Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 19:18
18Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
Exodus 19:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
- New International Version (NIV)Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
Context of Exodus 19:18
16On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered. 17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19As the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder. 20The Lord came down on Mount Sinai at the top of the mountain. Then the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and he went up.
Read all of Exodus 19Exodus 19:18 word by word
וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיַּ֤עַל עֲשָׁנוֹ֙ כְּעֶ֣שֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָהָ֖ר מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- Sinaiסִינַיsîynay · SinaiH5514
- was altogether on a smokeעָשַׁן‛âshan · be angryH6225
- becauseאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- descendedיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- upon it in fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- and the smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
- thereof ascendedעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- of a furnaceכִּבְשָׁןkibshân · kilnH3536
- quakedחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
- greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
Cross-references for Exodus 19:18
- Exodus 20:18All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.
- Deuteronomy 4:11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire into the heavens and enveloped in a totally black cloud.
- Deuteronomy 5:22“The Lord spoke these commands in a loud voice to your entire assembly from the fire, cloud, and total darkness on the mountain; he added nothing more. He wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
- Deuteronomy 33:2He said: The Lord came from Sinai and appeared to them from Seir; he shone on them from Mount Paran and came with ten thousand holy ones, with lightning from his right hand for them.
- Judges 5:5The mountains melted before the Lord, even Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.
- Psalms 68:7God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the desert,Selah
- Psalms 104:32He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.
- Psalms 144:5Lord, part your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
- Exodus 19:13No hand may touch him; instead he will be stoned or shot with arrows and not live, whether animal or human. When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may go up the mountain.”
- Isaiah 6:4The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
- Revelation 15:8Then the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
- Exodus 3:2Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.
- Exodus 24:17The appearance of the Lord’s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
Commentaries on Exodus 19:18
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18A furnace - The word in the original is Egyptian, and occurs only in the Pentateuch.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-25Verses 16-25 Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-25The final preparation phase included events that helped people accept the covenant. Some of the experiences were visual: lightning and a cloud (19:16), smoke and fire (19:18). The people also heard thunder, a ram’s horn, and the voice of God (19:16, 19). The entire mountain shook violently (19:18). In the Bible, such unusual events are often associated with a theophany, which is a visible appearance of God’s holy presence.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251. In the third month--according to Jewish usage, the first day of that month--"same day."--It is added, to mark the time more explicitly, that is, forty-five days after Egypt--one day spent on the mount (Ex 19:3), one returning the people's answer (Ex 19:7, 8), three days of preparation, making the whole time fifty days from the first passover to the promulgation of the law. Hence the feast of pentecost, that is, the fiftieth day, was the inauguration of…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 19:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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