Bible Strands
Psalms 18:39
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God directly while recounting a recent military engagement. The speaker describes God’s active intervention to equip him and enable victory over hostile forces.
The words — The verb תַּכְרִיעַ (takh.Ri.a') literally means "you made bow down" or "subdue," applied to קָמַ/י (ka.Ma/i), "those who rose against me." The noun חַיִל (Cha.yil) denotes "strength" or "military force" that God girds upon the speaker.
The thread — This exact phrasing reappears in the parallel account of David’s song in 2 Samuel 22:40. The theme of divine arming for combat also appears in Psalms 18:32 and Isaiah 45:14.
Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that combat capability and victory originate from God rather than human effort. It requires the reader to attribute military success and the subduing of adversaries directly to divine action.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 22:40 You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
- Psalms 18:32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
- Isaiah 45:14 This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”
- 1 Corinthians 15:25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
- Ephesians 1:22 And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
- 1 Chronicles 22:18 “Is not the LORD your God with you, and has He not granted you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land has been subdued before the LORD and His people.
- Psalms 34:21 Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.
- Proverbs 8:36 But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
- Lamentations 5:5 We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
- Ezekiel 30:24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, who will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.