliverance at His hands.

v. 43. Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, rubbing, pulverizing, and scattering them; I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad, contemptuously scorning and throwing them away as worthless. The result of this victorious conflict with the enemies is also pictured.

v. 44. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, from the insurrections in the midst of his own nation; Thou Hast kept me to be head of the heathen, of all the surrounding nations; a people which I knew not shall serve me, Here the Messianic thought is included, that eventually even those outside 3f the chosen people of the Lord would learn to know the true God in Christ Jesus.

v. 45. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me, strange, foreign people would pay fawning, hypocritical homage, since they felt powerless before the Lord’s king; as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

v. 46. Strangers shall fade away, wither and shrivel up like a leaf in a hot wind, and they shall be afraid out of their close places, coming forth hobbling and trembling out of their fortresses.

v. 47. The Lord liveth; and blessed be my Rock, and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. These sentences return to the thought of the introduction, which dominated the entire psalm.

v. 48. It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, subjecting the nations to his rule,

v. 49. and that bringeth me forth from mine enemies, delivering him from their power. Thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the violent man, saving him from the persecution of Saul, as of the man of violent deeds, and from all those that followed the latter in his hatred.

v. 50. Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Thy name, as being expressive of all His deeds of deliverance, by which He has revealed Himself as the true God.

v. 51. He is the Tower of Salvation for His king, with the strong assurance of salvation, and showeth mercy to His anointed, unto David, and to his seed forevermore; the Messianic thought recurring here once more. Christ, the true Anointed of God, carried the Lord’s cause to a still more victorious conclusion. He is the Head and King over all nations, over the spiritual Israel, the seed of Abraham gathered from all nations of the world.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For my rightesnous. When they [the people of Yisroel] followed God into the desert and had faith in His promise.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.