Psalm 18:9

9 And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet.

Psalm 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 ) .

Psalm 18:9 In-Context

7 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were disturbed, and were shaken, because God was angry with them.

8 There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it.

9 And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet.

10 And he mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds.

11 And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, even dark water in the clouds of the air.