2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22

Spurgeon says "There was no great space between the cry and its answer." Prayer rings the alarm bell, and the Master of the house arises to the rescue, shaking all things beneath his tread. -- CHS The earth shook and quaked - This describes God's response to the David's prayer. God is arousing Himself for action! It is worth noting that the follows actions are the same phenomena that take place when Jesus Christ is dying on the cross and when He is risen again. (see Mt 27:51, Mt 28:2) Jamieson, Fausset, Brown — God’s coming described in figures drawn from His appearance on Sinai (compare De 32:22 For a fire is kindled in My anger, And burns to the lowest part of Sheol, And consumes the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. ). CHS - There was no great space between the cry and its answer. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, but is swift to rescue his afflicted. David has in his mind's eye the glorious manifestations of God in Egypt, at Sinai, and on different occasions to Joshua and the judges; and he considers that his own case exhibits the same glory of power and goodness, and that, therefore, he may accommodate the descriptions of former displays of the divine majesty into his hymn of praise. Then the earth shook and trembled." Observe how the most solid and immovable things feel the force of supplication. Prayer has shaken houses (Acts 4:31), opened prison doors (Acts 12:5-10), and made stout hearts to quail. Prayer rings the alarm bell, and the Master of the house arises to the rescue, shaking all things beneath his tread. Kidner - Everything in the description speaks of judgment, but as this is directed against the powers of evil it means salvation to their victim. Smoke, as in Isaiah 6:4, dramatizes the reaction of holiness to sin, and nostrils are in Hebrew the organ of anger. Devouring fire is synonymous in Deuteronomy 4:24 with divine ‘jealousy’ or intolerance; coals are rained down from God’s chariot-throne on the doomed city in Ezekiel 10:2. So the list continues, as the storm approaches, darkens, and finally unleashes itself. (Borrow Psalms 1-72 : an introduction and commentary) NET NOTE - The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62. The foundations of heaven (Ps 18:7 "of the mountains") were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry (charah; Lxx - thumoo - provoked to anger). God is ready to act, and the earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook. Because (term of explanation) introduces the explanation of why we see these incredible phenomena -- God is angry! CHS - "The foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because of his wrath." He who fixed the world's pillars can make them rock in their sockets, and can upheave the corner-stones of creation. The huge roots of the towering mountains are torn up when the Lord bestirs himself in anger to smite the enemies of his people. How shall puny man be able to face it out with God when the very mountains quake with fear? Let not the boaster dream that his present false confidence will support him in the dread day of wrath. 2 Samuel 22:9 "Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. BGT 2 Samuel 22:9 ἀνέβη καπνὸς ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ πῦρ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ κατέδεται ἄνθρακες ἐξεκαύθησαν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ LXE 2 Samuel 22:9 There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire out of his mouth devours: coals were kindled at it. KJV 2 Samuel 22:9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. NET 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke ascended from his nose; fire devoured as it came from his mouth; he hurled down fiery coals. CSB 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it. ESV 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. NIV 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. NLT 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. NRS 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. NJB 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, from his mouth devouring fire (coals were kindled at it). NAB 2 Samuel 22:9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, and a devouring fire from his mouth; he kindled coals into flame. YLT 2 Samuel 22:9 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils. And fire from His mouth devoureth, Brands have been kindled by it. went: 2Sa 22:16 Ex 15:7,8 19:18 24:17 De 32:22 Job 4:9 41:20,21 Ps 18:8,15 Ps 97:3-5 Isa 30:27,33 Jer 5:14 15:14 Heb 12:29 out of his: Heb. by his, etc coals: Hab 3:5 Related Passages: Psalm 18:8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it. Nahum 1:6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. Hebrews 12:29 for our God is a consuming fire. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Jamieson, Fausset, Brown — smoke out … his nostrils—bitter in His wrath (compare Ps 74:1 A Maskil of Asaph. O God, why have You rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? ). CHS - Verse 8. "There went up a smoke out of his nostrils." A violent oriental method of expressing fierce wrath. Since the breath from the nostrils is heated by strong emotion, the figure portrays the Almighty Deliverer as pouring forth smoke in the heat of his wrath and the impetuousness of his zeal. Nothing makes God so angry as an injury done to his children. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye. God is not subject to the passions which govern his creatures, but acting as he does with all the energy and speed of one who is angry, he is here aptly set forth in poetic imagery suitable to human understandings. Fire from His mouth devoured - It was the God who answers by fire on Mount Carmel and the glorious words after ELIJAH had prayed "Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (1Ki 18:38) CHS -The opening of his lips is sufficient to destroy his enemies; "and fire out of his mouth devoured." This fire was no temporary one but steady and lasting; Coals were kindled by it CHS -"Coals were kindled by it." The whole passage is intended to depict God's descent to the help of his child, attended by earthquake and tempest: at the majesty of his appearing the earth rocks, the clouds gather like smoke, and the lightning as flaming fire devours, setting the world on a blaze. What grandeur of description is here! Bishop Mant very admirably rhymes the verse thus:— "Smoke from his heated nostrils came, And from his mouth devouring flame; Hot burning coals announced his ire, And flashes of careering fire." 2 Samuel 22:10 "He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. BGT 2 Samuel 22:10 καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη καὶ γνόφος ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ LXE 2 Samuel 22:10 And he bowed the heavens, and came down, and there was darkness under his feet. KJV 2 Samuel 22:10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. NET 2 Samuel 22:10 He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet. CSB 2 Samuel 22:10 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud beneath His feet. ESV 2 Samuel 22:10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. NIV 2 Samuel 22:10 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. NLT 2 Samuel 22:10 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. NRS 2 Samuel 22:10 He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. NJB 2 Samuel 22:10 He parted the heavens and came down, a storm-cloud underneath his feet; NAB 2 Samuel 22:10 He inclined the heavens and came down, with dark clouds under his feet. YLT 2 Samuel 22:10 And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness is under His feet. GWN 2 Samuel 22:10 He spread apart the heavens and came down with a dark cloud under his feet. BBE 2 Samuel 22:10 The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet. bowed: Ps 144:5 Isa 64:1-3 darkness: Ex 20:21 De 4:11 1Ki 8:12 Ps 97:2 104:3 Mt 27:45 Lu 23:44,45 Related Passages: Psalm 18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. YAHWEH COMES DOWN IN ANSWER TO DAVID'S PRAYER In 2Sa 22:10-16 we see a poetic description of God's response to his prayer, a response that is characterized by the imagery of a thunderstorm.