Psalm 18:40 kjv
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
Psalm 18:40 nkjv
You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.
Psalm 18:40 niv
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
Psalm 18:40 esv
You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.
Psalm 18:40 nlt
You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
Psalm 18 40 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:7 | "The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven." | God causes enemies to flee decisively. |
| Ex 23:27 | "I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people...and make all your enemies turn their backs to you." | God directly causes enemies to turn and flee. |
| Josh 10:24 | "...Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains...“Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.”" | Symbolic of complete subjugation and victory. |
| Ps 9:3 | "When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You." | God’s presence causes enemies to retreat and be destroyed. |
| Ps 18:41 | "They cried out, but there was no one to save them—Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them." | Consequence of their defeat and God's judgment. |
| Ps 68:1 | "Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him." | A plea and statement of God's power to disperse foes. |
| Ps 21:12 | "For You will make them turn their back; You will aim Your arrows at their faces." | God forces enemies to retreat and exposes them to defeat. |
| Isa 37:29 | "Because of your raging...I will put My hook in your nose...and I will turn you back by the way which you came." | God's power to stop and reverse enemy movements. |
| Ps 34:21 | "Evil will slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned." | Divine justice against those who oppose the righteous. |
| Ps 92:9 | "For behold, Your enemies, O LORD...shall perish; All who work iniquity shall be scattered." | God's enemies face destruction and dispersal. |
| Ps 110:1 | "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'" | Ultimate defeat and subjugation of enemies. |
| 1 Cor 15:25 | "For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet." | Christ's final triumph over all adversaries. |
| Heb 10:13 | "...from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool." | Divine timeline for complete subjugation of Christ's enemies. |
| Rev 19:21 | "And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse..." | Final, complete destruction of God's enemies. |
| 2 Chron 20:22-24 | When Judah praised, the Lord set ambushes; enemies destroyed each other and fled. | God supernaturally causes enemy defeat and flight. |
| 1 Sam 7:10-11 | The LORD thundered mightily against the Philistines; they were routed and fled. | God actively intervenes to defeat and scatter enemies. |
| Isa 59:19 | "...when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him." | God empowers for victory against overwhelming odds. |
| Ps 27:2 | "When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell." | God's adversaries fall in their attempts to attack. |
| Ps 144:1 | "Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle—" | God provides strength and training for conflict. |
| Eph 6:11-13 | "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." | Believers empowered for spiritual battle and standing against spiritual foes. |
| Rom 8:37 | "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." | Believers share in Christ's victory over all things, including opposition. |
Psalm 18 verses
Psalm 18 40 Meaning
Psalm 18:40 celebrates the complete and decisive victory God granted to David over his adversaries. It illustrates that God enabled David to rout his enemies, causing them to flee in humiliating defeat, exposing their vulnerability, and showing their backs as they ran away from battle. This verse emphasizes God's active involvement in securing triumph for His anointed one.
Psalm 18 40 Context
Psalm 18 is a triumphant psalm of David, an expansive hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God for delivering him from the hand of all his enemies, including King Saul (as indicated in the psalm's superscription). This psalm is mirrored in 2 Samuel 22, indicating its profound significance in David's life. Chapters 37-45 specifically describe God's active role in empowering David for war and bringing about the complete defeat of his foes. Verse 40 vividly depicts the outcome of this divine intervention: the utter rout and humiliation of David's enemies, causing them to flee in disarray and submission. Historically, it reflects David's many military campaigns and his unwavering conviction that his victories were solely attributed to the LORD, serving as a powerful counter-narrative to the prevailing polytheistic beliefs where kings often attributed their success to their own prowess or pagan deities.
Psalm 18 40 Word analysis
You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
- You have also given: Nātattā (נָתַתָּה - perfect verb, 2nd person masculine singular) - "You have given, presented, granted." This directly attributes the action and result to God. It is God's active, completed work.
- me: Indicates David as the recipient of this divine favor and power.
- the necks: Hebrew ‘oreph (עֹרֶף) – singular "neck" or "back of the neck." In this idiom, "to give the neck" (or "back") signifies causing someone to turn their back in flight, thus showing their vulnerable nape, indicative of total rout, surrender, and humiliation in battle. It is a sign of complete defeat rather than offering for slaughter (which would be a different idiom). It points to an enemy put to flight, literally "giving their backs" to the pursuer. This idiom also implies that the enemies are fully subdued and incapable of resistance.
- of my enemies: Hebrew ’ôyebêy (אוֹיְבָ֑י) – "those who contend against me, adversaries, foes." These are those who rose up in opposition to God's anointed king.
And made those who hated me turn their backs to me.
- And made those who hated me: Ūmeśan’āy (וּמְשַׂנְאַי) – "And those who hate me, my haters." This specifies the identity of the enemies: those driven by malicious hatred toward David. The verse clearly distinguishes between the agents and their motivations.
- turn their backs to me: The Hebrew here, though often rendered "turn their backs," is part of the idiom for "given me the neck" discussed above. This second half of the parallelism further clarifies the meaning of the first: the "neck" is presented because the enemy is fleeing. This phrase vividly portrays their utter defeat and flight from the battlefield, exposing their vulnerability and conceding victory. It is an image of them fleeing in disorder, not facing David, but turning away.
Words-group Analysis:
- "You have also given me the necks of my enemies": This phrase encapsulates divine military success, signifying God's direct intervention in ensuring that enemies are not merely defeated but thoroughly humiliated and put to flight. It speaks to absolute dominion established over hostile forces.
- "And made those who hated me turn their backs to me": This is a parallelism that reiterates and clarifies the first part of the verse. It confirms that "giving the necks" implies turning in flight. This speaks of the enemies' rout, disarray, and abandonment of the fight. The use of "those who hated me" underscores the personal and intense nature of the opposition, making the divine victory even more pronounced.
Psalm 18 40 Bonus section
The Hebrew word 'oreph (עֹרֶף) for "neck" appears in other contexts that help reinforce the imagery of Psalm 18:40. For instance, in Exodus 32:9 and Deuteronomy 9:6, "stiff-necked" (קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף, q'sheh-oreph) is used to describe rebellious Israel, unwilling to turn and submit to God. This further underscores that turning the "neck" in Psalm 18:40 signifies the enemy's submission or involuntary yielding to divine power. The reversal of the "neck" posture, from defiant to exposed in flight, symbolizes a total turn of fortune in battle, directly orchestrated by God. This complete subjugation is a hallmark of the Messiah's future reign and ultimate victory.
Psalm 18 40 Commentary
Psalm 18:40 provides a powerful image of God's complete and decisive victory on behalf of His servant, David. It is not David's own strength or strategic genius that achieves this, but God's divine action. The idiom "given me the necks of my enemies" perfectly conveys a state of utter rout and surrender, where the adversaries have turned to flee, exposing their backs to their pursuer. This is further clarified by the parallelism "made those who hated me turn their backs to me," emphasizing their panicked retreat and submission. The "necks" become a metaphor for complete vulnerability and defeat.
This verse illustrates the theological truth that those who stand against God's anointed—or by extension, against God's will and purpose—will ultimately face humiliation and defeat at His hand. It serves as a testament to God's faithfulness to His covenant and His readiness to empower His people for victory. In a broader Christian context, it foreshadows Christ's ultimate victory over all His enemies—sin, death, and the powers of darkness—making them His footstool, as referenced in the New Testament. For believers today, it signifies God's power to grant spiritual victory over temptations, spiritual strongholds, and any form of opposition encountered in living a righteous life. Just as David depended on God for physical victory, believers rely on Christ for spiritual triumph.