Psalms 18:8

Psalms 18:8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

Oriental imagery representing the indignation of the Most High. He is not subject to passions like ours, but he is thus described in order that we may understand his action. It is a high strain of poetry to teach us how God is moved by the affliction of his people. As when the hot breath comes from a man’s nostrils, so is it represented as if a smoke came from God’s nostrils; and as when a man opens his mouth to speak in anger, God is represented as so speaking that a fire issued from his mouth to devour the enemies of his people.