Psalm 18:8-16
New Catholic Bible
8 [a]The earth swayed and rocked;
the foundations of the mountains shook,
rocking because of his blazing anger.
9 Smoke poured forth from his nostrils,
while a scorching fire blazed out of his mouth
and kindled coals into flame.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds lay under his feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub,[b]
soaring swiftly on the wings of the wind.
12 He used the darkness as his covering,
and dense thunderclouds as his canopy.
13 From the radiance before him thick clouds emerged,
spewing hail and flashes of fire.
14 The Lord thundered from the heavens,
and the Most High let his voice be heard.
15 He shot his arrows[c] and scattered them,
hurled his lightning bolts and routed them.
16 Then the depths of the sea were exposed,
and the earth’s foundations were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,[d]
at the blast of wind from his nostrils.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:8 In these powerful images the ancients sang of the presence and glory of God in creation and in events (see Pss 68:9f; 97:2-5; Ex 19:15-18; Jdg 5:4f; Job 36:29f; Isa 30:27f; Hab 3:3-15). The description gives a presentiment of the struggle at the end of time in which God triumphs.
- Psalm 18:11 Cherub: a winged being, represented at the entrance of Mesopotamian temples. Two cherubim stood on the Ark of the Covenant (see Ex 25:18; 1 Ki 6:23-28). God was regarded as enthroned on them (see Pss 80:2; 99:1) and riding upon the storm clouds (see Ps 104:3) or upon the cherubim.
- Psalm 18:15 Arrows: shafts of lightning (see Pss 77:18; 144:6; Hab 3:11).
- Psalm 18:16 The psalmist may be referring to the wondrous deed God accomplished at the Red Sea during the Exodus (see Ex 14:15-22).
Psalm 18:8-16
New King James Version
8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 (A)He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10 (B)And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
(C)He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His secret place;
(D)His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12 (E)From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered (F)His voice,
[a]Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 (G)He sent out His arrows and scattered [b]the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 (H)He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:13 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; a few Heb. mss., LXX omit Hailstones and coals of fire
- Psalm 18:14 Lit. them
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
