Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 22:9
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9. Smoke arose in his nostril, and fire from his mouth did devour:
hot coals came burning from him.
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 Psalmist did not intend that the mind’s eye should clothe his figure in a concrete form. His aim is vividly to express the manifestation of the wrath of God, and he does so in 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 Comm. on 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 angry animal. Cp. Job 41:20; in illustration of which Mr Cox quotes from Bertram’s Travels in Carolina: “I perceived a crocodile rush from a small lake Thick smoke came with a thundering noise from his nostrils.” Martial speaks of fumantem nasum ursi “the smoking nostril of an angry bear” ( Epigr. vi. 64. 28).
fire ] Compare again Job’s description of Leviathan (Job 41:19-21). Fire is the constant emblem of the consuming wrath of God. See Deu 32:22; Psa 97:3; Heb 12:29.
coals ] The fiery messengers of vengeance. Cp. Psa 140:10.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. [See comments on Ps 18:8].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. Smoke through his nostrils Expressive of the violent snortings, or bursts of wrath, as of the enraged war-horse.
Hot coals glowed Flamed out in glowing brightness from Him as he sped on his path of vengeance. Compare 2Sa 22:13.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
went: 2Sa 22:16, Exo 15:7, Exo 15:8, Exo 19:18, Exo 24:17, Deu 32:22, Job 4:9, Job 41:20, Job 41:21, Psa 18:8, Psa 18:15, Psa 97:3-5, Isa 30:27, Isa 30:33, Jer 5:14, Jer 15:14, Heb 12:29
out of his: Heb. by his, etc
coals: Hab 3:5
Reciprocal: Gen 15:17 – a burning lamp 2Sa 22:13 – coals of fire
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:9 There went up a {d} smoke out of his nostrils, and {e} fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
(d) That is, clouds, and vapours.
(e) Lightening and thundering.