Psalm 18:31 kjv
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psalm 18:31 nkjv
For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?
Psalm 18:31 niv
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
Psalm 18:31 esv
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? ?
Psalm 18:31 nlt
For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
Psalm 18 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:35 | "To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides Him." | Yahweh's uniqueness and exclusivity. |
| Deut 32:4 | "He is the Rock, His work is perfect, For all His ways are justice." | God as the unblemished, just Rock. |
| Deut 32:31 | "For their rock is not as our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge." | Contrasts God's solidity with false gods. |
| 1 Sam 2:2 | "There is no one holy like the Lord, For there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God." | God's unique holiness and being the only Rock. |
| Ps 62:2 | "He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." | God as personal rock and salvation. |
| Ps 62:7 | "On God my salvation and my glory rest; The Rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God." | God as personal strength and refuge. |
| Ps 71:3 | "Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress." | God as constant dwelling and fortress. |
| Ps 92:15 | "To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." | God's perfect character as the Rock. |
| Isa 26:4 | "Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock." | God as the eternal source of trust. |
| Isa 44:6 | "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.’" | God's supremacy and sole deity. |
| Isa 44:8 | "Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know not one." | Rhetorical challenge, only God is the Rock. |
| Isa 45:5 | "I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me." | Uncompromising statement of God's oneness. |
| Isa 45:21-22 | "There is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior... Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth." | God as exclusive Savior. |
| Jer 10:10 | "But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King." | God's living and eternal nature. |
| Jer 10:11-12 | "The gods who have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth... It is He who made the earth by His power." | Folly of idols versus the Creator God. |
| Hab 1:12 | "Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them for judgment; And You, O Rock, have appointed them for correction." | God as everlasting and the judging Rock. |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | "There is no God but one... yet for us there is but one God, the Father... and one Lord, Jesus Christ." | New Testament affirmation of one God. |
| 1 Cor 10:4 | "...and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ." | Christ as the spiritual Rock, providing life. |
| Eph 4:6 | "one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." | God's supreme authority and presence. |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." | Unity of God, emphasizing Jesus as mediator. |
| Jas 1:17 | "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." | God's unchanging nature and goodness. |
| Jude 1:25 | "to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." | Acknowledging God as the exclusive Savior. |
Psalm 18 verses
Psalm 18 31 Meaning
Psalm 18:31 is a rhetorical declaration affirming the singular and incomparable nature of the Lord (Yahweh) as the one true God and the only reliable source of strength, refuge, and stability. It asserts monotheism, presenting the God of Israel as unique in His divine attributes and faithfulness, unlike any false deities or human constructs.
Psalm 18 31 Context
Psalm 18 is a monumental psalm of David, serving as a powerful psalm of thanksgiving and deliverance. It mirrors 2 Samuel 22 and commemorates David's profound experience of being delivered by God from all his enemies, especially from the hand of Saul. The psalm begins with David's passionate expression of love for the Lord (vv. 1-3), followed by a dramatic recount of his distress and God's awe-inspiring intervention (vv. 4-19). Verses 20-30 describe God's vindication of David due to his righteousness. Within this context of magnificent divine rescue, verse 31 serves as a foundational theological assertion. It is not merely an emotional outcry but a confident theological statement, flowing from David's intimate knowledge of God's power and faithfulness experienced in direct personal deliverance. The verse grounds his experience in the unique identity and nature of Yahweh.
Psalm 18 31 Word analysis
- For (Kiy): This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for David's preceding statements of praise and confidence (e.g., in verse 30, "The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him."). It connects the specific experience of deliverance to a universal truth about God.
- who (Miy): This interrogative pronoun introduces a rhetorical question. It's not seeking an answer but rather implying that there is no other, powerfully asserting the uniqueness of the subject.
- is God (El): "El" (אֵל) is a common Semitic term for 'god' or 'deity'. In this context, placed after "who," it sets up a challenge: Who, among all purported deities, truly fits the description of 'God'?
- but the Lord (im YHWH): "im" means 'besides' or 'except'. "YHWH" (יְהוָה), often translated "the Lord" in English Bibles, is the Tetragrammaton, God's personal, covenant name. It signifies His self-existence, eternal nature, and His particular relationship with Israel. The phrase declares exclusively that only YHWH is truly God. This stands in direct opposition to polytheistic beliefs of surrounding nations.
- And who (uMiy): The conjunction "u" (and) connects the second rhetorical question. The repetition of "who" reinforces the incomparable nature of the Lord.
- is a rock (Tsur): "Tsur" (צוּר) literally means 'rock,' 'boulder,' 'cliff,' or 'stronghold.' Metaphorically, it signifies stability, immutability, strength, refuge, a secure foundation, and protection. In ancient Israel, mountains and rocks provided physical shelter and strategic advantage in warfare. God being "a rock" implies He is an unyielding, unchanging, and secure haven for those who trust in Him.
- except (milvadi): This pre-positional phrase, from "mi-" (from) and "l’bad" (alone/apart from), emphasizes exclusivity: "from being apart from," meaning "besides" or "other than."
- our God (Elohim): "Elohim" (אֱלֹהִים) is another common Hebrew word for God, often used in a general sense for deity, but here, linked with "our," it expresses a personal, communal, and covenantal relationship. He is the God belonging to those who speak of Him, emphasizing His faithful presence among His people.
- "For who is God, but the Lord?" This phrase is a powerful polemic against any competing deities. It challenges the gods of other nations, which are often portrayed in Scripture as idols made by human hands, powerless, or even non-existent. The rhetorical question asserts Yahweh's absolute and exclusive divinity.
- "And who is a rock, except our God?" This second rhetorical question extends the first, defining the nature of this unique God. It focuses on His steadfast character and reliable provision of security. It contrasts the steadfastness of God with the shifting loyalties and unreliability of false gods or human institutions. Only God is truly unwavering, a source of unwavering protection and strength, unlike anything else humanity might put its trust in. The image of the "rock" recurs throughout Scripture as a powerful metaphor for divine faithfulness, refuge, and foundational strength.
Psalm 18 31 Bonus section
The "Rock" imagery for God is profoundly significant in biblical thought. It refers to:
- Immutability: God does not change; His promises and character are steadfast.
- Stability and Security: He is a firm foundation upon which one can build a life or depend in times of trouble.
- Source of Life and Sustenance: In the wilderness, rocks provided water, symbolizing God's life-giving provision.
- Refuge and Protection: Like a physical stronghold in rocky terrain, God provides safety from enemies and adversities.
This verse's assertion of God's uniqueness resonates throughout biblical history, particularly in the prophetic critiques against idolatry (e.g., Isaiah 44), which contrast the living God with lifeless idols. It is not merely an intellectual belief but a confession born from a relational encounter with a God who acts decisively in human history.
Psalm 18 31 Commentary
Psalm 18:31 serves as a cornerstone declaration within David's song of deliverance, transcending his personal victory to affirm a profound theological truth about God's very being. It is an unequivocal declaration of monotheism and an exclusive claim for the God of Israel as the one true deity. Through rhetorical questions, the psalmist asserts that Yahweh alone possesses true divinity ("God") and unparalleled reliability ("Rock"). This "Rock" imagery encapsulates God's unwavering faithfulness, His protective strength, and His steadfastness as an ultimate refuge, sharply distinguishing Him from the false and ephemeral gods of the surrounding cultures who could offer no true salvation or security. The verse transforms personal testimony into universal theological conviction, inviting all to place their exclusive trust in the matchless character of the Lord.