Psalms 29:7

29:7 The Lord’s shout strikes ¹  with flaming fire. ² 

Psalms 78:63

78:63 Fire consumed their ³  young men,

and their ⁴  virgins remained unmarried. ⁵ 

Psalms 97:3

97:3 Fire goes before him;

on every side ⁶  it burns up his enemies.

Psalms 104:4

104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,

and the flaming fire his attendant. ⁷ 

Psalms 105:32

105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; ⁸ 

there was lightning in their land. ⁹ 

Psalms 105:39

105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, ¹⁰ 

and provided a fire to light up the night.

Psalms 106:18

106:18 Fire burned their group;

the flames scorched the wicked. ¹¹ 

¹ tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the Lord’s shout is accompanied by “flames of fire,” that is, lightning bolts.

² sn The Lord’s shout strikes with flaming fire. The short line has invited textual emendation, but its distinct, brief form may highlight the statement, which serves as the axis of a chiastic structure encompassing vv. 5-9: (A) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 5); (B) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 6); (C) the Lord’s shout is accompanied by destructive lightning (v. 7); (B´) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 8); (A´) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 9).

³ tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).

⁴ tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).

⁵ tn Heb “were not praised,” that is, in wedding songs. The young men died in masses, leaving no husbands for the young women.

⁵ tn Heb “all around.”

⁷ tc Heb “and his attendants a flaming fire.” The lack of agreement between the singular “fire” and plural “attendants” has prompted various emendations. Some read “fire and flame.” The present translation assumes an emendation to “his attendant” (יו in the Hebrew text being virtually dittographic).

⁹ tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”

¹¹ tn Or “curtain.”

¹³ sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.