Psalms 83:14
As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Deuteronomy 32:22For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.Isaiah 9:18For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
Historical Context
Mediterranean climate featured hot, dry summers when vegetation became tinder. Lightning strikes, human carelessness, or military tactics (Judges 15:4-5) could ignite devastating fires. Ancient peoples feared wildfires as uncontrollable forces of destruction. The psalmist uses universally understood imagery to depict divine judgment's comprehensive nature. Prophets employed similar fire imagery: Isaiah 10:17 warns that "the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame"; Amos 7:4 depicts judgment as fire devouring "the great deep" and consuming "a part of the land." These metaphors communicate judgment's inevitability and thoroughness.
Questions for Reflection
- What does fire imagery for divine judgment teach about God's holiness and its incompatibility with sin?
- How should the reality of coming judgment motivate evangelism and personal holiness?
- What comfort does this imagery provide for believers facing enemies who seem to prosper despite their wickedness?
Analysis & Commentary
As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire. The imagery shifts to consuming fire—irresistible, comprehensive destruction. K-esh tiv'ar-ya'ar (כְּאֵשׁ תִּבְעַר־יָעַר, "as fire burns a forest") depicts wildfire's unstoppable advance through woodland. The verb ba'ar (בָּעַר) means to burn, consume, kindle—fire that devours everything in its path. Ancient forests, dry during summer, became infernos when ignited, consuming trees, undergrowth, wildlife—total devastation.
V-khi-lehavah t'lahet harim (וּכְלֶהָבָה תְּלַהֵט הָרִים, "and as flame sets mountains ablaze") escalates the imagery. The verb lahat (לָהַט) means to blaze, flame intensely. Mountain fires, driven by wind and fed by dry vegetation, become infernos visible for miles, their smoke darkening the sky. Nothing escapes; nowhere offers refuge. The imagery conveys totality of judgment—as fire leaves no tree unburned, God's judgment will leave no enemy unpunished.
Fire imagery for divine judgment appears throughout Scripture: Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16:35), Elijah's contest (1 Kings 18:38), and eschatological judgment (2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 20:9). Fire symbolizes God's holiness consuming sin, His wrath destroying wickedness. The image is terrible but necessary—evil cannot coexist with absolute holiness any more than dry wood can survive in fire. God's purity demands sin's eradication.