God’s Word Translation
Psalms 18:16
16He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water.
Psalms 18:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
- New International Version (NIV)He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
Context of Psalms 18:16
14He shot his arrows and scattered them. He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion. 15Then the ocean floor could be seen. The foundations of the earth were laid bare at your stern warning, O Lord, at the blast of the breath from your nostrils. He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water. 17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me. 18On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me, but the Lord came to my defense.
Read all of Psalms 18Psalms 18:16 word by word
יִשְׁלַ֣ח מִ֭מָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵ֑נִי יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 18:16
- Psalms 57:3He sends his help from heaven and saves me. He disgraces the one who is harassing me. Selah God sends his mercy and his truth!
- Psalms 144:7Stretch out your hands from above. Snatch me, and rescue me from raging waters and from foreigners’ hands.
- Psalms 18:43You rescued me from my conflicts with the people. You made me the leader of nations. A people I did not know will serve me:
- Psalms 40:1I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
- Exodus 2:10When the child was old enough, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses [Pulled Out] and said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
- 2 Samuel 22:17He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water.
- Jonah 2:5“Water surrounded me, threatening my life. The deep ⌞sea⌟ covered me completely. Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
- Revelation 17:15The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, crowds, nations, and languages.
Commentaries on Psalms 18:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16He drew me out of many waters - Here the allusion is still carried on. The waters thus poured out were sweeping the people away; but God, by a miraculous interference, sent and drew David out. Sometimes waters are used to denote multitudes of people; and here the word may have that reference; multitudes were gathered together against David, but God delivered him from them all. This seems to be countenanced by the following verse.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16He sent from above - He interposed to save me. All these manifestations of the divine interposition were from above, or from heaven; all came from God. He took me - He took hold on me; he rescued me. He drew me out of many waters - Margin, great waters. Waters are often expressive of calamity and trouble, Psalm 46:3; Psalm 69:1; Psalm 73:10; Psalm 124:4-5. The meaning here is, that God had rescued him out of the many troubles and dangers that encompassed…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-50This psalm describes a royal story of God rescuing his king. A similar version of this psalm appears in 2 Samuel 22:1–51. The psalm encourages those who hear the earlier prayers for help in Psalms 16 and 17. The psalmist describes the dramatic nature of God’s rescue in three different ways (Psalm 18:7–15, 16–19, 30–36). The psalm also offers hope that a future Son of David will completely defeat evil (Psalm 18:43–50; compare Psalm 2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1916-19. from above--As seated on a throne, directing these terrible scenes, God-- sent--His hand (Psa 144:7), reached down to His humble worshipper, and delivered him. many waters--calamities (Job 30:14; Psa 124:4, 5).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 18:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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