New English Translation
Psalms 97:4
4His lightning bolts light up the world; the earth sees 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
2Dark clouds surround him; equity and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3Fire goes before him; on every side it burns up his enemies. His lightning bolts light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of the whole earth. 6The sky declares his justice, and all the nations see his splendor.
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 77:18Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind; the lightning bolts lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
- Psalms 144:5O Lord, make the sky sink and come down! Touch the mountains and make them smolder!
- Exodus 19:16On the third day in the morning there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud horn; all the people who were in the camp trembled.
- Psalms 104:32He looks down on the earth and it shakes; he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
- Psalms 114:7Tremble, O earth, before the Lord – before the God of Jacob,
- Job 9:6he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble;
- Jeremiah 10:10The Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury.
- Matthew 27:50Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
- Matthew 28:2Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.
- Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
- Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to 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
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