New Living Translation
Exodus 20:18
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.
Exodus 20:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
- New International Version (NIV)When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now 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.
Context of Exodus 20:18
16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. 17“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” When 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. 19And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” 20“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
Read all of Exodus 20Exodus 20:18 word by word
וְכָל־הָעָם֩ רֹאִ֨ים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹ֜ת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִ֗ם וְאֵת֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר וְאֶת־הָהָ֖ר עָשֵׁ֑ן וַיַּ֤רְא הָעָם֙ וַיָּנֻ֔עוּ וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ מֵֽרָחֹֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the thunderingsקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: thunderH6963
- and the lightningsלַפִּידlappîyd lappid · torchH3940
- and the noiseקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- of the trumpetשֹׁפָרshôphâr shôphâr · trumpetH7782
- and the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- smokingעָשֵׁן‛âshên · smokingH6226
- they removedנוּעַnûa‛ · to shakeH5128
- and stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- afar offרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
Cross-references for Exodus 20:18
- Exodus 19:16On 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.
- Psalms 139:7I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
- Jeremiah 23:23Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time.
Commentaries on Exodus 20:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18And all the people saw the thunderings, etc. - They had witnessed all these awful things before, (see Exodus 19:16;), but here they seem to have been repeated; probably at the end of each command, there was a peal of thunder, a blast of the trumpet, and a gleam of lightning, to impress their hearts the more deeply with a due sense of the Divine Majesty, of the holiness of the law which was now delivered, and of the fearful consequences of disobedience…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 Compare Deuteronomy 5:22-31. Aaron Exodus 19:24 on this occasion accompanied Moses in drawing near to the thick darkness. Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 is a series of laws which we may identify with what was written by Moses in the book called the book of the covenant, and read by him in the audience of the people Exodus 24:7. The document cannot be regarded as a strictly systematic whole. Portions of it were probably traditional rules handed…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 This law, which is so extensive that we cannot measure it, so spiritual that we cannot evade it, and so reasonable that we cannot find fault with it, will be the rule of the future judgment of God, as it is for the present conduct of man. If tried by this rule, we shall find our lives have been passed in transgressions. And with this holy law and an awful judgment before us, who can despise the gospel of Christ? And the knowledge of the law…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-21The people were very conscious of their sinfulness before a holy God and begged Moses to stand between them and God. Moses pointed out that God’s goal was neither to overawe them nor to destroy them. Rather, he wanted their awe of him to keep them from sinning (Exodus 20:20). Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and people (1 Timothy 2:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2118-21. all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings--They were eye and ear witnesses of the awful emblems of the Deity's descent. But they perceived not the Deity Himself.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 20:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 20
- 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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