Christian Standard Bible
Psalms 97:3
3Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side.
Psalms 97:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
- New International Version (NIV)Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about.
Context of Psalms 97:3
1The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. 2Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. 4His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord — at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Read all of Psalms 97Psalms 97:3 word by word
אֵ֭שׁ לְפָנָ֣יו תֵּלֵ֑ךְ וּתְלַהֵ֖ט סָבִ֣יב צָרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 97:3
- Psalms 18:8Smoke rose from his nostrils, and consuming fire came from his mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.
- Psalms 21:8Your hand will capture all your enemies; your right hand will seize those who hate you.
- Psalms 50:3Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him.
- Deuteronomy 4:11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud.
- Deuteronomy 5:4The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain.
- Deuteronomy 32:22For fire has been kindled because of my anger and burns to the depths of Sheol; it devours the land and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.
- Daniel 7:10A river of fire was flowing, coming out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence — the world and all who live in it.
- Habakkuk 3:5Plague goes before him, and pestilence follows in his steps.
- Malachi 4:1“For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- Hebrews 12:29for our God is a consuming fire.
- 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
- Revelation 11:5If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies; if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.
- Revelation 20:15And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Commentaries on Psalms 97:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A fire goeth before him - Literally, this and the following verse may refer to the electric fluid, or to manifestations of the Divine displeasure, in which, by means of ethereal fire, God consumed his enemies. But fire is generally represented as an accompaniment of the appearances of the Supreme Being. He appeared on Mount Sinai in the midst of fire, thunder, and lightninys, Exodus 19:16-18. Daniel, Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:10, represents the Sovereign Judge…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A fire goeth before him - See Psalm 18:13, note; Psalm 50:3, note. And burneth up his enemies round about - Is especially directed against his foes. That is, he manifests himself as a just God, inflicting vengeance on his enemies. He comes to reign, and in his reign all his foes will be destroyed.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4Clouds … Fire … lightning: This language shows that the Lord is coming to judge.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. The attending illustrations of God's awful justice on enemies (Psa 83:14) are seen in the disclosures of His almighty power on the elements of nature (compare Psa 46:2; 77:17; Ha 3:6, &c.).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 97:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 97
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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