Psalm 18:16
New International Version
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

New Living Translation
He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.

English Standard Version
He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

Berean Standard Bible
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

King James Bible
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

New King James Version
He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

New American Standard Bible
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

NASB 1995
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

NASB 1977
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

Legacy Standard Bible
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

Amplified Bible
He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

Christian Standard Bible
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He reached down from heaven and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters.

American Standard Version
He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.

Contemporary English Version
You reached down from heaven, and you lifted me from deep in the ocean.

English Revised Version
He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water.

Good News Translation
The LORD reached down from above and took hold of me; he pulled me out of the deep waters.

International Standard Version
He reached down and took me; he drew me from many waters.

Majority Standard Bible
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

NET Bible
He reached down from above and took hold of me; he pulled me from the surging water.

New Heart English Bible
He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.

Webster's Bible Translation
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

World English Bible
He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He sends from above—He takes me, "" He draws me out of many waters.

Young's Literal Translation
He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

Smith's Literal Translation
He will send forth from on high, he will take me, he will draw me out of many waters.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He sent from on high, and he accepted me. And he took me up, out of many waters.

New American Bible
He reached down from on high and seized me; drew me out of the deep waters.

New Revised Standard Version
He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He sent from on high and quieted me; he received me out of great waters.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He sent from on high and he pulled me out; he took me out from many waters.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He sent from on high and took me, he drew me to himself out of many waters.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD is My Rock
15The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. 17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.…

Cross References
Exodus 2:10
When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses and explained, “I drew him out of the water.”

2 Samuel 22:17
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

Jonah 2:6
To the roots of the mountains I descended; the earth beneath me barred me in forever! But You raised my life from the pit, O LORD my God!

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.

Psalm 144:7
Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners,

Psalm 69:14-15
Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink; deliver me from my foes and out of the deep waters. / Do not let the floods engulf me or the depths swallow me up; let not the Pit close its mouth over me.

Psalm 32:6
Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near.

Psalm 40:2
He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.

Psalm 124:4-5
then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us, / then the raging waters would have swept us away.

Job 22:29
When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.

Matthew 14:30-31
But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” / Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 8:25-26
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” / “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.

Mark 4:39
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

Luke 8:24
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.


Treasury of Scripture

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He sent

Psalm 57:3
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

Psalm 144:7
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

drew

Psalm 18:43
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

Psalm 40:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry…

Exodus 2:10
And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

many waters.

Jonah 2:5,6
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head…

Revelation 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

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Psalm 18
1. David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings














He reached down
The phrase "He reached down" signifies an act of divine intervention. In the Hebrew text, the verb used here is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send or stretch out. This action implies God's initiative and willingness to engage with humanity. It reflects His omnipotence and omnipresence, as He is able to extend His hand from the heavens to the earth. This reaching down is a powerful image of God's grace and mercy, emphasizing that salvation is not achieved by human effort but by God's sovereign will.

from on high
The term "from on high" denotes God's exalted position in the heavens. It underscores His supreme authority and majesty. In the ancient Near Eastern context, gods were often associated with high places, symbolizing their power and dominion. For the Israelites, the God of Israel was not just a deity among many but the one true God who reigns from the highest heavens. This phrase reassures believers of God's ability to oversee and intervene in the affairs of the world from His heavenly throne.

and took hold of me
"and took hold of me" conveys a personal and intimate action. The Hebrew word "לָקַח" (laqach) means to take, seize, or grasp. This indicates a deliberate and protective act by God. It suggests that God not only notices our plight but actively engages to rescue us. This personal involvement is a testament to God's love and commitment to His people, affirming that He is not distant or indifferent but deeply involved in the lives of those who call upon Him.

He drew me out
The phrase "He drew me out" uses the Hebrew verb "מָשָׁה" (mashah), which means to pull out or rescue. This word is notably used in the account of Moses, who was drawn out of the Nile (Exodus 2:10). It evokes the imagery of deliverance and salvation, highlighting God's power to rescue His people from perilous situations. This act of drawing out is symbolic of God's ability to save us from spiritual and physical dangers, reinforcing the theme of divine deliverance throughout the Scriptures.

of deep waters
"of deep waters" is a metaphor for overwhelming circumstances or distress. In biblical literature, deep waters often represent chaos, danger, and the unknown. The ancient Israelites, who were not traditionally a seafaring people, viewed large bodies of water with trepidation. Thus, being in "deep waters" symbolizes being in a situation beyond one's control or understanding. God's ability to draw us out of such depths is a powerful reminder of His sovereignty over creation and His capacity to bring order out of chaos, offering hope and reassurance to believers facing life's tumultuous challenges.

(16) He drew me.--By an exquisite transition from the real to the figurative the poet conceives of these parted waters as the "floods of affliction" (Psalm 18:5), from which Jehovah has rescued him by means of the very storm which was sent, in answer to his prayer, to overwhelm his enemies. Render at once more literally and forcibly, "He laid hold of me and drew me out of great waters." The conception undoubtedly is that the "gates of death" are under these floods, and those being now parted, the sufferer can be reached and rescued.

Psalm 18:17-19 show trifling variations between the two copies of the psalm.

Verse 16. - He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. While destruction thus came upon David's enemies (vers. 12-14), God's protecting hand was stretched out to save David himself, who was carefully "taken" and tenderly "drawn" forth from among the "many waters," i.e. the dangers and difficulties which threatened him. Some commentators see in the words used - "he sent, he took me, he drew me" - a tacit reference to Exodus 2:5, 10, and, by implication, a sort of parallel between the deliverance of David from his foes and that of Moses from the waters of the Nile (Kay, Hengstenberg, 'Speaker's Commentary').

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He reached
יִשְׁלַ֣ח (yiš·laḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

from on high
מִ֭מָּרוֹם (mim·mā·rō·wm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4791: Altitude

and took hold of me;
יִקָּחֵ֑נִי (yiq·qā·ḥê·nî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3947: To take

He drew me
יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי (yam·šê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 4871: To pull out

out of deep
רַבִּֽים׃ (rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

waters.
מִמַּ֥יִם (mim·ma·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Poetry: Psalm 18:16 He sent from on high (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 18:15
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