Psalm 18:4
New International Version
The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

New Living Translation
The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.

English Standard Version
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;

Berean Standard Bible
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

King James Bible
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

New King James Version
The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

New American Standard Bible
The ropes of death encompassed me, And the torrents of destruction terrified me.

NASB 1995
The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.

NASB 1977
The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.

Legacy Standard Bible
The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of vileness terrified me.

Amplified Bible
The cords of death surrounded me, And the streams of ungodliness and torrents of destruction terrified me.

Christian Standard Bible
The ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

American Standard Version
The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

Contemporary English Version
Death had wrapped its ropes around me, and I was almost swallowed by its flooding waters.

English Revised Version
The cords of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The ropes of death had become tangled around me. The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.

Good News Translation
The danger of death was all around me; the waves of destruction rolled over me.

International Standard Version
The cords of death entangled me; the rivers of Belial made me afraid.

Majority Standard Bible
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

NET Bible
The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

New Heart English Bible
The waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.

Webster's Bible Translation
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

World English Bible
The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Cords of death have surrounded me, "" And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

Young's Literal Translation
Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

Smith's Literal Translation
The pains of death surrounded me, and the torrents of Belial made me afraid.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The sorrows of death surrounded me, and the torrents of iniquity dismayed me.

New American Bible
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

New Revised Standard Version
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of perdition assailed me;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For the pains of death surrounded me, and the rush of ungodly men have confused me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because the destructions of death surrounded me and the torrents of evil ones troubled me.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The cords of Death compassed me, And the floods of Belial assailed me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The pangs of death compassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness troubled me exceedingly.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD is My Rock
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. 4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. 5The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 22:5
For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

Jonah 2:3-6
For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me; all Your breakers and waves swept over me. / At this, I said, ‘I have been banished from Your sight; yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple.’ / The waters engulfed me to take my life; the watery depths closed around me; the seaweed wrapped around my head. ...

Psalm 69:1-2
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck. / I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.

Psalm 116:3
The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.

Job 38:8-11
Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, / when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, / when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, ...

Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Lamentations 3:54-55
The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die. / I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.

Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.

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.

Isaiah 30:28
His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Luke 21:25
There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. / Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. / He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? / As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” / No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ...

1 Corinthians 15:55-57
“Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” / The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. / But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!


Treasury of Scripture

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

sorrows

Psalm 116:3
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

2 Samuel 22:5,6
When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; …

Isaiah 13:8
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

floods

Psalm 22:12,13,16
Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round…

Jonah 2:2-7
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice…

Matthew 26:47,55
And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people…

ungodly men [Heb.

Jump to Previous
Afraid Assailed Bands Belial Compassed Cords Death Destruction Encompassed Entangled Evil Fear Floods Overwhelmed Perdition Round Seas Sorrows Streams Surrounded Terrified Torrents Ungodliness Ungodly Worthless
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Afraid Assailed Bands Belial Compassed Cords Death Destruction Encompassed Entangled Evil Fear Floods Overwhelmed Perdition Round Seas Sorrows Streams Surrounded Terrified Torrents Ungodliness Ungodly Worthless
Psalm 18
1. David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings














The cords of death
This phrase evokes a vivid image of being ensnared or trapped by death itself. The Hebrew word for "cords" is "חֶבֶל" (chebel), which can also mean a rope or snare. In the ancient Near Eastern context, ropes were often used in warfare and hunting, symbolizing entrapment and danger. The psalmist, David, uses this imagery to convey the perilous situation he faced, feeling as though death was closing in on him. This phrase reminds believers of the spiritual battles they face and the ever-present threat of sin and death, yet it also points to the hope of deliverance through God.

encompassed me
The Hebrew word "סָבַב" (sabab) means to surround or encircle. This conveys a sense of being completely overwhelmed or besieged by forces beyond one's control. Historically, David faced numerous enemies and life-threatening situations, and this phrase captures the intensity of those experiences. For Christians, it serves as a reminder of the times when life's challenges seem insurmountable, yet it also encourages trust in God's protection and deliverance.

the torrents of chaos
The word "torrents" translates from the Hebrew "נַחַל" (nachal), which refers to a rushing stream or flood. "Chaos" is rendered from "בְּלִיַּעַל" (belial), often associated with worthlessness or wickedness. Together, these words paint a picture of overwhelming, destructive forces. In the biblical context, floods often symbolize judgment or overwhelming adversity. This imagery reflects the spiritual and moral chaos that can threaten to overwhelm believers, yet it also underscores the power of God to bring order and peace.

overwhelmed me
The Hebrew root "בָּעַת" (ba'at) means to terrify or overwhelm. This conveys a sense of being overpowered by fear or distress. David's use of this term reflects his deep emotional turmoil during times of crisis. For the Christian reader, it serves as a reminder of the moments when fear and anxiety threaten to take hold, yet it also points to the assurance that God is a refuge and strength in times of trouble.

(4) The sorrows of death.--The Hebrew word may mean either birth pangs (LXX. and Acts 2:24, where see Note, New Testament Commentary), or cords. The figure of the hunter in the next verse, "the snares of death," determines its meaning there to be cords (see margin). It is best, therefore, to keep the same rendering here: but there can be little doubt that the version in Samuel, breakers, or waves, is the true one, from the parallelism--

"Waves of death compassed me,

And billows of Belial terrified me."

For Belial, see Deuteronomy 13:13. Here the parallelism fixes its meaning, "ruin." For the ideas of peril and destruction, connected by the Hebrews with waves and floods, comp. Psalm 18:16, also Psalm 32:6; Psalm 42:7; Psalm 69:1. Doubtless the tradition of the Flood and of the Red Sea helped to strengthen the apprehensions natural in a country where the river annually overflowed its banks. and where a dry ravine might at any moment become a dangerous flood. The hatred of the sea arose from quite another cause--viz., the dread of it as a highway for invasion. . . .

Verse 4. - The sorrows of death compassed me. Here begins the narrative of David's sufferings in the past. "'The sorrows' - or rather, 'the cords' - of death," he says, "encompassed me," or "coiled around me" (Kay). Death is represented as a hunter, who goes out with nets and cords, encompassing his victims and driving them into the toils. David's recollection is probably of the time when he was "hunted upon the mountains" by Saul (1 Samuel 26:20), and expected continually to be caught and put to death (1 Samuel 19:1; 1 Samuel 23:15; 1 Samuel 27:1). And the floods of ungodlymen made me afraid; literally, the torrents of Belial, or of ungodliness. The LXX. have χείμαῥῤοι, ἀνομίας. Streams of ungodly men, the myrmidons of Saul, cut him off from escape.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The cords
חֶבְלֵי־ (ḥeḇ·lê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2256: A rope, a measuring line, a district, inheritance, a noose, a company, a throe, ruin

of death
מָ֑וֶת (mā·weṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

encompassed me;
אֲפָפ֥וּנִי (’ă·p̄ā·p̄ū·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 661: To surround, encompass

the torrents
וְֽנַחֲלֵ֖י (wə·na·ḥă·lê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

of chaos
בְלִיַּ֣עַל (ḇə·lî·ya·‘al)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1100: Without profit, worthlessness, destruction, wickedness

overwhelmed me.
יְבַֽעֲתֽוּנִי׃ (yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯū·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular
Strong's 1204: To fall upon, startle, terrify


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OT Poetry: Psalm 18:4 The cords of death surrounded me (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 18:3
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