Psalms 18:9

"Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it."

Key Reflection

The imagery in Psalms 18:9 vividly portrays divine wrath and judgment. Smoke, consuming fire, and coals symbolize the intense anger of God—akin to a physical manifestation of his fury. This passage likely reflects the idea that just as smoke irritates nostrils, so too does God's displeasure with sin permeate and provoke. The cultural context draws on common literary devices used in Near Eastern literature, where such vivid imagery is employed to convey powerful emotions and divine retribution.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

He bowed the heavens also -He seemed to bend down the heavens - to bring them nearer to the earth. “He inclines the canopy of the heavens, as it were, toward the earth; wraps himself in the darkness of night, and shoots forth his arrows; hurls abroad his lightnings, and wings them with speed.” Herder, Spirit of Hebrew Poetry (Marsh), ii. 157. The allusion is still to the tempest, when the clouds ran low; when they seem to sweep along the ground; when it appears as if the heavens were brought nearer to the earth - as if, to use a common expression, “the heavens and earth were coming together.” And came down -God himself seemed to descend in the fury of the storm.

More from Psalms 18

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