Psalms 116:3

The ropes of death tightened around me, ¹  the snares ²  of Sheol confronted me. I was confronted ³  with trouble and sorrow.

The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow.

Death had its hands around my throat; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow.

Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;

The nets of death were round me, and the pains of the underworld had me in their grip; I was full of trouble and sorrow.

The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.

The ropes of death tightened around me, ¹  the snares ²  of Sheol confronted me. I was confronted ³  with trouble and sorrow.

¹ tn Heb “surrounded me.”

² tn The Hebrew noun מצר (“straits; distress”) occurs only here, Ps 118:5 and Lam 1:3. If retained, it refers to Sheol as a place where one is confined or severely restricted (cf. BDB 865 s.v. מֵצַר, “the straits of Sheol”; NIV “the anguish of the grave”; NRSV “the pangs of Sheol”). However, HALOT 624 s.v. מֵצַר suggests an emendation to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”), a rare noun attested in Job 19:6 and Eccl 7:26. This proposal, which is reflected in the translation, produces better parallelism with “ropes” in the preceding line.

³ tn The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls the crisis from which the Lord delivered him.