Psalms 18:8

God's power and sovereignty

⁶ In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

¹⁰ And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
KJV: There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
WEB: Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
ASV: There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
DARBY: There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
BLB: Smoke went up from His nostril, and a devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled from it.

ÅB: Det steg røyk opp av nesen hans,
og fortærende ild fra munnen;
glør brant ut av ham.
OTB: Røyk steg opp fra hans nesebor,
Og fortærende ild kom fra hans munn;
Brennende kull flammet opp.
B1930: Det steg røk op av hans nese, og fortærende ild fra hans munn; glør brente ut av ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 21:9
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Read in context
Psalms 11:6
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Read in context
Nahum 1:5–6
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Read in context
Leviticus 10:2
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Read in context
Psalms 144:5–6
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Read in context
Numbers 16:35
And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Read in context
Amos 4:11
I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
Read in context
Daniel 7:10
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Read in context