Psalm 18:14
ESV
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
NIV
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
NASB
He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
CSB
He shot his arrows and scattered them; he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
NLT
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
KJV
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
NKJV
He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
What does Psalm 18:14 mean?
Looking back on how God rescued him from his enemies (2 Samuel 22:1), David continues to poetically describe the power of God (Psalm 18:7–13). Here he evokes the frightening aspect of lightning. The sudden burst of light, heat, noise, and destruction makes lightning a useful symbol of God's unstoppable power.When Elihu addressed Job, he said, "Behold, [God] scatters his lightning about him" (Job 36:30). He added that the Lord "covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike its mark. Its crashing declares his presence" (Job 36:32–33). Fear of lightning may cause people to take shelter, but the Lord owns the lightning and wears it like a glove. The victory David obtained over his enemies was like a fierce display of God's anger and power, as if it were lightning aimed at the enemy.
Of course, we should not think every lightning storm is aimed at those who oppose God, and people are not wrong to seek shelter in a lightning storm. However, lightning should remind us that God possesses awesome power and merits our praise.
Psalm 18:1–19 expresses David's love for the Lord and his praise to God for delivering him from his enemies. This is very similar—perhaps an updated version—of David's song of praise recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 22. Psalms 3—5 recall David's prayer for deliverance from his foes and his trust in the Lord to deliver him from them. Psalms 48:1; 96:4; 145:3; and 150 also express praise to the Lord. An account of David's deliverance from his enemies is found in 2 Samuel 19—21. Other passages of Scripture that reveal God's deliverance of His people include Exodus 14; Joshua 10; Judges 7; 2 Kings 19:20–37; and Revelation 19:11–21.
In 2 Samuel chapter 22, David expresses praise for all the times in his life where God gave him victory. That prayer or song is copied almost identically here. Psalm 18, itself, might have been adapted for use in public worship. David remembers dire situations where God rescued him. He dramatically recounts how God provided rescue and power. David also credits God with rewarding his obedience by making him a powerful and successful military leader. For these reasons, David commits himself to the praise and worship of the Lord.
