The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Here, "snares of death" aren't just abstract dangers, but intensely personal and binding cords designed to trap and strangle, reflecting a near-death experience so complete that escape felt impossible. The "pangs of Sheol" further emphasize this, depicting not just physical pain but the overwhelming, suffocating dread of the grave itself closing in.
The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is recounting a time of extreme peril, describing how death felt like an inescapable trap closing in on him, and the pains of the grave (or Sheol, the place of the dead) seizing hold. This vivid imagery of being utterly overwhelmed sets the stage for his subsequent cry for deliverance and praise for God's rescue.
Have you ever felt like you were trapped, with no way out? The Psalmist uses intense imagery to describe his near-death experience.
Imagery of Entrapment
The verse paints a vivid picture of being caught. The word for 'snares' can also mean 'cords' or 'bonds,' like those used to bind a criminal for execution or a sacrifice. The Psalmist isn't just feeling near death; he feels bound by it.
The Terrors of Sheol
'Sheol' is the Hebrew concept for the grave or the underworld – a place of darkness and silence. The 'pangs' or 'distresses' of Sheol suggest the terrifying proximity of this ultimate fate. It’s not just the physical end, but the overwhelming dread associated with it.
Beyond the physical threat, the Psalmist plunges into deep emotional and spiritual pain. What does this inner turmoil reveal?
The Weight of Inner Suffering
The words 'distress' and 'anguish' go beyond mere sadness. They speak to a profound inner suffering, a feeling of being crushed and tormented from the inside out.
The Cause of the Crisis
While the exact cause isn't stated here, the surrounding verses (especially v. 1-2 and v. 4) point to a situation where the Psalmist cried out to God. This intense suffering was likely amplified by a sense of being forsaken or overwhelmed, making his plea for divine help even more urgent.
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Understand the original words
chebley-mavet · Hebrew Noun Phrase
Traps or cords set by hunters, often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe overwhelming life-threatening situations, sin, or enemies that restrict one's freedom and safety.
Sheol · Hebrew Noun
The place of the dead or the grave in Old Testament thought; it represents the realm beyond this life, often associated with the darkness and finality of death.
nephesh · Hebrew Noun
A comprehensive term for the totality of a person’s inner life, personality, and being. In the context of prayer, it refers to the personhood that needs God’s protection or rescue.
This passage uses similar imagery of death's 'cords' and 'torrents' to describe overwhelming distress, highlighting how the psalmist felt ensnared by death. This directly parallels the 'snares of death' and 'pangs of Sheol' in Psalm 116:3.
Jonah 2:2Jonah's cry from 'inside the belly of the fish' to the Lord echoes the deep distress of Psalm 116:3, showing a profound sense of being trapped and near death, crying out for divine intervention.
2 Corinthians 1:8-9The Apostle Paul describes facing 'overwhelming pressure' and feeling 'condemned to death,' mirroring the psalmist's experience of being encompassed by death and anguish, but emphasizes trusting in God's power to deliver.
Isaiah 38:10King Hezekiah's lament, 'I am forced to pass through the gates of Sheol into the land of the dead,' vividly expresses the same feeling of approaching the grave and experiencing the 'pangs of Sheol' described in Psalm 116:3.
calvinPsalms 116:1-4: "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications."
- I have loved, because Jehovah shall hear the voice of my supplication. 2. Because he hath inclined his ear to me, and during my days I will call upon him. 3. The snares [375] of death compassed me, [376] and the sorrows of the grave found me: [377] I found tribulation and grief. 4. And I will call upon the name of Jehovah; I beseech thee, O Jehovah! deliver my soul.
1 I have loved, because Jehovah will h…
pulpitPsalms 116:3: "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow."
Verses 3-9. - The psalmist describes his trouble (ver. 3), his prayer for deliverance (ver. 4), and his actual deliverance (vers. 5-9). Verse 3. - The sorrows of death compassed me; literally, the cords of death (comp. Psalm 18:4, where the same expression is used). Death is pictured as seizing his victim and binding him with cords. And the pains of hell gat hold upon me; or, "…
Here, "snares of death" aren't just abstract dangers, but intensely personal and binding cords designed to trap and strangle, reflecting a near-death experience so complete that escape felt impossible. The "pangs of Sheol" further emphasize this, depicting not just physical pain but the overwhelming, suffocating dread of the grave itself closing in.
The psalmist is recounting a time of extreme peril, describing how death felt like an inescapable trap closing in on him, and the pains of the grave (or Sheol, the place of the dead) seizing hold. This vivid imagery of being utterly overwhelmed sets the stage for his subsequent cry for deliverance and praise for God's rescue.
The psalmist is recounting a time of extreme peril, describing how death felt like an inescapable trap closing in on him, and the pains of the grave (or Sheol, the place of the dead) seizing hold. This vivid imagery of being utterly overwhelmed sets the stage for his subsequent cry for deliverance and praise for God's rescue.
"The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”" — Here, "snares of death" aren't just abstract dangers, but intensely personal and binding cords designed to trap and strangle, reflecting a near-death experience so complete that escape felt impossibl…
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Last reviewed October 2026