Psalm 18:9

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

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 Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage.

8 His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out;

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

10 He's riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings.

11 Now he's wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.