He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
Parallel translations
- WEB He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
- KJV He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
- NKJV He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.
- NASB He saved me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
- NLT He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
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
God delivered David from a powerful enemy too strong for him. It matters because God saves his people from foes they cannot defeat on their own.
Overview
David acknowledges that his enemies were too mighty for him, but God rescued him from them. The rescue magnifies God's strength against overwhelming odds. Believers likewise are saved by God's power, not their own, from enemies of sin and death too strong for them, through the victory of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Heb 2:14–15Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Ps 142:6Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
- Job 16:9His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.
- Ps 35:10All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
- Ps 69:4–14Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.
- Eph 6:10–12Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
- Ps 118:7The LORD is on my side; He is my helper. Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
- 2 Sam 22:1And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
- Ps 18:40–41You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
- Ps 38:19Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason.
- 2 Sam 22:18He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
- Ps 9:13Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death,
- Ps 25:19Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred.
- Luke 19:14But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 18:17 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.