Objection: David Spoke in Hyperbole – He Was Never Superman Who Could Literally Run Through a Troop and Leap over a Wall

Perhaps the objector got confused and thought that the song lyrics “I can run through a troop and leap over a wall” were what David actually said (it isn’t – there’s a subtle but very important difference) and that David was speaking metaphorically or was exaggerating, or making himself out to be Superman before Superman was invented.

But David didn’t say that he COULD do it.  He actually testified that he HAD DONE it!

2 Samuel 22:30:
For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

Psalm 18:29:
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

There is no hyperbole here any more than there was hyperbole when he accomplished the “superhero” feat of killing a lion bare-handed and killing a bear bare-handed.  There is no hyperbole here any more than there was hyperbole when he accomplished the “superhero” feat of killing Goliath and chopping off his head.

So David’s words were NOT hyperbole, and we have just let all the air out of the tires of this objection.  In fact, we’ve taken the tires right off!

We never did get to the point of the objection, and it doesn’t matter.  The point was supposed to be that when David said that God healed “all his diseases” and “restored his youth like the eagles’” that he was speaking in hyperbole, and the verses above were supposed to prove it.

I don’t know how high the wall was that he leapt over, but it’s not unreasonable that he could run through a troop.  I just watched football highlights the morning before I wrote this where a guy got the ball and ran 99 yards for a touchdown, evading or shoving away everyone on the opposing team who tried to stop him.  He made other similar plays in the same game for touchdowns.  If a person could run through a troop like that today, I don’t see why David couldn’t do it back then, especially when he did what he did “by God” and not just by muscle and speed and sneaky moves.

The Bible also records where Jesus made his way through a hostile crowd of people.  He did His own Superman feat by “passing through the midst” of an angry crowd that was out to kill Him!

Luke 4:28-30:
When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
But passing through their midst, he went away.

If Jesus could do that, there is no reason to believe that David didn’t do it.