Exodus 19 · Verse 16

Exodus 19:16

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.
Exodus 19:16, King James Version

Exodus 19:16 in other translations

BSBOn 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.
WEBOn 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.
ASVAnd it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp trembled.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, on the third day, while it is morning, that there are voices, and lightnings, and a heavy cloud, on the mount, and the sound of a trumpet very strong; and all the people who are in the camp do tremble.
DARBYAnd it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet exceeding loud; and the whole people that was in the camp trembled.
BBEAnd when morning came on the third day, there were thunders and flames and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a horn sounding very loud; and all the people in the tents were shaking with fear.
WebsterAnd 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 were in the camp trembled.

What does Exodus 19:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, &c.--The descent of God was signalized by every object imagination can conceive connected with the ideas of grandeur and of awe. But all was in keeping with the character of the law about to be proclaimed. As the mountain burned with fire, God was exhibited as a consuming fire to the transgressors of His law. The thunder and lightning, more awful amid the deep stillness of the region and reverberating with terrific peals among the mountains, would rouse the universal attention; a thick cloud was an apt emblem of the dark and shadowy dispensation (compare Mt 17:5). the voice of a trumpet--This gave the scene the character of a miraculous transaction, in which other elements than those of nature were at work, and some other than material trumpet was blown by other means than human breath.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud - and the voice of the trumpet - The thunders, lightnings, etc., announced the coming, as they proclaimed the majesty, of God. Of the thunders and lightnings, and the deep, dark, dismal, electric cloud, from which the thunders and lightnings proceeded, we can form a tolerable apprehension; but of the loud, long-sounding trumpet, we can scarcely form a conjecture. Such were the appearances and the noise that all the people in the camp trembled, and Moses himself was constrained to say, "I exceedingly fear and quake," Heb 12:21. Probably the sound of the trumpet was something similar to that which shall be blown by the angel when he sweareth, by Him that liveth for ever, There shall be time no longer!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 19:16-25
Never was there such a sermon preached, before or since, as this which was preached to the church in the wilderness. It might be supposed that the terrors would have checked presumption and curiosity in the people; but the hard heart of an unawakened sinner can trifle with the most terrible threatenings and judgments. In drawing near to God, we must never forget his holiness and greatness, nor our own meanness and pollution. We cannot stand in judgment before him according to his righteous law. The convinced transgressor asks, What must I do to be saved? and he hears the voice, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The Holy Ghost, who made the law to convince of sin, now takes of the things of Christ, and shows them to us. In the gospel we read, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Through him we are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. But the Divine law is binding as a rule of life. The Son of God came down from heaven, and suffered poverty, shame, agony, and death, not only to redeem us from its curse, but to bind us more closely to keep its commands.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Exodus 19:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
בַיּ֨וֹםvai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜יha.she.li.Shi<the> thirdH7992
בִּֽהְיֹ֣תbih.Yotwhen cameH1961
הַבֹּ֗קֶרha.Bo.kerthe morningH1242
וַיְהִי֩vay.Hiand it wasH1961
קֹלֹ֨תko.Lotthunder clapsH6963
וּבְרָקִ֜יםu.ve.ra.Kimand lightning<s>H1300
וְעָנָ֤ןve.'a.Nanand a cloudH6051
כָּבֵד֙ka.VedheavyH3515
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָהָ֔רha.Harthe mountainH2022
וְקֹ֥לve.Koland [the] sound ofH6963
שֹׁפָ֖רsho.Fara ram's hornH7782
חָזָ֣קcha.ZakstrongH2389
מְאֹ֑דme.'OdveryH3966
וַיֶּחֱרַ֥דvai.ye.che.Radand it trembledH2729
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה\׃Ba.ma.cha.Neh[was] in the campH4264

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 19:16

  • Hebrews 12:18-19

    For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

  • Psalms 18:11-14

    He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

  • Revelation 4:1

    After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

  • Hebrews 12:21

    And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

  • Revelation 4:5

    And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

  • Psalms 77:18

    The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

  • Revelation 8:5

    And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

  • Revelation 11:19

    And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

  • Exodus 19:9

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.

  • Job 38:25

    Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

  • Exodus 9:23

    And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

  • Exodus 20:18

    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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thunders.
9:23,28,29; 20:18; 1Sa 12:17,18; Job 37:1-5; 38:25; Ps 18:11-14
Ps 29:3-11; 50:3; 77:18; 97:4; Heb 12:18,19; Re 4:5; 8:5; 11:19
thick.
9; 40:34; 2Ch 5:14
voice.
Re 1:10; 4:1
all the people.
Jer 5:22; Heb 12:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 19:15

    And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

  • Exodus 19:16

    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.

  • Exodus 19:17

    And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

Read all of Exodus 19

Exodus 19:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y aconteció al tercer día cuando vino la mañana, que vinieron truenos y relámpagos, y espesa nube sobre el monte, y sonido de bocina muy fuerte; y estremecióse todo el pueblo que estaba en el real.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva, le troisième jour, quand le matin fut venu, qu’il y eut des tonnerres et des éclairs, et une épaisse nuée sur la montagne, et un son de trompette très fort; et tout le peuple qui était dans le camp trembla.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah am dritten Tage, als es Morgen war, da waren Donner und Blitze und eine schwere Wolke auf dem Berge und ein sehr starker Posaunenschall; und das ganze Volk zitterte, das im Lager war.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jamque advenerat tertius dies, et mane inclaruerat: et ecce cœperunt audiri tonitrua, ac micare fulgura, et nubes densissima operire montem, clangorque buccinæ vehementius perstrepebat: et timuit populus qui erat in castris.