The Meaning of Psalms 18:11 Explained

Psalms 18:11

KJV: He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

YLT: He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

Darby: He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

ASV: He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He made  darkness  his secret place;  his pavilion  round about  him [were] dark  waters  [and] thick clouds  of the skies. 

What does Psalms 18:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 18:1-26 - A Wonderful Deliverance
There is another edition of this psalm in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. Psalms 18:2 and Psalms 18:49 are applied in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 2:13 and Leviticus 26:21-247. We begin with the psalmist's good resolve, Psalms 18:1-3. No single metaphor can comprehend the whole of God's helpfulness to men; but can we say, "I love thee"? See John 21:17. "Thou knowest!"
The story of the past, Psalms 18:4-19. We also have our Red Seas. In our distress let us also cry. The voice of the sufferer may be weak and solitary, but it reaches through the gates of pearl and moves creation! Luke 8:46.
The confident claim of the righteous, Psalms 18:20-26. We cannot boast a righteousness of our own, but we stand in Christ. We are full of impurity and evil, but we may claim at least integrity of motive. Compare Psalms 18:26 with 1711674064_26. The wind blows in one direction; you can walk against it or with it-take your choice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:11 mean?

He made darkness His secret place around Him His canopy [was] dark waters [And] thick clouds of the skies
יָ֤שֶׁת חֹ֨שֶׁךְ ׀ סִתְר֗וֹ סְבִֽיבוֹתָ֥יו סֻכָּת֑וֹ חֶשְׁכַת־ מַ֝֗יִם עָבֵ֥י שְׁחָקִֽים

יָ֤שֶׁת  He  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
חֹ֨שֶׁךְ ׀  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
סִתְר֗וֹ  His  secret  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
סְבִֽיבוֹתָ֥יו  around  Him 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
סֻכָּת֑וֹ  His  canopy  [was] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: סֻכָּה  
Sense: thicket, covert, booth.
חֶשְׁכַת־  dark 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֲשֵׁכָה  
Sense: darkness, obscure, low.
מַ֝֗יִם  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
עָבֵ֥י  [And]  thick  clouds 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
שְׁחָקִֽים  of  the  skies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁחַק  
Sense: dust, cloud.