The Meaning of Psalms 18:16 Explained

Psalms 18:16

KJV: He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

YLT: He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

Darby: He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:

ASV: He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He sent  from above,  he took  me, he drew  me out of many  waters. 

What does Psalms 18:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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 Romans 15:9. 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 Leviticus 26:21-24. The wind blows in one direction; you can walk against it or with it-take your choice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:16 mean?

He sent from above He took me He drew me out of waters many
יִשְׁלַ֣ח מִ֭מָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵ֑נִי יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים

יִשְׁלַ֣ח  He  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מִ֭מָּרוֹם  from  above 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
יִקָּחֵ֑נִי  He  took  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗נִי  He  drew  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: מָשָׁה  
Sense: to draw.
מִמַּ֥יִם  out  of  waters 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רַבִּֽים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.