Psalm 18 is a royal song of thanksgiving that rehearses God’s deliverance of David from all his enemies. It appears to be a popular version of the song in 2 Samuel 22. The psalm includes a declaration of David’s love and trust in the Lord (see vv. 1–3), a narrative of his deliverance by the Lord (see vv. 4–19), an explanation of how God helps the righteous (see vv. 20–30), a reminder that David’s military might comes from the Lord (see vv. 31–45), and a concluding thanksgiving for God’s deliverance (see vv. 46–50). The psalm depicts the power of prayer—God acts as a warrior on David’s behalf in response to his cry for help. The description of the Lord’s intervention given in verses 7–19 is an example of theophany, in which there is visible demonstration of God’s presence and power as He comes down to earth to reveal Himself or to intervene in judgment against His enemies (see 46:6; Ex. 19:16–25; Is. 6:1–4; Mic. 1:3–4).
