Psalms 78:49

WEB

He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying angels.

KJV

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Commentary

He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,.... This with the following words, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, are thought by some to intend the other plagues, which are not particularly mentioned; or rather they express the manner in which they were all inflicted, in great wrath an d hot displeasure for their sins and iniquities, and which particularly were shown by sending evil angels among them; not evil in themselves, but because they were the instruments God made use of to bring evil things upon the Egyptians, as good angels often are; though some think that demons, devils, or wicked spirits, were sent among them at that time; the darkness was over all the land, and frightened them; in the Apocrypha: "3 For while they supposed to lie hid in their secret sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished, and troubled with strange apparitions. 4 For neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear: but noises as of waters falling down sounded about them, and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.'' (Wisdom 17) According to Arama, the three last plagues are meant: the words may be rendered "messengers of evil things" (l), as they are by some, and be understood of Moses and Aaron, who were sent time after time with messages of evil things to Pharaoh, in which were expressed his wrath and fury against them. (l) "numcios malorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.