The Meaning of Psalms 18:12 Explained

Psalms 18:12

KJV: At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

YLT: From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.

Darby: From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.

ASV: At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

At the brightness  [that was] before him his thick clouds  passed,  hail  [stones] and coals  of fire. 

What does Psalms 18:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:12 mean?

From the brightness before Him His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire
מִנֹּ֗גַהּ נֶ֫גְדּ֥וֹ עָבָ֥יו עָבְר֑וּ בָּ֝רָ֗ד וְגַֽחֲלֵי־ אֵֽשׁ

מִנֹּ֗גַהּ  From  the  brightness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נׄגַהּ  
Sense: brightness.
נֶ֫גְדּ֥וֹ  before  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
עָבָ֥יו  His  thick  clouds 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
עָבְר֑וּ  passed  with 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בָּ֝רָ֗ד  hailstones 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּרָד  
Sense: hail.
וְגַֽחֲלֵי־  and  coals 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: גַּחַל 
Sense: coal, burning coal, coals of fire, hot coals.
אֵֽשׁ  of  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.