67 The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25–29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25–27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28–29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26–27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see §54.e.
68 Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
69 Or “innocent.”
70 Heb “a man of innocence.”
71 Or “blameless.”
72 The Hebrew verb פָתַל (patal) is used in only three other texts. In Gen 30:8 it means literally “to wrestle,” or “to twist.” In Job 5:13 it refers to devious individuals, and in Prov 8:8 to deceptive words.
73 The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted, crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4). Verses 25–26 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” 155 (1998): .
74 Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).
75 Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”
76 Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.
77 Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp, Lord.” 2 Sam 22:29 has, “you are my lamp, Lord.” The Ps 18 reading may preserve two variants, נֵרִי (neriy, “my lamp”) and אוֹרִי (’oriy, “my light”), cf. Ps 27:1. The verb תָּאִיר (ta’ir, “you light”) in Ps 18:28 would, in this case, be a corruption of the latter. See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (), 150, n. 64. The metaphor, which likens the Lord to a lamp or light, pictures him as the psalmist’s source of life. For other examples of “lamp” used in this way, see Job 18:6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20. For other examples of “light” as a symbol for life, see Job 3:20; 33:30; Ps 56:13.
78 2 Sam 22:29 repeats the name “Lord.”
79 Heb “my darkness.”
80 Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
81 Heb “by you.”
82 Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”
83 More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gédud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops. I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
84 Heb “and by my God.”
85 I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

with the purified you show yourself pure;

and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

For it is you who light my lamp;

the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

To the faithful you show yourself faithful,

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

to the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

You save the humble

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

With your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

With the faithful

you prove yourself faithful,

with the blameless

you prove yourself blameless,

with the pure

you prove yourself pure,

but with the crooked

you prove yourself shrewd.

For you rescue an oppressed people,

but you humble those with haughty eyes.

Lord, you light my lamp;

my God illuminates my darkness.

With you I can attack a barricade,

and with my God I can leap over a wall.

NLTNew Living Translation

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

You rescue the humble,

but you humiliate the proud.

You light a lamp for me.

The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

To the loyal you show yourself loyal.

To the blameless you show yourself blameless.

To the pure you show yourself pure.

but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.

For you deliver humble people,

but haughty eyes you humiliate.

For you light my lamp;

Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.

For with you I can charge a troop,

and with my God I can scale a wall.

KJV 1900King James Version

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful;

With an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure;

And with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

For thou wilt save the afflicted people;

But wilt bring down high looks.

For thou wilt light my candle:

The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

For by thee I have run through a troop;

And by my God have I leaped over a wall.

Public Domain