Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:8
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
8. The startling boldness of the language will be intelligible if the distinctive character of Hebrew symbolism is borne in mind. It is no “gross anthropomorphism,” for the poet did not intend that the mind’s eye should shape his figures into a concrete form. His aim is vividly to express the awfulness of this manifestation of God’s wrath, and he does it by using figures which are intended to remain as purely mental conceptions, not to be realised as though God appeared in any visible shape. See some excellent remarks in Archbishop Trench’s Common the Epistles to the Seven Churches, p. 43.
a smoke ] The outward sign of the pent-up fires of wrath. So anger is said to smoke (Psa 74:1; Psa 80:4 marg.). This bold figure is suggested by the panting and snorting of an infuriated animal. See the description of the crocodile in Job 41:19-21.
out of his nostrils ] Cp. Psa 18:15. In his wrath (R.V. marg.) is a possible rendering, but the context and parallelism are against it.
fire ] The constant emblem of the consuming wrath of God. See Exo 15:7; Deu 32:22; Psa 97:3; Heb 12:29.
coals &c.] Or, hot burning coals came out of it: the fiery messengers of vengeance (Psa 140:10).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
There 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 Psa 74:1; Deu 29:20; Isa 65:5.
And fire out of his mouth devoured – That is, the clouds seemed to be poured forth from his nostrils, and the lightning from his mouth. So in Hab 3:5 : Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
Coals were kindled by it – Everything seemed to glow and burn. The lightning, that appeared to flash from his mouth, set everything on fire. The heavens and the earth were in a blaze.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 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 the nostrils of God, denotes, by a poetical figure, the greatness of his anger and indignation.
“Fire out of his mouth devoured – means that consuming fire issued out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it, thus we render the next clause; but the words do not mean that fire proceeding from God kindled coals, but that burning coals issued from his mouth; and it should be rendered ‘living coals from his mouth burned, and consumed around him.’-Chandler.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Smoke out of his nostrils; as is usual in persons transported with great anger and rage. He manifestd his great displeasure against my adversaries.
Coals were kindled by it; which notes the fervency, constancy, and efficacy of his anger.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. smoke out . . . hisnostrilsbitter in His wrath (compare Ps74:1).
by itthat is, the fire(Ex 19:18).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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,
Ex 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 indignation of God against the enemies of David, of Christ, and of his people, and the punishment be will inflict upon them, Isa 65:5. The Targum interprets it of the pride and insolence of Pharaoh;
and fire out of his mouth devoured; God is a wall of fire round about his people, and a consuming one to his and their enemies. This expresses the wrath of God upon the Jewish nation, and his sending the Roman armies to burn their city, Mt 22:7;
coals were kindled by it; the Jews being as dry trees, were fit fuel for the fire of divine wrath, and so presently became as coals of fire; so the antichristian party, upon the pouring out of the fourth vial, will be scorched with heat, and blaspheme the name of God, Re 16:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. There went up a smoke by [or out of] his nostrils, etc The Hebrew word אף, aph, properly signifies the nose, or the nostrils. But as it is sometimes taken metaphorically for wrath, some translate it thus, There went up a smoke in his wrath, which, in my opinion, is not at all appropriate. David compares the mists and vapours which darken the air to the thick smoke which a man sends forth from his nostrils when he is angry. And when God, by his very breath, covers the heaven with clouds, and taking away from us the brightness of the sun and of all the stars, overwhelms us in darkness, by this we are very impressively taught how dreadful is his wrath. By the rendering which I have given, the figure here strikingly harmonises with the one in the clause which immediately follows, namely, that fire proceeding from his mouth consumed The Psalmist means, that God, without great labor or effort, as soon as he shall have sent forth a breath or blast from his nostrils, and opened his mouth, will kindle such a fire that its smoke will darken the whole world, and its intense heat devour it. What he adds, Coals were kindled by it, serves to distinguish this dreadful fire from a flame which blazes for a moment, and then is extinguished. The bowing of the heavens, denotes a time when the heavens are covered and obscured with clouds. When dense vapours occupy the middle of the air, the clouds seem to us to come down and to lie upon our heads. And not only so, but the majesty of God then approaching, as it were, nearer us, strikes us with dread dismay, and greatly distresses us, although before, when the sky was fair, agreeable, and tranquil, we took ample scope, and enjoyed ourselves with much gaiety. Again, let us remember, that the Scripture, under these descriptions of a clouded and darkened sky, pourtray to us the anger of God. When the sky is clear and unclouded, it seems as if it were the pleasant and benignant countenance of God beaming upon us, and causing us to rejoice; whereas, on the other hand, when the atmosphere is troubled, we feel a depression of the animal spirits which constrains us to look sad, as if we saw God coming against us with a threatening aspect. At the same time, we are taught that no change takes place either in the atmosphere or in the earth, but what is a witness to us of the presence of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) A smoke.Now the thunder-cloud formssmoke, as it were, from the nostrils of God (comp. Psa. 74:1; Deu. 29:20 : the literal rendering is, there ascended smoke in his nostrils)and intermittent flashes of lightning dart forth and play about the distant summits, seeming to devour everything in its path. (Comp. the expression lambent flame.)
Coals were kindled by it.Rather, flaming coals blazed from it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. There went up a smoke Compare, on Sodom, Gen 19:27-28; also, on Sinai, Exo 19:18 a token of God’s majesty and his anger against sin.
Fire out of his mouth See the passages last quoted.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 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 that passion, when it grows warm and violent, 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 the nostrils of God, denotes, by a poetical figure, the greatness of his anger and indignation. Fire out of his mouth devoured, means that consuming fire issued out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it, we render the next clause; but the words do not mean that fire proceeding from God kindled coals, but that burning coals issued from his mouth; and it should be rendered, Living coals from his mouth burned or consumed around him. Chandler.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Ver. 8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils ] As angry men breathe vehemently, and seem to spit fire by their blustering speeches and menaces, so here omnia, quae tamen sunt intelligenda.
out of = into.
nostrils . . . mouth. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.
went: Psa 11:6, Psa 21:9, Psa 74:1, Psa 104:32, Psa 144:5, Psa 144:6, Gen 19:28, Lev 10:2, Num 11:1, Num 16:35, Deu 29:20, Deu 29:23, Deu 29:24, 2Th 1:8
out of his: Heb. by his
fire: Dan 7:10, Amo 4:11, Nah 1:5, Nah 1:6, Rev 11:5
Reciprocal: 2Sa 22:9 – went 1Ki 8:12 – The Lord 2Ch 6:1 – The Lord Job 41:19 – General Job 41:21 – General Psa 97:3 – General Isa 6:4 – the house Isa 10:17 – for a flame Isa 11:4 – with the breath Eze 38:18 – that Rev 15:8 – was
Psa 18:8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, &c. Here the further effects of Gods indignation are represented by those of fire, which is the most terrible of the created elements, burning and consuming all before it: scorching the ground, and causing the mountains to smoke. Under this appearance God descended on the top of Sinai; thus he visited the cities of the plain; and thus he is to come at the end of time. Horne. In the poetical figure of the smoke issuing from Gods nostrils, the psalmist is thought to allude to the well-known circumstance, that when the passion of anger becomes warm and violent in any man it is wont to discover itself by the heated, vehement breath which proceeds from his nose and mouth. The latter clause of the verse is better rendered, Fire out of his mouth devoured, coals burned from before, or around him.
18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and {e} fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
(e) He shows how horrible God’s judgments will be to the wicked.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes