Psalms 18:9

9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

Psalms 18:9 in Other Translations

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

9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

9 he lowers the sky. He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up.

9 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud beneath His feet.

Psalms 18:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:9

He bowed the heavens also, and came down
To execute wrath and vengeance on wicked men; which is always the sense of these phrases when they go together; see ( Psalms 144:6-8 ) ( Isaiah 64:1 Isaiah 64:2 ) ; The Targum is, "he bowed the heavens, and his glory appeared"; that is, the glory of his power, and of his mighty hand of vengeance; for not his grace and mercy, but his indignation and wrath, showed themselves; for it follows,

and darkness [was] under his feet;
the Targum is, "a dark cloud", expressive of the awfulness of the dispensation to wicked men; who are not allowed to see the face of God, are debarred his presence, and denied, communion with him, and to whom everything appears awful and terrible, ( Psalms 97:2-5 ) .

Psalms 18:9 In-Context

7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 11:5; S Psalms 57:3; Psalms 144:5
• 2. S Exodus 20:21; S Deuteronomy 33:26; S Psalms 104:3