Psalms 18:5 (YLT)

Passage

Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:3 The `Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.

Psalms 18:4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

Psalms 18:5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.

Psalms 18:6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.

Psalms 18:7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake--because He hath wrath.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cords", "sheol", "surrounded", "before", "been", "snares", and "death". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cords" and "sheol", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Compassed me have cords of death And..." into verse 6's "In mine adversity I call Jehovah And...", so "cords" and "sheol" 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 "cords" and "sheol" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.