Psalms 18:40

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

BSB

You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.

KJV

Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

ASV

Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

BBE

By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.

Original Hebrew

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The early church

"And you have given mine enemies the back to me" [Psalm 18:40]. And you have turned mine enemies, and hast made them to be a back to me, that is, to follow me. "And You have destroyed them that hate me." But such other of them as have persisted in hatred, You have destroyed.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 29–50

When we praise for one mercy, we must observe the many more, with which we have been compassed all our days. Many things had contributed to David's advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise. In verse #(32), and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 18 →

Spurgeon · Verse 29-45

Some repetitions are not vain repetitions. Second thoughts upon God's mercy should be and often are the best. Like wines on the lees our gratitude grows stronger and sweeter as we meditate upon divine goodness. The verses which we have now to consider are the ripe fruit of a thankful spirit; they are apples of gold as to matter, and they are placed in baskets of silver as to their language. They describe the believer's victorious career and his enemies' confusion.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 18 →

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Cross-references

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Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.