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Psalm 18:37
I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
35You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
38I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
Notice
David’s refusal to turn away until his enemies are consumed can unsettle a reader who expects songs of deliverance to leave the violence of battle unspoken.
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What troubles you or draws your attention in David’s refusal to stop pursuing his enemies?
Write on thisHow does God’s gift of strength in verse 39 shape your reading of David’s pursuit?
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Where else Scripture says this
10 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 44:5Through you, we will push down our adversaries. Through your name, we will tread down those who rise up against us.Both passages describe enemies being overcome, with Psalm 18’s surrounding verses and Psalm 44 naming God as the source of victory.
Isaiah 53:10–12Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his …The shared thread is suffering: David describes enemies being consumed, while Isaiah describes someone suffering as an offering for sin.
2 Samuel 22:39I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet.Both describe enemies being consumed, with Samuel reporting the completed defeat that David resolves to pursue in Psalm 18.
Psalm 35:5Let them be as chaff before the wind, the LORD’s angel driving them on.Both depict enemies being driven before a pursuer, though Psalm 35 asks for the LORD’s angel to drive them.
Revelation 6:2Then a white horse appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.Both portray an armed figure intent on conquest, without identifying David and the rider as the same person.
Psalm 37:20But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of the LORD shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish— vanish like smoke.Both speak of enemies being destroyed, though Psalm 37 names them as the LORD’s enemies and compares their disappearance to smoke.
Revelation 19:19–20I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army.Both describe armed conflict against enemies; the supplied Revelation verse shows armies gathering for war without yet describing their defeat.
Psalm 9:3When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence.Both describe enemies facing destruction, with Psalm 9 locating their stumbling and death in God’s presence.
Numbers 24:17–19I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of …Both describe decisive violence against opponents, with Numbers naming Moab and the sons of Sheth as those struck and crushed.
Isaiah 63:1–6Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? Who is this who is glorious in his clothing, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is …Psalm 18’s surrounding verses name God’s saving help and strength; Isaiah’s speaker declares his strength and might to save.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. sermon or Bible study notes.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
David’s pursuit belongs to a battle song, with no command here to pursue your own enemies; the surrounding verses credit God with David’s strength.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).