It is God that avengeth me - Margin, giveth avengements for me. The marginal reading is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The meaning is, that God had punished the enemies of the author of the psalm for all the wrongs which they had done to him. Compare Romans 12:19.

And subdueth the people under me - Margin, destroyeth. The idea is that he had subdued the nations so that they became obedient to him. The primary notion of the word used here - from דבר dâbar - is to set in a row; to range in order; to connect; to lead; to guide; - then, to reduce to order; to subdue. This God had done in respect to the nations. Instead of being rebellious and tumultuous, God had reduced them to obedience, and had thus set him over a kingdom where all were subject to order and to law.

God that avengeth me - The way that I took was after his own heart; therefore he sustained me in it, and did me justice over my enemies.

Subdueth the people under me - He keeps down the spirits of the disaffected, and weakens their hands. They are subdued, and they continue under me; and this is the Lord's doing.

It is God that avengeth me,.... Or "gives vengeance unto me", or "for me" (t): vengeance only belongs to God, and he repays it for and in behalf of his people. Private revenge is not to be exercised by any; public vengeance on delinquents may be exercised by the civil magistrate, to whom God gives power and authority to exercise it, Romans 13:4; as he did to David, as king of Israel; though the phrase rather seems to design the victories which he obtained over his enemies, which were punishments to them, vengeances inflicted on them; and owing to God; so the acceptable year of the Messiah's coming, and the time of his people redeemed by him, is called the day of vengeance of our God, both on his and their enemies, Isaiah 61:2;

and subdueth the people under me; the Edomites, Moabites, and others, as in 2 Samuel 8:1, or the Gentiles under Christ; See Gill on Psalm 18:39;

(t) "qui dat ultiones mihi", Pagninus, Gejerus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Musculus, Cocceius, Michaelis.

It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

avengeth: Heb. giveth avengements for

subdueth: or, destroyeth

47, 48. avengeth me-His cause is espoused by God as His own.

18:32, and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.