Exodus 20:18
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
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse notes that the people "saw the thunderings" and "saw the mountain smoking," using the verb "saw" for both sound and sight. This isn't just poetic language; it highlights how overwhelmingly real and tangible God's presence was, so much so that it impacted all their senses and drove them to retreat in fear.
God's glorious, terrifying presence descends on Mount Sinai, accompanied by thunder, lightning, the blare of a trumpet, and smoke, as He is about to speak His law. Overwhelmed by this awesome display, the people draw back, feeling the immense holiness and power of God is more than they can bear directly. This fear prompts them to ask Moses to be their intermediary with God for all future communication.
Imagine standing at the foot of a mountain that's shaking, smoking, and roaring with thunder and trumpets. What does that feel like?
The text paints a vivid picture of God's majestic appearance at Mount Sinai. It wasn't just a quiet moment; it was an overwhelming sensory experience.
The Spectacle
The Reaction
The people didn't just observe; they saw (which here encompasses hearing and perceiving) these phenomena and were deeply affected. Their reaction was visceral: fear and trembling, leading them to retreat and stand far off. This wasn't just mild apprehension; it was a profound sense of awe that drove them to physically distance themselves.
Just moments before, the people were eager to get closer. What changed their minds so drastically?
The experience at Sinai was a powerful lesson in humility and the proper way to approach a holy God.
The Shift
Understand the original words
yare' · Hebrew Verb
An intense emotional reaction to the overwhelming presence or power of God, often manifesting as terror or trembling.
This passage directly contrasts the fearful, physical experience of Israel at Mount Sinai with the spiritual access believers have to God through Jesus, highlighting the awe-inspiring, terrifying nature of God's presence in Exodus 20.
Deuteronomy 5:22-27This parallel account in Deuteronomy describes the people's reaction of fear and their request for Moses to be their mediator, reinforcing the profound impact of God's direct communication and their inability to bear it.
John 1:14This verse speaks of the Word becoming flesh and 'dwelling among us,' which is a beautiful counterpoint to the people's desire for distance from God's voice, showing how God ultimately bridged that gap in a personal way.
1 Samuel 12:18-19Samuel appeals to the thunder and rain as signs of God's displeasure with the people's request for a king, showing how natural phenomena were understood as divine communication, similar to the theophany at Sinai.
Revelation 6:14-17This apocalyptic vision describes a similar universal terror and a desire to hide from God's presence, echoing the fear and withdrawal of the Israelites at Mount Sinai when confronted with divine majesty.
gillExodus 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."
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings,.... That is, they heard the one, and saw the other; they heard the dreadful volleys of thunder, and saw the amazing flashes of lightning, which were like lamps and torches, as the word used signifies; by a communication of senses, one sense is p…
pulpitExodus 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."
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…
The verse notes that the people "saw the thunderings" and "saw the mountain smoking," using the verb "saw" for both sound and sight. This isn't just poetic language; it highlights how overwhelmingly real and tangible God's presence was, so much so that it impacted all their senses and drove them to retreat in fear.
God's glorious, terrifying presence descends on Mount Sinai, accompanied by thunder, lightning, the blare of a trumpet, and smoke, as He is about to speak His law. Overwhelmed by this awesome display, the people draw back, feeling the immense holiness and power of God is more than they can bear directly. This fear prompts them to ask Moses to be their intermediary with God for all future communication.
God's glorious, terrifying presence descends on Mount Sinai, accompanied by thunder, lightning, the blare of a trumpet, and smoke, as He is about to speak His law. Overwhelmed by this awesome display, the people draw back, feeling the immense holiness and power of God is more than they can bear directly. This fear prompts them to ask Moses to be their intermediary with God for all future communication.
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The Need for Mediation
Their fear led them to ask Moses to speak to God for them, acknowledging their inability to bear God's direct voice. This wasn't just about being scared; it was about recognizing the vast chasm between their sinfulness and God's perfect holiness, thus highlighting the need for a mediator.
"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" — The verse notes that the people "saw the thunderings" and "saw the mountain smoking," using the verb "saw" for both sound and sight. This isn't just poetic language; it highlights how overwhelmingly…
