Psalm 97:3
New International Version
Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.

New Living Translation
Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes.

English Standard Version
Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.

Berean Standard Bible
Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.

King James Bible
A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

New King James Version
A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about.

New American Standard Bible
Fire goes before Him And burns up His enemies all around.

NASB 1995
Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about.

NASB 1977
Fire goes before Him, And burns up His adversaries round about.

Legacy Standard Bible
Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries all around.

Amplified Bible
Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries on all sides.

Christian Standard Bible
Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Fire goes before Him and burns up His foes on every side.

American Standard Version
A fire goeth before him, And burneth up his adversaries round about.

Contemporary English Version
Fire leaps from his throne, destroying his enemies,

English Revised Version
A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his adversaries round about.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Fire spreads ahead of him. It burns his enemies who surround him.

Good News Translation
Fire goes in front of him and burns up his enemies around him.

International Standard Version
Fire goes out from his presence to consume his enemies on every side.

Majority Standard Bible
Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.

NET Bible
Fire goes before him; on every side it burns up his enemies.

New Heart English Bible
A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side.

Webster's Bible Translation
A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

World English Bible
A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Fire goes before Him, "" And burns around His adversaries.

Young's Literal Translation
Fire before Him goeth, And burneth round about His adversaries.

Smith's Literal Translation
Fire shall go before him and shall burn up his enemies round about.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A fire shall go before him, and shall burn his enemies round about.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A fire will precede him, and it will enflame his enemies all around.

New American Bible
Fire goes before him, consuming his foes on every side.

New Revised Standard Version
Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Fire will devour before him and will burn up his enemies.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A fire goeth before Him, And burneth up His adversaries round about.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Fire shall go before him, and burn up his enemies round about.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Let the Earth Rejoice
2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation. 3Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. 4His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles.…

Cross References
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.

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Isaiah 66:15-16
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. / For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8
and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels / in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Revelation 19:11-12
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.

Isaiah 30:27-30
Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense smoke. His lips are full of fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire. / His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray. / You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. ...

Nahum 1:5-6
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.

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Revelation 1:14-15
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. / His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.

Daniel 7:9-10
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. / A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.

Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”

Ezekiel 1:4
I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,

Matthew 3:11-12
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. / His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”


Treasury of Scripture

A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about.

Psalm 18:8
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

Psalm 21:8,9
Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee…

Psalm 50:3
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

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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














Fire goes before Him
The imagery of fire in the Bible often symbolizes God's presence, purity, and judgment. In Hebrew, the word for fire is "אֵשׁ" (esh), which conveys both the literal and metaphorical aspects of fire. Historically, fire was a powerful force, used for warmth, cooking, and protection, but also feared for its destructive capabilities. In the context of Psalm 97:3, fire represents God's purifying and consuming power that precedes Him, preparing the way by purging sin and unrighteousness. This imagery is reminiscent of the pillar of fire that led the Israelites by night during the Exodus (Exodus 13:21), signifying God's guidance and protection. It also echoes the consuming fire on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18), where God's holiness was made manifest. For believers, this fire is a reminder of God's righteous judgment and His ability to refine and purify His people.

and consumes His foes on every side
The phrase "consumes His foes" speaks to the totality and inevitability of God's judgment against those who oppose Him. The Hebrew root for "consumes" is "לָחַךְ" (lachak), which means to devour or destroy completely. This conveys the idea of God's overwhelming power to eradicate evil and opposition. Historically, the enemies of God were often seen as those who stood against His people, Israel, and His divine purposes. The phrase "on every side" emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's judgment, leaving no place for His enemies to hide or escape. This serves as a sobering reminder of the ultimate victory of God over all evil and opposition. For the faithful, it is a source of comfort and assurance that God will protect and vindicate His people, ensuring that justice prevails. This verse calls believers to trust in God's sovereign power and to live in reverence of His holiness and justice.

(3) This is an echo of Psalm 1:3. (Comp. also Psalm 18:8; Habakkuk 3:4-5.)

Verse 3. - A fire goeth before him. So long as there is evil in the world, the "fire" of God's wrath must necessarily "go before him" at each theophany, to sweep the evil from his path (see Isaiah 42:25). It is in this sense that "our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). And burneth up his enemies round about (comp. Psalm 50:8; Matthew 13:30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Fire
אֵ֭שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

goes
תֵּלֵ֑ךְ (tê·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

before Him
לְפָנָ֣יו (lə·p̄ā·nāw)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

and consumes
וּתְלַהֵ֖ט (ū·ṯə·la·hêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3857: To blaze up, flame

His foes
צָרָֽיו׃ (ṣā·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent

on every side.
סָבִ֣יב (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around


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OT Poetry: Psalm 97:3 A fire goes before him and burns (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 97:2
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