2 Samuel 22:36 (ASV)

Passage

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy gentleness hath made me great.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 22:34 He maketh his feet like hinds` [feet], And setteth me upon my high places.

2 Samuel 22:35 He teacheth my hands to war, So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

2 Samuel 22:36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy gentleness hath made me great.

2 Samuel 22:37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; And my feet have not slipped.

2 Samuel 22:38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; Neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "hast", "given", "shield", "salvation", "gentleness", "hath", and "great". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "hast", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 35's "He teacheth my hands to war So..." into verse 37's "Thou hast enlarged my steps under me...", so "thou" and "hast" belong inside that flow. In 2 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "hast" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.