2 Samuel 22:8

22:8 The earth heaved and shook; ¹ 

the foundations of the sky ²  trembled. ³ 

They heaved because he was angry.

Psalms 29:5-6

29:5 The Lord’s shout breaks ⁴  the cedars,

the Lord shatters ⁵  the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ 

29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf

and Sirion ⁷  like a young ox. ⁸ 

Psalms 68:8

68:8 the earth shakes,

yes, the heavens pour down rain

before God, the God of Sinai, ⁹ 

before God, the God of Israel. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 97:4-5

97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of the whole earth.

Psalms 114:4

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs. ¹¹ 

Psalms 114:6

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

Isaiah 2:12-14

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ¹² 

for ¹³  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan; ¹⁴ 

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills, ¹⁵ 

Jeremiah 4:24

4:24 I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking.

All the hills were swaying back and forth!

Habakkuk 3:10

3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.

The torrential downpour sweeps through. ¹⁶ 

The great deep ¹⁷  shouts out;

it lifts its hands high. ¹⁸ 

Matthew 27:51

27:51 Just then ¹⁹  the temple curtain ²⁰  was torn in two, from top to bottom. The ²¹  earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

Matthew 28:2

28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord ²²  descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.

Revelation 20:11

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ²³  I saw a large ²⁴  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ²⁵  fled ²⁶  from his presence, and no place was found for them.

[22:8]  ¹ tn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake, in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in Old Testament theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.

[22:8]  ² tn Ps 18:7 reads “the roots of the mountains.”

[22:8]  ³ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive in the verse.

[29:5]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.

[29:5]  ⁵ tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).

[29:5]  ⁶ sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).

[29:6]  ⁷ sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).

[29:6]  ⁸ sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.

[68:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.

[68:8]  ¹⁰ sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)

[114:4]  ¹¹ sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).

[2:12]  ¹² tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ¹³ tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:13]  ¹⁴ sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.

[2:14]  ¹⁵ sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.

[3:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “a heavy rain of waters passes by.” Perhaps the flash floods produced by the downpour are in view here.

[3:10]  ¹⁷ sn The great deep, which is to be equated with the sea (vv. 8, 15), is a symbol of chaos and represents the Lord’s enemies.

[3:10]  ¹⁸ sn Lifting the hands here suggests panic and is accompanied by a cry for mercy (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19). The forces of chaos cannot withstand the Lord’s power revealed in the storm.

[27:51]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “And behold.”

[27:51]  ²⁰ tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.

[27:51]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[28:2]  ²² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

[20:11]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ²⁴ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ²⁵ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ²⁶ tn Or “vanished.”