English Standard Version
Psalms 18:8
8Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
Psalms 18:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
- New International Version (NIV)Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
Context of Psalms 18:8
6In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. 7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
Read all of Psalms 18Psalms 18:8 word by word
עָ֘לָ֤ה עָשָׁ֨ן׀ בְּאַפּ֗וֹ וְאֵשׁ־מִפִּ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל גֶּ֝חָלִ֗ים בָּעֲר֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 18:8
- Psalms 11:6Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
- Psalms 21:9You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.
- Psalms 74:1O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
- Psalms 104:32who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
- Psalms 144:5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
- Genesis 19:28And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
- Leviticus 10:2And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
- Numbers 11:1And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
- Numbers 16:35And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.
- Deuteronomy 29:20The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- Daniel 7:10A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
- Amos 4:11"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the Lord.
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.
- Revelation 11:5And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
Commentaries on Psalms 18:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils - Or, 'There ascended into his nostrils a smoke,' as the words, literally rendered, signify. The ancients placed the seat of anger in the nose, or nostrils; because when the passions are warm and violent, it discovers itself by the heated vehement breath which proceeds from them. Hence the physiognomists considered open wide nostrils as a sign of an angry, fiery disposition. "This description of a smoke arising…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils - Margin, “by his;” that is, as it is understood in the margin, the smoke seemed to be produced “by” his nostrils, or to be caused by his breathing. The comparison, according to Rosenmuller and DeWette, is derived from wild beasts when excited with anger, and when their rage is indicated by their violent breathing. Compare Psalm 74:1; Deuteronomy 29:20; Isaiah 65:5. And fire out of his mouth devoured - That is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8His nostrils … His mouth: The psalmist compares God to an angry person or a fierce creature (see Job 41:12–22). The frightening images of smoke, flames, and glowing coals show God’s anger against sin.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. God's coming described in figures drawn from His appearance on Sinai (compare De 32:22).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 18:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 18
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries