6 In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears. 7 Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry. 8 There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it. 9 The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet. 10 And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind. 11 He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12 Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire. 13 The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire. 14 He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled. 15 Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth. 16 He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters. 17 He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I. 18 They came on me in the day of my trouble; but the Lord was my support. 19 He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:6-19

Commentary on Psalm 18:1-19

(Read Psalm 18:1-19)

The first words, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, Hebrews 5:7. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.