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I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Psalms 18:3 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
  • BSB I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
  • NKJV I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
  • NASB I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.
  • NLT I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

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

David calls on the praiseworthy Lord and is saved from his enemies. It matters because calling on God in faith brings salvation.

Overview

David testifies that when he calls on Yahweh, who is worthy of all praise, he is delivered from his foes. Prayer and praise are bound together in his experience of rescue. This anticipates the gospel promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Ps 91:15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
  • Ps 145:3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
  • Luke 1:71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
  • Rom 8:31–39What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
  • Ps 62:8Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
  • 2 Sam 22:4I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
  • Ps 96:4For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
  • Ps 55:16As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
  • Ps 28:1–2Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
  • Phil 4:6–7Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
  • Neh 9:5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
  • Ps 50:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
  • Rev 4:11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
  • Ps 5:2–3Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
  • Rev 5:12–14Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
  • Acts 2:21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
  • Ps 48:1Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
  • Ps 76:4Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
  • Ps 65:1–2Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 18:3YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 18:3 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.