The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
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.
- KJV 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.
- BSB The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.
- 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 1:4The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
- 2 Sam 22:8Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
- Jer 4:24I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
- Ps 97:4–5His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles.
- Ps 68:8The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai — at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
- Hab 3:10The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.
- Judg 5:5The mountains quaked Yahweh’s presence, even Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- Isa 64:1–2Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.
- Exod 19:18All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
- Ps 46:6The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved. He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.
- Ps 114:6You mountains, that you skipped like rams; you little hills, like lambs?
- Ps 98:7Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.
- Ps 114:4The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.
- Ps 29:5–6Yahweh’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
- Rev 20:11I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
- 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.
- 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.
- Isa 2:12–14For there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and haughty, and for all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low:
- 2 Pet 3:7–12But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.