Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:14
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
14. And he sent out &c. (R.V.) gives the connexion better than Yea. Lightnings are Jehovah’s arrows. Cp. Psa 77:17; Hab 3:11.
Scattered them clearly refers to the enemies whose destruction was the object of this Divine interposition ( Psa 18:3).
and he shot out lightnings ] Better, yea, lightnings in abundance; or, as R.V., lightnings manifold.
discomfited ] A word denoting the confusion of a sudden panic, and used especially of supernatural defeat. Cp. Exo 14:24 (R.V.); Jos 10:10; Jdg 4:15 ; 1Sa 7:10. Psa 144:6-7 is based on Psa 18:14 ; Psa 18:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Yea, he sent out his arrows – The word arrows here probably refers to the lightnings mentioned in the other clause of the verse. Those lightnings scattered around, and accomplishing such destruction, seemed to be arrows sent forth from the hand of God.
And scattered them – Herder refers this to the lightnings; DeWette, to the enemies of the psalmist. The latter seems to be the more correct interpretation, though the enemies of the psalmist are not here particularly specified. They seem, however, to have been in his eye throughout the psalm, for it was the victory achieved over them by the divine interposition that he was celebrating throughout the poem.
And he shot out lightnings – As arrows; or, as from a bow.
And discomfited them – literally, to impel, to drive; then, to put in commotion or consternation. The allusion is to an army whose order is disturbed, or which is thrown into confusion, and which is, therefore, easily conquered. The idea is that David achieved a victory over all his enemies, as if God had scattered them by a storm and tempest.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. He sent out his arrows – he shot out lightnings] I believe the latter clause to be an illustration of the former. He sent out his arrows-that is, he shot out lightnings; for lightnings are the arrows of the Lord, and there is something very like the arrowhead apparent in the zigzag lightning. Sense and sound are wonderfully combined in the Hebrew of this last clause: uberakim rab vaihummem, “and thunderings he multiplied and confounded them.” Who does not hear the bursting, brattling, and pounding of thunder in these words? See Delaney?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His arrows, to wit, lightnings, as it is explained in the next clause.
Scattered them, to wit, mine enemies; which is sufficiently understood from Psa 18:3,17, and from the whole context.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. The fiery brightness oflightning, in shape like burning arrows rapidly shot through the air,well represents the most terrible part of an awful storm. Before theterrors of such a scene the enemies are confounded and overthrown indismay.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Yea, he sent out his arrows,…. By which thunderbolts, cracks of thunder, and flashes of lightning, seem to be meant; see
Ps 77:17; comparable to arrows shot, and sent out of a bow; and may denote, either the doctrines of the Gospel, which were sharp in the hearts of Christ’s enemies, and are either the means of subduing them to him, or of destroying them, being the savour of death unto death; or however, like arrows, give great pain and uneasiness where they stick, and grievously distress and torment; as does the fire which comes out of the mouth of the two witnesses, Re 11:5. The Targum is,
“he sent his word as arrows;”
or else the judgments of God are meant, as famine, pestilence, and the sword, which God sent unto, and spent upon the Jewish nation,
De 32:23;
and scattered them; among the nations of the world, where they have been dispersed ever since;
and he shot out lightnings; or “many lightnings”, so the Targum:
and discomfited them; troubled, terrified, and distressed them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) He sent out.In the majesty of the storm we have almost forgotten its cause, the Divine wrath against the enemies of the poet. They are abruptly recalled to our remembrance in the suffix (them) of the verbs in this verse. So the LXX. and Vulg. Many ancient interpreters, however, understood by them the lightnings, while Ewald would carry the pronoun on to the waters in the next verse. Instead of shot (rab) many render as if it were the adjective many, his numerous lightnings. But comp. Psa. 144:6 and the verse in Samuel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. And discomfited them He troubled and defeated them. Here ends the battle, and from this point dates the deliverance.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 18:14. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them Yea, he sent out his darts, and scorched them: he brandished his thunder-bolts, and dissolved them; i.e. the heavens. Schultens. Dr. Chandler approves of this version of Schultens; only instead of scorched, in the former clause, he renders it, made the heavens overflow: the word putz, is used to denote the inundation caused by rivers overflowing their banks, and the pouring down of large showers from the heavens; and, as applied to the heavens, here, means, that by the thunder and lightning the clouds were made to overflow and fall with such violence, as that the heavens themselves seemed to be dissolving down in rain. Lucretius finely compares the dissolution of the clouds in rain, by the heat of the sun, to the melting of wax by fire, lib. vi. v. 510. The Greek and Latin poets frequently speak of thunder and lightning as the arrows of Jupiter. See Chandler, and Schultens, Orig. Heb. vol. 1: p. 131.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 18:14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Ver. 14. Yea, he sent out his arrows, &c. ] Tandem permiscentur omnia grandine flammis et fulminibus tanquam telis et sagittis Dei adversus hostes pugnantis. After the advance guard, Psa 18:12 , the great ordnance, Psa 18:13 , the battle begins, and all is on a hurry.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Yea: Psa 21:12, Psa 77:17, Num 24:8, Deu 32:23, Deu 32:42, Jos 10:10, Job 6:4, Isa 30:30, Hab 3:11
he shot: Psa 144:6, Job 38:35, Job 40:9-12, Zec 9:14, Zec 9:15
Reciprocal: Exo 14:24 – looked unto Num 21:30 – have shot 1Sa 2:10 – he thunder 2Sa 22:15 – arrows 2Ki 19:7 – a blast Psa 64:7 – God Psa 140:10 – burning coals Jer 46:15 – the Lord Eze 13:11 – there shall Dan 5:9 – greatly Rev 4:5 – proceeded
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:14 Yea, he sent out {k} his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
(k) His lightening.