2 Samuel 22:42

The wicked in their necessity are compelled to flee to God, but it is too late.

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

(42) They looked.—By the change of a letter this becomes in the psalm “They cried,” and it is so translated here in the LXX., “they shall cry.” One of the readings is doubtless a mere clerical error.

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

42. They looked] They looked for help. Cp. Isa_17:7-8. The Sept. and Psa_18:41 read, they cried. There is only the difference of a single letter between the words, as far as the consonants are concerned (ישעו–ישועו).

even unto the Lord] In their extremity even the heathen might cry for mercy to the “unknown God” of their enemies. Cp. 1Sa_5:12; Jon_3:7 ff.

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.

42 They look out, but there is no deliverer;

For Jehovah, but He answereth them not.

43 And I rub in pieces as the dust of the earth,

Like the mire of the streets I crush them and stamp upon them.

The cry of the foe for help is not attended to; they are annihilated without quarter. ישׁעוּ, to look out to God for help (with אל and על; vid., Isa 17:7-8), is more poetical than ישׁוּעוּ, "they cry" (in the psalm); and כּעפר־ארץ is more simple than על־פּני־רוּח כּעפר (in the psalm), "I crush them as dust before the wind," for the wind does not crush the dust, but carries it away. In the second clause of Sa2 22:43, אדקּם is used instead of אריקם in the psalm, and strengthened by ארקעם. אדקּם, from דקק, to make thin, to crush; so that instead of "I pour them out like mire of the streets which is trodden to pieces," the Psalmist simply says, "I crush and stamp upon them like mire of the streets." Through the utter destruction of the foe, God establishes the universal dominion to which the throne of David is to attain.

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.)

General Information:

David continues his song to Yahweh.

They cried

"My enemies cried"

they cried out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them

The time for Yahweh's judgment had come upon them.

like dust on the ground ... like mud in the streets

This means that David completely destroyed his enemies. These two phrases "like dust on the ground" and "like mud on the streets" have a similar meaning and are used for emphasis. (See: Simile and Parallelism)

translationWords

save

Yahweh

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

They cried out there was no one to deliver them. The words of verse are not written in order [the proper order should be] "They will cry out to Adonoy but He will not answer them and no one will deliver them" as [we find], "Man will turn to his Maker", as if to say "turn". Menachem connected [the word יִשְׁעֶה] with [the verse,] "Adonoy listened to Hevel", and he [Menachem] interpreted it as "listening." This word can be used to denote both the listener and the listened to as [we find], "Yitzchok implored Adonoy… and Adonoy listened to him." So too here "They will implore [God] and they will not be saved" is a case where the word יִשְׁעוּ is refering to the one praying and "Adonoy listened…" is a case where the word is refering to the [Holy] One being prayed to.

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.