What is the meaning of Psalm 18:38? I crushed them • David speaks of decisive victory: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed” (Psalm 18:37). • The verb pictures total defeat, as when Joshua routed the Amorite kings and “the LORD threw them into confusion” (Joshua 10:10). • The credit lies with God’s empowerment. Earlier David testified, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear” (Psalm 18:32). • New-Testament echo: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). The pattern of God enabling His people to crush evil remains constant. So they could not rise • The fall of the enemy is irreversible. Like chaff blown away, they lack power to regroup. • Psalm 21:11-12 mirrors this finality: “Though they intend You harm…You will put them to flight when You aim Your bow at their faces.” • Malachi 4:3 extends the picture to the ultimate day of the Lord: “You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet.” • The point is assurance: when God gives victory, the threat is removed, not merely postponed. They have fallen under my feet • Ancient conquerors placed a foot on a vanquished king’s neck. Joshua did this with Israel’s leaders: “Come forward and place your feet on the necks of these kings” (Joshua 10:24). • David’s words anticipate the Messiah: “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25; cf. Hebrews 10:13). • The image highlights both authority and safety—enemies are not only beaten but placed in a position of permanent subjection. Summary Psalm 18:38 presents a three-stage snapshot of God-given triumph: the crushing blow, the inability of foes to rise again, and their placement under the victor’s feet. David’s testimony assures believers that the Lord who empowered him still grants decisive, lasting victory over every adversary opposed to His purposes. |
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