Psalms 18:47

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] It is the great work of God to persuade the hearts of so many millions to obey one man.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 honour’s 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 גוים, 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, מגדל ישׁעוהmean, 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.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

48. (Psa 18:47). The Mighty (God) who gives revenges to me and has subdued nations under me. The construction is the same as in Psa 18:31; Psa 18:33 (30, 32) above. This verse contains a further description of the God of his salvation, and at the same time justifies the affirmations of the preceding verse, What the Psalmist here rejoices in is not vengeance wreaked upon his personal enemies, but punishment inflicted on the enemies of God through himself as a mere instrument. Not to rejoice in this would have proved him unworthy of his high vocation. With the last clause compare Psa 47:4 (3), Psa 144:2.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:47 God vindicates his servant and so fulfills his mission (Ps 2; see 47:3; 144:2).

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

avengeth me--His cause is espoused by God as His own.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

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.’

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.

He delivereth me from mine enemies,.... From Saul and his men, from Ishbosheth and Abner, from Absalom, and the conspirators with him; so all believers are delivered out of the hands of their enemies by Christ, as that they can serve the Lord without fear; and so Christ himself is delivered from all his enemies, being raised from the dead, and set at the right hand of God, where he must reign till all enemies are put under his feet;

yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; David was lifted up from a low and mean estate, and placed on the throne of Israel, above all those that rose up against him, and sought to destroy him; and the saints are set upon their high places in Christ, where they are out of the reach of their enemies to do them any harm; and Christ, he is highly exalted at the right hand of God, above all principality and power, might and dominion, and every name that is named in this world;

thou hast delivered me from the violent man; either from Saul, from whom David was delivered; or from Satan the enemy, the son of wickedness, who shall no more exact upon and afflict the Messiah, Psa 89:21. The Chaldee paraphrase says, from Gog; as the saints will be delivered from antichrist, the man of sin, and son of perdition, who will be destroyed with the breath of Christ's mouth.

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

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 דבר dâbar - 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

That avengeth me; that executed vengeance both by me against malicious enemies, and for me against Saul, of whom I would not avenge myself.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

47. Avengeth—Executeth justice for me.

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

It is God that avengeth me; rather, even the God avengeth me (comp. vers. 3, 6, 14, 17, etc.). And subdueth the people under me; rather, the peoples; i.e. the nations (comp. vers. 37-42).

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

The Lord lives He Who does all this for me.

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.