Psalms 18:9

9 (17-10) He bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under his feet.

Psalms 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 ) .

Psalms 18:9 In-Context

7 (17-8) The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.

8 (17-9) There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.

9 (17-10) He bowed the heavens, and came down, and darkness was under his feet.

10 (17-11) And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.

11 (17-12) And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.