2 Samuel 22:13 — Word Study
WLCמִנֹּ֖גַהּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹ בָּעֲר֖וּ גַּחֲלֵי־ אֵֽשׁ׃
BSAFrom the brightnessnôgahh [intense, radiant, before Him, in His presence] of His presenceneged [His glorious, divine manifestation] coalsgechel [glowing, fiery embers] of fireʼêsh [purifying, refining flames] blazed forthbâʻar■ [were kindled, burned intensely, out, outwardly]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִנֹּ֖גַהּ | from [the] brightness | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| נֶגְדּ֑וֹ | before him | Suffix |
| בָּעֲר֖וּ | they burned | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| גַּחֲלֵי־ | coals of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אֵֽשׁ׃ | fire | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth. |
| KJV | Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. |
| ASV | At the brightness before him Coals of fire were kindled. |
| YLT | From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled! |
| WEB | At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled. |
| BBE | Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire. |
Where they part company is נֶגְדּוֹ — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the source of brightness, with subsequent phrases detailing the action and subject, creating a vivid image of divine presence.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּעַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated
2 Samuel 22:13 describes a moment of divine revelation where God's brightness is so intense that it manifests as blazing coals of fire. This verse is part of a larger song of praise by David, celebrating God's deliverance and power, and it reflects the majesty of God's presence in the midst of darkness and chaos, as seen in the preceding verse 2 Samuel 22:12.
Cross References
The Key Word — נֹ֫גַהּ, nogahhgenerated
The word נֹ֫גַהּ (nogahh) is a noun meaning brightness or radiance. It is derived from a root that conveys the idea of brilliance and light. The parsing as a feminine singular absolute noun indicates it stands alone as a subject in this context, emphasizing the intensity of the brightness before God.
This brightness is not merely physical light; it carries a divine quality, suggesting a glorious manifestation of God's presence. The use of this word highlights the overwhelming nature of God's glory, which is often associated with fire in biblical texts.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb בָּעֲר֖וּ (they burned) governs the entire verse, with a prepositional phrase indicating the source of the brightness and a noun phrase describing the subject of the action. The structure emphasizes the cause-effect relationship between God's presence and the resulting fire.
The word order places the prepositional phrase מִנֹּ֖גַהּ at the beginning, highlighting the source of the brightness before introducing the action of burning, which adds to the dramatic imagery of God's divine manifestation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֹ֫גַהּ as ἀπὸ (from), indicating a direct correspondence in meaning. This choice aligns with the Hebrew's emphasis on the source of brightness, maintaining the idea of divine illumination.
The LXX uses the term ἄνθρακες for גַּחַל, which means coals. This translation underscores the fiery aspect of God's presence, consistent with the imagery of burning coals in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:13 describes how God's bright presence causes coals of fire to blaze forth. This verse is part of a song by David, celebrating God's power and glory, showing how His presence brings light and purification.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The brightness signifies God's glory and divine nature, illuminating darkness and revealing His holiness.
Coals of fire symbolize purification and refinement, indicating that God's presence can both illuminate and purify.
Fire is a powerful symbol in the Bible, representing God's presence, judgment, and the refining process that purifies His people.
This verse teaches that encountering God brings both illumination and transformation, as His presence reveals truth and purifies our hearts.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to you that God's presence is described as bright and illuminating?
- How can you experience God's purifying presence in your life?
- In what ways does the imagery of fire resonate with your understanding of God's character?
- How can you reflect God's brightness in your interactions with others?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThrough the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. [See comments on Psalms 18:12].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThrough the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) Through the brightness.—Rather, Out of the brightness. The psalm (with the same correction) is more full, and perhaps the more exact representation of the original: “Out of the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. Through the brightness, &c.] Out of the brightness, &c. The lightning flashes which now burst through the dense cloud, are as it were rays of the “unapproachable light” in which He dwells. The text of Psa 18:12 is fuller and probably more correct: “Out of the brightness before him there passed through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire.”
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.
At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.
From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.
From the brightness in front of him came coals of fire.
Tyndale line
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
At the brightness before him Coals of fire were kindled.
At the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled.
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
At the brightnesse of his presence the coles of fire were kindled.
Strictly literal
From the brightness before him Burned forth coals of fire.
From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled!
From the brightness before Him || Brands of fire were kindled!
From the brightness before him flamed forth coals of fire.
From the lightning before him coals of fire fell.
From the Latin
By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.
Simplified
Burning coals blazed out of his brightness.
Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of מִנֹּ֖גַהּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹ בָּעֲר֖וּ גַּחֲלֵי־ אֵֽשׁ׃, confirming the details of God's radiant presence and the burning coals. Both texts convey the same essential meaning, with no significant variations in the core elements.
מִנֹּ֖גַהּ נֶגְדּ֑וֹ בָּעֲר֖וּ גַּחֲלֵי־ אֵֽשׁ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Samuel 22:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
נֹ֫גַהּ (nogahh) means brightness and is derived from a related term indicating brilliancy. It covers both literal and figurative senses of light and shining. The word is noted in the context of brightness in various texts, including an Aramaic equivalent that refers to daylight.
נֹ֫גַהּ n.f. brightness
base
H5051 נֹ֫גַהּ brightness
5051 nogahh no'-gah
from 5050; brilliancy (literally or
figuratively):--bright(-ness), light, (clear) shining.
see HEBREW for 05050
נֹ֫גַהּ (no.gah) — brightness.
brightness
Aramaic equivalent: no.gah (נֹ֫גַהּ "daylight" H5053)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
brit'-nes: Used by the King James Version in Heb 1:3 for "effulgence of his glory," as in the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version. The Greek apaugasma may mean either "reflection" or "radiation." Patristic usage favors the latter; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 7:26; also the Nicene Creed: "Light of Light," i.e. the Son not only manifests the Father, but is of the same substance. "What emanates from light, must have the nature of light" (Delitzsch).
נֶ֫גֶד (neged) refers to something that is conspicuous or in front, functioning as both a noun and an adverb. It denotes a position opposite or before someone, often used to indicate presence or visibility. The word can imply a counterpart or mate, and it appears in contexts emphasizing sight or proximity.
נֶ֫גֶד 151 subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
base
H5048 נֶ֫גֶד subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
5048 neged neh'-ghed
from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a
counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with
preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against,
X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side,
sight, X to view.
see HEBREW for 05046
נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) — before.
subst
1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of
adv
2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of
3) in front of oneself, straightforward
4) before your face, in your view or purpose
with prep
5) what is in front of, corresponding to
6) in front of, before
7) in the sight or presence of
8) parallel to
9) over, for
10) in front, opposite
11) at a distance
prep
12) from the front of, away from
13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from
14) from before, in front of
15) as far as the front of
Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)
Prep | Suff — SuffixHAcmsc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word בָּעַר (ba'ar) has two primary meanings: to burn or consume, and to be brutish or stupid. It encompasses actions related to fire, such as kindling and burning, as well as figurative uses like consuming guilt. Additionally, it can denote a state of dullness or lack of receptiveness. The lexicons provide various nuances, particularly in how the burning aspect can relate to wrath or destruction.
[בָּעַר] vb. burn, consume
Qal burn
Pi.
kindle
burn
fig. consume, utterly remove
Pu. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar
Hiph.
kindle
burn up
base
[בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish
Qal be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive
Niph. brutish, stupid
Pi. feed, graze
Hiph. cause to be grazed over
base
H1197a [בָּעַר] burn, consume .burn
. . kindle
. burn
. fig. consume, utterly remove
. burn (i.e. be supplied with fire), of fire-jar
. . kindle
. burn up
H1197b [בָּעַר] vb. denom. be brutish .be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive
. brutish, stupid
. feed, graze
. cause to be grazed over
1197 ba`ar baw-ar'
a primitive root; to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by
eating); also (as denominative from 1198) to be(-come)
brutish:--be brutish, bring (put, take) away, burn, (cause to)
eat (up), feed, heat, kindle, set ((on fire)), waste.
see HEBREW for 01198
בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: burn.
: burn/ignite
1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning
1a2) to burn, be burning
1a3) to burn, consume
1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to kindle, burn
1b2) to consume, remove (of guilt) (fig.)
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to kindle
1c2) to burn up
1c3) to consume (destroy)
1d) (Pual) to burn
בָּעַר (ba.ar) — be brutish.
v denom
1) to be stupid, brutish, barbarous
1a) (Qal) to be stupid, dull-hearted, unreceptive
1b) (Niphal) to be stupid, dull-hearted
1c) (Piel) to feed, graze
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to be grazed over
בָּעַר (ba.ar) — to burn: destroy.
: destroy
1) to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to begin to burn, be kindled, start burning
1a2) to burn, be burning
1a3) to burn, consume
1a4) Jehovah's wrath, human wrath (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to kindle, burn
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
גַּחֶ֫לֶת (gechel) refers to coal, specifically burning coal or hot coals. It is derived from an unused root meaning to glow or kindle. The entries consistently define it as an ember or coal, without significant disagreement among the lexicons.
גַּחֶ֫לֶת n.f. coal
base
H1513 גַּחֶ֫לֶת coal
1513 gechel geh'-khel
or (feminine) gacheleth {gah-kheh'-leth}; from an unused root
meaning to glow or kindle; an ember:--(burning) coal.
גַּחֶ֫לֶת (ge.chel) — coal.
coal, burning coal, coals of fire, hot coals
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֵשׁ (esh) means 'fire' and encompasses various types, including natural fire, supernatural fire associated with divine appearances, and fire used for cooking or on altars. It can also figuratively represent God's anger. The entries consistently highlight its literal and metaphorical uses, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֵשׁ 377 n.f. fire
fire, of conflagration
of supernatural fire
fire for cooking, roasting, parching
esp. of altar fire
fig. of Yahweh's anger
in various combinations
base
H784 אֵשׁ fire . fire, of conflagration
. of supernatural fire
. fire for cooking, roasting, parching
. esp. of altar fire
. fig. of Yahweh's anger
. in various combinations
784 'esh aysh
a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):--
burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.
אֵשׁ (esh) — fire.
1) fire
1a) fire, flames
1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)
1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)
1d) altar-fire
1e) God's anger (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
fir ('esh; pur):
These are the common words for fire, occurring very frequently. 'Ur, "light" (Isa 24:15 the King James Version; compare the Revised Version (British and American); Isa 31:9, and see FIRES), nur (Aramaic) (Da 3:22 ff) are found a few times, also 'eshshah (Jer 6:29), and be`erah (Ex 22:6), once each. Ac 28:2,3 has pura, "pyre," and Mr 14:54; Lu 22:56, phos, "light," the Revised Version (British and American) "in the light (of the fire)." "To set…
Fire
(1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Gen. 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Lev. 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 7:1, 3). The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Lev. 10:1, 2;
is represented as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power, in the way either of approval or of destruction. (Exodus 3:2; 14:19) etc. There could not be a better symbol for Jehovah than this of fire, it being immaterial, mysterious, but visible, warming, cheering, comforting, but also terrible and consuming. Parallel with this application of fire and with its symbolical meaning are to be noted the similar use for sacrificial purposes and the respect paid to it, or to the heavenly bodies as symbols of deity, which prevailed among so many nations of antiquity, and of which the traces are not even now extinct; e.g. the Sabean and Magian systems of worship. (Isaiah 27:9) Fire for sacred purposes obtained elsewhere than from the altar was called "strange fire," and for the use of such Nadab and Abihu were punished…
In Scripture, is often connected with the presence of Jehovah; as in the burning bush, and on Mount Sinai, Ex 3:2 19:18 Ps 18:1-50 Hab 1:1-3:19. The second coming of Christ will be "in flaming fire," 2Th 1:8. In the New Testament it illustrates the enlightening, cheering, and purifying agency of the Holy Spirit, Mt 3:11 Ac 2:3. By sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices, God often signified his acceptance of them: as in the case of Abel, Ge 4:4; Abraham, Ge…