Psalm 18 29

Psalm 18:29 kjv

For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

Psalm 18:29 nkjv

For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall.

Psalm 18:29 niv

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

Psalm 18:29 esv

For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Psalm 18:29 nlt

In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.

Psalm 18 verses

Psalm 18 29 Meaning

Psalm 18:29 proclaims God as the ultimate source of strength and capability, enabling the speaker, David, to achieve feats far beyond human power. It means that by God's direct empowerment, he was able to overcome formidable military forces ("run through a troop") and conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles or defenses ("leap over a wall"). It is a profound declaration of trust in divine enablement for victory against all adversaries.

Psalm 18 29 Context

Psalm 18 is a psalm of David, also found as 2 Samuel 22. It is a triumphant hymn of thanksgiving, celebrating God's deliverance of David from all his enemies, especially from the hand of Saul. This specific verse, Psalm 18:29, falls within a section where David elaborates on God's active involvement in his victories, attributing his military prowess and successes not to his own might or skill, but solely to divine enablement. The immediate literary context describes God's attributes as a rescuer and the source of David's strength and vindication. Historically, this psalm encapsulates David's life experiences, marked by constant warfare and divine protection from his youth as a shepherd fighting lions and bears, to defeating Goliath, enduring Saul's relentless pursuit, and ultimately leading Israel as a warrior-king. The original audience would have understood this within the broader narrative of Yahweh's covenantal faithfulness to His chosen king, demonstrating that reliance on human military power was futile compared to the power of Israel's God, contrasting with surrounding nations who trusted in idols or chariots and horses (Psalm 20:7).

Psalm 18 29 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, ki):

  • Meaning: Indeed, surely, for, because.
  • Significance: Introduces a statement that grounds or explains what precedes it. Here, it explains how David could accomplish such feats, by pointing to God's agency.

• by Thee (בְּךָ, bekha):

  • Meaning: In You, through You, by You.
  • Significance: Emphasizes the divine source and instrumentality. It’s not just with God's help, but by God's very being and power acting directly. This highlights a personal, active relationship with God.

• I have run through (אָר֣וּץ, arutz):

  • Original: Imperfect form of רוּץ (ruts), meaning "to run." In this context, it implies a vigorous, forceful charge, or a breaking through.
  • Significance: Denotes overwhelming and overcoming, not merely moving through. It suggests a powerful military maneuver to shatter or scatter an opposing force.

• a troop (גְּדוּד, g'dud):

  • Meaning: A band, a troop, a predatory band, a marauding company.
  • Significance: Refers to an organized group of armed adversaries, often raiders or soldiers. It represents a significant military obstacle or threat that is actively resisted and overcome.

• and by my God (וּבֵאלֹהַי, uv'elohai):

  • Meaning: And by my God (with the personal possessive suffix).
  • Significance: Reinforces the exclusive and personal relationship. David acknowledges the LORD as his God, underscoring intimate trust and dependence. It serves as a parallel poetic phrase, deepening the truth established in "by Thee."

• have I leaped over (אֲדַלֶּג, adallek):

  • Original: Piel imperfect of דָּלַג (dalag), meaning "to leap, spring, skip."
  • Significance: Suggests an overcoming that is swift, agile, and seemingly effortless, defying normal human limitations. It implies overcoming a physical or metaphorical barrier with supernatural ease.

• a wall (שׁוּר, shur):

  • Meaning: A wall, especially a city wall, rampart, or fortification.
  • Significance: Represents a strong, impenetrable barrier or a formidable obstacle. Symbolically, it signifies something seemingly impossible to cross or bypass without extraordinary means.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For by Thee I have run through a troop": This phrase expresses the dynamic and direct intervention of God in overcoming immediate, aggressive military threats. "Running through" conveys penetration and dispersal, not just evading. It emphasizes God providing not just courage, but the physical means for aggressive engagement and victory.
• "and by my God have I leaped over a wall": This phrase emphasizes overcoming static, seemingly insurmountable obstacles or defenses. "Leaping over" highlights the supernatural aspect – the ability to effortlessly surmount what would normally halt progress. The use of "my God" reinforces the personal covenant and divine intimacy as the source of this miraculous strength.
• Overall Parallelism: The verse employs synonymous parallelism, where the two halves of the verse convey the same core truth (divine enablement for impossible feats) using different imagery. This reinforces the comprehensive nature of God's empowering work—active aggression against enemies and passive overcoming of defenses.

Psalm 18 29 Bonus section

This verse embodies the "divine warrior" motif prevalent in the Old Testament, where Yahweh fights for His people. David's victories are not just blessed by God; they are achieved by God working through him. It is a powerful antidote to pride, constantly directing glory back to the Creator. The use of the imperfect tense for both verbs (arutz, adallek) can imply a continuous or habitual action, suggesting that God repeatedly granted such strength throughout David's life, not just for a single event. This verse also lays foundational theological ground for later New Testament concepts, like "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13), connecting physical triumph to spiritual empowerment. It highlights the transformation of human frailty into divine efficacy.

Psalm 18 29 Commentary

Psalm 18:29 serves as a profound testimony to divine enablement. David, reflecting on a life of extraordinary military triumphs and narrow escapes, categorically rejects any notion of self-sufficiency. His ability to "run through a troop" – an active and aggressive confrontation with a powerful enemy formation – was not due to superior tactics or innate strength, but God's direct intervention. Similarly, his power to "leap over a wall" – to overcome seemingly insurmountable static barriers or defensive strongholds – was also entirely dependent on God's empowering presence. The repeated emphasis on "by Thee" and "by my God" underscores the singular divine source. This verse celebrates the truth that with God, no enemy is too formidable, and no obstacle too great. It calls believers to profound trust, recognizing that human limitations are transcended when divine power is at work.

Examples:

• A student facing overwhelming academic challenges, feeling able to "leap over a wall" of difficult material by God's wisdom.
• Someone battling addiction, "running through a troop" of cravings and temptations by the Spirit's power.
• A leader overcoming a seemingly impossible business or ministry challenge, attributing the breakthrough to divine provision and strength.