He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.
Parallel translations
- WEB He made darkness a shelter around himself: gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
- KJV And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
- NKJV He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
- NASB “He made darkness canopies around Him, A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
- NLT He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God wraps himself in darkness and thick clouds as his canopy. His majesty is veiled even as he acts to deliver.
Overview
The dark clouds picture both the hiddenness and the overwhelming glory of God. He is present and powerful, yet his full majesty remains shrouded from mortal eyes. This holy mystery reminds us that the God who saves is beyond our comprehension, dwelling in unapproachable light and darkness alike.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 2 Sam 22:10He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
- Ps 18:11–12He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
- Ps 97:2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.
- Job 36:29Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?
- Ps 27:5For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.