2 Samuel 22:41 (ASV)

Passage

Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 22:39 And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise: Yea, they are fallen under my feet.

2 Samuel 22:40 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

2 Samuel 22:41 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

2 Samuel 22:42 They looked, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.

2 Samuel 22:43 Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did crush them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "hast", "mine", "enemies", "turn", "backs", "might", and "hate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "hast", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "For thou hast girded me with strength..." into verse 42's "They looked but there was none to...", so "thou" and "hast" belong inside that flow. In 2 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "hast" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.