Exodus 20:18 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.
Exodus 20:18 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.
Exodus 20:18 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
Exodus 20:18 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
Exodus 20:18 nlt
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.
Exodus 20 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:10 | ...when you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb... the mountain burned with fire... and there was darkness, clouds, and thick gloom... | Theophany at Sinai; people heard God from fire. |
| Deut 5:22 | "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire... and He added no more..." | God spoke directly, but terrifyingly. |
| Deut 5:23 | "And when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness... you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders..." | People's fear leading them to Moses for mediation. |
| Deut 5:24 | "For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire... and lived?" | Direct interaction with God is deadly for humanity. |
| Heb 12:18 | For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, | New Covenant's superiority over Sinai's terrifying scene. |
| Heb 12:19 | and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken... | Emphasizes the auditory fear; people couldn't bear it. |
| Heb 12:20 | For they could not endure the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." | Sinai's strict boundary and fear it instilled. |
| Heb 12:21 | And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." | Even Moses, the mediator, was terrified. |
| Exod 19:16 | So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain | Describes initial manifestation of Sinai's event. |
| Exod 19:18 | Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a kiln... | Detail of mountain smoking due to God's fiery presence. |
| Ps 77:18 | The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightning lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. | God's power in nature mirroring the Sinai theophany. |
| Nah 1:5 | Mountains quake before Him and the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is laid waste at His presence... | The trembling of creation at God's powerful presence. |
| Isa 6:5 | Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips... For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." | Profound fear and conviction of sin in God's presence. |
| Hab 3:10 | The mountains saw You and quaked... the deep uttered its voice, and lifted high its hands. | Natural creation's reaction to divine manifestation. |
| Dan 10:8 | So I was left alone and saw this great vision... and there was no strength left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor... | Personal experience of overwhelming physical weakness before divine presence. |
| Rev 1:17 | When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man... | John's prostration before the glorious Christ, echoing fear. |
| Phil 2:12 | So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling... | Fear and trembling as a posture of obedience before God. |
| Ps 2:11 | Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. | Balanced view of worship: joy mixed with fear of God. |
| 1 Sam 7:6 | ...and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpah. | Repentance born from a recognition of God's power and holiness. |
| Lev 10:1-2 | Now Nadab and Abihu... offered strange fire before the LORD... fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them... | Danger of drawing near God improperly; holiness demands reverence. |
| Matt 17:6 | When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were greatly afraid. | Disciples' fear during the Transfiguration. |
| John 1:18 | No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. | Highlights humanity's inability to see God directly and live, emphasizing the need for Christ. |
| 1 Pet 1:17 | If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth... | Maintaining a healthy fear of God during one's earthly life. |
Exodus 20 verses
Exodus 20 18 Meaning
Exodus 20:18 describes the overwhelming sensory experience of the Israelites as they witnessed the terrifying manifestation of God's presence at Mount Sinai immediately following the giving of the Ten Commandments. It vividly portrays their profound fear, causing them to physically tremble and maintain a reverent distance from the mountain and the direct presence of the Divine. This reaction underscores the immense power, holiness, and inapproachable nature of God without mediation.
Exodus 20 18 Context
Exodus chapter 20 records the giving of the Ten Commandments (vv. 1-17) by God directly to the assembled Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai. The events described in verse 18 are an immediate consequence of this divine encounter. Prior to this, God had instructed Moses to set boundaries around the mountain, warning that anyone who touched it would die (Exod 19:12-13). This elaborate display of thunder, lightning, smoke, and trumpet blasts (Exod 19:16-19) was a deliberate act of God to establish His holy, transcendent nature, impressing upon the people the gravity and sacredness of the covenant being established. The people's reaction of fear, trembling, and drawing back served as a powerful acknowledgment of the absolute chasm between the holy God and sinful humanity, underscoring the necessity of a mediator and a distinct system of approach (e.g., priests and sacrifices).
Exodus 20 18 Word analysis
All the people (כָּל־הָעָם, kol-ha'am): This phrase emphasizes the collective, universal experience of the entire Israelite community. No one was exempt from witnessing this powerful theophany. It underscores the profound impact on every individual present.
perceived (רֹאִים, ro'im): This Hebrew word literally means "seeing" or "observing." It implies a direct, sensory apprehension, not merely a hearing. They didn't just hear about it; they directly experienced the visual and auditory spectacle, indicating a tangible and undeniable divine presence.
the thunderings (הַקּוֹלֹת, haqqolot): Literally "the voices" or "the sounds." In this context, it primarily refers to the rumbling sound of thunder. The plural "voices" might suggest multiple, overwhelming sounds, signifying God's majestic power reverberating through creation.
the lightnings (הַלַּפִּידִם, hallappidim): Literally "the torches" or "the flames." This word vividly describes bright, piercing flashes, much like torches illuminating the dark. It depicts the intense, blazing glory of God's presence, indicating His consuming holiness.
the sound of the trumpet (וְאֵת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר, v’et qol haššōfār): The trumpet, a shofar, was a supernaturally loud and continuous blast originating from the mountain (Exod 19:16, 19). It signaled God's descent, served as a divine alarm, and emphasized the divine speech (the Ten Commandments) as distinct from a human utterance. It symbolized a heavenly herald announcing God's solemn arrival.
the mountain smoking (הָהָר עָשֵׁן, hehār ‘āšēn): A clear, physical manifestation of God's fiery presence on the peak. It indicates divine consumption and energy, akin to a kiln, making the mountain an active, dangerous interface with the Divine. It's a visible sign of God's heavy presence.
and when the people saw it: Reiterates and re-emphasizes the immediate visual apprehension that prompted their reaction. It highlights the direct causation between what they witnessed and their fear.
they trembled (וַיָּנֻעוּ, vayyanu'u): Means to be shaken, agitated, or to waver. This word expresses deep physical and emotional shaking, an involuntary reaction to terror and awe in the face of the overwhelming and fearful sight of God's power. It conveys a sense of instability and weakness.
and stood afar off (וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק, vayya'amdu mērāḥōq): This action denotes a strategic withdrawal, a recognition of sacred boundaries, and a desire to preserve life. It reflects a profound awareness of God's holiness and the people's own unholiness, rendering them unable to directly endure His immediate presence without the risk of annihilation. This physical distance also symbolizes the spiritual distance created by sin between God and humanity.
Exodus 20 18 Bonus section
The immediate aftermath of this terrifying display, recorded in Exodus 20:19, reveals the people's plea for Moses to mediate: "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not let God speak with us, or we will die." This pivotal moment highlights humanity's natural inadequacy and sin-induced separation from God, setting up the pattern of intercession that permeates the Mosaic covenant and ultimately culminates in Christ. The polemical undertone is against any concept of a controllable or manipulable deity, which was common in surrounding pagan cultures; the God of Israel is undeniably transcendent, utterly sovereign, and approachable only on His terms. The magnitude of the sensory phenomena emphasizes the veracity and divine origin of the Ten Commandments, not as human decrees but as pronouncements directly from the Sovereign Creator of the universe.
Exodus 20 18 Commentary
Exodus 20:18 serves as a potent conclusion to the giving of the Decalogue, underscoring the terrifying and overwhelming majesty of God. The full array of sensory experiences—sight (lightning, smoking mountain), sound (thunder, trumpet)—immersed the Israelites in the direct, unmediated presence of the Holy One. This divine self-revelation was not merely informative but transformative, designed to impress upon the people an indelible fear of the Lord (Deut 4:10). This "fear" is not simply terror but a reverential dread, an acute awareness of God's absolute power and holiness contrasted with human frailty and sinfulness. Their trembling and standing afar off graphically illustrate humanity's natural inability to stand directly before an unmediated God due to sin, hence necessitating the role of Moses as a mediator. This encounter sets the stage for the rest of the Old Testament law, which provides specific, controlled means (priesthood, sacrifices, tabernacle) for humanity to approach a holy God. Ultimately, this scene from Sinai foreshadows the need for a New Covenant, where Christ, our ultimate mediator, allows direct access to God's presence, removing the fear of immediate judgment that defined Sinai (Heb 12:18-24). The historical reaction of the people exemplifies that while God's law is perfect, His raw, holy presence, when met with human sinfulness, demands a response of humility and a recognition of the need for divine grace.