Psalms 18:8 (GNV)

Passage

Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.

Nearby Context

Psalms 18:6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.

Psalms 18:7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.

Psalms 18:8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.

Psalms 18:9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.

Psalms 18:10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "smoke", "went", "nostrels", "consuming", "fire", "mouth", "coales", and "kindled". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "smoke" and "went", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Then the earth trembled and quaked the..." into verse 9's "He bowed the heauens also and came...", so "smoke" and "went" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "smoke" and "went" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.