My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The word for "anguish" here paints a vivid picture of someone in the throes of intense labor pains, twisting and writhing in agony. This isn't just sadness; it's a visceral, physical suffering, so severe that death itself seems to have suddenly and overwhelmingly descended.
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is in deep anguish, feeling overwhelmed by the imminent threat of death, likely due to a betrayal and rebellion within his own ranks. He describes his heart writhing in pain, as if in labor, and being struck by paralyzing fears that feel like the very approach of death. This profound distress sets the stage for his plea to God in the following verses, where he longs for escape.
Ever felt a pain so intense it felt like your body was tearing apart? David uses imagery of childbirth to describe his inner turmoil.
The Hebrew word used for 'pained' here ('chîl') literally means to writhe or twist, often associated with the intense, involuntary pains of labor. It paints a vivid picture of David's deepest distress, not just sadness, but a physical, gut-wrenching agony. This isn't a mild discomfort; it's an overwhelming, consuming pain that grips him from the inside out. He feels completely out of control, like a woman in the throes of childbirth, unable to stop the process or ease the suffering.
Imagine the chilling grip of fear, the suffocating sense that your end is near. David speaks of 'terrors of death' descending upon him.
The phrase 'terrors of death' doesn't just mean the fear of dying, but the overwhelming dread and horror that accompanies the presence of death itself. It's like a dark shadow suddenly falling, bringing with it a chilling realization of mortality and impending doom. This could refer to the immediate threat of violence, the betrayal by those close to him, or a deep spiritual crisis that felt like spiritual death. It was a sudden, all-encompassing dread that paralyzed him.
Understand the original words
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lebab · Hebrew Noun
The seat of the intellect, will, and emotions. Biblically, the heart is considered the center of a person's inner life and the control center for their actions and desires.
chil · Hebrew Noun
A state of intense mental or emotional pain, often resulting from extreme distress or helplessness. It denotes being "twisted" or "writhing" under pressure.
mawet · Hebrew Noun
The awareness or experience of the mortal end of life, often associated with the dread of divine judgment, finality, and the power of the grave. It represents the ultimate human existential dread.
This psalm captures the intense emotional and psychological distress David experienced when his own son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him, forcing him to flee his own capital. The betrayal by trusted advisors like Ahithophel deepened his sense of terror and anguish, making him feel as though he were facing death itself.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King
David has established a strong kingdom for Israel, but faces constant threats and internal struggles.
c. 992 BC— this verse
Absalom's Rebellion Begins
Absalom, David's son, conspires against his father and gains popular support, eventually forcing David to flee Jerusalem.
c. 992 BC
David Flees Jerusalem
David abandons his capital city, overwhelmed by the betrayal and the magnitude of the rebellion.
c. 992 BC
Ahithophel Joins Absalom
David's trusted counselor, Ahithophel, defects to Absalom's side, a devastating blow that intensifies David's despair.
This passage vividly describes physical suffering and distress, mirroring the 'anguish' and 'pangs' mentioned in Psalms 55:4, painting a picture of extreme vulnerability.
Psalms 18:4-5Here, the psalmist also speaks of being surrounded by 'cords of death' and 'torrents of destruction,' conveying a similar sense of overwhelming dread and the presence of deadly peril.
Matthew 26:38Jesus describes His soul as 'deeply grieved, even to death,' echoing the profound inner anguish and the proximity to death that David expresses in this verse.
Job 3:26Job's lament, 'I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes,' captures the same sense of inner turmoil and relentless distress that David feels, leading to the 'terrors of death'.
Genesis 15:12The 'horror of great darkness' that fell upon Abram is a parallel experience of overwhelming fear and dread, suggesting a spiritual or psychological assault that brings on terror and disorientation.
gillPsalms 55:4: "My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me."
My heart is sore pained within me,.... At the civil war in his kingdom; at the battle likely to ensue between his forces and Absalom's, and at the issue of it; see Jeremiah 4:19 ; this was true of Christ in the garden, when his soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death, and he was in pain, as a woman in travail, as the word (q) here used signifies; and on the cross, when his heart, like wax, melted in t…
clarkePsalms 55:4: "My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me."
The terrors of death are fallen upon me - I am in hourly expectation of being massacred.
The word for "anguish" here paints a vivid picture of someone in the throes of intense labor pains, twisting and writhing in agony. This isn't just sadness; it's a visceral, physical suffering, so severe that death itself seems to have suddenly and overwhelmingly descended.
The psalmist is in deep anguish, feeling overwhelmed by the imminent threat of death, likely due to a betrayal and rebellion within his own ranks. He describes his heart writhing in pain, as if in labor, and being struck by paralyzing fears that feel like the very approach of death. This profound distress sets the stage for his plea to God in the following verses, where he longs for escape.
The psalmist is in deep anguish, feeling overwhelmed by the imminent threat of death, likely due to a betrayal and rebellion within his own ranks. He describes his heart writhing in pain, as if in labor, and being struck by paralyzing fears that feel like the very approach of death. This profound distress sets the stage for his plea to God in the following verses, where he longs for escape.
"My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me." — The word for "anguish" here paints a vivid picture of someone in the throes of intense labor pains, twisting and writhing in agony. This isn't just sadness; it's a visceral, physical suffering, so se…
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Last reviewed October 2026