Psalms 18:18 (YLT)

Passage

They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:16 He sendeth from above--He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

Psalms 18:17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.

Psalms 18:18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.

Psalms 18:19 And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.

Psalms 18:20 Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "before", "calamity", "jehovah", and "support". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "before" and "calamity", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "He delivereth me from my strong enemy..." into verse 19's "And He bringeth me forth to a...", so "before" and "calamity" 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 "before" and "calamity" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.