New King James Version
Exodus 19:16
16Then 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.
Context of Exodus 19:16
14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.” 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. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Now 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.
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 9:23And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 20:18Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.
- 1 Samuel 12:17Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves.”
- Job 37:1“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.
- Job 38:25“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,
- Psalms 18:11He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies.
- Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters.
- Psalms 50:3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
- Psalms 77:18The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook.
- Psalms 97:4His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles.
- Hebrews 12:18For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,
- Revelation 4:5And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
- Revelation 8:5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
- Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
- Exodus 19:9And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
- Exodus 40:34Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries