2 Samuel 22:10 — Word Study
WLCוַיֵּ֥ט שָׁמַ֖יִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל תַּ֥חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃
BSAHe partednâṭâh▸ [bowed, stretched] the heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, the abode of God] and came downyârad▸ [descended, went down] with dark cloudsʻărâphel [thick, heavy] beneathtachath [underneath, below] His feetregel [the foot, the leg]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֥ט | and he bowed | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| שָׁמַ֖יִם | [the] heavens | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| וַיֵּרַ֑ד | and he came down | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל | and thick darkness | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תַּ֥חַת | [was] under | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| רַגְלָֽיו׃ | feet his | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet. |
| KJV | He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. |
| ASV | He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet. |
| YLT | And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet. |
| WEB | He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. |
| BBE | The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet. |
Where they part company is עֲרָפֶל — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured with a main clause followed by two subordinate phrases, emphasizing God's actions and their implications.



4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעֲרָפֶל
verbנָטָה
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 22:10
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 — God's Divine Interventiongenerated
2 Samuel 22:10 describes a dramatic moment where God intervenes by parting the heavens and descending to earth. This imagery evokes a sense of divine power and presence, demonstrating how God engages with creation. The surrounding verses emphasize God's might, as seen in verse 9 and verse 11, where His actions are portrayed with vivid imagery of smoke, fire, and cherubs, illustrating His majesty and authority.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 144:5 | Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke. |
| 2 | Isaiah 64:1–3 | If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence, |
| 3 | Exodus 20:21 | And the people stood at a distance as Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 4:11 | You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. |
| 5 | 1 Kings 8:12 | Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָטָה, vai.Yetgenerated
The verb נָטָה (natah) means to stretch out or extend, often used in physical contexts but also metaphorically. In this verse, it conveys the idea of God parting the heavens, suggesting a deliberate act of intervention.
The parsing indicates it is a sequential imperfect form, meaning it describes an ongoing action in the past. This highlights God's active role in the world, as He bends the heavens to come down to earth.
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 verse contains two main actions governed by the verbs נָטָה and יָרַד, each followed by their respective objects. The structure flows from God's action of parting the heavens to His descent with clouds, creating a vivid image of divine intervention.
The word order places emphasis on God's actions, starting with the act of parting the heavens, which sets the stage for His coming down. This structure highlights the significance of God's presence in the physical realm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָטָה as ἔκλινεν (eklinen), meaning 'to incline' or 'to bend.' This choice suggests a slightly different nuance, focusing on the act of bending rather than stretching, which may emphasize God's approachability.
The translation of שָׁמַיִם as οὐρανοὺς (ouranous) aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning of heavens, maintaining the cosmic aspect of God's dwelling.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:10 describes how God parted the heavens and came down with thick clouds beneath His feet. This imagery illustrates God's power and presence as He intervenes in the world, emphasizing His majesty and authority.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's direct intervention in the world, demonstrating His power over creation.
Thick clouds symbolize gloom and the majesty of God's presence, indicating something significant is happening.
This verse reflects a common biblical theme where God intervenes in human affairs, often accompanied by dramatic imagery.
The mention of God's feet emphasizes His authority and presence, often used to denote His dominion over the earth.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this imagery of God parting the heavens mean for my understanding of His power?
- How can I recognize God's presence in my life as He descends into my circumstances?
- In what ways do I see darkness or gloom in my life, and how can I invite God's light into those areas?
- How does this verse encourage me to trust in God's intervention during difficult times?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness [was] under his feet. [See comments on Psalms 18:9].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. The scene is now removed from heaven to earth. Isaiah wished that God would "rend the heavens, and come down" .
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. He bowed the heavens] The dark canopy of storm cloud, which is the pavement under His feet (Nahum 1:3), lowers as He descends to judgment. God is said to come down when He manifests His power in the world (Genesis 11:7; Genesis 18:21; Isaiah 64:1). Darkness symbolizes the mystery and terror of His Advent (Exodus 19:16; Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12; Psalms 97:2).
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10. Bows down the heavens — Bent down the firmament so as to form a broad descending way for his coming.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.
Tyndale line
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heauens also, and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
Strictly literal
And he bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet.
And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
And He inclines the heavens and comes down, || And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
And he bent the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
From the Latin
He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
Simplified
He pushed aside the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
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 reads: וַיֵּ֥ט שָׁמַ֖יִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל תַּ֥חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃. The Septuagint matches this closely, with all six words corresponding to the Hebrew, indicating strong textual agreement.
וַיֵּ֥ט שָׁמַ֖יִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל תַּ֥חַת רַגְלָֽיו׃
6 of the 6 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 22:10
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.
נָטָה (natah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to stretch out, spread out, or extend. It encompasses a wide range of actions, including bending, inclining, and pitching a tent. The word can also imply moral deflection or turning aside. The entries suggest various applications, from physical actions to metaphorical uses, but do not indicate significant disagreement among the lexicons.
נָטָה 215 vb. stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
Qal
stretch out, extend, hand, rod
stretch line and plummet
= offer
Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent
Bend, turn, incline
Niph. be stretched out
Hiph.
rarely stretch out, hand
rarely spread out cloth on rock
usu. turn, incline
base
H5186 נָטָה stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend .. . stretch out, extend, hand, rod
. stretch line and plummet
. = offer
. Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent
. Bend, turn, incline
. be stretched out
. . rarely stretch out, hand
. rarely spread out cloth on rock
. usu. turn, incline
5186 natah naw-taw'
a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication,
to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great
variety of application (as follows):--+ 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.
נָטָה (na.tah) — to stretch.
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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
phrases
as abode of God
Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
base
H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
. phrases
. . as abode of God
. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim
dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused
root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well
as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies
revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.
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)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
hev'-'nz (shamayim; ouranoi): On the physical heavens see ASTRONOMY; WORLD. Above these, in popular conception, were the celestial heavens, the abode of God and of the hosts of angels (Ps 11:4; 103:19-21; Isa 66:1; Re 4:2; 5:11; compare Da 7:10), though it was recognized that Yahweh's presence was not confined to any region (1Ki 8:27). Later Judaism reckoned seven heavens. The apostle Paul speaks of himself as caught up into "the third heaven," which he evidently identifies with Paradise (2Co 12:2).
See HEAVENLY.
The Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad) means to come or go down, covering various contexts such as descending from mountains, going to battle, or sinking in water. It can also refer to divine manifestations descending or being prostrated. The word has different forms including Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, which indicate various nuances of bringing down or being brought down.
יָרַד 380 vb. come or go down, descend
Qal 306
come or go down
go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle
go down to (acc.) threshing-floor
go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt
from Jerusalem
from altar
go down
= sink, in water
go down to She’ôl
fig. going down (dissolving) in tears
= be prostrated
of divine manifestations: descend
of inanimate things
Hiph.
cause to come or go down
bring down
send down rain = cause to flow down
= lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor
bring down to She’ôl
take down (from cart)
let down
Hoph.
be brought down
be taken down
base
H3381 יָרַד come or go down, descend .. . come or go down
. go down (usu. from mountain or hill-country into plain), to battle
. go down to (acc.) threshing-floor
. go down (abs.) from Palestine to Egypt
. from Jerusalem
. from altar
. go down
. = sink, in water
. go down to She’ôl
. fig. going down (dissolving) in tears
. = be prostrated
. of divine manifestations: descend
. of inanimate things
. . cause to come or go down . bring down
. send down rain = cause to flow down
. = lay prostrate to (acc.) threshing-floor
. bring down to She’ôl
. take down (from cart)
. let down
. . be brought down
. be taken down
3381 yarad yaw-rad'
a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or
conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary,
the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to
bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly,
bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down,
fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X
indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to,
let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.
יָרַד (ya.rad) — to go down.
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
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
עֲרָפֶל (araphel) refers to a cloud, specifically a heavy or dark cloud. It conveys a sense of gloom or thick darkness, as noted in various lexicons. The word is built from a root associated with darkness, and it emphasizes the heaviness of the cloud.
עֲרָפֶל n.m. cloud, heavy cloud
base
H6205 עֲרָפֶל cloud, heavy cloud
6205 `araphel ar-aw-fel'
probably from 6201; gloom (as of a lowering sky):--(gross,
thick) dark (cloud, -ness).
see HEBREW for 06201
עֲרָפֶל (a.ra.phel) — cloud.
cloud, heavy or dark cloud, darkness, gross darkness, thick darkness
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
Darkness
The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).
When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (
The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,
תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.
תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
base
H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
8478 tachath takh'-ath
from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only
adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix
underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,
in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead
of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,
with.
see HEBREW for 08430
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.
: under/below
1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m
1a) the under part adv accus
1b) beneath prep
1c) under, beneath
1c1) at the foot of (idiom)
1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig)
1c3) of subjection or conquest
1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands
1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun)
1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense)
1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged)
conj
1e) instead of, instead of that
1f) in return for that, because that in compounds
1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion)
1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.
: instead/in_place/exchange
Prep — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.
רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot
foot
three times (feet, paces)
base
H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot
. three times (feet, paces)
7272 regel reh'-gel
from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a
step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X
according as, X after, X coming, X follow,
((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X
journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.
see HEBREW for 07270
רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.
1) foot
1a) foot, leg
1b) of God (anthropomorphic)
1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table
1d) according to the pace of (with prep)
1e) three times (feet, paces)
Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)
N-fd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms
