John Calvin Commentary Psalms 55:18

"He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many [that strove] with me." — Psalms 55:18 (ASV)

He hath redeemed my soul into peace. Those who read the two preceding verses in the perfect instead of the future tense, are apparently led to this by considering that David here proves his former prayers to have been answered, from the fact of deliverance having been granted. But there is no difficulty involved in adopting the other reading.

We may suppose that he was either so confident of being delivered that he speaks as if he actually were so already, or that he inserts what was the substance of his meditations at different times; it is quite common, when mention is made of prayers, to add a statement of the event that followed from them.

Having spoken, then, of his prayers, he refers to their result, in order to express his thankfulness for the mercy he had received. He says that he had been redeemed into peace — a strong expression, signifying the danger to which he had been exposed and the almost miraculous manner in which he had been delivered from it.

What is added, they were in great numbers with me, admits of a double meaning.

Some understand him as referring to enemies; with me being, according to them, equivalent to against me. He represents himself as having been beset by a host of adversaries and commends the goodness manifested by God in accomplishing his deliverance.

Others think that he refers to the angels, whose hosts are encamped around those who fear the Lord (Psalms 34:7). The letter ב, beth, which I have rendered in, they consider to be here, as in many other places, merely expletive, so that we may read the words, great numbers were with me.

This latter interpretation conveys a comfortable truth, as God, although he does not need auxiliaries, has chosen, to accommodate our weakness, to employ a multitude of them in the accomplishment of our salvation.

However, David appears rather to speak of enemies and to refer to their number in order to magnify the deliverance he had received.