The dramatic shift in perspective here—"But you are awesome, O God"—turns the psalm toward a doxological response to the power just described. The word "awesome" (nora, from the root meaning "to fear") indicates that God's majesty inspires awe and reverence; the divine character evokes a religious response of worship and submission. This verse functions as a hinge in the psalm, moving from narrative description of victory to the proper human response: fear in the sense of reverent recognition of power. The rhetorical question that follows—"Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?"—emphasizes the absolute sovereignty of God's will and the futility of resistance, making clear that the appropriate stance before God is one of humble submission.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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