God's anger toward those who harm His people manifests as a deep cosmic shock. When God steps forward to defend His loyal followers, the entire universe reacts with overwhelming force, as nature itself breaks its boundaries to punish the wicked and rescue the righteous. The primary approach among commentators is that this violent shaking of the earth and skies is not necessarily a record of a specific historical event in David's life. Rather, it serves as a powerful poetic metaphor illustrating the sheer speed and might with which God destroys the enemies of Israel and delivers His servant [רד״ק, רלב״ג, צאינה וראינה].
However, some connect this cosmic upheaval to actual historical events where the earth physically shook as a divine punishment. Examples include the ground swallowing the assembly of Korah, or the daily earthquakes that occurred for twenty-two years as a warning to the wicked before the destruction of Sodom [אברבנאל, אלשיך]. From a deeper spiritual perspective, the tremors reflect the gravity of the attack on David. His enemies attempted to uproot him, but because David's soul is bound to the soul of the Messiah, upon which the entire world stands, any harm directed at him caused the very stability of the world to falter and shake [אהבת יהונתן].
The violent movement of the earth is compared to raging, bursting river waters, capturing an intense physical upheaval [מצודת ציון, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Yet, this turbulence is not limited to the physical ground; it also reflects the profound terror of the enemies and inhabitants of the land who shook with fear [מצודת דוד]. As the earth quakes, the foundations of the heavens tremble alongside it. This is understood in several ways. It can refer to towering mountains whose peaks seem to touch the sky, acting as its physical pillars [רלב״ג, אברבנאל, מנחת שי]. Alternatively, it points to the earth itself, which serves as the central foundation around which the heavenly spheres revolve [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. It also highlights how the fundamental elements of nature interact. When wind shakes the earth, the elements of fire and water in the heavens are similarly disturbed [אלשיך, אהבת יהונתן]. On a metaphorical level, these shaking heavenly foundations symbolize the powerful princes of Canaan, who are seized by sudden dread [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].
The root cause of all this turmoil is simply that God is angry. When God is provoked by those who harm Israel, the world is thrown into chaos [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. There is a direct, elemental link between divine wrath and earthquakes. God's anger is compared to intense heat and raging fire. When this burning wind and fire are trapped deep within the belly of the earth, they cause the ground to erupt, violently shaking the entire world in response to His fury [רלב״ג, אברבנאל].