Psalms 18:5 (GNV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Psalms 18:7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "The sorowes of death compassed me and..." into verse 6's "But in my trouble did I call...", so "sorowes" and "graue" 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 "graue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.