2 Samuel 22:38

38 I will pursue my enemies and destroy them,

I will not turn till they are consumed.

39 I will consume them and dash them in pieces, that they may not arise,

And may fall under my feet.

40 And Thou girdest me with strength for war,

Thou bowest mine adversaries under me.

41 And Thou makest mine enemies turn the back to me;

My haters, I root them out.

The optative form ארדּפה serves to make the future signification of ארדּף (in the psalm) the more apparent. Consequently it is quite out of the question to take the other verbs as preterites. We are not compelled to do this by the interchange of imperfects c. vav consec. with simple imperfects, as the vav consec. is not used exclusively as expressive of the past. On the contrary, the substance of the whole of the following description shows very clearly that David refers not only to the victories he has already won, but in general to the defeat of all his foes in the past, the present, and the future; for he speaks as distinctly as possible not only of their entire destruction (Sa2 22:38, Sa2 22:39, Sa2 22:43), but also of the fact that God makes him the head of the nations, and distant and foreign nations to him homage. Consequently he refers not only to his own personal dominion, but also, on the strength of the promise which he had received from God, to the increase of the dominion of the throne of his house, whilst he proclaims in the Spirit the ultimate defeat of all the enemies of the kingdom of God. This Messianic element in the following description comes out in a way that cannot be mistaken, in the praise of the Lord with which he concludes in Sa2 22:47-51. ואשׁמידם, "I destroy them," is stronger than ואשּׂיגם, "I reach them" (in the psalm). In Sa2 22:39 the words are crowded together, to express the utter destruction of all foes. In the psalm ואכלּם is omitted. ותּזרני for ותּאזּרני in the psalm is not a poetical Syriasm, and still less a "careless solecism" (Hupfeld), but a simple contraction, such as we meet with in many forms: e.g., מלּפנוּ for מאלּפנוּ (Job 35:11; cf. Ewald, 232, b.). The form תּתּה for נתתּה (in the psalm) is unusual, and the aphaeresis of the נ can only be accounted for from the fact that this much-used word constantly drops its נ as a radical sound in the imperfect (see Ewald, 195, c.). The phrase ערף לּי תּתּה is formed after Exo 23:27. "Giving the enemy to a person's back" means causing them to turn the back, i.e., putting them to flight.

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.)

22:38-40 David’s military accomplishments before he became king were impressive (see 1 Sam 17:12-58; 18:17-30; 23:1-5; 30:1-31). Yet rather than exalting himself, David glorified God and gave him the credit.

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

(38) Destroyed them.—In the psalm, “overtaken them,” an expression intended to suggest the same thing as the plain expression here. The second clauses are identical in the original.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38–43. David’s destruction of his enemies

38. destroyed them] In Psa_18:37, “overtaken them,” an echo of Exo_15:9.

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.

38. I pursue… destroy — These verbs are in the future tense in the Hebrew, but we translate them in the present tense as designating not so much what David expects or threatens to do, as the confident assurance of what he is now able to do by the help of God.

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

Vers. 38-40.

I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; Neither did I turn again until I had consumed them. And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, and they arose not; Yea, they fell under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast made them that rose against me to bow under me.

In the Psalms, for destroyed we find "overtaken," and the second "I have consumed them" is omitted. This exultation of David at the result of his wars is in accordance with the harsh treatment inflicted by him upon the vanquished. His enemies were God"s enemies, whom he must consume. The "new commandment" of Christianity forbids and condemns this delight in conquest.

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

General Information:

David continues his song to Yahweh.

pursued my enemies

"chased my enemies"

I devoured them and smashed them

Here David compares himself to a wild animal. AT: "I completely destroyed them like a wild animal devouring its prey" (See: Metaphor)

under my feet

Here "feet" refers to the power and control of victory over his enemies. (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

turn

devour

raise

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.