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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Psalms 18:14

And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Lightning;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Readings, Select;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Arrows;   God;   God's;   Lightning;   Meteorology;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Arrow;   Fire;   Psalms, the Book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fire;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Arrows;   Beth-Horon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Clouds;   Lightning;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   David;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Jonah;   Kingdom of God;   Lightning;   Psalms;   Salvation, Saviour;   Sin;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Psalms the book of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Red Sea;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lightning;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Arrow;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - El 'Elyon;   Hail;   Theophany;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He shot his arrows and scattered them;he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
Hebrew Names Version
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and routed them.
King James Version
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
English Standard Version
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
New Century Version
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His many bolts of lightning confused them with fear.
New English Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered them, many lightning bolts and routed them.
Amplified Bible
He sent out His arrows and scattered them; And He sent an abundance of lightning flashes and confused and routed them [in defeat].
New American Standard Bible
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
World English Bible
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and routed them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
Legacy Standard Bible
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,And lightning flashes in abundance, and threw them into confusion.
Berean Standard Bible
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
Contemporary English Version
You scattered your enemies with arrows of lightning.
Complete Jewish Bible
" Adonai also thundered in heaven, Ha‘Elyon sounded his voice — hailstones and fiery coals.
Darby Translation
And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
Easy-to-Read Version
He scattered his enemies with his arrows— the lightning bolts that threw them into confusion.
George Lamsa Translation
Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he multiplied his lightnings and confused them.
Good News Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
Lexham English Bible
And he shot his arrows and scattered them, and many lightning bolts and routed them.
Literal Translation
Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings and confounded them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sent out his arowes & scatred the, he cast sore lighteninges, & destroyed the.
American Standard Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Bible in Basic English
He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
King James Version (1611)
Yea, he sent out his arrowes, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He shot out his arrowes, and scattered them: he cast foorth much lyghtnynges, and destroyed them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he sent forth his weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed them.
English Revised Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord thundrid fro heuene; and the hiyeste yaf his vois, hail and the coolis of fier `camen doun.
Update Bible Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Yes, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
New King James Version
He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
New Living Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
New Life Bible
He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning and sent them running.
New Revised Standard
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(17-15) And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.
Young's Literal Translation
And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

Contextual Overview

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. 7 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9 He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10 He rode on a cherub, and flew; he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Yea: Psalms 21:12, Psalms 77:17, Numbers 24:8, Deuteronomy 32:23, Deuteronomy 32:42, Joshua 10:10, Job 6:4, Isaiah 30:30, Habakkuk 3:11

he shot: Psalms 144:6, Job 38:35, Job 40:9-12, Zechariah 9:14, Zechariah 9:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:24 - looked unto Numbers 21:30 - have shot 1 Samuel 2:10 - he thunder 2 Samuel 22:15 - arrows 2 Kings 19:7 - a blast Psalms 64:7 - God Psalms 140:10 - burning coals Jeremiah 46:15 - the Lord Ezekiel 13:11 - there shall Daniel 5:9 - greatly Revelation 4:5 - proceeded

Cross-References

Genesis 17:21
But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year."
Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,
Genesis 18:10
The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
Numbers 11:23
And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."
Deuteronomy 7:21
You shall not be in dread of them; for the LORD your God is in the midst of you, a great and terrible God.
Deuteronomy 30:3
then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes, and have compassion upon you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.
1 Samuel 14:6
And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few."
2 Kings 4:16
And he said, "At this season, when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your maidservant."
Job 36:5
"Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, he sent out his arrows,.... By which thunderbolts, cracks of thunder, and flashes of lightning, seem to be meant; see

Psalms 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, Revelation 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,

Deuteronomy 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 18:14. 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: וברכים רב ויהמם 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?


 
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