Bible Strands
Psalms 18:4
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the LORD, describing the immediate moment before rescue when hostile forces close in.
The words — The Hebrew phrase חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת (chevlei-mavet) means "cords of death," while בְלִיַּעַל (beliya'al) translates literally to "worthlessness" or "chaos."
The thread — The same danger imagery appears in Psalms 116:3 with ropes of death and Sheol's anguish, and Matthew 27:24 records Pilate washing his hands amid a riot while Mark 14:33 notes Jesus' deep distress in the garden.
Why it lands — The text states that fatal threats and moral collapse surround the speaker, requiring a direct call to the LORD for salvation.
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
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Cross-references
- Psalms 116:3 The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
- Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”
- Mark 14:33 He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.
- 2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.
- 2 Samuel 22:5 For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
- Psalms 22:12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
- Psalms 22:16 For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.
- Psalms 124:4 then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,
- Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
- Jonah 2:2 saying: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice.