Judges 5:5 kjv
The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
Judges 5:5 nkjv
The mountains gushed before the LORD, This Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
Judges 5:5 niv
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:5 esv
The mountains quaked before the LORD, even Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel.
Judges 5:5 nlt
The mountains quaked in the presence of the LORD,
the God of Mount Sinai ?
in the presence of the LORD,
the God of Israel.
Judges 5 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:16-18 | On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud… Mount Sinai was covered with smoke… the whole mountain trembled violently. | God's powerful presence at Sinai causes physical quaking. |
| Ps 68:7-8 | when You went out before Your people… the earth trembled; the heavens poured down rain… Mount Sinai quaked before the Lord, the God of Israel. | Direct parallel, emphasizing the Sinai theophany. |
| Mic 1:4 | The mountains melt beneath Him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire. | God's coming causes mountains to melt like wax. |
| Ps 97:5 | The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. | Similar imagery of mountains melting before the Lord. |
| Nah 1:5 | The mountains quake before Him and the hills melt away. | Creation's trembling response to God's wrath/power. |
| Isa 64:1-2 | Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might tremble before You… to make Your name known to Your adversaries! | A prayer for God's powerful intervention to cause awe and judgment. |
| Hab 3:6 | He stood, and measured the earth; He looked, and made the nations tremble… the ancient mountains crumbled. | God's majestic power causes ancient mountains to scatter. |
| Joel 2:10 | Before them the earth quakes, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. | Cosmic reaction to God's impending Day of the Lord. |
| Ex 20:18 | When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. | People's fearful response to God's manifestation. |
| Deut 4:10-12 | the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb… the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, surrounded by darkness, cloud and thick darkness. | Detailed description of the fiery, dark theophany at Sinai. |
| Josh 2:9-11 | For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water… the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. | The report of God's power causing hearts to melt. |
| Judg 4:14 | "Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" | Reminder of God fighting for His people in the Judges context. |
| 1 Sam 2:10 | "Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered… He will thunder from heaven." | God's active involvement in judgment and defense. |
| Ps 18:7 | The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook. | God's power depicted as a cosmic earthquake for deliverance. |
| Ps 46:2-3 | Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. | God's stability even when creation is unstable. |
| Jer 4:24 | I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. | Prophetic vision of devastation by God's judgment. |
| Hag 2:6 | "In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land." | God's promise to shake all things, preparing for future. |
| Heb 12:18-21 | For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched… but to Mount Zion. | Contrasts the fearful Sinai revelation with the grace of the New Covenant. |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | The heavens will disappear with a roar… the elements will melt in the heat and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. | Eschatological melting of creation by God's final judgment. |
| Rev 16:18 | and there was a tremendous earthquake – no, not like it since mankind has been on earth. | Extreme shaking as part of end-time judgments. |
Judges 5 verses
Judges 5 5 Meaning
Judges 5:5 declares the awe-inspiring power and majesty of Yahweh, the God of Israel. It vividly describes the physical earth, specifically the mountains, trembling and dissolving in the immediate presence of the Lord, harkening back to the foundational event at Mount Sinai. This poetic imagery emphasizes God's supreme authority, sovereignty, and the dramatic, tangible manifestation of His glory when He interacts with creation or His people. It signifies the immense impact of His presence, demonstrating that no part of creation, however grand, can withstand or remain unmoved before Him.
Judges 5 5 Context
Judges chapter 5 is known as the Song of Deborah and Barak, a powerful poetic recounting of Israel's victory over Sisera and the Canaanite army, described in Judges chapter 4. The song serves as a hymn of thanksgiving and celebration, praising God for His deliverance and commemorating the various tribes and individuals who participated in or failed to participate in the battle. Verse 5 fits within the introductory portion of the song (vv. 2-5), which sets a cosmic stage for God's intervention. It begins by calling for kings and princes to listen, as the song recounts the Lord's mighty acts, particularly His emergence from Seir and marching from Edom, which is reminiscent of His historical march with Israel from Sinai. By evoking the primal, earth-shaking manifestation of God at Sinai, the song immediately establishes Yahweh's unparalleled power and sovereignty as the true God, making the recent victory seem part of His ongoing demonstration of control over both creation and human history. This potent reminder of the divine presence at Sinai provides theological weight and justification for Israel's triumph, attributing the victory directly to the awesome power of the God of Israel.
Judges 5 5 Word analysis
- The mountains (הָרִים - harim): This refers to grand, stable, enduring natural formations, seen as the epitome of strength and permanence in creation. Their trembling or melting underscores the immense, irresistible power of God, far surpassing anything on earth.
- melted (נָזְלוּ - nazelu): The Hebrew verb nazal means to flow, pour down, melt, or dissolve. It's often used for flowing water or liquid. Here, applied to mountains, it conveys a profound, almost liquid-like disintegration or collapse. This is not just quaking, but a radical loss of form, signifying absolute power and an irreversible impact of divine presence. This specific verb paints a more dramatic picture than just 'trembled' or 'shook', suggesting a transformation of their very substance.
- from before (מִפְּנֵי - mip'ney): This preposition indicates "from the face of" or "in the presence of." It means the effect is a direct result of God's immediate proximity or manifest presence, not an indirect consequence. It speaks to the personal and active engagement of God.
- the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, revealing His personal, self-existent, and faithful nature. It signifies the God who reveals Himself, acts in history, and enters into covenant relationship with His people. The repetition emphasizes the sole source of this overwhelming power.
- even that Sinai (זֶה סִינַי - zeh Sinay): Zeh is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this." It acts as an emphatic pointing, specifically singling out Mount Sinai as the prime example or ultimate demonstration of this phenomenon. It makes the reference explicit and unmistakable, recalling the covenant giving event (Exodus 19).
- from before the Lord God of Israel (מִפְּנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - mip'ney YHWH Elohei Yisrael): This final phrase reiterates God's presence and then precisely identifies Him as the specific, unique God of His chosen people, Israel. It underscores His covenant relationship and active intervention on behalf of Israel, linking the cosmic display of power at Sinai directly to the God who delivered them from Sisera. It's a statement of identity and allegiance.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- The mountains melted from before the Lord: This opening declaration immediately sets a tone of immense, uncontainable divine power. It signifies that even the most formidable and stable elements of creation are no match for God's presence, highlighting His transcendence over all natural laws and structures. It contrasts God's power with the idols and nature gods of Canaan.
- even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel: This phrase grounds the preceding cosmic imagery in a specific, historical, and deeply significant event: the revelation at Mount Sinai. By doing so, it ties God's abstract, overwhelming power to His concrete, covenantal acts in Israel's history. It also uniquely identifies YHWH Elohei Yisrael as the only true God capable of such a manifestation, reinforcing His exclusive claim to deity and sovereignty. It links the Exodus deliverance, the Law, and the current military victory under Deborah.
Judges 5 5 Bonus section
- The verb nazelu (melted/flowed) implies not just shaking but a state of liquefaction or profound transformation. This hyperbole amplifies the awe and terror associated with God's manifest presence. It speaks to God's ultimate authority, suggesting that His presence brings forth radical change and judgment.
- This verse links God's past intervention (Sinai) with His present one (victory over Sisera). It acts as a divine continuity principle: the same God who performed wonders at the Exodus is active in their contemporary battles. This provided immense encouragement and confidence to the Israelites.
- The phrase "God of Israel" (Elohei Yisrael) highlights God's covenantal faithfulness and specific relationship with His chosen people, assuring them that this cosmic power is directed towards their benefit and vindication. It contrasts His specific identity with the general, often amorphous, pagan deities.
Judges 5 5 Commentary
Judges 5:5 is a powerful theophanic description embedded in the celebratory Song of Deborah, acting as a profound statement about the nature of Yahweh. The imagery of mountains "melting" or "dissolving" before the Lord evokes the most dramatic and unforgettable manifestation of God's presence in Israel's history: the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. This is more than mere shaking; it signifies an elemental transformation of the earth itself, demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty over creation.
The verse is not simply a historical reference but a theological assertion. By recalling Sinai, the song attributes the victory over Sisera to the very same awesome God who established the covenant with Israel. It suggests that just as the mountains bowed and trembled before His might in the past, so too did the Canaanite forces crumble before His presence in the present. This serves as a polemic against the Canaanite gods like Baal, who were believed to control weather and mountains. Yahweh, the God of Israel, proves His unmatched dominion by making the mountains—the supposed dwelling place or symbol of pagan deities—melt before Him. The repetition of "from before the Lord" emphasizes His immediate, tangible presence as the cause. Ultimately, the verse grounds Israel's historical triumphs in the unchangeable, awe-inspiring, and active presence of the Lord, the faithful God of Israel, affirming His constant guardianship and intervention on behalf of His people.