181 To the Overseer.—By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith:—I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 2 Jehovah 'is' my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God 'is' my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower. 3 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved. 4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid. 5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. 6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:1-6
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.