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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Psalms 18:14

" Adonai also thundered in heaven, Ha‘Elyon sounded his voice — hailstones and fiery coals.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Lightning;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Readings, Select;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Arrows;   God;   God's;   Lightning;   Meteorology;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Arrow;   Fire;   Psalms, the Book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fire;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Arrows;   Beth-Horon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Clouds;   Lightning;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   David;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Jonah;   Kingdom of God;   Lightning;   Psalms;   Salvation, Saviour;   Sin;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Psalms the book of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Red Sea;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lightning;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Arrow;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - El 'Elyon;   Hail;   Theophany;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He shot his arrows and scattered them;he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
Hebrew Names Version
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and routed them.
King James Version
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
English Standard Version
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
New Century Version
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. His many bolts of lightning confused them with fear.
New English Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered them, many lightning bolts and routed them.
Amplified Bible
He sent out His arrows and scattered them; And He sent an abundance of lightning flashes and confused and routed them [in defeat].
New American Standard Bible
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
World English Bible
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and routed them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
Legacy Standard Bible
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,And lightning flashes in abundance, and threw them into confusion.
Berean Standard Bible
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
Contemporary English Version
You scattered your enemies with arrows of lightning.
Darby Translation
And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
Easy-to-Read Version
He scattered his enemies with his arrows— the lightning bolts that threw them into confusion.
George Lamsa Translation
Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he multiplied his lightnings and confused them.
Good News Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
Lexham English Bible
And he shot his arrows and scattered them, and many lightning bolts and routed them.
Literal Translation
Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings and confounded them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sent out his arowes & scatred the, he cast sore lighteninges, & destroyed the.
American Standard Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Bible in Basic English
He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
King James Version (1611)
Yea, he sent out his arrowes, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He shot out his arrowes, and scattered them: he cast foorth much lyghtnynges, and destroyed them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he sent forth his weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed them.
English Revised Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord thundrid fro heuene; and the hiyeste yaf his vois, hail and the coolis of fier `camen doun.
Update Bible Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Yes, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
New King James Version
He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
New Living Translation
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
New Life Bible
He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning and sent them running.
New Revised Standard
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(17-15) And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.
Revised Standard Version
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
Young's Literal Translation
And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

Contextual Overview

1 For the leader. By David the servant of Adonai , who addressed the words of this song to Adonai on the day when Adonai delivered him from the power of all his enemies, including from the power of Sha'ul. 2 He said: "I love you, Adonai , my strength! 3 " Adonai is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer, my God, my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold. 4 I call on Adonai , who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies. 5 "For the cords of death surrounded me, the floods of B'liya‘al terrified me, 6 the ropes of Sh'ol were wrapped around me, the snares of death lay there before me. 7 In my distress I called to Adonai ; I cried out to my God. Out of his temple he heard my voice; my cry reached his ears. 8 "Then the earth quaked and shook, the foundations of the mountains trembled. They were shaken because he was angry. 9 Smoke arose in his nostrils; out of his mouth came devouring fire; sparks blazed forth from him. 10 He lowered heaven and came down with thick darkness under his feet.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Yea: Psalms 21:12, Psalms 77:17, Numbers 24:8, Deuteronomy 32:23, Deuteronomy 32:42, Joshua 10:10, Job 6:4, Isaiah 30:30, Habakkuk 3:11

he shot: Psalms 144:6, Job 38:35, Job 40:9-12, Zechariah 9:14, Zechariah 9:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:24 - looked unto Numbers 21:30 - have shot 1 Samuel 2:10 - he thunder 2 Samuel 22:15 - arrows 2 Kings 19:7 - a blast Psalms 64:7 - God Psalms 140:10 - burning coals Jeremiah 46:15 - the Lord Ezekiel 13:11 - there shall Daniel 5:9 - greatly Revelation 4:5 - proceeded

Cross-References

Genesis 17:21
But I will establish my covenant with Yitz'chak, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."
Genesis 18:1
Adonai appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre as he sat at the entrance to the tent during the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2
He raised his eyes and looked, and there in front of him stood three men. On seeing them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground,
Genesis 18:10
He said, "I will certainly return to you around this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard him from the entrance of the tent, behind him.
Numbers 11:23
Adonai answered Moshe, "Has Adonai 's arm grown short? Now you will see whether what I said will happen or not!"
Deuteronomy 7:21
You are not to be frightened of them, because Adonai your God is there with you, a God great and fearsome.
Deuteronomy 30:3
At that point, Adonai your God will reverse your exile and show you mercy; he will return and gather you from all the peoples to which Adonai your God scattered you.
1 Samuel 14:6
Y'honatan said to his armor-bearer, "Come on, let's go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised people. Maybe Adonai will do something for us, since Adonai can rescue with a few people as easily as with many."
2 Kings 4:16
He said, "Next year, when the season comes around, you will be holding a son." "No, my lord," she answered. "Man of God, don't lie to your servant!"
Job 36:5
"Look, God is powerful and despises no one, powerful in his strength of understanding.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, he sent out his arrows,.... By which thunderbolts, cracks of thunder, and flashes of lightning, seem to be meant; see

Psalms 77:17; comparable to arrows shot, and sent out of a bow; and may denote, either the doctrines of the Gospel, which were sharp in the hearts of Christ's enemies, and are either the means of subduing them to him, or of destroying them, being the savour of death unto death; or however, like arrows, give great pain and uneasiness where they stick, and grievously distress and torment; as does the fire which comes out of the mouth of the two witnesses, Revelation 11:5. The Targum is,

"he sent his word as arrows;''

or else the judgments of God are meant, as famine, pestilence, and the sword, which God sent unto, and spent upon the Jewish nation,

Deuteronomy 32:23;

and scattered them; among the nations of the world, where they have been dispersed ever since;

and he shot out lightnings; or "many lightnings", so the Targum:

and discomfited them; troubled, terrified, and distressed them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, he sent out his arrows - The word arrows here probably refers to the lightnings mentioned in the other clause of the verse. Those lightnings scattered around, and accomplishing such destruction, seemed to be arrows sent forth from the hand of God.

And scattered them - Herder refers this to the lightnings; DeWette, to the enemies of the psalmist. The latter seems to be the more correct interpretation, though the enemies of the psalmist are not here particularly specified. They seem, however, to have been in his eye throughout the psalm, for it was the victory achieved over them by the divine interposition that he was celebrating throughout the poem.

And he shot out lightnings - As arrows; or, as from a bow.

And discomfited them - literally, to impel, to drive; then, to put in commotion or consternation. The allusion is to an army whose order is disturbed, or which is thrown into confusion, and which is, therefore, easily conquered. The idea is that David achieved a victory over all his enemies, as if God had scattered them by a storm and tempest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 18:14. He sent out his arrows - he shot out lightnings — I believe the latter clause to be an illustration of the former. He sent out his arrows-that is, he shot out lightnings; for lightnings are the arrows of the Lord, and there is something very like the arrowhead apparent in the zigzag lightning. Sense and sound are wonderfully combined in the Hebrew of this last clause: וברכים רב ויהמם uberakim rab vaihummem, "and thunderings he multiplied and confounded them." Who does not hear the bursting, brattling, and pounding of thunder in these words? See Delaney?


 
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