Psalms 18:4 (GNV)

Passage

The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge.

Psalms 18:3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.

Psalms 18:4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.

Psalms 18:5 The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me.

Psalms 18:6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sorowes", "death", "compassed", "floods", "wickednes", and "afraide". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sorowes" and "death", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "I will call vpon the Lord which..." into verse 5's "The sorowes of the graue haue compassed...", so "sorowes" and "death" 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 "sorowes" and "death" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.