Psalm 97:2
New International Version
Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

New Living Translation
Dark clouds surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

English Standard Version
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Berean Standard Bible
Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.

King James Bible
Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

New King James Version
Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

New American Standard Bible
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

NASB 1995
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

NASB 1977
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Legacy Standard Bible
Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Amplified Bible
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him [as at Sinai]; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Christian Standard Bible
Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

American Standard Version
Clouds and darkness are round about him: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Contemporary English Version
Dark clouds surround him, and his throne is supported by justice and fairness.

English Revised Version
Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Clouds and darkness surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

Good News Translation
Clouds and darkness surround him; he rules with righteousness and justice.

International Standard Version
Thick clouds are all around him; righteousness and justice are his throne's foundation.

Majority Standard Bible
Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.

NET Bible
Dark clouds surround him; equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.

New Heart English Bible
Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Webster's Bible Translation
Clouds and darkness surround him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

World English Bible
Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Cloud and darkness [are] around Him, "" Righteousness and judgment the basis of His throne.

Young's Literal Translation
Cloud and darkness are round about Him, Righteousness and judgment the basis of His throne.

Smith's Literal Translation
A cloud and darkness round about him: justice and judgment the preparing of his throne.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Clouds and darkness are round about him: justice and judgment are the establishment of his throne.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Clouds and mist are all around him. Justice and judgment are corrections from his throne.

New American Bible
Cloud and darkness surround him; justice and right are the foundation of his throne.

New Revised Standard Version
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Clouds and thick darkness surround him; his throne is established in righteousness and in judgment.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Clouds and darkness are round about Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Cloud, and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the establishment of his throne.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Let the Earth Rejoice
1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad. 2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation. 3Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.…

Cross References
Exodus 19:16-18
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled. / Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. / 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.

1 Kings 8:10-12
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD / so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. / Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Exodus 20:21
And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

2 Chronicles 6:1
Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Isaiah 60:2
For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.

Job 38:9
when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket,

Ezekiel 30:3
For the day is near, the Day of the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Joel 2:2
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.

Nahum 1:3
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.

Matthew 24:30
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

Matthew 17:5
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Mark 9:7
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”

Luke 21:27
At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.


Treasury of Scripture

Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

clouds

Psalm 18:11,12
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies…

Psalm 77:19
Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.

Exodus 20:21
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

righteousness

Psalm 45:6,7
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre…

Psalm 89:14
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Psalm 99:4
The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

habitation.

Proverbs 16:12
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

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Based Basis Cloud Clouds Dark Darkness Foundation Habitation Judging Judgment Justice Kingdom Right Righteousness Round Surround Thick Throne
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Based Basis Cloud Clouds Dark Darkness Foundation Habitation Judging Judgment Justice Kingdom Right Righteousness Round Surround Thick Throne
Psalm 97
1. The majesty of God's kingdom
7. The church rejoices at God's judgments upon idolaters
10. An exhortation to godliness and gladness














Clouds and darkness
The phrase "clouds and darkness" evokes a sense of mystery and awe, often associated with the divine presence in the Hebrew Scriptures. In Hebrew, the word for "clouds" is "עָנָן" (anan), which frequently symbolizes God's presence, as seen in the pillar of cloud that guided the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). "Darkness," or "עֲרָפֶל" (araphel), can signify the incomprehensibility of God's ways and His transcendence. This imagery suggests that God's presence is both majestic and beyond human understanding, reminding believers of the reverence due to Him.

surround Him
The phrase "surround Him" indicates that these elements are not just incidental but are integral to the divine presence. In the Hebrew context, the verb "סָבַב" (sabab) means to encircle or encompass, suggesting that God's majesty is enveloped in mystery. This surrounding presence emphasizes God's sovereignty and the idea that His ways and judgments are beyond human scrutiny, reinforcing the need for faith and trust in His divine plan.

righteousness and justice
"Righteousness and justice" are foundational attributes of God's character. The Hebrew word for "righteousness" is "צֶדֶק" (tsedeq), which implies moral integrity and uprightness. "Justice," or "מִשְׁפָּט" (mishpat), refers to the fair and equitable administration of law. Together, these terms underscore the perfect moral order that God establishes and maintains. In a world often marked by injustice, this assurance of divine righteousness and justice offers hope and a standard for human conduct.

are His throne’s foundation
The phrase "are His throne’s foundation" conveys the idea that God's rule is established upon these unshakeable principles. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a throne symbolized authority and governance. The Hebrew word for "foundation" is "מָכוֹן" (makon), meaning a fixed or established place. This imagery assures believers that God's reign is not arbitrary but is grounded in His unchanging nature. It invites Christians to align their lives with these divine principles, trusting in the stability and fairness of God's kingdom.

(2) Clouds and darkness.--Comp. Psalm 18:10-12. The imagery in the first instance is borrowed from the Theophany at Sinai. (Exodus 19:9; Exodus 19:16; Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 4:11; Deuteronomy 5:22-23.) . . . Verse 2. - Clouds and darkness are round about him (comp. Exodus 19:16, 18; Deuteronomy 4:11; Deuteronomy 5:22:1 Kings 8:12). The "darkness" does not belong to the nature of God, who "is Light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5), but to the interrelationship between God and man, in which are involved problems that man cannot solve. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; rather, the foundation of his throne - the firm basis on which it is immovably fixed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Clouds
עָנָ֣ן (‘ā·nān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6051: A cloud, the nimbus, thunder-cloud

and darkness
וַעֲרָפֶ֣ל (wa·‘ă·rā·p̄el)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6205: Cloud, heavy cloud

surround Him;
סְבִיבָ֑יו (sə·ḇî·ḇāw)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

righteousness
צֶ֥דֶק (ṣe·ḏeq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity

and justice
וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט (ū·miš·pāṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

are His throne’s
כִּסְאֽוֹ׃ (kis·’ōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

foundation.
מְכ֣וֹן (mə·ḵō·wn)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4349: A fixture, a basis, a place, as an abode


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OT Poetry: Psalm 97:2 Clouds and darkness are around him (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 97:1
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