He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
Parallel Translations
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He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
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He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
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(18-10) He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Psalms 18:9 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 144:5-15 Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them. Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you. You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword. Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace. Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields. Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.
- Deuteronomy 33:26 “There is no one like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, in his excellency on the skies.
- 2 Samuel 22:10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
- 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
- Deuteronomy 5:22-23 Yahweh spoke these words to all your assembly on the mountain out of the middle of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice. He added no more. He wrote them on two stone tablets, and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the middle of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
- Joel 3:16 Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel.
- Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
- Mark 15:33 When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
- John 13:7 Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”
- Hebrews 12:26 whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”
- Revelation 20:11 I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
- Psalms 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!
- Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment. Its inhabitants will die in the same way, but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not be abolished.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Darkness signifieth the wrath of God as the clear…
Darkness signifieth the wrath of God as the clear light signifieth God’s favor.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came…
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.
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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.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He bowed the heavens, by producing thick and dark…
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.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly,....…
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).
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(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.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Bowed - By producing thick and dark clouds, whereby…
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.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 9. He bowed the heavens also, and came…
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.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 18:9. He bowed the heavens — By producing…
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.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain He bowed the heavens also - He seemed to…
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.
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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.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain darkness--or, a dense cloud (Exo 19:16; Deu 5:22).
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.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 9. He bowed the heavens… and came down—At his…
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.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 9. The dark canopy of storm clouds, which is…
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.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (9) Darkness.—Better, black cloud. The dark masses of rain-cloud…
(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.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain He bowed the heavens also, and came down. (comp.…
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.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 9. Amid the terror of the storm Jehovah…
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,
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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.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 He opened
He opened
The word "He" refers to Yahweh.
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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.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 18:9-11 The Lord’s sovereignty extends over all of nature…
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.