God’s Word Translation
Psalms 97:4
4His flashes of lightning light up the world. The earth sees them and trembles.
Psalms 97:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
- New International Version (NIV)His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
- English Standard Version (ESV)His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
- New King James Version (NKJV)His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles.
Context of Psalms 97:4
2Clouds and darkness surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne. 3Fire spreads ahead of him. It burns his enemies who surround him. His flashes of lightning light up the world. The earth sees them and trembles. 5The mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6The heavens tell about his righteousness, and all the people of the world see his glory.
Read all of Psalms 97Psalms 97:4 word by word
הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקָ֣יו תֵּבֵ֑ל רָאֲתָ֖ה וַתָּחֵ֣ל הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 97:4
- Psalms 77:18The sound of your thunder rumbled in the sky. Streaks of lightning lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Psalms 144:5O Lord, bend your heaven low, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
- Exodus 19:16On 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.
- Psalms 104:32He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
- Psalms 114:7Earth, tremble in the presence of the Lord, in the presence of the God of Jacob.
- Job 9:6He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble.
- Jeremiah 10:10But the Lord is the only God. He is the living God and eternal king. The earth trembles when he is angry. The nations can’t endure his fury.
- Matthew 27:50Then Jesus loudly cried out once again and gave up his life.
- Matthew 28:2Suddenly, there was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it.
- 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.
- Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
Commentaries on Psalms 97:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4His lightnings enlightened the world - Though this be no more than a majestic description of the coming of the Lord, to confound his enemies and succor his followers, yet some spiritualize the passage, and say, the lightnings signify the apostles, who enlightened the world by their heavenly doctrine. The earth saw, and trembled - The earth is represented as a sentient being. It saw the terrible majesty of God; and trembled through terror, fearing it…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4His lightnings enlightened the world - See the notes at Psalm 77:18. Compare Psalm 104:32; Habakkuk 3:6-10.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4Clouds … Fire … lightning: This language shows that the Lord is coming to judge.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. The attending illustrations of God's awful justice on enemies (Psa 83:14) are seen in the disclosures of His almighty power on the elements of nature (compare Psa 46:2; 77:17; Ha 3:6, &c.).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 97:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 97
- 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
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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