Psalms 18:8

8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

Psalms 18:8 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:8

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 Exodus 19:18 ) ; The majesty of God is here set forth in much such language as is the leviathan in ( Job 41:19-21 ) ; 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 ) ( Revelation 14:11 ) . 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 Revelation 16:9 ) .

Psalms 18:8 In-Context

6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.

7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake -- because He hath wrath.

8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.

10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.