As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is driven, thou wilt drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, the wicked shall perish at the presence of God.

As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.

Let them be like smoke before the driving wind; as wax turning soft before the fire, so let them come to an end before the power of God.

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; And let them that hate Him flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away - To wit, by the wind. Smoke - vapor - easily disturbed and moved by the slightest breath of air - represents an object of no stability, or having no power of resistance, and would thus represent the real weakness of the most mighty armies of men as opposed to God.
So drive them away - With the same ease with which smoke is driven by the slightest breeze, so do the enemies of God disappear before his power. Compare the notes at Psalm 1:4.
As wax melteth before the fire - Compare Psalm 22:14. The meaning here is plain. As wax is melted down by fire - losing all its hardness, its firmness, its power of resistance, so must the most mighty armies melt away before God.
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God - That is, those who rise up against him; his enemies. It will be as easy for God to destroy wicked men as it is for fire to melt down wax.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away,.... This both describes the character of wicked men, Christ's enemies; as their darkness and ignorance, their will worship and superstition, and their detestableness to God, Revelation 9:2; and the manner of their destruction; which is as easily brought about as smoke is driven by the wind, and is as irretrievable, like smoke that vanisheth into air (o); see Psalm 37:20;
as wax melteth before fire; whereby its consistency, form, and strength, are lost. Respect may be had, both in this and the foregoing metaphor, to the fire of, divine wrath, and the smoke of eternal torments; since it follows:
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God; the appearance of Christ, either in his awful dispensation against the Jews, or in the last judgment; when the wicked shall not be able to stand before his face, but shall call to the rocks and mountains to hide them from him; and when they shall be bid to depart from him, and shall be punished with everlasting destruction in soul and body, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power.
(o) "----et tenues fugit, ceu fumus in auras". Virgil. Aeneid. 5. prope finem.