King David certainly did. And the story of how he regained his balance, according to Midrash Tehillim, is wild.

We all know King David. The shepherd boy who slew Goliath, the sweet singer of Israel, the king whose line would bring forth the Messiah. But even kings have moments of sheer terror, moments where they need a little...divine assistance.

Midrash Tehillim, which means "Commentary on Psalms," is a collection of rabbinic homilies that dives deep into the book of Psalms, teasing out hidden meanings and telling stories that amplify the text. And in Psalm 18, we find a particularly dramatic interpretation.

The story goes that David was in a confrontation with Yoav, his own general. Not just any confrontation, mind you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi tells us that Yoav, fueled by the power of his sword, actually pushed David back eighteen cubits! That's roughly twenty-seven feet! Can you imagine? The king, sprawled on the ground, completely vulnerable.

Both men, we’re told, were terrified of each other. A tense standoff. David, in desperation, cried out to God, "Expand my steps under me!" He needed firm ground, both literally and figuratively. He needed the strength to stand his ground.

And what happened next? It's pure Midrashic magic. Immediately, the Lord caused Avishai ben Tzeruyah, another of David's loyal men, to grow… taller, stronger, bigger, ready to step in. As it says in 2 Samuel 21:17, "And Avishai son of Tzeruyah came to help him." Talk about divine intervention!

Yoav, seeing this sudden shift in power, tries to rally his men. "Let us surround him, ten against one!" he commands. But his men refuse. "We will not kill you," they say. "A burden on the mother's womb kills ten people."

Now, that's a strange line, isn't it? What does it mean? Well, the rabbis are hinting at the immense power and potential inherent in every human life, even before birth. To harm David, the anointed king, would be to violate that sacred potential, with consequences far outweighing the act itself.

The story takes another turn, delving into David's fear. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani adds another layer, telling us that when David saw the angel of death (or perhaps a vision of divine judgment), his blood turned to water from fear. As it says in 1 Kings 1:1, "And they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm." This wasn't just physical cold; it was the chilling fear of mortality, of standing before the divine.

So, what are we left with? A king pushed to the brink, both physically and emotionally. A moment of sheer terror and vulnerability. But also, a demonstration of divine support, the unwavering loyalty of his allies, and a reminder of the sanctity of human life.

It’s a powerful reminder that even in our moments of greatest weakness, when the ground feels like it's crumbling beneath us, we are not alone. We, too, can cry out, “Expand my steps under me!” And perhaps, in ways we can’t even imagine, we will find the strength, the support, the firm ground we need to stand tall.