2 Samuel 22:42 kjv
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
2 Samuel 22:42 nkjv
They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
2 Samuel 22:42 niv
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them? to the LORD, but he did not answer.
2 Samuel 22:42 esv
They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
2 Samuel 22:42 nlt
They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer.
2 Samuel 22 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 22:7 | In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. | David's prayer heard and answered. |
| Psa 18:6 | In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God. | Parallel passage showing God's responsiveness. |
| Psa 106:44 | Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. | God responds to the distress of His people. |
| Psa 1:6 | For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. | Distinction between God's relationship with righteous and wicked. |
| Prov 1:28 | Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer. | God's refusal to answer those who rejected His wisdom. |
| Isa 1:15 | When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes... | God not hearing hypocritical or unrighteous prayers. |
| Isa 45:21 | ...who declared this of old? Was it not I, the Lord? | God alone is righteous, a Savior; no other god. |
| Isa 46:7 | They cry to it, but it cannot answer or save them... | Idols cannot respond or provide salvation. |
| Jer 11:11 | I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen. | God's determined judgment leads to unanswered pleas. |
| Zech 7:13 | "As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the Lord. | God's just recompense for past disobedience. |
| Mic 3:4 | Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them... | Prophecy against unrighteous rulers facing God's silence. |
| Lam 1:9 | Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall was terrible; she had no comforter. | No one to provide aid in complete desolation. |
| Jam 4:3 | You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. | Wrong motives in prayer result in no answer. |
| Job 27:8-9 | For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off... Will God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him? | God does not typically hear the cry of the godless. |
| Psa 50:15-16 | Call upon me in the day of trouble... But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes...?" | God calls the righteous to pray but rejects the wicked's pretense. |
| Psa 9:5-6 | You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish... | God's judgment leading to the destruction of the wicked. |
| Hos 5:6 | With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them. | God withdrawing His presence from the unfaithful. |
| Rom 9:15 | "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy..." | God's sovereign right to extend or withhold mercy. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy... | Believers can confidently approach God for mercy. |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | God's differing responses to the righteous and the wicked. |
| Rev 6:16 | They cried to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him..." | Future cries of unrepentant sinners facing ultimate judgment. |
| Deut 32:38 | Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection! | The futility of idols in providing aid. |
| Psa 4:1 | Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! | David's confident expectation of God's answer. |
| Psa 22:2 | O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. | Christ's cry on the cross, representing a unique divine purpose, not rejection due to sin. |
2 Samuel 22 verses
2 Samuel 22 42 Meaning
2 Samuel 22:42 depicts the utter despair and failure of David's enemies. Having exhausted all their resources and finding no human deliverer, they turn in desperation to the Lord (YHWH), yet He does not respond to their pleas. This verse underscores the divine abandonment of the wicked and serves as a powerful testament to the Lord's exclusive sovereignty as the only true Savior and Judge, who acts according to His righteous will, not merely on the basis of a distressed cry from unrepentant hearts.
2 Samuel 22 42 Context
2 Samuel chapter 22 is David's powerful song of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord, celebrating his deliverance "from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul." This entire chapter is almost identical to Psalm 18, testifying to its deep theological and historical significance. The psalm details God's mighty intervention on David's behalf, depicting God as a divine warrior who fought against David's foes. Verse 42 specifically describes the climactic failure and desperation of these adversaries whom David had relentlessly pursued and conquered. It emphasizes that in their hour of direst need, they found no relief or aid from any source, ultimately including even the Lord Himself. This highlights the Lord's unique sovereignty as the sole Deliverer and His righteous judgment upon those who opposed His chosen king and His divine plan for Israel.
2 Samuel 22 42 Word analysis
- They looked: Hebrew, yabbīṭū (יַבִּיטוּ), Hifil imperfect from nābaṭ (נָבַט). This verb implies an intensive, deliberate looking, often with expectation or searching intently. It conveys their desperate and frantic search for any form of rescue, scanning their surroundings in utter panic as David’s forces closed in.
- but there was no one to save: Hebrew, wəʾê̄n môšîaʿ (וְאֵ֣ין מֹושִׁיעַ֮). Môšîaʿ (deliverer/rescuer) is a participle from yāšaʿ (to save), a key term for divine deliverance. The phrase wəʾê̄n ("and there is not") emphasizes the absolute absence of any help, human or otherwise. This powerfully contrasts with David's repeated experience of YHWH as his Savior.
- they cried: Hebrew, yiṣʿăqū (יִצְעֲק֥וּ), Qal imperfect from ṣāʿaq (צָעַק). This refers to a loud, piercing cry of distress, agony, or extreme anguish. It conveys an urgent, desperate plea born of immediate peril, not necessarily out of faith or repentance, but rather from raw terror and hopelessness.
- to the Lord: Hebrew, ʾel-YHWH (אֶל־יְהוָה֮). This is profoundly significant. It implies their recognition, in their final moments of despair, of YHWH as the supreme power, acknowledging that even their own gods or other allies were useless. This could signify a last-ditch, opportunistic appeal rather than genuine repentance, serving to highlight YHWH's exclusive claim to ultimate power and divine aid.
- but he did not answer them: Hebrew, wəloʾ ʿānām (וְלֹ֤א עָנָ֓ם). ʿānāh (to answer, respond) is typically used when God answers prayers or pleas, implying a positive or attentive response. The negation loʾ ('not') emphasizes God's deliberate silence and inaction. This silence is not due to God's inability to hear but is a profound act of divine judgment and abandonment, sealing their fate and underscoring His just retribution against His enemies.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "They looked, but there was no one to save": This clause sets the scene of absolute despair. It indicates their futile search for help from human alliances, military might, or perhaps even false gods, highlighting their comprehensive lack of any external aid. Their inability to find a "savior" is a stark contrast to David, for whom the Lord was always the deliverer.
- "they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them": This pivotal phrase marks the climax of their desolation. It elevates the lack of human help to the definitive divine refusal. Their cry to YHWH, whether from belated recognition or pure desperation, received no response. This demonstrates that God's intervention is not automatic for any distressed cry but is based on His righteous will and a true, repentant relationship with Him, distinguishing between David's faithful pleas and his enemies' last-gasp efforts.
2 Samuel 22 42 Bonus section
The concept of God's silence as a form of judgment is a significant theological theme, especially when contrasted with the numerous instances where He demonstrably answers the prayers of the faithful. In David's psalm, YHWH is portrayed as actively involved in judging the unrighteous. His refusal to "answer" is not passive inaction, but an active pronouncement of abandonment and righteous wrath, sealing the fate of those who had set themselves against His divine plan through His chosen servant. This also reinforces a crucial aspect of biblical polemic: the God of Israel alone possesses true power and salvation, and when He chooses not to deliver, no other entity can. This scene illustrates that desperation alone does not guarantee divine response; the nature of one's relationship with God is paramount.
2 Samuel 22 42 Commentary
2 Samuel 22:42 forms a poignant conclusion to the description of David's vanquished foes within his great psalm of deliverance. The verse brilliantly contrasts the Lord's consistent readiness to hear and deliver David with His utter silence towards David's enemies. Their initial frantic search for any "savior" amongst themselves or other nations proved futile. In their ultimate extremity, they resorted to crying out to YHWH Himself, acknowledging Him as the final arbiter of fate. However, the Lord's "did not answer them" is not an indication of His inability, but a decisive act of judicial non-response. It signifies a divine withholding of mercy and intervention, justly applied against those who set themselves against His anointed king and His divine purposes. This powerful silence underscores that divine favor and salvation are not granted indiscriminately upon any cry of distress, but are the privilege of those who are in covenant relationship with God, who genuinely seek Him in faith, and whose prayers align with His righteous will.
Examples:
- Pharaoh, facing the plagues, would call on Moses to intercede with the Lord, but his heart remained hardened, and he was not truly answered for deliverance from his rebellion (Exod 8:8, 15:4).
- Saul, seeking counsel from a medium after the Lord refused to answer him directly (1 Sam 28:6), demonstrated a similar divine silence due to his persistent disobedience.