God’s Word Translation
Exodus 19:16
16On the morning of the second day, there was thunder and lightning with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn ⌞was heard⌟. All the people in the camp shook with fear.
Exodus 19:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
- New International Version (NIV)On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
- English Standard Version (ESV)On 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Context of Exodus 19:16
14After Moses went down the mountain to the people, he had them get ready, and they washed their clothes. 15Then Moses said to the people, “Be ready two days from now. Don’t disqualify yourselves by having sexual intercourse.” On the morning of the second day, there was thunder and lightning with a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn ⌞was heard⌟. All the people in the camp shook with fear. 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down on it in fire. Smoke rose from the mountain like the smoke from a kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.
Read all of Exodus 19Exodus 19:16 word by word
וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass on the thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- in the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- that there were thundersקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: thunderH6963
- and lightningsבָּרָקbârâq · lightningH1300
- and a thickכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
- cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
- upon the mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- and the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- of the trumpetשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
- exceedingמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- loudחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
- so that all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- in the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
- trembledחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
Cross-references for Exodus 19:16
- Exodus 9:23When Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the Lord made it hail on Egypt.
- Exodus 20:18All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram’s horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance.
- 1 Samuel 12:17Isn’t the wheat being harvested today? I will call on the Lord, and he’ll send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what a wicked thing you did in the Lord’s presence when you asked for a king.”
- Job 37:1“My heart pounds because of this and jumps out of its place.
- Job 38:25“Who made a channel for the flooding rains and a path for the thunderstorms
- Psalms 18:11He made the darkness his hiding place, the dark rain clouds his covering.
- Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. The God of glory thunders. The Lord shouts over raging water.
- Psalms 50:3Our God will come and will not remain silent. A devouring fire is in front of him and a raging storm around him.
- Psalms 77:18The sound of your thunder rumbled in the sky. Streaks of lightning lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Psalms 97:4His flashes of lightning light up the world. The earth sees them and trembles.
- Hebrews 12:18You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm,
- Revelation 4:5Lightning, noise, and thunder came from the throne. Seven flaming torches were burning in front of the throne. These are the seven spirits of God.
- Revelation 8:5The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. Then there was thunder, noise, lightning, and an earthquake.
- Revelation 11:19God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his promise was seen inside his temple. There was lightning, noise, thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
- Exodus 19:9The Lord said to Moses, “I am coming to you in a storm cloud so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always believe you.” Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
- Exodus 40:34Then the ⌞column of⌟ smoke covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tent.
Commentaries on Exodus 19:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud - and the voice of the trumpet - The thunders, lightnings, etc., announced the coming, as they proclaimed the majesty, of God. Of the thunders and lightnings, and the deep, dark, dismal, electric cloud, from which the thunders and lightnings proceeded, we can form a tolerable apprehension; but of the loud, long-sounding trumpet, we can scarcely form a conjecture. Such were the appearances and the noise that all…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. 1616. on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, &c.--The descent of God was signalized by every object imagination can conceive connected with the ideas of grandeur and of awe. But all was in keeping with the character of the law about to be proclaimed. As the mountain burned with fire, God was exhibited as a consuming fire to the transgressors of His law. The thunder and lightning, more awful amid the deep stillness of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 19:16
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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