His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles.
Parallel Translations
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His lightning lights up the world. The earth sees, and trembles.
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His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
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His lightnings lighted up the world; the earth saw, and trembled.
Cross-references (12)
Passages linked to Psalms 97:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 77:18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
- Revelation 11:19 God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.
- Exodus 19:16-18 On 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. Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
- Job 9:6 He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
- Psalms 104:32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
- Jeremiah 10:10 But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles. The nations aren’t able to withstand his indignation.
- Psalms 96:9 Worship Yahweh in holy array. Tremble before him, all the earth.
- Psalms 114:7 Tremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
- Psalms 144:5-6 Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.
- Matthew 27:50-51 Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
- Revelation 19:11 I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war.
- Matthew 28:2-3 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain This fear bringeth not the wicked to true obedience,…
This fear bringeth not the wicked to true obedience, but maketh them to run away from God.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 97:4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth…
Psa 97:4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
Ver. 4. His lightnings enlightened the world] His apostles, those fulmiua Ecclesiastica, shall spread gospel light, and amaze people; the Lord working with them, and confirming their word with signs following, Mar 16:20
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain His lightnings enlightened the world: this phrase signifies not…
His lightnings enlightened the world: this phrase signifies not so much illumination as terror and judgments, as appears both from the following words, and from the constant use of the phrase in that sense, as Psa 18:14; 144:6, &c.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain His lightnings enlightened the world,.... Either the doctrines of…
His lightnings enlightened the world,.... Either the doctrines of the Gospel, compared thereunto, because of the swift progress they made, and the large extent of them in the world, in a very little time; by the apostles they were published in all nations, and were the means of enlightening them in the true knowledge of themselves, and of the way of salvation by Christ: hence they are called the "lights of the world", Mat 5:14, as the coming of Christ, in his kingdom and power, by them, is compared to lightning, and so are the arrows of his word, Mat 24:27, or else his judgments on the Jewish nation are meant, which were manifest and clear, and obvious to all the world; see Psa 18:14,
the earth saw, and trembled; the inhabitants of the earth, of the Gentile world, saw the judgments of God upon the Jews, and were astonished at them; see Deu 29:24, it is usual for lightnings and earthquakes to go together; see Rev 11:19.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. His lightnings enlightened the world] Though this…
Verse 4. His lightnings enlightened the world] Though this be no more than a majestic description of the coming of the Lord, to confound his enemies and succour his followers, yet some spiritualize the passage, and say, the lightnings signify the apostles, who enlightened the world by their heavenly doctrine.
The earth saw, and trembled.] The earth is represented as a sentient being. It saw the terrible majesty of God; and trembled through terror, fearing it should be destroyed on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain His lightnings enlightened the world ... - See the…
His lightnings enlightened the world ... - See the notes at Psa 77:18. Compare Psa 104:32; Hab 3:6-10.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Earth saw, and trembled—As an affrighted servant. Even…
4. Earth saw, and trembled—As an affrighted servant. Even Moses said: “I exceedingly fear and quake.” Heb_12:21
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 4. His lightnings lightened the world, as of old…
4. His lightnings lightened the world, as of old when He brought Israel out of Egypt. From Psa_77:18 b.
the earth &c.] Based upon Psa_77:16; Psa_77:18 : cp. Psa_96:9 b.
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4–6. The recent manifestation of Jehovah’s power, described in terms of the great Theophanies of old.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (4) See Psa_77:17-18, from which this is taken.
(4) See Psa_77:17-18, from which this is taken.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain His lightnings enlightened the world. Here the tenses change…
His lightnings enlightened the world. Here the tenses change from present to past not, however, that any past event is alluded to, but merely to mark prophetic certainty. The psalmist, rapt in vision, sees the future as past. Lightnings play a part in almost" all theophanies. (Exo_19:16 Job_37:1-5 Psa_18:13 Psa_77:18, etc.) The earth saw, and trembled. (comp. Jud_1:5:4 Psa_68:8 Psa_114:7)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 4. His lightnings enlightened the world. In times…
Ver. 4. His lightnings enlightened the world. In times of tempest the whole of nature is lighted up with a lurid glare, even the light of the sun itself seems dim compared with the blaze of lightning. If such are the common lights of nature what must be the glories of the Godhead itself? When God draws aside the curtain for a moment how astonished are the nations, the light compels them to cover their eyes and bow their heads in solemn awe. Jesus in the gospel lights up the earth with such a blaze of truth and grace as was never seen or even imagined before. In apostolic times the word flashed from one end of the heavens to the other, no part of the civilised globe was left unilluminated.
The earth saw, and trembled. In God's presence the solid earth quakes, astonished by his glory it is convulsed with fear. To the advent of our Lord and the setting up of his kingdom among men these words are also most applicable; nothing ever caused such a shaking and commotion as the proclamation of the gospel, nothing was more majestic than its course, it turned the world upside down, levelled the mountains, and filled up the valleys. Jesus came, he saw, he conquered. When the Holy Ghost rested upon his servants their course was like that of a mighty storm, the truth flashed with the force and speed of a thunderbolt, and philosophers and priests, princes and people were utterly confounded, and altogether powerless to withstand it. It shall be so again. Faith even now sets the world on fire and rocks the nations to and fro.
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Ver. 4. His lightnings enlightened the world. This passage is applied by Munster to the rapid increase of the kingdom of Christ: for the sound of the Gospel sped through all the world like lightning. There is a prediction almost to this effect in Zec 9:14: "His arrow shall go forth as the lightning, and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet." Martin Geier.
Ver. 4. The earth saw and trembled. The bare sight of thee caused the earth to tremble (Ps 77:16). A.R. Faussett.
Ver. 4-5.
1. The terrors which accompanied the giving of the law: "his lightnings", etc.
2. The reasons for those terrors. (a) To show the guilt of man. (b) His inability to keep the law. (c) To show his need of a law fulfiller on his behalf.
G.R.
Ver. 4-6. A description of the giving of the law.
1. The lawgiver's heralds, or, conviction, Ps 97:4.
2. The effect of his presence, or, contrition, Ps 97:5.
3. The proclamation of the law, or, instruction (as by a voice from heaven, Ps 97:6).
4. The effect of the lawgiving, or, divine manifestation (Ps 97:6, latter clause).
C.D.
Psalms 97:5*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.