New Living Translation
Exodus 19:16
16On 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.
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
14So Moses went down to the people. He consecrated them for worship, and they washed their clothes. 15He told them, “Get ready for the third day, and until then abstain from having sexual intercourse.” 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. 17Moses led them out from 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 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.
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 9:23So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 20:18When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
- 1 Samuel 12:17You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”
- Job 37:1“My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me.
- Job 38:25“Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for the lightning?
- Psalms 18:11He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
- Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
- Psalms 50:3Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around him.
- Psalms 77:18Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook.
- Psalms 97:4His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles.
- Hebrews 12:18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.
- Revelation 4:5From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.
- Revelation 8:5Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake.
- Revelation 11:19Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.
- Exodus 19:9Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.” Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
- Exodus 40:34Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, 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
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