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1
The Imagery of God's Anger
Commentators explain that the imagery of smoke from God's nostrils and devouring fire from His mouth is a powerful, poetic way to describe His intense indignation. This is not meant to suggest God has a physical body or human passions, but to use vivid, understandable language (anthropomorphism) to convey the awesome and terrifying nature of His righteous anger against evil and injustice. The imagery is drawn from powerful natural forces like thunderstorms.
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Psalms
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Commentaries
9
Albert Barnes
On Psalms 18:8
18th Century
Theologian
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils - Margin, “by his;” that is, as it is understood in the margin, the smoke seemed to be pr…
Charles Ellicott
On Psalms 18:8
19th Century
Bishop
A smoke. —Now the thunder-cloud forms—smoke, as it were, from the nostrils of God (Deuteronomy 29:20: the literal rend…
Charles Spurgeon
On Psalm 18:8
19th Century
Preacher
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Eastern imagery representi…
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John Calvin
On Psalms 18:8
16th Century
Theologian
There went up a smoke by [or out of] his nostrils, etc. The Hebrew word אף, aph, properly signifies the nose, or the…
John Gill
On Psalms 18:8
17th Century
Pastor
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils
This, with what follows, describes a storm of thunder; the "smoke" designs…
Matthew Henry
On Psalms 18:1–19
17th Century
Minister
The first words, "I will love you, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm (Psalms 18:1). Those who trul…