2 Samuel 22:6

KJV

The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

KJV (with Strong's)

The sorrows {H2256} of hell {H7585} compassed me about {H5437}; the snares {H4170} of death {H4194} prevented {H6923} me;

Complete Jewish Bible

the ropes of Sh'ol were wrapped around me, the snares of death lay there before me.

Berean Standard Bible

The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

American Standard Version

The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In 2 Samuel 22:6, King David vividly recounts the profound depths of despair and imminent peril he experienced, likening his situation to being utterly ensnared by the very forces of death and the underworld. This powerful declaration of distress is not a cry for help in the moment, but rather a retrospective testimony within a magnificent song of praise and thanksgiving, celebrating the Lord's mighty and consistent deliverance from all his enemies, especially from the hand of Saul.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is an integral part of David's grand "song of deliverance," which is almost identically preserved in [Psalm 18](/psalms/18 "Psalm 18 - David's Song of Deliverance"). Positioned early in the song, it serves to establish the desperate circumstances from which the Lord delivered David. The entire chapter, [2 Samuel 22](/2_samuel/22 "2 Samuel 22 - David's Song of Praise"), functions as a poetic recounting of David's life-threatening experiences and God's consistent, miraculous rescue. By first depicting the overwhelming nature of his distress, David magnifies the subsequent portrayal of God's powerful intervention, highlighting the stark contrast between human helplessness and divine omnipotence. This structure amplifies the theme of God as the ultimate rescuer, turning profound sorrow into triumphant praise, as seen in other psalms like [Psalm 30](/psalms/30 "Psalm 30 - A Psalm of Thanksgiving for Deliverance").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** David's life was a tumultuous journey marked by relentless persecution from King Saul, numerous battles against the Philistines and other enemies, and even betrayal by his own son, Absalom. The imagery of "sorrows of hell" and "snares of death" reflects the very real and constant threats to his life. Culturally, the ancient Near East had a pervasive understanding of Sheol (the underworld or grave) as a shadowy realm from which there was no return for mortals. The metaphors of "cords" or "snares" were common in hunting and warfare, vividly conveying the feeling of being trapped and ambushed by forces intent on destruction. David's language resonates with the universal human experience of facing overwhelming odds and the cultural understanding of the fragility of life in a dangerous world, making his eventual deliverance all the more remarkable.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within David's song and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Overwhelming Distress and Human Helplessness**, portraying David at his lowest point, utterly surrounded and without escape from the forces of death. Secondly, it sets the stage for the theme of **Divine Deliverance**, as the very extremity of David's peril magnifies the glory of God's subsequent rescue. The "snares of death" highlight the **Imminence of Demise**, emphasizing that David was not merely afraid of death, but felt actively pursued and trapped by it, making God's intervention a true act of salvation from the brink. Finally, this verse implicitly points to the theme of **God's Sovereignty over Death and Chaos**, demonstrating that even the most formidable forces of destruction are subject to the Lord's power, a truth echoed in passages like [Psalm 68:20](/psalms/68-20 "Psalm 68:20 - God as Our Salvation").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Sorrows (Hebrew: חֶבְלֵי, _chevley_):** This Hebrew word can carry a range of meanings, including "cords," "bands," "pains," or "birth pangs." In this context, it suggests being bound or seized by the forces of death, as if in a net or experiencing intense, life-threatening agony akin to the pains of childbirth. The idea is one of inescapable entrapment and profound suffering.
* **Hell (Hebrew: שְׁאוֹל, _she'ol_):** In the Old Testament, _Sheol_ primarily refers to the grave, the underworld, or the realm of the dead. It is not typically a place of eternal punishment as understood in later theological developments, but rather the common destination for all humanity after death, a shadowy existence. Here, "sorrows of Sheol" means the cords or pains associated with death and the grave, indicating that David felt he was already in death's grip or on its very threshold.
* **Prevented (Hebrew: קָדַם, _qadam_):** The King James Version's translation "prevented" can be misleading to modern readers. The Hebrew _qadam_ means "to confront," "to meet," "to come upon," "to anticipate," or "to ambush." It implies that the snares of death actively assailed David, ambushed him, or came upon him unexpectedly and forcefully, leaving him no room to maneuver or escape.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The sorrows of hell compassed me about":** David felt utterly surrounded and overwhelmed by the forces associated with death and the grave. The imagery suggests he was encircled, bound, or experiencing the agonizing pains that precede or accompany death. It conveys a sense of being completely trapped and without escape from the clutches of mortality.
* **"the snares of death prevented me":** Death is personified as a cunning hunter, setting traps for David. He felt ambushed, caught, or confronted by these deadly snares, indicating that he was on the very brink of demise, unable to avoid the imminent threat to his life. The active nature of "prevented" (or "confronted") emphasizes the aggressive pursuit of death.

#### Literary Devices
David's poetic genius is evident in the rich use of literary devices within this verse. **Personification** is prominent, as "hell" (Sheol) and "death" are given agency, actively "compassing" David and setting "snares" for him. This imbues the abstract concepts of mortality and the grave with a terrifying, active presence. The verse also employs powerful **Metaphor** and **Simile**, likening life-threatening situations to "sorrows/cords of Sheol" and "snares of death," creating vivid mental images of entrapment and impending doom. The use of such extreme language can be seen as a form of **Hyperbole**, emphasizing the profound psychological and physical anguish David endured, even if his life was genuinely in peril. Furthermore, the verse exhibits **Parallelism** in its two clauses, where "sorrows of hell compassed me about" and "the snares of death prevented me" express similar ideas of being overwhelmed and trapped by the forces of death, intensifying the feeling of inescapable peril.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse, while depicting the nadir of David's experience, serves as a powerful theological statement about the human condition and the character of God. It acknowledges the reality of profound suffering and the feeling of being overwhelmed by forces beyond human control, whether literal threats to life or the existential dread of mortality. Theologically, it sets the stage for the glorious truth that God is the ultimate Deliverer, capable of rescuing His people from the very jaws of death and despair. David's cry from the depths, though recounted retrospectively, reflects the biblical pattern of lament and trust, where the acknowledgment of dire circumstances precedes the testimony of divine intervention. It highlights that God's power is most brilliantly displayed when human weakness is most evident, transforming utter helplessness into a platform for His magnificent salvation.

* [Psalm 116:3](/psalms/116-3 "Psalm 116:3 - The Snares of Death")
* [Psalm 30:3](/psalms/30-3 "Psalm 30:3 - You Brought My Soul Up from Sheol")
* [Jonah 2:2](/jonah/2-2 "Jonah 2:2 - Out of the Belly of Sheol")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
David's raw and vivid description of feeling "compassed about" by the "sorrows of hell" and caught in the "snares of death" resonates deeply with the human experience of overwhelming distress. Whether facing literal danger, debilitating illness, profound grief, spiritual oppression, or crushing circumstances, we too can feel as though we are on the brink of being consumed. This verse offers profound validation that even the greatest heroes of faith experienced such despair. It encourages us to be honest about our struggles, to acknowledge the depth of our need, and to remember that our lowest points can become the most powerful testimonies to God's unfailing deliverance. Just as David cried out (and later sang of deliverance), we are invited to bring our deepest fears and most desperate situations to the Lord, trusting that He is able to rescue us from any "snare" and turn our lament into a song of praise.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you typically respond when you feel "compassed about" by life's overwhelming difficulties or despair?**
* **In what specific ways have you experienced God's deliverance from situations that felt like the "snares of death" in your own life?**
* **How does David's willingness to articulate such profound distress encourage you to be more open and honest with God about your deepest fears and struggles?**

### FAQ
**Is "hell" in this verse referring to eternal damnation?**

Answer: No, in the context of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word _Sheol_ (translated as "hell" in the KJV) primarily refers to the grave or the realm of the dead. It is the common destination for all humanity after death, a shadowy place, rather than a place of eternal punishment as understood in some later theological frameworks. David's use of "sorrows of hell" signifies the pains and cords associated with death itself, the feeling of being dragged down into the grave, not necessarily a place of conscious torment. This understanding is consistent with how _Sheol_ is used throughout the Old Testament, for example, when Jacob says he will go down to _Sheol_ mourning for Joseph in [Genesis 37:35](/genesis/37-35 "Genesis 37:35 - Jacob's Grief and Sheol").

**Why is this verse, depicting such distress, included in a song of praise and thanksgiving?**

Answer: This verse serves a crucial literary and theological purpose within David's song of deliverance. By vividly describing the extreme peril and despair he faced, David magnifies the glory and power of God's subsequent rescue. It highlights the stark contrast between his utter helplessness and God's mighty intervention. The depth of the "sorrows of hell" and the cunning of the "snares of death" emphasize the magnitude of the deliverance, making God's faithfulness and strength all the more profound. It transforms the song from a mere recounting of events into a powerful testimony of God's ability to save even from the brink of death, as seen in the broader narrative of [2 Samuel 22](/2_samuel/22 "2 Samuel 22 - David's Song of Deliverance").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
David's experience in 2 Samuel 22:6, where he describes being encompassed by the "sorrows of hell" and caught in the "snares of death," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While David faced literal threats to his life, Jesus truly descended into the depths of human suffering and confronted the very power of death and the grave. On the cross, He bore the full weight of sin, experiencing a spiritual and physical anguish far beyond any human comprehension, a true descent into the "pangs of death." However, unlike David, who was delivered *from* death, Jesus conquered death *through* death. His resurrection from the grave demonstrates His absolute victory over Sheol and its snares, as Peter proclaims in [Acts 2:24](/acts/2-24 "Acts 2:24 - God Raised Him, Loosing the Pains of Death"), that God "raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." Christ's triumph means that those who are in Him are no longer bound by the fear of death or the power of the grave, for He has destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil" ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")). Thus, David's song of deliverance becomes a prophetic echo of the greater deliverance wrought by the Lamb of God, who swallowed up death in victory ([1 Corinthians 15:54-57](/1_corinthians/15-54-57 "1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - Death Swallowed Up in Victory")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 116:3

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Proverbs 5:22

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

Job 36:8

And if [they be] bound in fetters, [and] be holden in cords of affliction;

Psalms 140:5

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

Acts 2:24

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Proverbs 13:14

¶ The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.