There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

2 SAMUEL 22:9KJV
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2 Samuel 22:9 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 22:9 mean?

2 Samuel 22:9 uses vivid imagery to describe God’s powerful anger, picturing smoke coming from His nostrils and devouring fire from His mouth, with burning coals being set ablaze. This verse paints a picture of God responding forcefully, as if nature itself reacts to His presence.

David is the speaker in 2 Samuel 22, singing a song of praise after being delivered from his enemies. In this verse, David uses poetic language to show how God’s intervention is overwhelming and unstoppable, much like a storm or a volcano. The imagery emphasizes God’s might and the seriousness of His response.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 22:9

  • "Smoke" (עָשָׁן, ʿāshān): This word often suggests something hidden or powerful building up, like the warning sign before a fire. Here, it highlights the intensity of God’s anger.
  • "Nostrils" (אַף, ʾaph): In Hebrew, this word can mean both “nose” and “anger.” The image of smoke from God’s nostrils connects His anger to something visible and dramatic.
  • "Devoured" (אָכַל, ʾāchal): This word means to consume or eat up. The fire from God’s mouth is not just for show—it actively destroys, showing the effectiveness of His judgment.
  • "Coals" (גֶּחָלִים, geḥālīm): Burning coals suggest heat and destruction, reinforcing the idea that God’s actions are powerful and purifying.

Why 2 Samuel 22:9 matters

  • This verse helps readers understand the seriousness with which God responds to injustice or threats against His people, using strong natural images to make the point.
  • The poetic language connects this passage to other biblical descriptions of God’s power, such as in Psalms and the story of Mount Sinai, helping readers see a consistent theme.
  • By recognizing the symbolic use of smoke, fire, and coals, readers can better appreciate the emotional and spiritual force behind David’s song, rather than reading it as a literal description of God’s appearance.

Where else these words appear

“coals” Hebrew H1513 · used in 18 verses

  • Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
  • Psalms 18:12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
  • Proverbs 26:21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

“smoke” Hebrew H6227 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
  • Psalms 18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
  • Isaiah 9:18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

“kindled” Hebrew H1197 · used in 90 verses

  • Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
  • 2 Samuel 22:13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
  • Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.