“Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
- KJV Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
- BSB Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
- NASB “Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of heaven were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.
- NLT “Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God's answer is portrayed as an earthquake, the foundations shaking at his anger. The Almighty moves powerfully to rescue his servant.
Overview
David describes God's coming in dramatic theophany language, the trembling earth signaling divine wrath against his enemies. Such imagery recalls Sinai and reveals the awesome power that God wields on behalf of his people. It assures us that the God who answers prayer is the Lord of all creation, before whom no foe can stand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Job 26:11The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his rebuke.
- Ps 97:4His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles.
- Ps 77:18The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Judg 5:4“Yahweh, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
- Matt 28:2Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it.
- Ps 18:7Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
- Acts 4:31When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
- Nah 1:5The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.
- Matt 27:51Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
- Hab 3:6–11He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 22:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.