Psalm 18:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.

NIV: You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

NASB: You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

CSB: You have made my enemies retreat before me; I annihilate those who hate me.

NLT: You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me.

KJV: Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

NKJV: You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.

Continuing his praise of God for his victories, David recalls how God arranged for him to be victorious.

This verse uses a Hebrew expression which is not easily translated into English. An extremely literal rendering would be similar to "give the back of the neck to me." This presents several closely related possible meanings. In any form of combat, being behind the enemy is a tremendous benefit, which might be David's main meaning. Another possibility, connected to the prior verses, is an enemy who has been beaten down such that David can strike, grasp, or push down on their neck. Most likely, it is meant to depict an enemy turning to run away at top speed, as seen in Exodus 23:27. In any case, David's point is that God provided him with outstanding advantages against his foes.

As Christians, if we yield ourselves to God and turn down solicitations to do evil, our enemy, the Devil, will flee from us as surely as David's enemies fled from him. James 4:7 counsels us: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

David also refers to his physical enemies as those who hated him. Jesus told us we should not be surprised if the world hates us because the Lord chose to separate us from the world (John 15:18). Of course, while David's battles were often physical, those of a Christian are primarily spiritual (John 18:36; Ephesians 6:12). The "world" Jesus refers to is not the material world but the evil world system that follows the dictates of the Devil. Romans 12:2 commands us not to be conformed to the evil world system, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

If we choose not to conform to the world but to confront its evil thought patterns and practices, we will be as victorious over the world that hates us as David was over those who hated him.

Psalm 18:28–45 celebrates the Lord's goodness to David during his wilderness experience (2 Samuel 22:1). Second Samuel 22:29–46 is a companion passage, and 2 Samuel chapter 8 features several of David's victories. Other passages that focus on the victory God gives His people are Romans 8:28–39, 1 Corinthians 15:50–58, 2 Corinthians 1:8–11, 2:14–17, Ephesians 6:10–20, Philippians 1:12–26, 1 Peter 1:3–9, and 1 John 5:1–5.

In 2 Samuel chapter 22, David expresses praise for all the times in his life where God gave him victory. That prayer or song is copied almost identically here. Psalm 18, itself, might have been adapted for use in public worship. David remembers dire situations where God rescued him. He dramatically recounts how God provided rescue and power. David also credits God with rewarding his obedience by making him a powerful and successful military leader. For these reasons, David commits himself to the praise and worship of the Lord.

This psalm is David's prayer to the Lord in which David praises the Lord for making him victorious over his enemies. Second Samuel 5, 8, and 10 are companion chapters, and 2 Samuel 22 provides another version of this psalm. Second Samuel 22:1 tells us David composed Psalm 18 on the day the Lord delivered him from his enemies and Saul. Second Samuel 19 reports David's victorious return to Jerusalem after David vanquished his enemies.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.