Psalms 18:11 (YLT)

Passage

He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness <FI>is<Fi> under His feet.

Psalms 18:10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.

Psalms 18:11 He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

Psalms 18:12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.

Psalms 18:13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "maketh", "secret", "place", "round", "tabernacle", and "waters". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "maketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "And He rideth on a cherub and..." into verse 12's "From the brightness over-against Him His thick...", so "darkness" and "maketh" 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 "darkness" and "maketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.