Passage
He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I.
2 Samuel 22:18 (YLT)
Nearby Context
2 Samuel 22:16 And seen are the streams of the sea, Revealed are foundations of the world, By the rebuke of Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of His anger.
2 Samuel 22:17 He sendeth from above--He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
2 Samuel 22:18 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I.
2 Samuel 22:19 They are before me in a day of my calamity, And Jehovah is my support,
2 Samuel 22:20 And He bringeth me out to a large place, He draweth me out for He delighted in me.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "delivereth", "strong", "enemy", "hating", "stronger", and "than". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "delivereth" and "strong", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 17's "He sendeth from above--He taketh me He..." into verse 19's "They are before me in a day...", so "delivereth" and "strong" 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 "delivereth" and "strong" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.