The Meaning of Psalms 18:20 Explained

Psalms 18:20

KJV: The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

YLT: Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.

Darby: Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

ASV: Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  rewarded  me according to my righteousness;  according to the cleanness  of my hands  hath he recompensed  me. 

What does Psalms 18:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 18:1-26 - A Wonderful Deliverance
There is another edition of this psalm in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. Psalms 18:2 and Psalms 18:49 are applied in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 2:13 and Romans 15:9. We begin with the psalmist's good resolve, Psalms 18:1-3. No single metaphor can comprehend the whole of God's helpfulness to men; but can we say, "I love thee"? See John 21:17. "Thou knowest!"
The story of the past, Psalms 18:4-19. We also have our Red Seas. In our distress let us also cry. The voice of the sufferer may be weak and solitary, but it reaches through the gates of pearl and moves creation! Luke 8:46.
The confident claim of the righteous, Psalms 18:20-26. We cannot boast a righteousness of our own, but we stand in Christ. We are full of impurity and evil, but we may claim at least integrity of motive. Compare Psalms 18:26 with Leviticus 26:21-24. The wind blows in one direction; you can walk against it or with it-take your choice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:20 mean?

Rewarded me Yahweh according to my righteousness According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me
יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי יְהוָ֣ה כְּצִדְקִ֑י כְּבֹ֥ר יָ֝דַ֗י יָשִׁ֥יב לִֽי

יִגְמְלֵ֣נִי  Rewarded  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: גָּמַל  
Sense: to deal fully with, recompense.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כְּצִדְקִ֑י  according  to  my  righteousness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֶדֶק  
Sense: justice, rightness, righteousness.
כְּבֹ֥ר  According  to  the  cleanness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֹּר  
Sense: cleanness, pureness.
יָ֝דַ֗י  of  my  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
יָשִׁ֥יב  He  has  recompensed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִֽי  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular