The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.
Parallel translations
- WEB The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.
- KJV The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
- NKJV The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about.
- NASB The clouds poured out water; The skies sounded out; Your arrows flashed here and there.
- NLT The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed.
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
The clouds poured down rain, the skies thundered, and God's arrows of lightning flashed everywhere.
Overview
Asaph portrays the storm accompanying God's deliverance, with thunder, rain, and lightning as the weapons of heaven. This theophany underscores God's overwhelming might in saving His people. Such displays of God's power in the natural world testify to the majesty of the Redeemer who controls all creation for the good of His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ps 18:14He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
- 2 Sam 22:15He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
- Ps 144:6Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them.
- Judg 5:4O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
- Ps 68:8–9the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
- Ps 68:33to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.
- Hab 3:11Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear.
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 77:17 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.