Psalms 18:9

Psa 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet.

Ver. 9. He bowed the heavens] i.e. Velociter venit, saith R. David, he came speedily to destroy mine enemies.

And darkness was under his feet] He came invisible.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 18:9. He bowed the heavens — By producing thick and dark clouds, by which the heavens seemed to come down to the earth; and came down — Not by change of place, but by the manifestation of his presence and power on my behalf. In other words, he, as it were, made the heavens bend under him, when he descended to take vengeance on his and my enemies. And darkness was under his feet — The psalmist seems here to express the appearance of the Divine Majesty in a glorious cloud, descending from heaven, which, underneath, was substantially dark, but above bright, and shining with an amazing lustre; and which, by its gradual descent, would appear as if the heavens themselves were bending down and approaching toward the earth.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. (Psa 18:9). So he bowed the heavens and came down, and gloom (was) under his feet. The scene seems here to be transferred from heaven to earth, where the psalmist sees not only the divine operation but the personal presence of Jehovah. The word so, familiarly employed in English to continue a narrative, here represents the vau conversive of the Hebrew. The word translated gloom is not the usual term for darkness, but a poetical expression specially applied to dense clouds and vapours. The expression seems to be derived from Deu 5:22. Compare with this clause, Exo 19:16, and with the first, Isa 63:19 (also Isa 64:1).

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:9-11 The Lord’s sovereignty extends over all of nature (see 104:2-4; 148:5-6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Darkness signifieth the wrath of God as the clear light signifieth God’s favor.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

darkness--or, a dense cloud (Exo 19:16; Deu 5:22).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down] - He made the heavens bend under him when he descended to take vengeance on his enemies. The psalmist seems here to express the appearance of the Divine majesty in a glorious cloud, descending from heaven, which underneath was substantially dark, but above, bright, and shining with exceeding lustre; and which, by its gradual approach to the earth, would appear as though the heavens themselves were bending down and approaching towards us.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) Darkness.—Better, black cloud. The dark masses of rain-cloud are now gathered, and bend to the earth under the majestic tread of God. (Comp. Nah_1:3, “and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Comp. Psa_144:5.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. The dark canopy of storm clouds, which is the pavement under His feet (Nah_1:3), lowers as He descends to judgment. God is said to come down when He manifests His power in the world (Gen_11:7; Gen_18:21; Isa_64:1). The darkness, or better as R.V., thick darkness, in which He conceals Himself from human view, symbolises the mystery and awfulness of His Advent (Exo_19:16; Exo_20:21, 1Ki_8:12; Psa_97:2).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly,.... The Targum renders it in the plural number, "cherubim"; and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and by whom may be meant, either the angels, who are as horses and chariots, on whom Jehovah rides, and who art he makes use of as executioners of his wrath and vengeance, Zac 6:5; and to whom wings are assigned as a token of swiftness, Isa 6:2; or rather the ministers of the Gospel, who are the living creatures in Rev 4:7; and answer to the "cherubim" in Ezekiel's visions; and whom God made use of, especially after the death of Christ, and when the Gospel was rejected by the Jews, to carry it into the Gentile world, which was done by them with great speed and swiftness; and Maimonides (u) gives a caution, not to understand the phrase, "he did fly", as of God, but of the cherub;

yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind; which may design the speedy help and assistance God gave to his Son, and gives to his people; and the swift destruction of their enemies; see Psa 104:3; the words in Sa2 22:11, with only the variation of a letter in one word, are, "and he was seen upon the wings of the wind"; which were both true; nor need a various reading be supposed, the psalmist using both words at different times, suitable to his purpose, and which both express his sense. Wings are ascribed to the winds by the Heathen poets, and they are represented as winged on ancient monuments (w).

(u) Moreh Nevochim. par. 1. c. 49. (w) Vide Cuperi Apotheos. Homeri, p. 178. Wings are given to the south wind by Ovid, Metamorph. l. 1. Fab. 7. and by Juvenal, Satyr. 5. v. 10. and by Virgil, Aeneid. 8. v. 430. and who also speaks of wings of lightning, Aeneid. 5. v. 319.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He bowed the heavens also - He seemed to bend down the heavens - to bring them nearer to the earth. “He inclines the canopy of the heavens, as it were, toward the earth; wraps himself in the darkness of night, and shoots forth his arrows; hurls abroad his lightnings, and wings them with speed.” Herder, Spirit of Hebrew Poetry (Marsh), ii. 157. The allusion is still to the tempest, when the clouds ran low; when they seem to sweep along the ground; when it appears as if the heavens were brought nearer to the earth - as if, to use a common expression, “the heavens and earth were coming together.”

And came down - God himself seemed to descend in the fury of the storm.

And darkness was under his feet - A dark cloud; or, the darkness caused by thick clouds. Compare Nah 1:3, “The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Deu 4:11, “the mountain burned ... with thick darkness.” Deu 5:22, “these words the Lord spake out of the thick darkness.” Psa 97:2, “clouds and darkness are round about him.” The idea here is that of awful majesty and power, as we are nowhere more forcibly impressed with the idea of majesty and power than in the fury of a storm.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He bowed the heavens, by producing thick and dark clouds, by which the heavens seem to come down to the earth.

Came down; not by change of place, but by the manifestation of his presence and power on my behalf.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 9. Amid the terror of the storm Jehovah the Avenger descended, bending beneath his foot the arch of heaven.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. He came in haste, and spurned everything which impeded his rapidity. The thickest gloom concealed his splendour,

and darkness was under his feet; he fought within the dense vapours, as a warrior in clouds of smoke and dust, and found out the hearts of his enemies with the sharp falchion of his vengeance. Darkness is no impediment to God; its densest gloom he makes his tent and secret pavilion. See how prayer moves earth and heaven, and raises storms to overthrow in a moment the foes of God's Israel. Things were bad for David before he prayed, but they were much worse for his foes so soon as the petition had gone up to heaven. A trustful heart, by enlisting the divine aid, turns the tables on its enemies. If I must have an enemy let him not be a man of prayer, or he will soon get the better of me by calling in his God into the quarrel.

Ver. 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. As in a tempest the clouds come nearer to the earth, and from the mountains to the valleys, so the psalmist adopts this figure peculiar to such occasions as described God's near approach to judgment (Ps 144:5, etc.; Heb 3:6); and darkness was under his feet. We have here the increase of the horrors of the tempest, and its still nearer approach, but God is not yet revealed, it is darkness under his feet. Thick darkness was the accompaniment of God's descent on Mount Sinai

(Ex 20:21 De 4:11): and it invests his throne, to veil from us the overwhelming majesty of deity. Ps 97:2. But this darkness, while it hides his coming judgment, bespeaks sorrow and anguish to the objects of his wrath. Lu 21:25-26. W. Wilson, in loc.

Ver. 9-11:

"He also bowed the heavens,

And thence he did descend;

And thickest clouds of darkness did

Under his feet attend."

"And he upon a cherub rode,

And thereon he did fly;

Yea, on the swift wings of the wind,

His flight was from on high."

"He darkness made his secret place;

About him for his tent

Dark waters were, and thickest clouds

Of the airy firmament." Scotch Version, 1649.

Ver. 9-12:

"In his descent, bowed heaven with earth did meet,

And gloomy darkness rolled beneath his feet;

A golden winged cherub he bestrid,

And on the swiftly flying tempest rid."

"He darkness made his secret cabinet;

Thick fogs and dropping clouds about him set;

The beams of his bright presence these expel,

Whence showers of burning coals and hailstones fell." George Sandys, 1577-1643.

None.

Psalms 18:10*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. He bowed the heavens… and came down—At his command the heavens bend low, as if to convey him to battle. The imagery is partly taken from a severe thunderstorm and is partly Sinaitic. Exo_19:20; Psa_144:5.

Darkness—Same as thick clouds, Psa_18:11. See also Exo_34:5; compare Psa_97:2. They were as the floor of his pavilion. Nahum (Nah_1:3) calls them, “the dust of his feet.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. (comp. Psa_145:5) In a storm the clouds do actually descend, and the whole heaven seems to be bowed down to earth. God is said to "come down" to earth whenever he delivers the oppressed, and takes vengeance on their oppressors. (see Exo_3:8 2Sa_22:10 Psa_144:5 Isa_64:1, Isa_64:3, etc.) And darkness was under his feet. A deep darkness commonly accompanies both earthquake and storm. When God actually descended on Mount Sinai, it was amid thunders and lightnings, and "a thick cloud", (Exo_19:16) elsewhere called "thick darkness". (Deu_5:22)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Bowed - By producing thick and dark clouds, whereby the heavens seem to come down to the earth. Came - Not by change of place, but by the manifestation of his presence and power on my behalf.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

He opened

The word "He" refers to Yahweh.

thick darkness was under his feet

Though Yahweh does not actually have feet, the Psalmist gives him human characteristics. AT: "thick darkness was beneath him" (See: Personification)

wings of the wind

Here the Psalmist speaks of the wind as if it had wings like an angel. (See: Personification and Metaphor)

translationWords

heaven

darkness

cherub

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Smoke went up in His nostrils (En ses nariles in Old French, in his nostrils.) So is the custom of every anger, to cause smoke to ascend from his nostrils.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.