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Selected Verse: Psalms 18:5 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 18:5	King James	The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
death--and hell (compare Psa 16:10) are personified as man's great enemies (compare Rev 20:13-14). prevented--encountered me, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean he was in their power.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

death--and hell (compare Psa 16:10) are personified as man's great enemies (compare Rev 20:13-14).

prevented--encountered me, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean he was in their power.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
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 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.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

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 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.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
hell Hebrew, "Sheol," (See Scofield) - (Hab 2:5).

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]

hell

Hebrew, "Sheol,"

(See Scofield) - (Hab 2:5).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Sorrows - Which brought me to the brink of the grave. Death - Had almost taken hold of me, before I was aware.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

Sorrows - Which brought me to the brink of the grave. Death - Had almost taken hold of me, before I was aware.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
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.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

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.

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