Psalms 18:17

18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, ¹ 

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

Psalms 18:40

18:40 You make my enemies retreat; ² 

I destroy those who hate me. ³ 

[18:17]  ¹ tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.

[18:40]  ² tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.

[18:40]  ³ sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the Lord who delivered the psalmist from those who hated him.