· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 22:16Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~970 BC. David remembers standing by the Mediterranean, watching storms reveal the seafloor during supernatural low tides...

The emotion here: thunderstruck by memories of witnessing divine geological power

The original word

ga'ar (גָּעַר) — a sharp rebuke that makes the recipient recoil in fear

Why it matters

Ancient battles often coincided with seismic activity that exposed underwater land bridges

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 22:16

David witnessed actual geological events - exposed sea channels and earthquake fissures during his campaigns

Common misconceptionThis sounds like poetic exaggeration, but David is describing actual geological phenomena he witnessed during military campaigns along the coast.

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 22:16 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerDavid
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionworship
Literary typepoetry
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power50%
Quotability70%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance70%
Standalone50%
Themes:creation revealeddivine power

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 22:16 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include creation revealed, divine power. Notable phrases: channels of the sea; foundations laid bare; rebuke of Yahweh. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

What does 2 Samuel 22:16 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "worship"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.