Psalms 144:5
Psalms 144:5 in Multiple Translations
Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Come down, O Lord, from your heavens: at your touch let the mountains give out smoke.
Part your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains so that they give off smoke.
Bow thine heauens, O Lord, and come downe: touch the mountaines and they shall smoke.
Jehovah, incline Thy heavens and come down, Strike against mountains, and they smoke.
Part your heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works.
Yahweh, ◄tear open/open up► the sky and come down! Touch the mountains in order that smoke will pour out from them!
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 144:5
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 144:5 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יְ֭הוָה
הַט
שָׁמֶ֣י/ךָ
וְ/תֵרֵ֑ד
גַּ֖ע
בֶּ/הָרִ֣ים
וְֽ/יֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ
יְ֭הוָה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
הַט
nâṭâh
H5186
to stretch
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
שָׁמֶ֣י/ךָ
shâmayim
H8064
heaven
N-mp | Suff
וְ/תֵרֵ֑ד
yârad
H3381
to go down
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
גַּ֖ע
nâgaʻ
H5060
to touch
V-Qal-Impv-2ms
בֶּ/הָרִ֣ים
har
H2022
mountain
Prep | N-mp
וְֽ/יֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ
ʻâshan
H6225
be angry
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 144:5
יְ֭הוָה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
הַט
nâṭâh
H5186
"to stretch"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2ms
To stretch or spread out, often used to describe physical movement, but also moral deflection, as seen in the story of Israel's decline in the book of Judges.
Definition: 1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer 1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent) 1a3) to bend, turn, incline 1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down 1a3b) to bend, bow 1a3c) to hold out, extend (fig.) 1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stretch out 1c2) to spread out 1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away
Usage: Occurs in 207 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield. See also: Genesis 12:8; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 17:6.
שָׁמֶ֣י/ךָ
shâmayim
H8064
"heaven"
N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word for heaven or sky, it refers to the visible universe and the abode of God. It is often used in the Bible to describe the dwelling place of celestial bodies.
Definition: 1) heaven, heavens, sky 1a) visible heavens, sky 1a1) as abode of the stars 1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc 1b) Heaven (as the abode of God) Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
Usage: Occurs in 395 OT verses. KJV: air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s). See also: Genesis 1:1; 1 Samuel 2:10; Job 28:21.
וְ/תֵרֵ֑ד
yârad
H3381
"to go down"
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Definition: 1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down
Usage: Occurs in 345 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down. See also: Genesis 11:5; Judges 3:28; 2 Kings 1:15.
גַּ֖ע
nâgaʻ
H5060
"to touch"
V-Qal-Impv-2ms
This Hebrew word means to touch or reach something, and can also mean to strike or defeat someone. It is used in Exodus to describe God's power and in Psalms to describe human emotions. The word has various translations, including beat, bring, and plague.
Definition: 1) to touch, reach, strike 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to touch 1a2) to strike 1a3) to reach, extend to 1a4) to be stricken 1a4a) stricken (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated 1c) (Piel) to strike 1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease) 1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive 1e1) to cause to touch, apply 1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come 1e3) to approach (of time) 1e4) to befall (of fate)
Usage: Occurs in 142 OT verses. KJV: beat, ([idiom] be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch. See also: Genesis 3:3; 2 Chronicles 3:12; Psalms 32:6.
בֶּ/הָרִ֣ים
har
H2022
"mountain"
Prep | N-mp
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Definition: : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount
Usage: Occurs in 486 OT verses. KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. See also: Genesis 7:19; Deuteronomy 3:12; Judges 18:13.
וְֽ/יֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ
ʻâshan
H6225
"be angry"
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to be angry or furious, like smoke rising from a fire. It describes God's wrath in many passages, including Exodus and Deuteronomy. This intense anger is often a response to sin or disobedience.
Definition: 1) to smoke, be angry, be wroth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to smoke 1a2) to fume, be wroth, be furious
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: be angry (be on a) smoke. See also: Exodus 19:18; Psalms 80:5; Psalms 74:1.
Study Notes — Psalms 144:5
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 144:5 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 144:5
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 144:5
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 144:5
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 144:5
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
- Sermons on Psalms 144:5
Context — Blessed Be the LORD, My Rock
3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
4Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
5Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and rout them. 7Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters, from the grasp of foreigners,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 104:32 | He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder. |
| 2 | Psalms 18:9 | He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. |
| 3 | Exodus 19:18 | Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. |
| 4 | Habakkuk 3:3–6 | God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. |
| 5 | Isaiah 64:1–2 | If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence, as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence! |
| 6 | Nahum 1:3–6 | The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence— the world and all its dwellers. Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him. |
| 7 | Hebrews 12:18 | For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; |
Psalms 144:5 Summary
This verse is a prayer asking God to come down from heaven and show His power. The psalmist wants God to touch the mountains and make them smoke, which is a sign of God's mighty presence, like when He came down on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:16-20. The psalmist is asking God to intervene in his life and the world, and to demonstrate His power and authority, which is a theme that continues throughout the rest of the psalm, such as in Psalms 144:7-8. By asking God to 'part the heavens', the psalmist is reminding himself and us that God is all-powerful and can do great things, as seen in Jeremiah 32:17 and Matthew 19:26.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God to 'part Your heavens' in Psalms 144:5?
This phrase is a call for God to intervened in human affairs, much like He did in Exodus 19:16-20 when He descended upon Mount Sinai in fire and smoke, demonstrating His power and presence.
Why does the psalmist ask God to 'touch the mountains, that they may smoke'?
The psalmist is asking God to display His mighty power, just as He did in Deuteronomy 4:11 and Deuteronomy 5:23 when the mountains smoked at His presence, demonstrating His authority over all creation.
Is this verse asking God to be violent or destructive?
No, this verse is a call for God to demonstrate His power and presence, not to be violent or destructive, but to bring about justice and salvation, as seen in Psalms 98:1 and Isaiah 59:16.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the psalm?
This verse is a central part of the psalmist's prayer, asking God to intervene in his life and the world, and to demonstrate His power and presence, which is a theme that continues throughout the rest of the psalm, such as in Psalms 144:7-8.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that you have seen God's power and presence in your life, and how can you ask Him to 'part the heavens' and intervene in your situation?
- How does the image of mountains smoking at God's touch impact your understanding of His authority and power?
- In what ways can you ask God to 'flash forth His lightning' and 'shoot His arrows' in your life, as mentioned in the surrounding verses, such as Psalms 144:6?
- What does it mean for you to 'reach down from on high' and rescue yourself or others from difficult situations, as mentioned in Psalms 144:7?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 144:5
Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down,.... The heavens, which the Lord has made, and where he dwells; and which are under his influence, and he can cause to incline or bow at his pleasure: and which
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 144:5
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down - from Psalms 18:9 : cf. Isaiah 64:1; borrowed from the same source.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
Come down, to help me, before it be too late, remembering what a frail and perishing creature I am. And they shall smoke; or, that they may smoke; or, and let them smoke, as Sinai did at thy glorious appearance, . This is a figurative and poetical description of God’ s coming to take vengeance upon his enemies, which is continued in the next verse.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
Psalms 144:5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.Ver. 5. Bow thy heavens, O Lord] Come to my help suddenly and seasonably, as it were out of an engine, εκτηςμηχανης. Touch the mountains] These high and haughty enemies of mine, do thou but lightly touch them, and it shall suffice; they shall soon burn, and be turned into smoke, as the mountains that are thunder struck.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
(5) Come down.—The theophany for which the psalmist prays is described in the classic language for such manifestations taken from Psalms 18:9; Psalms 18:13; Psalms 18:16-17; Psalms 18:43; Psalms 18:45, with reminiscences of Psa 104:32; Exodus 19:18. But there are touches of originality, as in the next clause.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
Verse 5. Bow thy heavens] See Clarke on Psalms 18:9.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 144:5
5–8. Prayer that God will appear in His majesty and deliver the Psalmist from his treacherous enemies.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 144:5
Bow thy heavens, O Lord ... - Come to my aid “as if” the heavens were bent down; come down with all thy majesty and glory.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 144:5
5. Bow… come down—This appeal shows that David—badly as he has done—feels himself to be the rightful king of Israel. He, as such, may claim the help of Jehovah.
Sermons on Psalms 144:5
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Moved by the Holy Ghost 1991 by Leonard Ravenhill | This sermon reflects on encounters with remarkable women of faith throughout the speaker's life, from Catherine Booth to a modern-day anointed woman living in simplicity and devoti |
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Attributes of God - Greatness by William MacDonald | In this sermon, the speaker begins by acknowledging the doubts and uncertainties that people may have about how anything good can come out of certain situations. However, he emphas |
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The Attributes of God - Part 1 by William MacDonald | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the greatness of God and His ability to behold and count the things in heaven and on earth. The preacher references Psalm 113:6, which state |
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Si Interview of Ray Comfort by Ray Comfort | In this video, the speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to share and discuss their ministry. They then share their personal journey of being led by God into p |
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The Preaching of George Whitefield by E.A. Johnston | The video is a sermon transcript about the preaching of George Whitefield, a renowned preacher in the 18th century. Whitefield had a powerful and captivating preaching style that k |
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The Leading of the Lord by George Warnock | In this sermon, the preacher discusses God's dealings with the saints and the importance of being a holy and cleansed people. He references the book of Job and the sayings of Elihu |
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"Too Intense?" "Radical?" by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the speaker passionately shares his personal experiences of sacrifice and persecution for his faith in Jesus Christ. He recounts witnessing people dying and a young |