The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
Parallel translations
- WEB The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death caught me.
- KJV The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
- NKJV The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
- NASB The ropes of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
- NLT The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The cords of Sheol and snares of death closed in around David. He felt trapped on the very edge of the grave.
Overview
Continuing the imagery of mortal danger, David depicts death like a hunter's snare and binding cords. The picture conveys utter helplessness apart from divine rescue. Christ likewise faced the snares of death, yet broke them in his resurrection, securing hope for all who trust him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 116:3The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
- Prov 13:14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning one from the snares of death.
- Jonah 2:2saying: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice.
- Acts 2:24But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
- Prov 5:22The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
- Job 36:8And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,
- Prov 14:27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
- Ps 140:5The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah
- Ps 18:5The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.