King James Version Public Domain
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International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.
New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org
American Standard Version Public Domain
NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible
Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute — public domain
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
— King James Version (1611) — View 1611 Bible Scan
As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
— New American Standard Version (1995)
As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.
— American Standard Version (1901)
As for God, his way is completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him.
— Basic English Bible
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
— Darby Bible
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
— Webster’s Bible
As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
— World English Bible
God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
— Youngs Literal Bible
(18:31) As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.
— Jewish Publication Society Bible
Wesley’s Notes for Psalms 18:30
18:30 Perfect — His providence, though it may sometimes be dark, yet is always wise and just, and unblameable. Tried — The truth of God’s promises is approved by innumerable experiences.
Psalms 18:30
[As for] God, his way [is] perfect
Or «without spot» {m}, as the Septuagint render the word; without any just charge of inequality, or unrighteousness; such is God’s way of providence, though sometimes his methods of providence are cavilled at by wicked men, and murmured at by his own people: they are at a loss, at times, to reconcile promises and providences together, and to account for the justice and equity of them; these ways of his are unsearchable, and not to be traced out by them; but when his judgments will be made manifest, the wisdom, goodness, and righteousness of them will be clearly discerned, and they will be admired; for they are all of a piece, and perfectly consistent with the attributes of God: and such also is his way of grace, and method of salvation; it is agreeable to all his perfections, and according to his purposes, counsel, and covenant; this being resolved on in his breast, contrived by his wisdom, and concluded on in the covenant, has been effected and finished by his son; and his inward way of working upon the heart, though at present imperfect, will be completed; he is a rock, and his work is perfect, and all his ways are judgment: whatever way or method he contrives and enters upon, whether in providence or grace, he pursues and brings to an issue; for he is an omnipotent, omniscient, and unchangeable Being, and neither frustrates, nor is he frustrated; nor is there any insincerity, unrighteousness, and unfaithfulness in him; nor can he act contrary to himself, and the perfections of his nature: the way also which he prescribes to others is perfect and plain, whether the path of doctrine or of duty; the path of truth is plain to the enlightened understanding, and the way of holiness is such, in which men, though fools, shall not err; see ( Proverbs 8:8 Proverbs 8:9 ) ( Isaiah 35:8 ) ;
the word of the Lord is tried;
as silver in a furnace, and is clear of all dross, of error, and falsehood; is free from human mixtures, and without any impurity and unholiness; nor is God’s word of promise chargeable with unfaithfulness; all his promises being yea and amen in Christ, and have been tried and proved by the saints in all ages; and have been found true, faithful, constant, and invariable;
he [is] a buckler to all those that trust in him;
not in man, nor in themselves; in their own righteousness, or in any creature or creature enjoyment or performance; but in the providence and power of God, in his grace and mercy, in his word, and especially in his Son; in his person, blood, and righteousness; to such he is a buckler or shield: his power is all around them, his favour encompasses them, and his truth, or faithfulness in his word, is their shield and buckler: and so is his Son, who is both a sun and shield to them; and such are his precious blood, his spotless righteousness, and stoning sacrifice; which, being held up by faith, repel the fiery darts of Satan.
F13 (Mymt) (amwmov) , Sept. «impolluta», V. L. so Syriac. Aethiop.
October 26, 2021 September 20, 2021
“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” (Psalm 18:30-31,46)
Have you ever gone to the store with your parents and seen little tables where the store workers are giving away free samples? If a store is just beginning to sell a special new dipping sauce, for example, they might have a big bowl of chips out, and they might invite anyone to grab a chip and dip it in the sauce. Or maybe a bakery has a new cookie recipe, so they want everyone to know how good their new cookie is going to taste! Everyone is welcome to stop by the table and try a cookie (or at least a bite). If you go to an ice cream shop, and you cannot decide what flavor of ice cream you want, a worker might dip a little spoon into a flavor you aren’t sure about, pull out the spoon with a bite of ice cream on it, and hand it to you. Then you can see (taste!) for yourself whether you really like that flavor enough to get a whole scoop of it.
What did the psalmist mean when he wrote that God’s Word is “tried”? Does that mean some people have tried it out and decided they liked it? Well, in a way that’s true. The Word has been tried, or tested, and proven to be true. It truly is the Word of God. God Himself says so, the Word itself says so, and many people have come to believe by faith that God’s Word is what He says it is.
But God’s Word does not need the approval of human beings. Even if everyone read the whole Bible through – and even if every human being alive were to decide that the Bible was just another storybook – the Bible would not be any less true, and it would not stop being God’s Word. Truth is always true, no matter what people think of it.
“All those that trust in” God do find that He is a buckler (a strong shield) for them. They do “taste and see that the LORD is good.” They do come to realize that the Word of the LORD is tried, and that it stands up to any tests. The Word of the LORD is faithful, and that cannot change. Human beings are not always faithful and not always good judges. But God’s way is perfect, and His Word is tried and true. Why? Because God Himself is faithful and true. He never changes, and His Word is the same.
God’s Word is as faithful as He is.
My Response:
» Do I study the Bible so that I can know truths He wants me to know about Himself?
» Do I take the LORD’s Word over what others say?
» How can I show in my daily actions that I believe in the power and trustworthiness of God’s Word?
Psalm 18
1 “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
2 The Lord is my rock and
my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord,
who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before
Him came into His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the
mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
10 He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His hiding place,
His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick
clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before
Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance,
and routed them.
15 Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of
the world were laid bare
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the
day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
20 The Lord has rewarded me
according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness
of my hands He has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness
of my hands in His eyes.
25 With the kind You show Yourself kind;
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.
27 For You save an afflicted people,
But haughty eyes You abase.
28 For You light my lamp;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.
29 For by You I can run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God,
32 The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
34 He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me
the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me;
And Your gentleness makes me great.
36 You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I shattered them, so that
they were not able to rise;
They fell under my feet.
39 For You have girded me
with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me
those who rose up against me.
40 You have also made my
enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save,
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them fine as the
dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.
43 You have delivered me from
the contentions of the people;
You have placed me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.
44 As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners submit to me.
45 Foreigners fade away,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 The God who executes vengeance for me,
And subdues peoples under me.
48 He delivers me from my enemies;
Surely You lift me above those
who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to
You among the nations, O Lord,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
50 He gives great deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.