Psalms 18:5The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~1000 BC. David reflects on his darkest moments fleeing Saul in the Judean wilderness caves, near modern-day Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: terrified, feeling death closing in from every direction
The original word
chebley (חֶבְלֵי) — birth pangs, the ropes that bind a woman in labor
Why it matters
Sheol was visualized as a hunter with snares, actively pursuing the living
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 18:5
The Hebrew connects death to childbirth — both involve cords and intense pain
Common misconceptionPeople think David is being dramatic, but he literally had Saul's army hunting him with orders to kill — death was real and imminent.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 18:5
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 18:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 18:5 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 65% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include death, entrapment, desperation. Notable phrases: cords of Sheol; snares of death.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Psalms 18:5 mean to you, today?
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