Psalms 18:1 «To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, » I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
To the chief Musician] Some render it, Ad triumphandum; and well they may; for this is old David's επινικιον, or triumphant song after so many victories and deliverances; and it is twice recorded in Scripture, with very little variation, see 2Sa 22:1-51 for the great worth and weightiness of the matter; that we may the more observe it, and be the better versed in it. This here recorded seemeth to be the review of it, and hence those small additions and alterations that are found here and there, but not of any great moment.
A Psalm of David] Who having now gotten some breathing while from his troubles, gave not himself to idleness or worldly pleasures (as the Romans used to do after that they had once ridden in triumph), but, calling to mind God's great mercies towards him, composed this sweet psalmody to his glory.
The servant of the Lord] So he styled himself before, Psalms 36:1, when he first entered upon the kingdom; and now here again, when being to lay it down together with his life, he breatheth out his holy soul to God in this divine ditty.
Sic ubi fata vocant, &c.
This he did after that, as a faithful servant of the Lord, he had done all the wills of God, Acts 13:22, had served out his full time, Psalms 18:36, and dwelt in God's house to length of days, Psalms 23:6 .
Who spake unto the Lord the words of this song] God lets out his mercies to us for this rent of our praises; and is content we have the benefit of them, so he may have the glory. The Hebrews give this note here; every man for whom there is wrought a miracle of mercy, and he thereupon uttereth a song, hath his sins forgiven him. This is better yet than that of the Papists, who promise pardon of sin to those that shall hear two masses a day. We who have received so many mercies should compass God about with songs of deliverances, and not only servire Deo, sed et adulari, serve God and make obeisance, as Tertullian hath it.
From the hand of all his enemies] Heb. From the palm of other enemies, as less considerable, but from the hand (or clutched fist) of Saul.
And from the hand of Saul] His greatest enemy, and of longest continuance. So Christ is said to save his people from their sins, by a specialty, Matthew 1:21, because they do us the most mischief.
Ver. 1. I will love thee, O Lord my strength] Heb. I will love thee dearly and entirely, ex intimis visceribus, from the very heart-root, from the bottom of my bowels; with like intention of affection, as a tender hearted mother doth her dearest babe, that is her own bowels; herself of the second edition. Neither did David herein supererogate: For God requireth to be loved with all the heart, mind, soul, strength, as one that is best worthy; good without measure, that hath loved us without measure, and therefore is without measure by us to be beloved. Modus sit sine mode (Bern.). Not that we are bound to love God in quantum est diligibilis so much as he is lovely or love worthy; for so God can only love himself; but, Nihil supra, aeque, aut contra, nothing must we love above God or so much as God, much less against God; we must be able to say affectionately, with David, Psalms 73:25,26, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." And as Bernard, Amo te, Domine, plus quam mea, meos, me I love thee, Lord, more than my goods, my friends, myself. A Christian begins with loving God for himself, but he ends in loving himself, and all other, both persons and things, in and for God. His friend he loveth in the Lord, his foes for the Lord; but God he loveth absolutely, and for himself, affecting not only a union with him, but even a unity, his heart being turned, as it were, into a very lump of love, as was Mary's, Luke 7:47. Histories tell of a certain woman that came to Vespasian the emperor, professing that she was in love with him; he commanded that a liberal reward should be given her for the same; and when his steward asked him under what item he should put that gift in the book of account, Vespasiano adamato, said the emperor, Item, To her that loved Vespasian. God, saith the apostle, is not unrighteous, to forget your labour of love, &c., Hebrews 6:10. "I love them that love me," saith Christ, Proverbs 8:17. And his love is not like the winter sun, which hath light, but no heat; he is the strength of his people, their rock, fortress.