2 Samuel 22:38 (DRB)

Passage

I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.

Nearby Context

2 Samuel 22:36 Thou hast given me the shield of my salvation: and thy mildness hath multiplied me.

2 Samuel 22:37 Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me: and my ankles shall not fail.

2 Samuel 22:38 I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.

2 Samuel 22:39 I will consume them and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise: they shall fall under my feet.

2 Samuel 22:40 Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast made them that resisted me to bow under me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pursue", "after", "enemies", "crush", "return", "again", "till", and "consume". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pursue" and "after", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me..." into verse 39's "I will consume them and break them...", so "pursue" and "after" 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 "pursue" and "after" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.