God & Savior

Psalm 18:2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2
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Study notes

The psalmist piles up pictures of protection to describe the Lord: rock, fortress, deliverer, shield and stronghold.

Explanation

Each picture is drawn from life in a dangerous land: a high rock out of reach, a fortress, a shield in battle, a "horn" (a symbol of strength, like an animal's horn). Together they say that the LORD is complete protection.

The same song appears in 2 Samuel 22.

Original language
  • סַֽלְעִ֥י (sal.'I): crag
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · Strong's H5553H · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Rock or crag: a high, safe place.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 18:2, word 2

  • וּמְפַ֫לְטִ֥י (u.me.Fal.Ti): to escape
    Hebrew · Conjunction + Verb, piel, participle (active), masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · Strong's H6403 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Deliverer: one who brings to safety.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 18:2, word 4

  • מָֽגִנִּ֥י (ma.gi.Ni): shield
    Hebrew · Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, masculine, singular · Strong's H4043 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Shield.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 18:2, word 9

  • וְקֶֽרֶן־ (ve.ke.ren-): horn
    Hebrew · Conjunction + Noun, feminine, singular, construct · Strong's H7161A · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Horn: a picture of strength.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 18:2, word 10

Cross-references
  • 2 Samuel 22:2-3 · Parallel account

    The same song in the account of David's life.

  • Psalm 62:2 · Same theme

    He alone is my rock and my salvation.

  • Deuteronomy 32:4 · Same theme

    He is the Rock; His work is perfect.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

יְהוָ֤ה׀ סַֽלְעִ֥י וּמְצוּדָתִ֗י וּמְפַ֫לְטִ֥י אֵלִ֣י צ֭וּרִי אֶֽחֱסֶה־בּ֑וֹ מָֽגִנִּ֥י וְקֶֽרֶן־יִ֝שְׁעִ֗י מִשְׂגַּבִּֽי׃

  1. יְהוָ֤ה׀Yah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  2. סַֽלְעִ֥יsal.'I“[is] rock my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from סֶ֫לַע · “crag” · Strong's H5553H
  3. וּמְצוּדָתִ֗יu.me.tzu.da.Ti“and stronghold my”
    Conjunction + Noun, feminine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from מְצוּדָה · “fortress” · Strong's H4686B
  4. וּמְפַ֫לְטִ֥יu.me.Fal.Ti“and deliverer my”
    Conjunction + Verb, piel, participle (active), masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from פָּלַט · “to escape” · Strong's H6403
  5. אֵלִ֣י'e.Li“God my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from אֵל · “God” · Strong's H0410G
  6. צ֭וּרִיTzu.ri“[is] rock my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from צוּר · “rock” · Strong's H6697H
  7. אֶֽחֱסֶה־'e.che.seh-“[whom] I take refuge”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · from חָסָה · “to seek refuge” · Strong's H2620
  8. בּ֑וֹbo“in him”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from Os3m · “him” · Strong's H9033
  9. מָֽגִנִּ֥יma.gi.Ni“shield my”
    Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, masculine, singular · from מָגֵן · “shield” · Strong's H4043
  10. וְקֶֽרֶן־ve.ke.ren-“and [the] horn of”
    Conjunction + Noun, feminine, singular, construct · from קֶ֫רֶן · “horn” · Strong's H7161A
  11. יִ֝שְׁעִ֗יyish.'I“salvation my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from יֵ֫שַׁע · “salvation” · Strong's H3468
  12. מִשְׂגַּבִּֽי׃mis.ga.Bi“refuge my”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from מִשְׂגָּב · “high refuge” · Strong's H4869A
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)