The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB The 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.
- KJV The 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.
- BSB the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
- NKJV The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
- NLT the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain before you, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
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
The earth trembled and the heavens poured rain at Sinai before the God of Israel. It recalls the awesome theophany at Mount Sinai.
Overview
David describes creation convulsing at God's presence when He came down at Sinai. The trembling earth and pouring sky testify to His overwhelming majesty. The same God who shook Sinai speaks to us in His Son, calling for reverent worship of an unshakable kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 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.
- Exod 19:16On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
- Deut 5:23–25When you heard the voice out of the middle of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
- Judg 5:4–5“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.
- Heb 12:26whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”
- Isa 45:3I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel.
- Ps 68:35You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!
- Ps 41:13Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.
- Ps 77:18The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Ps 114:7Tremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
- Isa 64:3When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence.
- Rev 11:19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.
- Isa 64:1Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.
- Hab 3:13You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot. Selah.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 68:8 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.