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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Psalms 18:8

Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Readings, Select;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fire;   Nose;   Psalms, the Book of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Coal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Horn;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Nose;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   David;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Jonah;   Kingdom of God;   Psalms;   Salvation, Saviour;   Sin;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Fire;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Psalms the book of;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Coal;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Mouth;   Nostrils;   Smoke;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bush, the Burning;   Fire;   Nose;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Alliteration and Kindred Figures;   Burning Bush;   Earthquake;   Gentile;   Theophany;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for April 23;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Smoke rose from his nostrils,and consuming fire came from his mouth;coals were set ablaze by it.
Hebrew Names Version
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, Fire out of his mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.
King James Version
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
English Standard Version
Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
New Century Version
Smoke came out of his nose, and burning fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals went before him.
New English Translation
Smoke ascended from his nose; fire devoured as it came from his mouth; he hurled down fiery coals.
Amplified Bible
Smoke went up from His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.
New American Standard Bible
Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth was devouring; Coals burned from it.
World English Bible
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, Fire out of his mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Smoke went out at his nostrels, & a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
Legacy Standard Bible
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,And fire from His mouth devoured;Coals were kindled by it.
Berean Standard Bible
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals flamed forth.
Contemporary English Version
and breathed out smoke. Scorching heat and fiery flames spewed from your mouth.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Then the earth quaked and shook, the foundations of the mountains trembled. They were shaken because he was angry.
Darby Translation
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
Easy-to-Read Version
Smoke came from his nose. Burning flames came from his mouth. Red-hot coals fell from him.
George Lamsa Translation
There went up a smoke out of his wrath, and fire flamed from his face, and coals were kindled by it.
Good News Translation
Smoke poured out of his nostrils, a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
Lexham English Bible
Smoke went forth from his nose, and fire from his mouth consumed. Burning coals blazed from him.
Literal Translation
A smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire devoured out of His mouth; coals were kindled from it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
There wete a smoke out of his nostrels, ad a cosumynge fyre out of his mouth, so yt coales were kyndled at it.
American Standard Version
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
Bible in Basic English
There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the earth did shake and quake, the foundations also of the mountains did tremble;
King James Version (1611)
There went vp a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth deuoured, coales were kindled by it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In his anger a smoke ascended vp: and a fire out of his mouth dyd cosume, and euery cole therof dyd set a fire.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it.
English Revised Version
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The erthe was mouede togidere, and tremblede togidere; the foundementis of hillis weren troblid togidere, and weren moued togidere; for he was wrooth to hem.
Update Bible Version
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
Webster's Bible Translation
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
New King James Version
Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
New Living Translation
Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
New Life Bible
Smoke went out from His nose and the fire that kept coming from His mouth burned everything around it.
New Revised Standard
Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
Douay-Rheims Bible
(17-9) There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.
Young's Literal Translation
Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.

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

went: Psalms 11:6, Psalms 21:9, Psalms 74:1, Psalms 104:32, Psalms 144:5, Psalms 144:6, Genesis 19:28, Leviticus 10:2, Numbers 11:1, Numbers 16:35, Deuteronomy 29:20, Deuteronomy 29:23, Deuteronomy 29:24, 2 Thessalonians 1:8

out of his: Heb. by his

fire: Daniel 7:10, Amos 4:11, Nahum 1:5, Nahum 1:6, Revelation 11:5

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 22:9 - went 1 Kings 8:12 - The Lord 2 Chronicles 6:1 - The Lord Job 41:19 - General Job 41:21 - General Psalms 97:3 - General Isaiah 6:4 - the house Isaiah 10:17 - for a flame Isaiah 11:4 - with the breath Ezekiel 38:18 - that Revelation 15:8 - was

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Deuteronomy 32:14
Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs and rams, herds of Bashan and goats, with the finest of the wheat--and of the blood of the grape you drank wine.
Judges 5:25
He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
Judges 13:15
Mano'ah said to the angel of the LORD, "Pray, let us detain you, and prepare a kid for you."
Nehemiah 12:44
On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.
Luke 12:37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.
Luke 17:8
Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'?
Luke 24:30
When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
Luke 24:43
and he took it and ate before them.
John 12:2
There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Laz'arus was one of those at table with him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,.... This, with what follows, describes a storm of thunder; the "smoke" designs thick black clouds, gathered together; "fire" intends lightning; and "coals of fire", hot thunderbolts; and the whole is borrowed from, and is an allusion to what was at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai,

Exodus 19:16; The majesty of God is here set forth in much such language as is the leviathan in Job 41:19; the "smoke of his nostrils" seems to intend the indignation of God against the enemies of David, of Christ, and of his people, and the punishment be will inflict upon them, Isaiah 65:5. The Targum interprets it of the pride and insolence of Pharaoh;

and fire out of his mouth devoured; God is a wall of fire round about his people, and a consuming one to his and their enemies. This expresses the wrath of God upon the Jewish nation, and his sending the Roman armies to burn their city, Matthew 22:7;

coals were kindled by it; the Jews being as dry trees, were fit fuel for the fire of divine wrath, and so presently became as coals of fire; so the antichristian party, upon the pouring out of the fourth vial, will be scorched with heat, and blaspheme the name of God, Revelation 16:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils - Margin, “by his;” that is, as it is understood in the margin, the smoke seemed to be produced “by” his nostrils, or to be caused by his breathing. The comparison, according to Rosenmuller and DeWette, is derived from wild beasts when excited with anger, and when their rage is indicated by their violent breathing. Compare Psalms 74:1; Deuteronomy 29:20; Isaiah 65:5.

And fire out of his mouth devoured - That is, the clouds seemed to be poured forth from his nostrils, and the lightning from his mouth. So in Habakkuk 3:5 : “Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.”

Coals were kindled by it - Everything seemed to glow and burn. The lightning, that appeared to flash from his mouth, set everything on fire. The heavens and the earth were in a blaze.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 18:8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils — - Or, 'There ascended into his nostrils a smoke,' as the words, literally rendered, signify. The ancients placed the seat of anger in the nose, or nostrils; because when the passions are warm and violent, it discovers itself by the heated vehement breath which proceeds from them. Hence the physiognomists considered open wide nostrils as a sign of an angry, fiery disposition.

"This description of a smoke arising into and a fire breaking forth from the nostrils of God, denotes, by a poetical figure, the greatness of his anger and indignation.

"Fire out of his mouth devoured - means that consuming fire issued out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it, thus we render the next clause; but the words do not mean that fire proceeding from God kindled coals, but that burning coals issued from his mouth; and it should be rendered 'living coals from his mouth burned, and consumed around him.'-Chandler.


 
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