Psalms 18:18 (DBY)

Passage

They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:16 He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:

Psalms 18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.

Psalms 18:18 They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.

Psalms 18:19 And he brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Psalms 18:20 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 17's "He delivered me from my strong enemy..." into verse 19's "And he brought me forth into a...", so "encountered" and "calamity" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

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.