2 Samuel 22:44
in 2 Samuel 22You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
KJV
Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 22
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThe record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Did Jesus come into the world for this purpose, that we [the Jews] should not believe him?" To which we immediately answer that he did not come with the object of producing unbelief among the Jews; but knowing beforehand that such would be the result, he foretold it and made use of their unbelief for the calling of the Gentiles. For through their sin salvation came to the Gentiles, respecting whom the Christ who speaks in the prophecies says, "A people whom I did not know became subject to me: they were obedient to the hearing of my ear"; and, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I became manifest to those who did not inquire after me."
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
); his signal preservations evinced that he was designed and reserved for something great--to rule over all Israel, notwithstanding the strivings of the people, and so that those whom he had not known should serve him, many of the nations that lay remote. Thus he was lifted up on high, as high as the throne, above those that rose up against him,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. See Gill on Psa 18:43.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵ֔נִי | vatefaleteni | and you rescued me | H6403 → | |
| מֵרִיבֵ֖י | merivei | from [the] strifes of | H7379 → | 61 times |
| עַמִּ֑י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| תִּשְׁמְרֵ֙נִי֙ | tishmereni | you kept me | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לְרֹ֣אשׁ | lerosh | to [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| גּוֹיִ֔ם | goyim | [the] nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| עַ֥ם | ʾam | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | [whom] not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַ֖עְתִּי | yada'ti | I knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| יַעַבְדֻֽנִי׃ | yaavduni | they served me | H5647 → | 288 times |
וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵ֔נִיand you rescued me
vatefaleteniH6403 →
מֵרִיבֵ֖יfrom [the] strifes of
meriveiH7379 →61 times
עַמִּ֑יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
תִּשְׁמְרֵ֙נִי֙you kept me
tishmereniH8104 →468 times
לְרֹ֣אשׁto [the] head of
leroshH7218 →599 times
גּוֹיִ֔ם[the] nations
goyimH1471 →561 times
עַ֥םa people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
לֹא־[whom] not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָדַ֖עְתִּיI knew
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
יַעַבְדֻֽנִי׃they served me
yaavduniH5647 →288 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 28:13The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:1
“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above…
- Deuteronomy 4:6–9
Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and…
- Philippians 1:27
Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm…
- Deuteronomy 28:1
Through
Isaiah 55:5Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory…
it leads to
- Isaiah 60:5
Then you will look and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and swell with joy, because the riches of the sea will be brought to you, and the wealth of the nations will…
- Isaiah 60:9
Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God,…
- Zechariah 2:11
“On that day many nations will join themselves to the LORD, and they will become My people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent Me…
- Romans 15:20
In this way I have aspired to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
- Isaiah 60:5
Through
2 Samuel 3:1Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 14:30
There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their days.
- 1 Kings 14:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 2.78.