Psalms 18:5
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
American King James Version (AKJV)
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
American Standard Version (ASV)
The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me.
Webster's Revision
The sorrows of hell encompassed me: the snares of death seized me.
World English Bible
The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me.
English Revised Version (ERV)
The cords of Sheol were round about me: the snares of death came on me.
Definitions for Psalms 18:5
Clarke's Psalms 18:5 Bible Commentary
The sorrows of hell - חבלי שאול chebley sheol, the cables or cords of the grave. Is not this a reference to the cords or ropes with which they lowered the corpse into the grave? or the bandages by which the dead were swathed? He was as good as dead.
The snares of death prevented me - I was just on the point of dropping into the pit which they had digged for me. In short, I was all but a dead man; and nothing less than the immediate interference of God could have saved my life.
Barnes's Psalms 18:5 Bible Commentary
The sorrows of hell - Margin, "cords." The word used here is the same which occurs in the previous verse, and which is there rendered "sorrows." It is correctly translated here, as in that verse, "sorrows," though the parallelism would seem to favor the interpretation in the margin - cords. If it means "sorrows," the idea is, that such sufferings encompassed him, or seized upon him, as we associate in idea with the descent to the under-world, or the going down to the dead. If it means "cords, or bands," then the idea is, that he was seized with pain as if with cords thrown around him, and that were dragging him down to the abodes of the dead. Luther, DeWette, Prof. Alexander, Hengstenberg, and others render the word, in each of these places, "bands." On the word here rendered "hell," שׁאול she'ôl, see the notes at Isaiah 14:9. It means here the "under-world, the regions of the dead." It is a description of one who was overcome with the dread of death.
The snares of death - The word "snares" refers to the gins, toils, nets, which are used in taking wild beasts, by suddenly throwing cords around them, and binding them fast. The idea here is, that "Death" had thus thrown around him its toils or snares, and had bound him fast.
Prevented me - The word used here in Hebrew, as our word "prevent" did originally, means to "anticipate, to go before." The idea here is that those snares had, as it were, suddenly rushed upon him, or seized him. They came before him in his goings, and bound him fast.
Wesley's Psalms 18:5 Bible Commentary
18:5 Sorrows - Which brought me to the brink of the grave.Death - Had almost taken hold of me, before I was aware.