Psalm 18:2-3 piles up images of God's saving power: the LORD is David's rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, stronghold, and "horn of salvation." In the ancient world the horn symbolized strength and victorious power. David is praising God Himself as the source of the deliverance he has experienced.

Luke 1:69 deliberately uses the same expression when Zechariah praises God for raising up a "horn of salvation" in the house of David. The surrounding verses connect this salvation with God's covenant promises and deliverance from enemies. Applied to Jesus, the image identifies Him as the powerful Davidic Savior through whom God accomplishes redemption. The psalm's title for God's saving strength thus becomes part of the New Testament language used to describe the Messiah.