Psalms 18:8 - Exposition

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils . Emissions of smoke are a common feature of volcanic disturbances, with which earthquakes are closely connected. The LXX . give, instead of "out of his nostrils," in his anger ( ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ ), which is better, since the Hebrew prefix בּ , "in," certainly cannot mean "out of." And fire out of his mouth devoured. Fire-balls are said to have accompanied some earthquakes, as especially that one by which Julian's design of rebuilding Jerusalem was frustrated. Coals were kindled by it . The fire-balls above spoken of are declared to have scorched and burnt the workmen employed by Julian.