Psalms 18:40 (LSB)

Passage

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:38 I crushed them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.

Psalms 18:39 For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

Psalms 18:40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

Psalms 18:41 They cried for help, but there was none to save, Even to Yahweh, but He did not answer them.

Psalms 18:42 Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "enemies", "turn", "backs", "destroyed", and "hated". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "enemies" and "turn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "For You have girded me with strength..." into verse 41's "They cried for help but there was...", so "enemies" and "turn" 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 "enemies" and "turn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.