2 Samuel 22:31 Explained

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." — 2 Samuel 22:31 (KJV)

From David's song of deliverance, and 'tried' is a metallurgist's word rather than a compliment.

Read it in context: The Book of 2 Samuel. Also gathered under verses about trust.

2 Samuel 22:31 in context

What does 2 Samuel 22:31 mean?

'Tried' means assayed, tested for purity the way ore is. The claim is not that God's word sounds good but that it has been put through the fire and came out what it said it was — and David is offering his own life as the furnace. 'Buckler' is a small shield carried on the arm, for close fighting rather than a wall to stand behind. The protection imagined is mobile and near.

What is the context of 2 Samuel 22:31?

Chapter 22 is a long psalm David sang when God delivered him from Saul and all his enemies — it appears again as Psalm 18. It is retrospective, sung by an old king looking back at decades of near misses.

How do I pray 2 Samuel 22:31?

Pray it looking backwards, as David did, and name one promise that has actually been tested in your life and held. Testimony is the form this verse takes; claiming God's way is perfect without any assay behind it is a different and weaker thing than what David is doing.

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