He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
Parallel translations
- WEB He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.
- KJV Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
- BSB He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
- NKJV He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
- NASB He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
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 sends out his arrows and lightning to scatter and rout David's enemies. It matters because God actively overthrows the foes of his people.
Overview
David pictures God shooting arrows and flashing lightning bolts that scatter and confuse his enemies. The Lord himself fights for his servant and disperses the opposing forces. This portrayal of God routing the wicked anticipates Christ's decisive victory over every spiritual enemy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 144:6Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.
- Hab 3:11The sun and moon stood still in the sky, at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.
- Josh 10:10Yahweh confused them before Israel. He killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth Horon, and struck them to Azekah and to Makkedah.
- Isa 30:30Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones.
- Num 24:8God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
- Deut 32:42I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy.”
- Deut 32:23“I will heap evils on them. I will spend my arrows on them.
- Ps 77:17The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.
- Job 6:4For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
- Zech 9:14–15Yahweh will be seen over them; and his arrow will go flash like lightning; and the Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.
- Ps 21:12For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.
- Job 38:35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’
- Job 40:9–12Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 18:14 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.