Bible Verses

Psalms · Chapter 18 · Strength

Psalms 18:2 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

For the day that asks more than you feel ready to give.

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Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower."

KJV · King James Version

"The LORD3068 is my rock5553, and my fortress4686, and my deliverer6403; my God410, my strength6697, in whom I will trust2620; my buckler4043, and the horn7161 of my salvation3468, and my high tower4869. my strength: Heb. my rock"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses lord, strength, will, trust, while the WEB renders these as yahweh, take, refuge, shield. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Psalms 18:2 in Psalms 18

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Psalms 18:2 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Psalms 18. Read the full chapter →

  1. v.1 For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
  2. v.2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
  3. v.3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
  4. v.4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

Book background

About the Book of Psalms

Testament
Old Testament
Genre
Hebrew poetry
Author
David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others
Date written
c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium)
Audience
All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church
Chapters
150

The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. About half are attributed to David. The book is divided into five "books," each ending with a doxology. The Psalms shape Christian prayer more than any other Old Testament book and are quoted in the New Testament more than any other.

Setting: 150 sacred songs used in temple worship; the Bible's songbook.

Key themes: worship · lament · trust · kingship · thanksgiving

Read Psalms from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Psalms 18:2

Psalms 18:2 contains 29 words in 9 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

  1. 1

    Yahweh is my rock

    YIMR

  2. 2

    my fortress

    MF

  3. 3

    and my deliverer

    AMD

  4. 4

    my God

    MG

  5. 5

    my rock

    MR

  6. 6

    in whom I take refuge

    IWITR

  7. 7

    my shield

    MS

  8. 8

    and the horn of my salvation

    ATHOMS

  9. 9

    my high tower.

    MHT

Frequently asked

FAQ about Psalms 18:2

What does Psalms 18:2 say?

Psalms 18:2 reads: "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower." — from the Old Testament, Psalms (Hebrew poetry). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Psalms 18:2 in?

Psalms 18:2 is in the book of Psalms, traditionally attributed to David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others and written around c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium). Psalms is hebrew poetry in the Old Testament, originally addressed to All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church. Best known for Psalm 23 ("The LORD is my shepherd") and Psalm 51.

What is Psalms 18:2 about?

Psalms 18:2 is primarily a Bible verse about Strength. Within Psalms, The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Psalms 18:2 in WEB and KJV?

Psalms 18:2 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "The LORD3068 is my rock5553, and my fortress4686, and my deliverer6403; my God410, my strength6697, in whom I will trust2620; my buckler4043, and the horn7161 of my salvation3468, and my high tower4869. my strength: Heb. my rock". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Psalms 18:2?

Psalms 18:2 is 29 words in the WEB translation (145 characters), broken into 9 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 9 seconds.

How can I memorise Psalms 18:2?

To memorise Psalms 18:2, split it into its 9 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Psalms 18:2 matter in Psalms?

The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. About half are attributed to David. The book is divided into five "books," each ending with a doxology. The Psalms shape Christian prayer more than any other Old Testament book and are quoted in the New Testament more than any other. Psalms 18:2 sits within this larger story — Psalms as a whole emphasises worship, lament, trust.

How can I apply Psalms 18:2 today?

Many readers use Psalms 18:2 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Psalms 18:2 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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