2 Samuel 22:44

Meaning, of the Jews, who conspired against me.

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

44–46. The establishment of David’s dominion

44. from the strivings of my people] The reference seems to be to the civil wars and internal dissensions which had disturbed the early years of David’s reign, while Saul’s house still endeavoured to maintain its position. Through all these conflicts he had been safely brought, and preserved to exercise dominion over the heathen nations round. Cp. ch. 2Sa_8:1-14; Psa_2:8.

shall serve me] Served me. There is no reason for the sudden transition of the E. V. to the future here and in 2Sa_22:45-46. David is still recounting his past victories, with special reference in all probability to the subjugation of the Syrians, whom he might well describe as “a people he knew not.” Cp. ch. 2Sa_8:6, 2Sa_10:19.

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.

Me. Though David conquered some Gentiles, and some were converted to the true faith under the Old Testament, yet the fulness of the Gentiles belongs to the Church of Christ, the perpetual stability of which is here foretold, ver. 51. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

44. Feuds of my people — Such as the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba.

Head of the nations — David was the mightiest conqueror and king of his age.

People I do not know — Of whom Toi, king of Hamath, and his people were an example. 2Sa_8:10.

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

Vers. 44-46.

And thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; Thou hast protected me that I might be head of the nations. A people whom! knew not have become my servants; Children of strangers have submitted themselves to me; At the hearing of the ear they obeyed me. The children of the strangers faded away; They fled trembling out of their fastnesses.

People, in the singular, means the Jewish people as opposed to the nations, that is, the heathen world. The strivings here referred to are the long dissensions which followed Ishbosheth"s death, and delayed for many the appointment of David as king of Israel. He now feels that the watchful which had protected him during that dangerous period had a higher purpose than the union of the twelve tribes under one head. He was to be the founder also of that empire over the nations which symbolized the gift of the heathen world to Christ. And this empire had been extended to people previously unknown to David. Such might be the case with Hadarezer, King of Zobah, but it more especially referred to Toi, and the Hittite kingdom of Hamath. (2Sa_8:9) It was not from force of arms, but from the hearing of the ear, that is, from the wide extended fame of David"s conquests, that Toi sent ambassadors to offer allegiance and presents. They fled trembling. This is certainly the sense in Psa_18:45, where, however, there is a transposition of letters. Probably it is the sense here. But if we might go to the cognate languages for an explanation of a rare word, it would mean "came limping out of their fastnesses," as men worn out with fatigue and exhaustion.

Vers. 44, 45.

The head of the nations.

David once more records how God had delivered him in and from the contests in which he had been involved; and declares that he had thus kept him "to be the head of the nations" (Revised Version), not only Israel, but foreign peoples. He, or, if not he, the Spirit which spake by him, (2Sa_23:2) may have had in view the ultimate purpose of God respecting him and his posterity, viz. the exaltation of his great Son to be, in a wider sense than was applicable to David himself, "the Head of the nations." We may at least take the words as applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I THE OPPOSITION HE ENCOUNTERS. Like David, he has to withstand many "strivings of the people.

1. In his life on earth he was much opposed. He endured the "contradiction of sinners against himself". (Heb_12:3) "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (Joh_1:11) his own people, his own family. (Joh_7:5) All classes, with a few exceptions, rejected him Pharisees and Sadducees, elders and scribes, ecclesiastics and politicians, rulers and people. The multitude sought once to make him, (Joh_6:15) and, when he entered Jerusalem for the last time, welcomed him, in the hope that he was about to ascend the throne; but he would not be such a king as they desired, and they cared not to have such a King as he was to be. Hence they united with their superiors in saying, "We will not have this Man to reign over us"; (Luk_19:14) and, to put an end to his pretensions, put him to death. They did not know that they were thus very effectually promoting his victories and reign.

2. He has met with various and constant opposition ever since. His cause has advanced in spite of perpetual strivings against it. Jews and Gentiles, kings and subjects, rich and poor, the intellectual and the ignorant, the refined and the coarse, have "set themselves.., against the Lord, and against his Anointed". (Psa_2:2) He, too, can speak still of the "strivings of my people." As at first amongst the Jews, so since amongst Christians (so called), and amongst those in high positions in his Church, have been found his worst foes. Men are willing to bear his Name, to receive some of his doctrines, and even contend for them, to appropriate the comfort he gives; but to obey him, to let him rule in their minds and hearts and lives, in their homes, in their business, in their pleasures, in their social life, in their national affairs, that is quite another matter. And those who strive earnestly to obey him themselves, and to induce others to do so, must be prepared for opposite "strivings," and even persecution. Nor do they wonder, seeing they find, more or less, in their own nature, elements of opposition to the rule of the Christ which explain the hostility of others.

IX THE EXALTED POSITION HE NEVERTHELESS OCCUPIES. "Head of the nations." The answer of the Almighty to all the rebellious counsels and works of men is, "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion". (Psa_2:6) The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of Jehovah; vain, therefore, must be all strivings against it. Its opponents can only dash themselves to pieces, but "he must reign". (1Co_15:25)

1. The extent of his dominion. "The nations," in a wider sense than was true of David. "All nations shall serve him". (Psa_72:11) And not only all nations in existence at any one time, but all that may come into existence while the world endures.

2. The nature of his dominion.

(1) He is "Head of the nations" by right. By the appointment and gift of the Father (Psa_2:7, Psa_2:8; Mat_28:18) As the result and reward of his own righteousness and self-sacrificing love. (Php_2:8, 9) He redeemed men by his blood, to make them "a kingdom". (Rev_1:5, 6 5:9, 10, Revised Version) As truth, righteousness, and love are rightful rulers, however far they may be from actually ruling, so is it with our Lord.

(2) He actually rules over all nations. "He is Lord of all". (Act_10:36) All authority on earth, as well as in heaven, has been given to him. (Mat_28:18) Whether men know him or not, acknowledge him or not, he is their King; he so orders, controls, and directs the affairs of the nations as to make them subserve the advancement and ultimate universal establishment of his spiritual reign.

(3) He has already a vast multitude of willing and obedient subjects in many nations. "A people which he knew not," gathered from the Gentiles, serves him; as well as many from the people whom he knew.

(4) Many render him feigned obedience (ver. 45, margin). It is an evidence of his great power among the nations that many find it to their interest, or credit, or convenience, to profess his Name, who are still opposed to him in heart. They call him Lord, though they do not the things which he says. (Luk_6:46)

(5) All nations will at length own him as their Head, and heartily and lovingly submit to his sway. The prophecy will yet be fulfilled: "There followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever". (Rev_11:15, Revised Version) In the assurance of this, let his people labour and give and pray with joyful hope for the extension of his reign in the earth. 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.

44 And Thou rescuest me out of the strivings of my people,

Preservest me to be the head of the heathen.

People that I knew not serve me.

45 The sons of the stranger dissemble to me,

Upon hearsay they obey me.

46 The sons of the stranger despair,

And tremble out of their castles.

By "the strivings of my people" the more indefinite expression in the psalm, "strivings of the people," is explained. The words refer to the domestic conflicts of David, out of which the Lord delivered him, such as the opposition of Ishbosheth and the rebellions of Absalom and Sheba. These deliverances formed the prelude and basis of his dominion over the heathen. Consequently תּשׁמרני (Thou preservest me to be the head of the nations) occurs quite appropriately in the second clause; and תּשׂימני, "Thou settest me," which occurs in the psalm, is a far less pregnant expression. עם before ידעתּי לא is used indefinitely to signify foreign nations. Toi king of Hamath (Sa2 8:10) was an example, and his subjugation was a prelude of the future subjection of all the heathen to the sceptre of the Son of David, as predicted in Ps 72. In v. 45 the two clauses of the psalm are very appropriately transposed. The Hithpael יתכחשׁוּ, as compared with יכחשׁוּ, is the later form. In the primary passage (Deu 33:29) the Niphal is used to signify the dissembling of friendship, or of involuntary homage on the part of the vanquished towards the victor. אזן לשׁמוע, "by the hearing of the ear," i.e., by hearsay, is a simple explanation of אזן לשׁמע, at the rumour of the ears (vid., Job 42:5), i.e., at the mere rumour of David's victories. The foreign nations pine away, i.e., despair of ever being able to resist the victorious power of David. יחגּרוּ, "they gird themselves," does not yield any appropriate meaning, even if we should take it in the sense of equipping themselves to go out to battle. The word is probably a misspelling of יחרגוּ, which occurs in the psalm, חרג being a ἁπ. λεγ. in the sense of being terrified, or trembling: they tremble out of their castles, i.e., they come trembling out of their castles (for the thought itself, see Mic 7:17). It is by no means probable that the word חרג, which is so frequently met with in Hebrew, is used in this one passage in the sense of "to limp," according to Syriac usage.

In conclusion, the Psalmist returns to the praise of the Lord, who had so highly favoured him.

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.

from the disputes of my own people

This refers to those among the Israelites who rebelled against King David.

You have kept me as the head of nations

"You placed me as ruler over the nations." Here "nations" refers to other nations besides Israel.

A people that I have not known

"A foreign people"

Foreigners were forced to bow to me

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Foreigners bowed down to me" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

people group

head

nation

know

servant

alien

bow

obey

tremble

stronghold

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

Antagonists. From Doeg, Achitophel, Shaul and the Ziffites.

You preserved me to be a leader of nations. He kept me hidden for this purpose. The Midrash Aggadah [interprets our verse], "Dovid said, "Master of the universe, spare me from [potential] judgement concerning [the people of] Yisroel for if I shall cause [Yisroel] to turn away [from You] or I rule them harshly during the course of my service I will be punished [by You]. Rather, make me the leader of the Pelishtim and let them serve me [because] I will not be punished on their account.

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.