Psalms 18:45 (YLT)

Passage

Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:43 Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.

Psalms 18:44 At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,

Psalms 18:45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.

Psalms 18:46 Jehovah liveth--and blessed <FI>is<Fi> my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.

Psalms 18:47 God--who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sons", "stranger", "fade", "away", "slain", "close", and "places". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sons" and "stranger", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 44's "At the hearing of the ear they..." into verse 46's "Jehovah liveth--and blessed FI is Fi my...", so "sons" and "stranger" 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 "sons" and "stranger" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.