Psalms 18:6

In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The psalmist speaks from a position of mortal entanglement, describing how Sheol's cords and death's snares have closed in before turning directly to Yahweh for rescue.

The words — The text highlights אֲשַׁ֫וֵּ֥עַ ('a.Sha.Ve.a), meaning "I cried for help" [H7768], and יִשְׁמַ֣ע (yish.Ma'), "he heard" [H8085], to mark the direct link between the desperate cry and divine attention.

The thread — This pattern appears in 2 Samuel 22:7, which parallels the verse almost verbatim, while Psalm 50:15 and Psalm 34:15 reinforce the principle that God actively inclines His ear to those who call in trouble.

Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to acknowledge that divine response is triggered by desperate petition rather than ritual status, and that being heard is the guaranteed first step before any visible intervention.

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

בַּצַּר־ba./tzar-when <the>/ it was distressלִ֤י׀l/ito/ meאֶֽקְרָ֣א'ek.Ra'I called out to יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahweh וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to אֱלֹהַ֪י'e.lo.Ha/iGod/ my אֲשַׁ֫וֵּ֥עַ'a.Sha.Ve.a'I cried for help יִשְׁמַ֣עyish.Ma'he heard מֵהֵיכָל֣וֹme./hei.kha.L/ofrom/ temple/ his קוֹלִ֑יko.L/ivoice/ my וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗יve./shav.'a.T/iand/ cry for help/ my לְפָנָ֤יו׀le./fa.Na/v<to>/ before/ him תָּב֬וֹאta.Vo'it came בְאָזְנָֽיו׃ve./'a.ze.Na/vin/ ears/ his

King James Version

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Cross-references

Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
2 Samuel 22:7 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
Psalms 130:1 A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
Psalms 120:1 A song of ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
Psalms 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
Psalms 27:4 One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.
Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.