When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
When (for) the waves of death compassed me, х mishbªreey (H4867)] - breakers, furious billows (Psalms 42:8; Psalms 78:8; John 2:4) [Septuagint, suntrimmoi, dashing waves.] Death is here compared to the sea, whose agitated billows, rushing in among the rocks on the shore, hem in on all sides the helpless individual whom it overtakes. In like manner Shakespeare speaks of being involved in 'a sea of troubles.'
The floods of ungodly men made me afraid, х nachªleey (H5158) bªliya`al (H1100)] - torrents of destruction terrified me (Gesenius). [Septuagint, cheimarroi anomias ethambeesan me, floods of iniquity, i:e., of wicked men (Deuteronomy 13:13; Deuteronomy 15:19: cf. 2 Samuel 23:6) - namely, Saul and his emissaries-overwhelmed me with astonishment.].