Psalms 18:17

17 he rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I.

Psalms 18:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:17

He delivered me from my strong enemy
Which, as it may respect David, may be understood of Goliath the Philistine champion, who was a man of war from his youth; or Saul, king of Israel; and, as it may respect David's antitype, may design either the chief priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, who were men of power and influence; or more especially Satan, the strong man armed, with all his principalities and powers; or, likewise death, the last enemy, from whose pains and cords he was loosed when raised from the dead, and when he was delivered from every other strong enemy;

and from them which hated me;
from the old serpent the devil, between whom and him there has been a lasting enmity; and from the world, the people of the Jews, particularly the Pharisees, who bore an implacable hatred to Christ;

for they were too strong for me;
as Goliath and Saul were too strong for David of himself, so Christ's enemies were too strong for him; not as God, for he is the mighty God, the Almighty, and stronger than the strong man armed, but as man; for in his human nature he had a sinless weakness, which showed itself in his agonies in the garden; or a natural weakness, through which he was crucified; and this weak nature of Christ Satan attacked, and got an advantage over, and brought it to the dust of death, which is meant by his bruising his heel, though by it he got a broken head. But though Christ's enemies were too strong for him, considered merely as man, they not being, at least many of them, flesh and blood, but principalities and powers; yet being helped by his Father, and supported by his divine nature, he overcame them, and was delivered from them.

Psalms 18:17 In-Context

15 The channels of water appeared, the foundations of the world were exposed at your rebuke, ADONAI, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 "He sent from on high, he took me and pulled me out of deep water;
17 he rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I.
18 They came against me on my day of disaster, but ADONAI was my support.
19 He brought me out to an open place; he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.