Psalms 118:12 (GNV)

Passage

They came about mee like bees, but they were quenched as a fire of thornes: for in the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them.

Nearby Context

Psalms 118:10 All nations haue compassed me: but in the Name of the Lord shall I destroy them.

Psalms 118:11 They haue compassed mee, yea, they haue compassed mee: but in the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them.

Psalms 118:12 They came about mee like bees, but they were quenched as a fire of thornes: for in the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them.

Psalms 118:13 Thou hast thrust sore at me, that I might fall: but the Lord hath holpen me.

Psalms 118:14 The Lord is my strength and song: for he hath beene my deliuerance.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "like", "bees", "quenched", "fire", "thornes", "name", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "They haue compassed mee yea they haue..." into verse 13's "Thou hast thrust sore at me that...", so "came" and "like" 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 "came" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.