
Text -- Psalms 18:5 (NET)




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collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Which brought me to the brink of the grave.

Had almost taken hold of me, before I was aware.
JFB: Psa 18:5 - -- And hell (compare Psa 16:10) are personified as man's great enemies (compare Rev 20:13-14).
And hell (compare Psa 16:10) are personified as man's great enemies (compare Rev 20:13-14).

JFB: Psa 18:5 - -- Encountered me, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean he was in their power.
Encountered me, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean he was in their power.
Clarke: Psa 18:5 - -- The sorrows of hell - חבלי שאול chebley sheol , the cables or cords of the grave. Is not this a reference to the cords or ropes with which ...
The sorrows of hell -

Clarke: Psa 18:5 - -- The snares of death prevented me - I was just on the point of dropping into the pit which they had digged for me. In short, I was all but a dead man...
The snares of death prevented me - I was just on the point of dropping into the pit which they had digged for me. In short, I was all but a dead man; and nothing less than the immediate interference of God could have saved my life.
Calvin -> Psa 18:5
Calvin: Psa 18:5 - -- We shall now make a few observations with respect to the words. The Hebrew word חבלי , chebley, means cords or sorrows, or any deadly evil...
We shall now make a few observations with respect to the words. The Hebrew word
TSK -> Psa 18:5
TSK: Psa 18:5 - -- The sorrows : or, cords, Psa 86:13, Psa 88:3-8, Psa 88:15-17; Act 2:24
snares : Ecc 9:12
The sorrows : or, cords, Psa 86:13, Psa 88:3-8, Psa 88:15-17; Act 2:24
snares : Ecc 9:12

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Psa 18:5
Barnes: Psa 18:5 - -- The sorrows of hell - Margin, "cords."The word used here is the same which occurs in the previous verse, and which is there rendered "sorrows."...
The sorrows of hell - Margin, "cords."The word used here is the same which occurs in the previous verse, and which is there rendered "sorrows."It is correctly translated here, as in that verse, "sorrows,"though the parallelism would seem to favor the interpretation in the margin - cords. If it means "sorrows,"the idea is, that such sufferings encompassed him, or seized upon him, as we associate in idea with the descent to the under-world, or the going down to the dead. If it means "cords, or bands,"then the idea is, that he was seized with pain as if with cords thrown around him, and that were dragging him down to the abodes of the dead. Luther, DeWette, Prof. Alexander, Hengstenberg, and others render the word, in each of these places, "bands."On the word here rendered "hell,"
The snares of death - The word "snares"refers to the gins, toils, nets, which are used in taking wild beasts, by suddenly throwing cords around them, and binding them fast. The idea here is, that "Death"had thus thrown around him its toils or snares, and had bound him fast.
Prevented me - The word used here in Hebrew, as our word "prevent"did originally, means to "anticipate, to go before."The idea here is that those snares had, as it were, suddenly rushed upon him, or seized him. They came before him in his goings, and bound him fast.
Poole -> Psa 18:5
Poole: Psa 18:5 - -- Of hell or, of the grave , which brought me to the brink of the grave.
Prevented me had almost taken hold of me, ere I was aware of my danger.
Of hell or, of the grave , which brought me to the brink of the grave.
Prevented me had almost taken hold of me, ere I was aware of my danger.
Haydock -> Psa 18:5
Haydock: Psa 18:5 - -- Sound. So, St. Paul reads this text, though the Hebrew have, "line." Yet there is no reason why we should suppose that the Septuagint read differen...
Sound. So, St. Paul reads this text, though the Hebrew have, "line." Yet there is no reason why we should suppose that the Septuagint read differently, or that the Jews have corrupted their copies, as t hey could derive no advantage from so doing (Berthier) here, unless it were to discredit the apostle; as infidels assert the truth of the Old Testament, to vilify the new. Kum (Haydock) may signify a "line," (Berthier) or "writing." (Abenezra) ---
The greatest exactitude has been observed in forming the world, as if all had been measured by an architect. But the sense of the Vulgate is preferable, and is adopted by Symmachus, St. Jerome, and the Syriac. (Calmet) ---
Protestants, "their line." Marginal note, "their rule or direction." Kolam, "their voice," occurs in the preceding verse. The l might easily be lost, (Haydock) or omitted by a poetical licence. (Genebrard.) (Menochius) ---
Their, refers to the heavens representing the apostles, as St. Paul explains this text, to prove that all were inexcusable who would not believe the gospel. (Berthier)
Gill -> Psa 18:5
Gill: Psa 18:5 - -- The sorrows of hell compassed me about,.... Or "the cords of the grave" s, under the power of which he was detained for awhile; the allusion may be to...
The sorrows of hell compassed me about,.... Or "the cords of the grave" s, under the power of which he was detained for awhile; the allusion may be to the manner of burying among the Jews, who wound up their dead bodies in linen clothes; so that they were as persons bound hand and foot; and thus were they laid in the grave; see Joh 11:44; and so was Christ, till he was raised from the dead, when he showed himself to have the keys of hell and death, and to be no more under their power, or be held by them;
the snares of death prevented me; or "met" or "got before me" t the sense is, he was taken in them: this phrase designs the insidious ways and methods which the enemies of Christ took to ensnare him, and take away his life, and in which they succeeded; see Mat 26:4.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Psa 18:1-50
MHCC -> Psa 18:1-19
MHCC: Psa 18:1-19 - --The first words, " I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as ...
Matthew Henry -> Psa 18:1-19
Matthew Henry: Psa 18:1-19 - -- The title gives us the occasion of penning this psalm; we had it before (2Sa 22:1), only here we are told that the psalm was delivered to the chief...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Psa 18:4-6
Keil-Delitzsch: Psa 18:4-6 - --
(Heb.: 18:5-7) In these verses David gathers into one collective figure all the fearful dangers to which he had been exposed during his persecution...
Constable -> Psa 18:1-50; Psa 18:3-28
Constable: Psa 18:1-50 - --Psalm 18
As the title indicates, David wrote this psalm after he had subdued his political enemies and h...
