Psalm 18:20 kjv
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Psalm 18:20 nkjv
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
Psalm 18:20 niv
The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
Psalm 18:20 esv
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
Psalm 18:20 nlt
The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
Psalm 18 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 24:12 | May the Lord judge between you and me... He will deliver me from your hand. | David's trust in divine judgment and vindication. |
| 2 Sam 22:21-25 | The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness... | Parallel account to Psa 18.20. |
| Job 22:30 | He will even deliver one who is not innocent; and he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands. | Power of righteous hands in intercession. |
| Ps 7:3-5 | O Lord my God, if I have done this... then let the enemy pursue me... | David’s appeal for justice based on innocence. |
| Ps 7:8 | The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness... | David’s plea for righteous judgment. |
| Ps 17:3 | You have proved my heart... I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. | David's inner purity and blameless conduct. |
| Ps 18:24 | Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness... in His eyesight. | Reiterates the divine recompense for uprightness. |
| Ps 24:3-4 | Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? ... He who has clean hands and a pure heart... | Qualification for standing before God. |
| Ps 34:15 | The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. | God's attentive care for the upright. |
| Ps 35:24 | Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness... | Prayer for God’s righteous vindication. |
| Ps 37:27-28 | Depart from evil and do good... For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints... | Connection between good deeds and divine blessing. |
| Prov 10:29 | The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction for the workers of iniquity. | God's justice favors the upright. |
| Prov 24:12 | If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? ... and He will repay man according to his work. | God's judgment is based on inner motives and actions. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them... Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. | Clear statement of reward for righteous and wicked. |
| Jer 17:10 | I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. | God's deep knowledge and just recompense. |
| Matt 5:8 | Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. | New Testament emphasis on inner purity. |
| Matt 16:27 | For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. | Ultimate future recompense. |
| Rom 2:6 | Who will render to each one according to his deeds. | Divine justice for all according to their deeds. |
| 2 Tim 4:8 | Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day... | Reward for faithful service, linked to Christ's righteousness. |
| Rev 22:12 | And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. | Eschatological divine recompense. |
| 1 Pet 1:17 | And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay in fear... | God's impartial judgment based on conduct. |
Psalm 18 verses
Psalm 18 20 Meaning
Psalm 18:20 expresses King David's declaration that the Lord rewarded and delivered him based on his righteousness and the cleanness of his hands. This is not a claim of sinless perfection but rather a vindication of his integrity and adherence to God's ways in contrast to his enemies and their false accusations. It highlights God's justice in delivering the one who walked in uprightness before Him.
Psalm 18 20 Context
Psalm 18 is a triumphant psalm of thanksgiving, almost identical to 2 Samuel 22, commemorating David's deliverance from all his enemies, especially from the hand of Saul. It is a powerful recounting of God's intervention on behalf of His anointed king. The immediate context of verse 20 (vv. 20-24) details David's perspective on why God acted. David asserts his "righteousness" and "cleanness of hands" not as claims of sinless perfection, but as his consistent loyalty and upright conduct toward God and towards Saul (despite Saul's relentless pursuit). This claim must be understood in contrast to the accusations of his enemies and his own covenant faithfulness, which led God to intervene on his behalf as His chosen king. Historically, this psalm reflects the end of David's struggles with Saul and other adversaries, affirming his divinely-sanctioned reign.
Psalm 18 20 Word analysis
- The Lord (Yĕhōwāh / יהוה): This is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, faithful, and redemptive relationship with His people, particularly David. It highlights that the vindication comes from the ultimate divine authority and not human means.
- rewarded (gāmalēnî / גָּמַלְנִי): The verb "gāmal" means to deal bountifully with, to ripen, to complete, to wean, or to repay. Here, it signifies a positive recompense or favorable dealing. It implies God completed an action or dealt decisively with David based on what was due. This is a divine act of completion or fruition in response to David's character and actions.
- me (nî / ִנִי): The suffix points to David, underscoring God's personal dealing with him.
- according to (kaṣ- / כְּ-): The preposition 'ka' denotes a measure, conformity, or correspondence. It signifies that the reward was precisely proportional to or consistent with David's state. It indicates the basis or standard of the reward.
- my righteousness (ṣiḏqî / צִדְקִי): "Tzedeq" refers to moral rectitude, integrity, conformity to an ethical or divine standard, and right standing. It encompasses both judicial blamelessness concerning accusations and faithful conduct. For David, this was relative to his accusers and his steadfastness in God's covenant, not absolute sinlessness. It's about being in the right relationship and acting in integrity, not perfect behavior.
- According to (kĕ- / כְּ-): Reiterates the proportional nature of the recompense.
- the cleanness (ṭōhar / טֹהַר): "Ṭoharah" implies purity, clarity, freedom from defilement (moral or ritual). This term highlights inner purity of motive and intention, not just external actions. It denotes integrity and sincerity, a heart free from deceit and wickedness in the face of his adversaries.
- my hands (yāḏay / יָדַי): A metonymy representing one's actions, conduct, and deeds. Clean hands signify actions free from moral guilt, violence, or corruption. It emphasizes blamelessness in outward behavior.
- He has recompensed (yišallĕmēnî / יְשַׁלְּמֵנִי): The verb "šālam" means to be complete, whole, sound; in the hiphil, it means to make complete, repay, restore, or compensate. It suggests a settling of accounts, a full and just payment. God fully discharged His promise or obligation to David based on his blamelessness in the specific conflict. This isn't merely a reward but a decisive act of justice that restores completeness or balance.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: This phrase establishes the divine agency and the principle of God's just recompense. It highlights that David's vindication was not arbitrary but aligned with his character and conduct before God. It sets up the theological basis for divine action: God responds to integrity.
- According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me: This parallel phrase reiterates the previous idea, adding emphasis on both the purity of David's actions ("cleanness of my hands") and the thoroughness of God's response ("recompensed me"). The repetition reinforces the sincerity and blamelessness that God saw and honored. "Cleanness of hands" specifically speaks to practical righteousness in his dealings, solidifying the idea that God responded to concrete, moral conduct.
Psalm 18 20 Bonus section
- The parallel in 2 Samuel 22:21-25 provides valuable insight, especially verse 25, which adds "in His eyesight," clarifying that this is how David appeared before God, who truly knows the heart.
- While David claims righteousness, the ultimate standard of "righteousness" and "cleanness" is fully embodied in Jesus Christ, who perfectly lived and perfectly died without sin, offering His perfect righteousness to those who believe (2 Cor 5:21). David's experience foreshadows God's ultimate vindication of the perfectly righteous one.
- The concepts of "righteousness" (tsedeq) and "cleanness" (tohar) are fundamental to the Old Testament understanding of a right relationship with God and were prerequisites for worship and blessings. David's use of these terms reinforces his status as a king who truly sought to live by divine standards, making him a model for all believers.
Psalm 18 20 Commentary
Psalm 18:20 serves as a pivotal statement in David's psalm of thanksgiving, articulating the divine principle of justice where God responds to human uprightness. It is crucial to understand that David's claim of "righteousness" and "cleanness of hands" is not a claim to absolute sinlessness, which no human can achieve apart from Christ (Rom 3:23). Rather, within the specific context of this psalm—David's long persecution by Saul and his enemies—it signifies his faithfulness to God's covenant, his loyalty to God's anointed, and his innocent conduct concerning the false accusations against him. He genuinely walked in integrity in relation to those who opposed him, and his conscience was clear before God concerning these matters. God's response, His deliverance, and exaltation, were therefore a righteous act of vindication. This verse stands as a testament to God's character as a righteous judge who sees the heart (Jer 17:10), weighs actions, and deals justly with those who strive for purity and integrity according to His ways. It inspires trust that faithfulness, even amidst suffering, will ultimately be seen and honored by God.