who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about God's power causing earthquakes and volcanoes; it highlights that even God's mere "look" or "touch" elicits a reaction from the earth itself, showing creation's immediate and profound response to its Creator. This isn't just about destruction, but about the very foundations of reality being held in tension by His presence.
who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage appears near the end of Psalm 104, a psalm celebrating God's magnificent creation. Having explored the earth and its inhabitants, the psalmist now marvels at the sheer power behind it all, emphasizing that even the most solid parts of creation tremble and smoke at God's mere glance or touch, a powerful reminder of His awesome sovereignty over everything He made.
What does it mean for the very earth to tremble just because God looks at it? It's not just a metaphor; it points to a profound reality about God's presence and power.
The Power of a Divine Glance
This verse uses powerful imagery to show how creation responds to God's attention. It's not that God has to physically intervene with immense force; His very gaze is enough to cause the earth to tremble.
If a look can make the earth tremble, what happens when God actually touches something? The mountains smoke – a vivid picture of His fiery power.
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The Fiery Majesty of God
The phrase 'touches the mountains and they smoke' is incredibly dramatic. It conjures images of volcanic eruptions and raw, untamed power.
Understand the original words
raad · Hebrew Verb
A state of trembling, quaking, or shaking, often caused by fear, awe, or the presence of the Almighty in judgment or majesty.
This verse powerfully evokes the awe-inspiring presence of God, drawing on the memory of His dramatic appearance at Mount Sinai, a moment when the very earth trembled and smoked under His divine power.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Theophany at Mount Sinai
God descends upon Mount Sinai in fire, smoke, and thunder to give the Law to Moses and the Israelites. This event is a powerful display of God's majesty and the earth's reaction to His presence.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
The united monarchy under King David brings a period of relative stability and national identity, during which many Psalms were likely composed and compiled.
c. 700 BC
Assyrian Threat Looms
The growing power of the Assyrian empire cast a shadow over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, leading to periods of political instability and calls for divine intervention.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians marked a catastrophic turning point, deeply impacting the religious and national consciousness of the people.
This passage describes Mount Sinai smoking when God descended upon it, directly echoing the imagery of mountains smoking when God touches them in Psalms 104:32.
Job 37:1Job speaks of God's thunder and power, and the trembling of the earth when He speaks, reflecting the awe-inspiring natural phenomena associated with God's presence described in Psalms 104:32.
Habakkuk 3:10This verse vividly portrays mountains trembling and quaking at the sight of God, mirroring the profound impact of God's presence on the earth found in Psalms 104:32.
Matthew 27:51When Jesus died on the cross, the earth shook, demonstrating how seismic events are connected to God's mighty acts, as suggested by the earth trembling at God's 'look' in Psalms 104:32.
bensonPsalms 104:32: "He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke."
Psalm 104:32 . He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth, &c. — Unable to bear his frown. This is a further illustration of God’s powerful providence. As when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive; so, on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his, upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble or smoke, as once Sinai did when God appeared on it.
clarkePsalms 104:32: "He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke."
He looketh on the earth - Even the look of God terrifies all created nature! He toucheth the hills - So easy is it for God to burn up the earth and the worlds thereof, that even his touch kindles the mountains into flames! See Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli, etc.; these are ignited by the touch of God. How majestic are these figures! The renewal of the earth, and re-creation of deceased animals, shall…
This verse isn't just about God's power causing earthquakes and volcanoes; it highlights that even God's mere "look" or "touch" elicits a reaction from the earth itself, showing creation's immediate and profound response to its Creator. This isn't just about destruction, but about the very foundations of reality being held in tension by His presence.
This passage appears near the end of Psalm 104, a psalm celebrating God's magnificent creation. Having explored the earth and its inhabitants, the psalmist now marvels at the sheer power behind it all, emphasizing that even the most solid parts of creation tremble and smoke at God's mere glance or touch, a powerful reminder of His awesome sovereignty over everything He made.
This passage appears near the end of Psalm 104, a psalm celebrating God's magnificent creation. Having explored the earth and its inhabitants, the psalmist now marvels at the sheer power behind it all, emphasizing that even the most solid parts of creation tremble and smoke at God's mere glance or touch, a powerful reminder of His awesome sovereignty over everything He made.
"who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!" — This verse isn't just about God's power causing earthquakes and volcanoes; it highlights that even God's mere "look" or "touch" elicits a reaction from the earth itself, showing creation's immediate…
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Last reviewed October 2026