Psalms 31:8
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
Original Language Analysis
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי
And hast not shut me up
H5462
הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי
And hast not shut me up
Strong's:
H5462
Word #:
2 of 7
to shut up; figuratively, to surrender
בְּיַד
into the hand
H3027
בְּיַד
into the hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
3 of 7
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתָּ
thou hast set
H5975
הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתָּ
thou hast set
Strong's:
H5975
Word #:
5 of 7
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
Cross References
Job 36:16Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.Psalms 18:19He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.Psalms 4:1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.Deuteronomy 32:30How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?Isaiah 19:4And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.1 Samuel 24:18And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.1 Samuel 17:46This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.Psalms 88:8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.Job 16:11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
Historical Context
During Saul's persecution, David literally fled between caves and wilderness strongholds, experiencing physical restriction. Times of safety represented 'large rooms' of respite.
Ancient Near Eastern thought associated blessing with space/freedom, curse with confinement. Promised land was broad and spacious (Exodus 3:8). David's language taps Israel's core identity—brought from Egypt's bondage to Canaan's freedom.
Questions for Reflection
- In what ways do you experience spiritual confinement when trusting your own strength?
- How does 'large room' imagery describe freedom believers have in Christ?
- What enemies threaten to shut you up, and how does God's sovereignty comfort?
- How does recognizing what God has not done deepen appreciation for His mercy?
- In what practical ways can you live in spacious freedom God provides?
Analysis & Commentary
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room. Divine deliverance using spatial imagery—God prevented confinement and provided spacious freedom, metaphors rich with theological significance for salvation.
Hast not shut me up (Hebrew sagar—to confine) celebrates that God didn't deliver David to enemies' control. This negative statement (what God has not done) is as important as positive promises. In sovereignty, God could have permitted capture; His restraint is active mercy.
Into the hand of the enemy represents total powerlessness. David acknowledges that without God's intervention, he'd be utterly at enemies' mercy. This recognition of dependence is foundational to Reformed soteriology—we are helpless without God's saving action.
Thou hast set my feet in a large room (Hebrew merchab—broad, spacious place) contrasts sharply. God doesn't merely prevent harm; He provides abundant life. Where enemies would restrict, God grants flourishing freedom. The spatial metaphor illuminates gospel—from confinement under sin to freedom in Christ.