Exodus 20:18
New International Version
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

New Living Translation
When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

English Standard Version
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off

Berean Standard Bible
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance.

King James Bible
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

New King James Version
Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

New American Standard Bible
And all the people were watching and hearing the thunder and the lightning flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it all, they trembled and stood at a distance.

NASB 1995
All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

NASB 1977
And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

Legacy Standard Bible
And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and the people perceived it, and they shook and stood at a distance.

Amplified Bible
Now all the people witnessed the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain; and as they looked, the people were afraid, and they trembled [and moved backward] and stood at a [safe] distance.

Christian Standard Bible
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.”

American Standard Version
And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And all the people saw the voices and lamps lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, and the people saw and they were afraid and they stood at a distance.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And all the people perceived the thundering, and the flashes, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and all the people feared and stood afar off,

Contemporary English Version
The people trembled with fear when they heard the thunder and the trumpet and saw the lightning and the smoke coming from the mountain. They stood a long way off

Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the people saw the voices and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking: and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off,

English Revised Version
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram's horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance.

Good News Translation
When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet blast and saw the lightning and the smoking mountain, they trembled with fear and stood a long way off.

International Standard Version
All the people experienced the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram's horn, and the smoking mountain. And as the people experienced it, they trembled and stood at a distance.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off.

Literal Standard Version
And all the people are seeing the voices, and the flames, and the sound of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and the people see, and move, and stand far off,

Majority Standard Bible
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance.

New American Bible
Now as all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blast of the shofar and the mountain smoking, they became afraid and trembled. So they took up a position farther away

NET Bible
All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking--and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.

New Revised Standard Version
When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance,

New Heart English Bible
All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.

Webster's Bible Translation
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

World English Bible
All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.

Young's Literal Translation
And all the people are seeing the voices, and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and the people see, and move, and stand afar off,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Comforts the People
18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”…

Cross References
Hebrews 12:18
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;

Hebrews 12:19
to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken.

Genesis 3:10
"I heard Your voice in the garden," he replied, "and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram's horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

Exodus 19:18
Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.

Deuteronomy 4:36
He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.

Deuteronomy 5:5
At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain. And He said:


Treasury of Scripture

And all the people saw the thunder, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

and all

Exodus 19:16-18
And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled…

they removed

Psalm 139:7,8
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? …

Jeremiah 23:23
Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

Jump to Previous
Afar Afraid Distance Far Flashes Heard Horn Kept Lightnings Mount Mountain Noise Perceived Removed Smoke Smoking Sound Stood Thunder Thunderings Trembled Trumpet Voice Voices Watching
Jump to Next
Afar Afraid Distance Far Flashes Heard Horn Kept Lightnings Mount Mountain Noise Perceived Removed Smoke Smoking Sound Stood Thunder Thunderings Trembled Trumpet Voice Voices Watching
Exodus 20
1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be














AT THE PEOPLE'S REQUEST, MOSES BECOMES THEIR INTERMEDIARY.

(18-21) The delivery of the Ten Commandments by a voice manifestly superhuman impressed the people with an awful fear. They felt the near contact with God to be more than they could bear. Even Moses was so deeply moved that he exclaimed, "I exceedingly fear and quake" (Hebrews 12:21). The people were still more afraid, and felt compelled to withdraw to a distance, beyond the sound of the terrible voice. From Deuteronomy we learn that they retired within their tents (Deuteronomy 5:30), having first sent a deputation to Moses, with a request that he would thenceforth act as their intermediary. It pleased God to assent to this proposal; and the remainder of the Law was communicated by God to Moses, and by Moses to the Israelites.

(18) And all the people saw the thunderings

--i.e., Perceived them. On the true character of the Sinaitic manifestation, see Note on Exodus 19:16-20.

They removed.--Moses had brought the representatives of the people as near to Sinai as possible--close to the foot of the great precipice of Ras Sufsafeh (Exodus 19:17). The wide plain of Er-Rahah allowed of a removal to a considerable distance. . . .

Verses 18-21. - WITHDRAWAL OF THE PEOPLE, AND NEARER APPROACH OF MOSES TO GOD. The effect produced upon the people by the accumulated terrors of Sinai - "the thunderings and the lightnings, the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking" - the cloud, and the voice out of the cloud - was an awful and terrible fear. They could not bear the manifestation of the near presence of God; and therefore "they removed and stood afar off." It seemed to them as if, on hearing the voice of God, speaking out of the thick darkness, they must die (ver. 19). Moses, upon their expressing these feelings, comforted them with an assurance that God had shown his terrors, not for their injury, but to put his fear in their hearts (ver. 20), and allowed them to retire to a distance from the mount, while he himself "drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" (ver. 21). Verse 18. - The people saw the thunderings. The use of a specific verb for a generic one, with terms to all of which it is not, strictly speaking, applicable, is common to many writers, and is known to grammarians as zengma. "Saw" here means "perceived, witnessed." The mountain smoking. Compare Exodus 19:18. In Deuteronomy 5:23 it is said that "the mountain did burn with fire." When the people saw it, they removed. It appears, from Deuteronomy 5:23, that. before retiring, the people sent a deputation of heads of tribes and elders up to Moses in the mount, to convey to him their wishes, and suggest that he should be their intermediary with God. Moses laid their wishes before God, and was directed to give them his sanction, whereupon they withdrew to their tents (ib, 30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people
הָעָם֩ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

witnessed
רֹאִ֨ים (rō·’îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the thunder
הַקּוֹלֹ֜ת (haq·qō·w·lōṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

and lightning,
הַלַּפִּידִ֗ם (hal·lap·pî·ḏim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3940: A flambeau, lamp, flame

the sound
ק֣וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the trumpet,
הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר (haš·šō·p̄ār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7782: A cornet, curved horn

and the mountain
הָהָ֖ר (hā·hār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

in smoke.
עָשֵׁ֑ן (‘ā·šên)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6226: Smoking

And when the people
הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

saw [this],
וַיַּ֤רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

they trembled
וַיָּנֻ֔עוּ (way·yā·nu·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5128: To quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

and stood
וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ (way·ya·‘am·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

at a distance.
מֵֽרָחֹֽק׃ (mê·rā·ḥōq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious


Links
Exodus 20:18 NIV
Exodus 20:18 NLT
Exodus 20:18 ESV
Exodus 20:18 NASB
Exodus 20:18 KJV

Exodus 20:18 BibleApps.com
Exodus 20:18 Biblia Paralela
Exodus 20:18 Chinese Bible
Exodus 20:18 French Bible
Exodus 20:18 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Exodus 20:18 All the people perceived the thunderings (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 20:17
Top of Page
Top of Page