Exodus 19:16

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.

a. NLT: On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.

b. NIV: On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.

c. YLT: And 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.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: The third morning there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

e. Septuagint: And it came to pass on the third day, as the morning drew nigh, there were voices and lightnings and a dark cloud on mount Sina: the voice of the trumpet sounded loud, and all the people in the camp trembled.

f. Stone Edition Chumash Torah: On the third day when it was morning, there was thunder and lightening and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the shofar was very powerful, and the entire people was in the camp shuddered.

1. “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning…”

a. on the third day [7992 * shliyshiy] [Strong: ordinal from 7969; third; feminine a third (part); by extension, a third (day, year or time); specifically, a third-story cell):--third (part, rank, time), three (years old).]

b. in the morning [1242 * boqer] [Strong: from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning:--(+) day, early, morning, morrow.]

1). Here is a short list of significant uses of third and three days.

a). Genesis 22:3, 4 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

b). Genesis 42:17, 18 And he put them all together into ward three days.

42:18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:

c). Joshua 1:10, 11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

1:11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

d). Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

e). Hosea 6:1, 2 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

6:2 fter two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

f). Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

g). 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

2. “…that there were thunders and lightnings…”

a. there were thunders [6963 * qowl; or qol] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim, proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, + yell.]

b. and lightenings [1300 * baraq] [Strong: from 1299; lightning; by analogy, a gleam; oncretely, a flashing sword:--bright, glitter(-ing sword), lightning.]

1). It is possible that perhaps these sounds of thunder were more than just sound.

a). John 12:28, 29 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

12:29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.

b). 2 Samuel 22:14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

c). Revelation 10:1-4 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

10:2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

10:3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

2.  “…and a thick cloud upon the mount…”

a. and a thick [3515 * kabed kaw-bade' from 3513; heavy; figuratively in a good sense (numerous) or in a bad sense (severe, difficult, stupid):--(so) great, grievous, hard(-ened), (too) heavy(-ier), laden, much, slow, sore, thick.]

b. cloud [6051 * `anan] [Strong: from 6049; a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud:--cloud(-y).]

c. upon the mount [2022 * har] [Strong: a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.]

1). This was the Shekinah glory of God that has appeared in other instances of Scripture.

a). 1 Kings 8:10, 11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

b). Exodus 40:34-38 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

40:36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

40:37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

c). Matthew 17:1-5 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom Iam well pleased; hear ye him.

3. “…and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud…”

a. and the voice [6963 * qowl; or qol] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim, proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, + yell.]

b. of the trumpet [7782 * showphar] [Strong: horn, ram's horn. [David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary: What the king James Version calls “the trump of God” is…a ram’s horn, such as is blown at Rosh-HaShanah, the Jewish New Year. In the Tanakh the shofar was blown to introduce solemnity, to accompany celebration, to announce a memorable event and/or to gather people together to war of other action.(Exodus 19:16-19; 20:15 (18); Leviticus 25:9; Joshua 6; Judges 3:27; 6:34.)]

1). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 4/15/2011: This is the first reference to trumpets in the Bible, and it is significant that the "voice" of the trumpet was coming not from man, but from God. The setting was the awesome scene at Mount Sinai, when the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people. The last reference in the Old Testament to trumpets again refers to God's trumpet. "And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south" (Zechariah 9:14). The trumpet, as used in Israel (Hebrew shofar), was made of ram's horns and was used on many important occasions…We ourselves may soon hear the trumpet of God, for the return of Christ is drawing near. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . with the trump of God" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). As we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, we (like John long ago) will hear a voice "as it were of a trumpet," saying, "Come up hither" (Revelation 4:1), and then "shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). HMM

c. exceeding [3966 * m`od] [Strong: from the same as 181181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated):--diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.]

d. loud [2389 * chazaq] [Strong: from 2388; strong (usu. in a bad sense, hard, bold, violent):--harder, hottest, + impudent, loud, mighty, sore, stiff(-hearted), strong(-er).]

4.  “…so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.”

a. so that all the people [5971 * ‘am] [Strong: from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

b. in the camp [4264 * machaneh] [Strong: from 2583; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts):-- army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.]

c. trembled [2729 * charad] [Strong: a primitive root; to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety):--be (make) afraid, be careful, discomfit, fray (away), quake, tremble.]

 1). In the book of Hebrews, the writer inspired by the Holy Ghost worte of this incident.

a). Hebrews 12:18-21   For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

12:19 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:

12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

b). In referring to the Hebrews passage some commentators have written words which I agree with, that the writer of Hebrews was citing a Jewish teaching that was confirmed by the Spirit of God.

(1) John Gill Commentary: These words are nowhere recorded in Scripture; wherefore the apostle had them either by divine revelation, or from tradition, confirmed by the former: for the Jews have a notion that Moses did quake and tremble, and when upon the mount; and that he expressed his fear and dread. They have such a tradition as this.

(2) Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary: Moses is not recorded in Exodus to have used these words. But Paul, by inspiration, supplies (compare Acts 20:35; 2 Timothy 3:8) this detail. We read in Deuteronomy 9:19, Septuagint, of similar words used by Moses after breaking the two tables, through fear of God's anger at the people's sin in making the golden calves.