Psalm 18 50

Psalm 18:50 kjv

Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Psalm 18:50 nkjv

Great deliverance He gives to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.

Psalm 18:50 niv

He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.

Psalm 18:50 esv

Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

Psalm 18:50 nlt

You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.

Psalm 18 verses

Psalm 18 50 Meaning

Psalm 18:50 declares God's mighty deliverance and unfailing covenant loyalty to His chosen king, David, and promises the perpetuation of this steadfast love to David's descendants forever. It is a profound declaration of God's faithfulness to His anointed ruler, celebrating divine protection and the eternal establishment of the Davidic line. This verse functions as the capstone of a psalm of thanksgiving, highlighting God's power and unwavering commitment to His promises and to the Messianic lineage.

Psalm 18 50 Context

Psalm 18 is a monumental psalm of David, serving as a triumphant song of thanksgiving to the Lord for delivering him from all his enemies, especially from the hand of Saul (cf. 2 Sam 22, which is an almost identical parallel). David recounts God's powerful intervention on his behalf, using vivid imagery of natural phenomena (earthquake, fire, thunder, storm) to depict divine assistance in battle. The psalm expresses David's absolute trust in God as his refuge, strength, and deliverer. Verse 50 acts as a conclusive statement, summarizing the ultimate reason for David's victories and confidence: God's covenant faithfulness. It transitions from a personal testimony of deliverance to a broader theological declaration about God's eternal commitment to the Davidic line and the Messiah. The historical context encompasses David's turbulent life, marked by persecution, warfare, and ultimately, the establishment of a secure kingdom under God's favor.

Psalm 18 50 Word analysis

• He granteth / makes great: From the Hebrew verb מַגְדִּיל (magdîl), derived from גָּדַל (gadal), meaning "to be great," "to magnify," or "to make great." This emphasizes God's active, powerful, and abundant provision of deliverance. It is not merely a giving but a grand, expansive giving.

• great deliverance: The direct object of "makes great." God magnifies His salvation and rescue. The term itself points to complete and triumphant liberation.

• to His king: לְמַלְכּוֹ (l'malkô). This specifically identifies David as the recipient. He is God's chosen and appointed ruler over Israel, standing in a unique covenant relationship with God.

• And showeth: Implied action, parallel to "He granteth/magnifies," continuing the depiction of God's active engagement.

• lovingkindness: חֶסֶד (ḥesed). This is a foundational term in biblical theology. It denotes God's covenant faithfulness, steadfast love, loyal love, and mercy. It is love that is active and unwavering, rooted in commitment and faithfulness, not merely sentiment. It describes God's constant, enduring faithfulness to His promises and covenants.

• to His anointed: לִמְשִׁיחוֹ (limšîḥô). This is the Hebrew word mashiaḥ, from which "Messiah" comes. It means "one who has been smeared" with oil, referring to the consecration of kings, priests, and sometimes prophets. Here, it clearly refers to David as the divinely chosen and consecrated king. Importantly, this term also carries significant prophetic weight, pointing to the ultimate Anointed One, the Christ.

• To David: לְדָוִד (l'dāvîḏ). Explicitly names the recipient, cementing the specific, historical fulfillment of God's promise to him personally. It grounds the broader theological statement in the specific reality of David's experience.

• and to his seed: וּלְזַרְעוֹ (ûl'zarʿô). "Seed" refers to David's offspring, his descendants, his lineage. This expands the scope of God's covenant promise beyond David himself, guaranteeing the continuity of his royal line. This concept is vital for the development of the Messianic promise.

• forevermore: עַד עוֹלָם (ʿaḏ ʿôlām). "Unto eternity," "forever," "to an indefinite period" but in this covenant context implying unending duration. It signifies the eternal and unconditional nature of God's covenant promise regarding David's dynasty.

• He granteth great deliverance to His king: This phrase highlights God's sovereignty and His special relationship with David, His chosen human agent. David's victories are attributed entirely to God's powerful hand, not David's own strength.

• And showeth lovingkindness to His anointed: This parallels "king" with "anointed," emphasizing David's divine appointment. The pairing of "deliverance" and "hesed" demonstrates the two dimensions of God's active involvement: His saving power and His faithful, covenantal love.

• To David and to his seed forevermore: This group of words shifts from general references to the king/anointed one to explicitly name David, then broaden the scope to include his entire lineage, concluding with an eternal duration. This is the cornerstone of the Davidic covenant.

Psalm 18 50 Bonus section

The near-identical wording of Psalm 18:50 in 2 Samuel 22:51 highlights its significance not just as a concluding statement for a psalm but as a crucial theological expression regarding the Davidic Covenant. It was a well-known, foundational truth about God's eternal commitment to David and his dynasty within the Israelite tradition. This parallelism underscores the divinely ordained nature of David's kingship and the future hope of the Messiah through his lineage. The concept of God "magnifying" deliverance (מַגְדִּיל) points to an ever-increasing, overflowing measure of salvation, reaching its zenith in the perfect and eternal salvation wrought by Jesus Christ. The term hesed, often translated as "lovingkindness" or "steadfast love," is crucial for understanding God's covenant relationship with Israel. It implies an unswerving commitment, irrespective of human failure, rooted purely in God's character and His own established oath.

Psalm 18 50 Commentary

Psalm 18:50 encapsulates the profound theological truth of God's unwavering faithfulness, particularly within the framework of His covenant with David. David, after recounting a lifetime of miraculous deliverance and victory orchestrated by God, concludes by declaring that all his triumphs are a manifestation of God's hesed—His steadfast, loyal, and covenant-keeping love—extended to him as "His king" and "His anointed."

The dual emphasis on "great deliverance" and "lovingkindness" reveals the multi-faceted nature of God's interaction with His chosen. God actively intervenes with power to save, while simultaneously remaining bound by His faithful character to uphold His promises. The specificity "to David" anchors the psalm's triumphant tone in historical reality, while the extension "to his seed forevermore" projects the covenant into eternity, becoming the foundational prophecy for the coming Messiah.

This verse therefore prefigures Jesus Christ, the ultimate "seed" of David (Rom 1:3; Rev 22:16), who inherits the eternal throne promised to His ancestor. Christ's perfect reign fulfills the ultimate "great deliverance" for humanity, establishing God's kingdom and revealing His hesed in its fullest measure through the cross and resurrection. For believers, this verse stands as an assurance of God's steadfast faithfulness not only to His divine plans but also to all His children who are "in Christ," the true Anointed King.