The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Parallel translations
- WEB The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.
- BSB The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.
- NKJV The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
- NASB Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills come apart; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.
- NLT In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed.
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
Mountains quake and the earth trembles at God's presence. All creation reacts to the coming of the holy God.
Overview
The imagery of melting hills and a trembling earth recalls Sinai and other theophanies where God's nearness shakes the world. It underscores the seriousness of facing an offended, almighty God. Such reverent fear rightly drives sinners to the refuge offered in the next verses and ultimately in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Mic 1:4And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
- 2 Sam 22:8Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
- Jer 4:24I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
- Ps 97:4–5His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
- Ps 68:8The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
- Hab 3:10The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
- Judg 5:5The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.
- Isa 64:1–2Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
- Exod 19:18And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
- Ps 46:6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
- Ps 114:6Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
- Ps 98:7Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
- Ps 114:4The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
- Ps 29:5–6The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
- Rev 20:11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
- Matt 28:2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
- Matt 27:51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
- Isa 2:12–14For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
- 2 Pet 3:7–12But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The certain judgment on Nineveh and the comfort that 'the LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble' point to Christ, who is both the refuge of his people and the judge of their enemies.
How Nahum 1:5 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.