Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:5
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
5. Render with R.V.,
The cords of Sheol were round about me:
The snares of death came upon me.
The Heb. word rendered sorrows in the A.V. may no doubt have the meaning pangs, and is so rendered by the LXX ( . , cp. Act 2:24). But the parallelism decides in favour of the rendering cords. Death and Sheol, the mysterious unseen world (see on Psa 6:5), are like hunters lying in wait for their prey with nooses and nets.
prevented ] i.e. came before, confronted me (Psa 17:13) with hostile intention. See note on Psa 18:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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, she‘ol, see the notes at Isa 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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. The sorrows of hell] 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of hell; or, of the grave, which brought me to the brink of the grave.
Prevented me; had almost taken hold of me, ere I was aware of my danger.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. deathand hell(compare Ps 16:10) arepersonified as man’s great enemies (compare Rev 20:13;Rev 20:14).
preventedencounteredme, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean hewas in their power.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The sorrows of hell compassed me about,…. Or “the cords of the grave” s, under the power of which he was detained for awhile; the allusion may be to the manner of burying among the Jews, who wound up their dead bodies in linen clothes; so that they were as persons bound hand and foot; and thus were they laid in the grave; see Joh 11:44; and so was Christ, till he was raised from the dead, when he showed himself to have the keys of hell and death, and to be no more under their power, or be held by them;
the snares of death prevented me; or “met” or “got before me” t the sense is, he was taken in them: this phrase designs the insidious ways and methods which the enemies of Christ took to ensnare him, and take away his life, and in which they succeeded; see Mt 26:4.
s “funes sepulchri”, Musculus, Gejerus. t “praeoccupaverunt me”, V. L. “anteverterunt me”, Vatablus; “occurrerunt”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
We shall now make a few observations with respect to the words. The Hebrew word חבלי, chebley, means cords or sorrows, or any deadly evil, (395) which consumes a man’s health and strength, and which tends to his destruction. That the psalm may correspond with the song recorded in 2 Samuel, formerly referred to, I do not disapprove of this word being here taken for contrition, because the phrase there employed is משברי מות, mishberey maveth, (396) and the noun משברי, mishberey, is derived from a verb which signifies to break. But as the metaphor taken from cords or snares agrees better with the verb compass about, the import of which is, that David was on all sides involved and entangled in the perils of death, I am disposed rather to adopt this interpretation. What follows concerning torrents implies that he had been almost overwhelmed by the violence and impetuosity of his enemies against him, even as a man who is covered over the head with floods of water is almost lost. He calls them the torrents of Belial, because it was wicked and perverse men who had conspired against him. The Hebrew word Belial has a wide signification. With respect to its etymology there are different opinions among expositors. Why Jerome has rendered it without yoke, (397) I know not. The more generally received opinion is, that it is compounded of these two words, בלי, beli, not, and יעל, yaäl, (398) to denote that the wicked do not rise, in other words, ultimately gain nothing, and obtain no advantage by their infatuated course. The Jews certainly employed this word to designate every kind of detestable wickedness, and from this it is highly probable that David by it meant to describe his enemies, who basely and wickedly plotted his destruction. (399) If, however, any prefer translating the phrase, by deadly torrents, I am not disposed to oppose this rendering. In the following verse he again repeats, that the corruptions or cords of the grave had compassed him about As the Hebrew word is the same which he had employed in the preceding verse, I have thought it proper to translate it cords here, as I have done there, not only because he uses a verb which signifies to beset, to inclose, or to surround, but also because he adds immediately after, the snares of death, which, in my opinion, is to be understood in the same sense. This, then, is the description of the dangerous circumstances into which he was brought, and it enhances and magnifies so much the more the glory of his deliverance. As David had been reduced to a condition so desperate that no hope of relief or deliverance from it was apparent, it is certain that he was delivered by the hand of God, and that it was not a thing effected by the power of man.
(395) “ חבל, chebel,” says Hammond, “signifies two things, a cord, and a pang of a woman’s travail, and which it signifies must be resolved still by the context. Here, where it is joined with encompassing, it is most fitly to be understood in the former sense, because ropes or cords are proper for that turn, as for holding and keeping in when they are inclosed.” The Chaldee understands the word in the other sense, and paraphrases the clause thus: ”Distress hath compassed me as a woman in travail which hath not strength to bring forth, and is in danger of death,” The Septuagint adopts the same view, reading, “ ὠδινες θανατου, the pangs of death.”
(396) Cocceius renders the words, “the waves of death,” and he observes, that the words “waves’” explains the verb “compassed me about.” Death sent its sorrows thick upon him one after another, as the sea sends forth its waves, and with such violence that he was ready to be overwhelmed. The word משברי, mishberey, is applied both to the breaking waves of the sea, (Psa 42:7.) — Ainsworth. Horsley translates the phrase, “The breakers of death.” “The metaphor,” says he, “is taken from those dangerous waves our mariners call white breakers.”
(397) Jerome doubtless derived the word from בלי, beli, not or without, and עול, ol, a yoke, and thus the term Belial means those who shake off all restraint. Signifying to profit, or to gain advantage in any respect.
(398) Belial is a compound term, significant of vileness and worthlessness.
(399) “The ‘floods of Belial’ intend large bodies of men, who rush forward in impetuous torrents to overwhelm and destroy whatever opposes them.” – Walford.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Hell.Heb., shel. (See Note on Psa. 6:5.)
Preventedi.e., suddenly seized upon. The poet seems to feel the cords already tightening on his limbe. He is not dead yet, but like to them who go down to shel. This verse has one verbal difference from Samuel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 18:5. The sorrows of hell, &c. The nets of Hades, &c. Chandler; with whom Houbigant and Mudge agree; for, by this rendering, the clauses again in this verse properly correspond. By the cords and toils of hell, he means, such as would have sent him into the state of the dead, if he had been taken by them. For he adds, The snares of death prevented me; i.e. “Deadly snares invaded me, and came on me unawares; so that I had no power or opportunity to prevent them.” See Psa 18:18 and Chandler.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
Ver. 5. The sorrows ] Or, throes, or cords, such as wherewith they bind malefactors led forth to execution.
The snares of death prevented me
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hell = the grave. Hebrew Sheol. App-35.
snares. Hebrew. yakash = noose, or snare.
prevented = were beforehand with, or confronted.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hell
Heb. “Sheol,” (See Scofield “Hab 2:5”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
The sorrows: or, cords, Psa 86:13, Psa 88:3-8, Psa 88:15-17, Act 2:24
snares: Ecc 9:12
Reciprocal: Gen 32:7 – greatly 2Sa 22:6 – sorrows Job 36:8 – if Psa 32:7 – compass Psa 55:4 – terrors Psa 119:143 – Trouble Pro 13:14 – to Pro 14:27 – to Jer 49:22 – the heart of the Lam 3:55 – General Jon 2:2 – out Mar 14:32 – while