In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's really striking here is how the text pictures God's wrath not just as an emotion, but as an active, consuming force, like fire devouring dry stubble. This isn't just about God being angry; it's about His divine power unleashed, reducing the enemies who dared to rise against Him to nothingness with incredible speed and finality.
In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes from a triumphant song sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God's miraculous deliverance of them from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The song celebrates God's power, contrasting His glorious victory over Pharaoh's pursuing forces with the utter destruction of His enemies, who are depicted as being consumed like dry stubble by His wrath. Following this victory, the song looks forward to God's continued protection and guidance as the Israelites journey into the wilderness.
What does it mean for God's majesty to be 'great'?
Moses uses the phrase "greatness of your majesty" to describe God's overwhelming power. This isn't just about being impressive; it speaks to God's supreme authority and inherent worthiness of awe. It's the very essence of who He is, revealed in His actions. This majesty is not a passive quality but an active force that directly confronts and defeats those who oppose Him.
How does God's wrath function against His enemies?
The verse powerfully illustrates God's wrath as a consuming force, likening His enemies to "stubble." This imagery conveys absolute and rapid destruction. Stubble is dry, easily ignited, and quickly reduced to ash. God's wrath, when unleashed, is portrayed as an unstoppable fire that leaves no trace of His adversaries. This isn't arbitrary anger, but a just response to those who actively oppose His will and His people.
Understand the original words
gaon · Hebrew Noun
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Refers to God’s absolute, overwhelming weight, glory, and splendor, often associated with His sovereignty and holiness that demands reverence.
charon · Hebrew Noun
Divine wrath or holy indignation; God’s righteous response against sin and rebellion that threatens His people or His glory.
This song of victory celebrates a specific, monumental event: the destruction of the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. It highlights God's awesome power and His judgment on those who oppose Him and His people, establishing a powerful precedent for future victories and divine intervention.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, led by Moses, escape from slavery in Egypt after a series of plagues, culminating in the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
c. 1446 BC
Destruction of the Egyptian Army
While crossing the Red Sea, the waters returned and drowned Pharaoh's army, which had pursued the Israelites. This event is the direct cause for Moses' song of victory.
c. 1446 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Following their miraculous deliverance, the Israelites began their 40-year journey through the wilderness, facing challenges of provision and faith.
c. 1400-1350 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
After 40 years, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, entered and began the conquest of the Promised Land, displacing the Canaanite nations.
This Psalm echoes the sentiment of Exodus 15:7, praying for God to deal with His enemies as He did with those at the Red Sea, consuming them with His power and majesty so they will be remembered no more.
Isaiah 5:24This passage uses a similar metaphor to Exodus 15:7, describing God's judgment as a consuming fire that devours people like stubble, emphasizing the swift and utter destruction of those who reject His ways.
Isaiah 63:11-14This passage reflects on God's past mighty acts, specifically leading His people through the sea, and directly references the 'greatness of His excellency' and His 'glorious arm,' connecting back to the triumph celebrated in Exodus 15.
Nahum 1:10This verse vividly portrays God's wrath consuming His enemies 'like stubble fully dry,' drawing a powerful parallel to the imagery in Exodus 15:7 and highlighting the destructive nature of divine judgment against wickedness.
Luke 10:18In this New Testament passage, Jesus speaks of Satan's defeat, stating 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.' This connects to the sudden and dramatic overthrow of God's adversaries described in Exodus 15, demonstrating God's ultimate power over all opposing forces.
gillExodus 15:7: "And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble."
And in the greatness of thine excellency,.... Christ has an excellency in him, a greatness of excellency, a superlative one; he has a more excellent name and nature than the angels, being a divine Person; and a more excellent ministry, as man and Mediator, than any of the sons of men, as prophet, priest, and King; and is super…
cambridgeExodus 15:7: "And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble."
7 . in the greatness of thy majesty ] cognate with ‘risen up majestically’ in v. 1: cf. Isaiah 2:10 ; Isaiah 2:19 ; Isaiah 2:21 ; Isaiah 24:14 , where the same word ( gâ’ôn ) is rendered majesty in both AV. and RV. The retention of excellency in RV. is unfortunate. It is true, in 1611, when the AV. was made, it still had the e…
What's really striking here is how the text pictures God's wrath not just as an emotion, but as an active, consuming force, like fire devouring dry stubble. This isn't just about God being angry; it's about His divine power unleashed, reducing the enemies who dared to rise against Him to nothingness with incredible speed and finality.
This verse comes from a triumphant song sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God's miraculous deliverance of them from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The song celebrates God's power, contrasting His glorious victory over Pharaoh's pursuing forces with the utter destruction of His enemies, who are depicted as being consumed like dry stubble by His wrath. Following this victory, the song looks forward to God's continued protection and guidance as the Israelites journey into the wilderness.
This verse comes from a triumphant song sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God's miraculous deliverance of them from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The song celebrates God's power, contrasting His glorious victory over Pharaoh's pursuing forces with the utter destruction of His enemies, who are depicted as being consumed like dry stubble by His wrath. Following this victory, the song looks forward to God's continued protection and guidance as the Israelites journey into the wilderness.
"In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble." — What's really striking here is how the text pictures God's wrath not just as an emotion, but as an active, consuming force, like fire devouring dry stubble. This isn't just about God being angry; it'…
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Last reviewed October 2026