English Standard Version
Psalms 97:3
3Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes.
Context of Psalms 97:3
1The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. 4His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the 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 went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
- Psalms 21:8Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.
- Psalms 50:3Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
- Deuteronomy 4:11And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.
- Deuteronomy 5:4The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire,
- Deuteronomy 32:22For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
- 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.
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.
- Habakkuk 3:5Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.
- Malachi 4:1"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
- 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.
- Hebrews 12:29for our God is a consuming fire.
- 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
- 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.
- Revelation 20:15And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries