Psalms 17:18
He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
Open Psalms 17:18 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Eripuit me de inimicis meis fortissimis, et ab his qui oderunt me. Quoniam confortati sunt super me ;
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με, ὅτι ἐστερεώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 18:18
- יַצִּילֵ֗נִי מֵאֹיְבִ֥י עָ֑ז וּ֝מִשֹּׂנְאַ֗י כִּֽי אָמְצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי
Haydock's commentary
For me. He may allude to the giant Jesbibenob, or to Saul, who surrounded him on all sides; (1 Kings xxiii. 26., and 2 Kings xxi. 15.; Calmet) and, in general, to all his temporal or spiritual adversaries. (Worthington)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XVIII
18. “He hath delivered Me from My strongest enemies” ( ver. 17 ). He hath delivered Me from Mine enemies, who prevailed to the afflicting and overturning of this temporal life of Mine. “And from them which hate Me; for they are too strong for Me:” as long as I am under them knowing not God.
Theodoret Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus, To John, Bishop of Germanicia
I have always known, sir, that you are not unmindful of our friendship. And it has ever been my wish and prayer that your piety should give heed to exact truth, and shun the communion of traitors to true religion, ascribing to the Supreme Ruler His care on our behalf. For indeed, while I have been silent and inactive, He has put an end to our very keen and terrible sufferings, and has replaced the dire tempest by this bright calm. And now that the loving-kindness of the Lord has granted us this blessing, I find the quiet of my retreat indeed delightful, for I feel the necessity of persuading those who have been led away by the slanders launched against me, and of both convincing them of the truth of the teaching of the gospels, and refuting the attack of falsehood. …