תהלים, פרק י״ח, פסוק ט׳

God's appearance in a moment of anger is a terrifying and powerful display of fire, heat, and destruction. To express the intensity of divine rage, the imagery borrows from human physical reactions. The primary approach among commentators is that smoke rising from the nose serves as a metaphor for immense anger. Just as a person boiling with rage might look as if smoke is pouring from their nostrils due to intense heat and anger, God's wrath is pictured in the exact same way.

Beyond the human comparison, the physical details paint a picture of a massive natural disaster, much like a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. The smoke rising from a burning mountain represents the smoke from God's nose, while the erupting fire and brimstone act as the fire from His mouth, hurling burning rocks into the air [מלבי״ם]. This fire is a consuming force meant for complete destruction. It is designed to bring death and ruin to enemies, striking and burning them with blazing coals and sparks [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Another perspective takes this imagery in a historical and moral direction. In this view, the burning coals symbolize flesh-and-blood messengers that God incites against His enemies during times of anger, such as foreign kings sent to punish Israel throughout history. However, once these messengers complete their destructive task, God holds them accountable as well, and they too are consumed by the fire from His mouth. Understanding this dynamic, King David was deeply afraid to act as the burning coal or messenger of God's wrath against King Saul, fearing that the divine fire would ultimately consume him as a result [אלשיך].