English Standard Version
Exodus 19:18
18Now 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.
Context of Exodus 19:18
16On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 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. 19And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses 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 20:18Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off
- Deuteronomy 4:11And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.
- Deuteronomy 5:22"These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
- Deuteronomy 33:2He said, "The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand.
- Judges 5:5The mountains quaked before the Lord, even Sinai before the Lord, the God of Israel.
- Psalms 68:7O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
- Psalms 104:32who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
- Psalms 144:5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
- Exodus 19:13No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain."
- Isaiah 6:4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
- Revelation 15:8and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
- Exodus 3:2And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
- Exodus 24:17Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- 2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
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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