Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 97:3
A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
A fire goeth before him – See Psa 18:13, note; Psa 50:3, note.
And burneth up his enemies round about – Is especially directed against his foes. That is, he manifests himself as a just God, inflicting vengeance on his enemies. He comes to reign, and in his reign all his foes will be destroyed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. A fire goeth before him] Literally, this and the following verse may refer to the electric fluid, or to manifestations of the Divine displeasure, in which, by means of ethereal fire, God consumed his enemies. But fire is generally represented as an accompaniment of the appearances of the Supreme Being. He appeared on Mount Sinai in the midst of fire, thunder, and lightnings, Ex 19:16-18. Daniel, Da 7:9; Da 7:10, represents the Sovereign Judge as being on a throne which was a fiery flame, and the wheels of his chariot like burning fire; and a fiery stream issuing from it, and coming forth from before him. St. Paul tells us (2Th 1:8) that the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire; and St. Peter, (2Pe 3:7; 2Pe 3:10; 2Pe 3:11,) that when the Lord shall come to judgment the heavens and the earth shall be destroyed by fire, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth and its works be burnt up. Here then, will appear, –
“Our God in grandeur, and our world on fire.”
Burneth up his enemies round about.] The fire is his pioneer which destroys all the hinderances in his way, and makes him a plain passage.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This fire, and lightning, and earthquake, and the sad effects of them, mentioned here, and Psa 97:4,5, signify those dreadful judgments of God which should be inflicted upon the Jews and others for their refusal and contempt of the Messias; which was foretold in the Old Testament, and accomplished in the New Testament.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3-5. The attending illustrationsof God’s awful justice on enemies (Ps83:14) are seen in the disclosures of His almighty power on theelements of nature (compare Psa 46:2;Psa 77:17; Hab 3:6,&c.).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A fire goeth before him, c,] Not the fiery law, which went forth from his right hand on Mount Sinai but rather his Gospel, which, as it enlightens, warms, comforts, and refreshes his people, searches, torments, and destroys his enemies, and is the savour of death unto death to them; see Jer 23:29. Some apply this to the gifts of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, signified by cloven tongues of fire; but then no such effect followed as mentioned in the next clause: it seems best to interpret it of his wrath, which, like fire, was poured out to the uttermost on the Jews, for their disbelief and rejection of him; they would not have him to reign over them; they despised his Gospel, and slew his servants; wherefore he sent the Roman armies to them, who destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city,
Mt 22:7, this will be also verified in the second coming of Christ, who will descend in flaming fire, and the earth will be burnt up, and all that is therein, 2Th 1:7, some Jewish writers interpret this of the war of Gog and Magog, in Ezekiel, which they suppose still future; as, when it is, fire will be sent and rained upon them, Eze 38:22, but may be better applied to the Gog and Magog in Re 20:8
and burneth up his enemies round about; so that none can escape: this was true of the Jewish nation, who were burnt up; so that there was not left root nor branch in it, Mal 4:1, and will be true of the wicked, at the general conflagration of the world, upon Christ’s second coming; and of the Gog and Magog army, after the resurrection.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) This is an echo of Psa. 1:3. (Comp. also Psa. 18:8; Hab. 3:4-5.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. A fire goeth before him To herald his coming. If the word of God is one of mercy to those who love and obey him, it is also one of judgment and terror to those who despise him. The figures are still borrowed from the scenes of Sinai. (See Deu 4:11; compare Isa 66:15-16; Heb 12:29; Rev 4:5.) God is represented in Psa 97:2-6 as the universal ruler, passing through the nations of the earth, visiting judicial judgments on his enemies, and dispensing pardon and peace to his willing and submissive subjects. These rejoice, (Psa 97:1,) those tremble, (Psa 97:4. )
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Psalmist, no doubt, alludes to the Lord’s dealings with his people in the wilderness; but, spiritually considered, the subject ariseth to a greater degree of sublimity in the view of the conquests of the Lord, by his Spirit, in the hearts of his people. Here, it may be truly said, the fire of his sacred word hath a most powerful effect, to burn up all the briers and thorns that would oppose the Lord’s way. The enlightening word of his grace, and the illumination of the Holy Ghost, open light in the soul, to make the sinner tremble; and the heart, like wax, is brought down, from hardness like a stone, to all the melting affections of the love of Jesus. See those scriptures, Jer 23:29 ; Isa 27:4 ; 2Co 4:6 ; Psa 68:2 ; Nah 2:10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 97:3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
Ver. 3. A fire goeth before him ] For even our God is a consuming fire, Heb 12:29 (and not the God of the Jews only), as shall well appear at the last day, 2Th 1:8 . See Trapp on “ Psa 97:2 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
before. See note on “presence” (Psa 95:2).
enemies = adversaries.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 97:3-6
Psa 97:3-6
GOD STRIKES FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF THE WICKED
“A fire goeth before him,
And burneth up his adversaries round about.
His lightnings lightened the world:
The earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
And all the peoples have seen his glory.”
“A fire goeth before him” (Psa 97:3). This passage is a prophecy of the Second Advent of Christ in the Judgment of the whole earth. An apostle has warned us that, “The heavens and the earth which now are, are stored up for fire against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (2Pe 3:7).
“The earth saw and trembled” (Psa 97:4). The Final Judgment is an appointment that shall be universally attended, with no absentees whatever. This thought is reiterated in Psa 97:6, where “all the peoples” are depicted as seeing God’s glory. The “trembling,” due to the wrath of God and the stricken consciences of guilty men, is mentioned in Rev 6:14 ff.
“The mountains melted like wax” (Psa 97:5). This is the same prophecy as that of the apostle Peter, who said, “The elements shall melt with fervent heat; and the earth and the things that are therein shall be burned up” (2Pe 3:10).
E.M Zerr:
Psa 97:3. The fire refers to the consuming force of God’s wrath against wicked men.
Psa 97:4. Fire and lightning are similar in nature, yet they were used in two senses. The first was used in the preceding verse as a consuming force, and in this verse the second word was used as an agent of illumination. The truth of this enlightenment made the earth’s people to see the majesty of God and to fear or have respect for the dignity of that truth.
Psa 97:5. Of course the melting of the hills is figurative. The people living in the hills were prostrated by the august demonstrations of God’s power.
Psa 97:6. See the comments at Psa 19:1.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Psa 18:8, Psa 21:8, Psa 21:9, Psa 50:3, Deu 4:11, Deu 4:36, Deu 5:4, Deu 5:23, Deu 5:24, Deu 32:22, Dan 7:10, Nah 1:5, Nah 1:6, Hab 3:5, Mal 4:1, 2Th 1:8, Heb 12:29, 2Pe 3:10-12, Rev 11:5, Rev 20:15
Reciprocal: 1Sa 7:10 – thundered 2Sa 22:9 – went Psa 18:12 – At the Isa 10:17 – devour Isa 30:30 – the flame Isa 66:15 – the Lord Eze 1:4 – a great Rev 20:9 – and fire
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 97:3-5. A fire goeth before him, &c. The judgments of God, and their effects upon the world, are here set forth, under the usual similitude of lightning and fire from heaven, causing the earth to tremble, and the mountains to melt and dissolve away. And by these terrible appearances in the natural world are especially signified those dreadful judgments of God, which were to be inflicted upon the Jews and others for their contempt and rejection of the Messiah, which was foretold in the Old Testament, and accomplished in the New. His lightnings enlightened the world This phrase signifies, not so much illumination as terror and judgments, as appears, both from the following words, and from the constant use of the phrase in that sense. The hills melted The strongest and loftiest parts of the earth, by which he may intend the great potentates of the world, who set themselves against the Messiah; at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Whose dominion shall not then be confined in Canaan, as now, in a manner, it is, but shall be enlarged over the whole earth. The exaltation of Christ to the throne of his kingdom was followed by a dreadful display of that vengeance which broke in pieces the Jewish nation, and brought their civil and religious polity to an utter dissolution. In the history of their destruction the world of the ungodly may view a striking picture of the great and terrible day when the Lord Jesus shall render a recompense to all his enemies. He is then to descend in flaming fire; lightnings shall be his harbingers; the earth shall tremble, and the hills shall literally melt like wax at the presence of Jehovah. Horne.