The Meaning of Psalms 18:14 Explained

Psalms 18:14

KJV: Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

YLT: And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.

Darby: And he sent his arrows, and scattered mine enemies; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.

ASV: And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, he sent out  his arrows,  and scattered  them; and he shot out  lightnings,  and discomfited  them. 

What does Psalms 18:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 18:1-26 - A Wonderful Deliverance
There is another edition of this psalm in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. Psalms 18:2 and Psalms 18:49 are applied in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 2:13 and Romans 15:9. We begin with the psalmist's good resolve, Psalms 18:1-3. No single metaphor can comprehend the whole of God's helpfulness to men; but can we say, "I love thee"? See John 21:17. "Thou knowest!"
The story of the past, Psalms 18:4-19. We also have our Red Seas. In our distress let us also cry. The voice of the sufferer may be weak and solitary, but it reaches through the gates of pearl and moves creation! Luke 8:46.
The confident claim of the righteous, Psalms 18:20-26. We cannot boast a righteousness of our own, but we stand in Christ. We are full of impurity and evil, but we may claim at least integrity of motive. Compare Psalms 18:26 with Leviticus 26:21-24. The wind blows in one direction; you can walk against it or with it-take your choice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:14 mean?

And He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe and Lightnings in abundance and He vanquished them
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חִ֭צָּיו וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם וּבְרָקִ֥ים רָ֝ב וַיְהֻמֵּֽם

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח  And  He  sent  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
חִ֭צָּיו  His  arrows 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵץ  
Sense: arrow.
וַיְפִיצֵ֑ם  and  scattered  the  foe 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
וּבְרָקִ֥ים  and  Lightnings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בָּרָק  
Sense: lightning.
רָ֝ב  in  abundance 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָבַב  
Sense: (Qal) to shoot.
וַיְהֻמֵּֽם  and  He  vanquished  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: הָמַם 
Sense: to move noisily, confuse, make a noise, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex.