Passage
They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.
2 Samuel 22:19 (DBY)
Nearby Context
2 Samuel 22:17 He reached forth from above, he took me, He drew me out of great waters;
2 Samuel 22:18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were mightier than I.
2 Samuel 22:19 They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.
2 Samuel 22:20 And he brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:21 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "encountered", "calamity", "jehovah", and "stay". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "encountered" and "calamity", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 18's "He delivered me from my strong enemy..." into verse 20's "And he brought me forth into a...", so "encountered" and "calamity" 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 "encountered" and "calamity" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.