Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 18:5

"The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me." — Psalms 18:5 (ASV)

The sorrows of hell - Margin, “cords.” The word used here is the same that occurs in the previous verse, and that is there translated “sorrows.” It is correctly translated here, as in that verse, “sorrows,” though the parallelism would seem to favor the interpretation in the margin—cords. If it means “sorrows,” the idea is that such sufferings encompassed him, or seized upon him, as we associate with the idea of the descent to the underworld, or the going down to the dead. If it means “cords, or bands,” then the idea is that he was seized with pain as if with cords thrown around him, and that these were dragging him down to the abodes of the dead.

Luther, DeWette, Prof. Alexander, Hengstenberg, and others translate the word, in each of these places, “bands.” On the word here translated “hell,” שׁאול sh^e'ôl—see the notes at Isaiah 14:9. It means here the “underworld, the regions of the dead.” It is a description of one who was overcome with the dread of death.

The snares of death - The word “snares” refers to the traps, snares, or nets that are used in taking wild beasts, by suddenly throwing cords around them, and binding them fast. The idea here is that “Death” had thus thrown around him its nets or snares, and had bound him fast.

Prevented me - The word used here in Hebrew, as our word “prevent” originally did, means to “anticipate, to go before.” The idea here is that those snares had, as it were, suddenly rushed upon him, or seized him. They came before him on his path and bound him fast.