Psalm 18:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.

NIV: I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

NASB: I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.

CSB: I crush them, and they cannot get up; they fall beneath my feet.

NLT: I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.

KJV: I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

NKJV: I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet.

God gave David many victories over his enemies (1 Samuel 17:50; 2 Samuel 5:18–20; 2 Samuel 8:1–8). Over the last several verses, David has poetically described the ways in which God has empowered his success (Psalm 18:31–37). Here, David expands upon this description.

Years before he first wrote this song of praise (2 Samuel 22:1), David had slain the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17). It wasn't David's skill with a sword that won the battle. Rather, it was God's provision, acting through David's ability with a sling: a whip-like cord used to hurl rocks at high speed. David's stone was launched with such power and precision that it caved in the giant's skull. David seized the opportunity to rush at Goliath, using the enemy's own sword to cut off his head.

Later in life David, continued to show military skill in striking down Israel's enemies. Despite what's depicted in movies and television shows, few weapons—ancient or modern—cause instant death. Landing such a strike is devastating and impressive. Boxers competing in a match typically endure dozens of blows. To "thrust them through" is to land an immediately crippling strike. For a boxer, this is the "knockout" blow; in ancient warfare, it might literally mean piercing an enemy front-to-back with a blade.

While David's battles were often physical, the Devil is a Christian's main enemy (John 18:36; Ephesians 6:12). We can ward off his attacks by using "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). How skillfully do we use our "sword" (Hebrews 4:12)?

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.