The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
The God of my rock, х tsuwriy (H6697)]. In this word, Tsur, the leading idea is strength and permanence. There are two words, then, in this introduction rendered in our language "rock;" but they are used in different senses-the former in the sense of concealment, while the latter bears that of immovable firmness. This clause would be better rendered 'my rock-God.' It is metaphorically applied to God in many passages of Scripture - Deuteronomy 32:4; Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 71:3, "my strong habitation," - Hebrew, a rock of habitation to me; Psalms 92:15; Psalms 144:1, "my strength" - Hebrew, my rock; Isaiah 26:4, "everlasting strength" - Hebrew, the rock of ages; Daniel 11:39, "most strong holds-Hebrew, fortresses of munitions (margin), or fortresses of rocks (cf. Genesis 49:24, "the stone of Israel").
My shield, х maaginiy (H4043)] - my buckler. The mageen was less, both in size and weight, than the х tsinaah (H6793)] shield covering the whole body (Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalms 5:12; Psalms 84:9-11; Ephesians 6:14).
And the horn of my salvation - my saving horn, i:e., by which I am saved. The figure devoting might, power, is borrowed from the bull and other cattle which repel attacks by means of their horns, and it occurs frequently (Deuteronomy 23:17; 1 Samuel 2:10; Luke 1:69).
My high tower, х misgabiy (H4869)] - my height. The ordinary word for tower is Migdol. But Misgab is used in poetry, as here, and denotes refuge on a high rock [from saagab (H7682), to be high]. Towers were built in the walls of cities, and placed at regular intervals, those at the angles being always the largest and strongest; sometimes a large tower stood by itself within the town (Judges 9:45; Judges 9:51), as a plane of resort to the inhabitants in time of danger, answering to the keep in our own castles (cf. 2 Kings 9:17). Towers were distinguished by their elevation. They were placed on an eminence, to which the ascent was by a flight of steps (cf. 2 Kings 9:1-37; Neb. 3:15). The Psalmist placed the 'higher tower' last in this series of epithets with great propriety, because it was always the last resort of the despairing inhabitants of a besieged city; and yet, although the metaphorical use of it in this passage is very clear, he has subjoined a plainer term, "my refuge." Since Eastern warriors have always been unskillful in conducting sieges, the towers afforded for the most part a complete security and defense to the inhabitants, except when fire was applied. And hence, the wise man, describing the safety of the righteous, notwithstanding he may be assaulted by adversity and foes which beset him in his pilgrimage on earth, uses a figure similar to this. "The name of the Lord is a strong, tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe: "Hebrew, is set aloft (margin) alike beyond the reach of the power of calamities to daunt or adversaries to overcome him (Proverbs 18:10: cf. Psalms 9:9, "a refuge" - Hebrew, a high place; 18:2; 28:1; 59:9, "my defense" - Hebrew, my high place; 144:2; Isaiah 25:12, "the high fort;" 32:16, "he shall dwell on high" - Hebrew, in heights, or high places.
My saviour; thou savest me from violence. These are omitted in Psalms 18:1-50. In this introduction God is invoked by seven figurative names-a favourite number with David; and as each one of them, whether suggested by the physical features of the land or by the approved methods of defense in war, were chosen from the author's perusal experience of the security these afforded, they must be accepted as expressing his permanent feeling-gratitude in the retrospect of the past, comfort and joy in the enjoyment of the present, and confidence in the prospect of the future. They were images most naturally suggested to the mind of a man like David, who was frequently compelled, for self-perservation, to take refuge in mountain strongholds, and whose piety, looking habitually beyond the material and the external to the spiritual, used the rocks and caves, forts and other scenes of his chequered life, as the vehicle by which his thoughts ascended to his divine protector.