I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
Parallel translations
- WEB I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again until they are consumed.
- KJV I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
- NKJV I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
- NASB ¶I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
- NLT I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
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
With God's strength David pursues and overtakes his enemies, not relenting until they are defeated. The victory God grants is decisive and complete.
Overview
This begins a section describing total triumph over David's foes. The relentless pursuit reflects the comprehensive deliverance God gave Israel's anointed king. While framed in Old Testament warfare, it points typologically to Christ's final and complete conquest of every enemy, including death itself (1 Cor 15:25-26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 44:5Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.
- Isa 53:10–12Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
- Ps 9:3When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.
- Ps 3:7Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
- Ps 35:5May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
- Ps 118:11–12They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
- Rev 19:19–20Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.
- Isa 63:1–6Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.”
- Ps 37:20But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away.
- Rev 6:2So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
- Num 24:17–19I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.
- Ps 35:2Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
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
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 18:37 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.