Psalms 97:2

“Clouds and darkness are round about him, etc.] Either as a garment; so Apollinarius paraphrases it, “near is the King clothed with a cloud and tempest;” and it is usual with the Heathens to represent their deities as surrounded or clothed with a cloud f1373: here the allusion is to the tabernacle and temple, when reared up and dedicated, (<024034>Exodus 40:34) (<110810>1 Kings 8:10-12) and to other appearances of God, or Christ, in a cloud, (<021909>Exodus 19:9,16 <401705> Matthew 17:5), it may denote the obscurity of his divine nature at his first coming; he appearing in the form of a servant, and in the likeness of sinful flesh, so that few discerned his glory as the glory of the only…”

“Clouds and darkness are round about him - This is a description of the majesty of God, derived probably from the manner in which he manifested himself at Mount Sinai. Exodus 19:16-19. God is often thus represented as encompassed with clouds. Psalms 104:3; Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7. See the notes at Psalms 18:7-15. The word rendered “clouds” is the common word to denote a cloud; the word translated “darkness” means properly “thick clouds, cloudy darkness, gloom.” It would refer to a cloud considered as dark, and as casting a gloom over the world. There is no reference here to the fact that the dealings of God are dark, mysterious, and incomprehensible, as if he were…”

“Darkness - A dark cloud doth encompass him. Psalms 97:6”

“97:2-4 Dark clouds . . . Fire . . . lightning: This language shows that the Lord is coming in judgment.”

“Clouds: Psa 18:11, Psa 18:12, Psa 77:19; Exo 20:21, Exo 24:16-18; Deu 4:11, Deu 4:12; Kg1 8:10-12; Nah 1:3; Rom 11:33 righteousness: Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7, Psa 89:14, Psa 99:4; Gen 18:25; Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9 habitation: or, establishment, Pro 16:12 Psalms 97:3”