Psalm 18:7-11 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 18:1-19

The title gives us the occasion of penning this psalm; we had it before (2 Sam. 22:1), only here we are told that the psalm was delivered to the chief musician, or precentor, in the temple-songs. Note, The private compositions of good men, designed by them for their own use, may be serviceable to the public, that others may not only borrow light from their candle, but heat from their fire. Examples sometimes teach better than rules. And David is here called the servant of the Lord, as Moses... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:7

Then the earth shook and trembled ,.... As it did quickly after Christ called upon the Lord, and cried to his God upon the cross, Matthew 27:50 ; and so some time after, when his people were praying together, the place where they were assembled was shaken, Acts 4:31 ; as a token of God's presence being with them: and the shaking and trembling of the earth is often used as a symbol of the presence of God, and of the greatness of his majesty; as when he brought the children of Israel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:8

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils ,.... This, with what follows, describes a storm of thunder; the "smoke" designs thick black clouds, gathered together; "fire" intends lightning; and "coals of fire", hot thunderbolts; and the whole is borrowed from, and is an allusion to what was at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:16 ; The majesty of God is here set forth in much such language as is the leviathan in Job 41:19 ; the "smoke of his nostrils" seems to intend the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:9

He bowed the heavens also, and came down ,.... To execute wrath and vengeance on wicked men; which is always the sense of these phrases when they go together; see Psalm 144:6 ; The Targum is, "he bowed the heavens, and his glory appeared"; that is, the glory of his power, and of his mighty hand of vengeance; for not his grace and mercy, but his indignation and wrath, showed themselves; for it follows, and darkness was under his feet ; the Targum is, "a dark cloud", expressive of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:10

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly ,.... The Targum renders it in the plural number, "cherubim"; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and by whom may be meant, either the angels, who are as horses and chariots, on whom Jehovah rides, and who art he makes use of as executioners of his wrath and vengeance, Zechariah 6:5 ; and to whom wings are assigned as a token of swiftness, Isaiah 6:2 ; or rather the ministers of the Gospel, who are the living creatures in Revelation... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:11

He made darkness his secret place ,.... Which, and the dark waters in the next clause, are the same with the thick clouds in the last, in which Jehovah is represented as wrapping himself, and in which he lies hid as in a secret place; not so as that he cannot see others, as wicked men imagine, Job 22:13 ; but as that he cannot be beheld by others; the Targum interprets it, "he caused his Shechinah to dwell in darkness;' his pavilion round about him were dark waters, and thick... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:7

Then the earth shook and trembled - " In this and the following verses David describes, by the sublimest expressions and grandest terms, the majesty of God, and the awful manner in which he came to his assistance. The representation of the storm in these verses must be allowed by all skillful and impartial judges to be truly sublime and noble, and in the genuine spirit of poetry. The majesty of God, and the manner in which he is represented as coming to the aid of his favourite king,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:8

There 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 into and a fire breaking forth from... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:9

He bowed the heavens also, and came down - He made the heavens bend under him when he descended to take vengeance on his enemies. The psalmist seems here to express the appearance of the Divine majesty in a glorious cloud, descending from heaven, which underneath was substantially dark, but above, bright, and shining with exceeding lustre; and which, by its gradual approach to the earth, would appear as though the heavens themselves were bending down and approaching towards us. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:10

He rode upon a cherub, and did fly - That is, as it is immediately explained, Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. God was in the storm, and by the ministry of angels guided the course of it, and drove it on with such an impetuous force as nothing could withstand. He 'rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.' Angels are in a peculiar sense the attendants and messengers of the Almighty, whom he employs as his ministers in effecting many of those great events which take place in... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 18:1-19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 18:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:7

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:9

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 18:10

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