Reference: Thunder
American
And lightning are significant manifestations of the power of God, and emblems of his presence, Ex 19:16; 1Sa 2:10; 12:17; Ps 18:13. Thunder is poetically called "the voice of the Lord" in the sublime description of a thunder-storm in Ps 29:11;
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thundereth;
The Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars;
Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon," etc.
See also Job 37:1-5; 40:9; Jer 10:13. In illustration of Ps 29:9, Moffat, while describing the thunder-storms of South Africa, say that the antelopes flee in consternation; and that he has observed the Bechuanas starting off early on the morning following such a storm in quest of young antelopes prematurely born. In Ps 78:48, "hot thunderbolts" means lightning.
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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.
Also, at this my heart trembleth, And it moveth from its place. Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth. read more. Under the whole heavens He directeth it, And its light is over the skirts of the earth. After it roar doth a voice -- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard. God thundereth with His voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.
And an arm like God hast thou? And with a voice like Him dost thou thunder?
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
The voice of Jehovah paineth the oaks, And maketh bare the forests, And in His temple every one saith, 'Glory.'
Jehovah strength to his people giveth, Jehovah blesseth His people with peace!
And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.
At the voice He giveth forth, A multitude of waters is in the heavens, And He causeth vapours to come up from the end of the earth, Lightnings for rain He hath made, And bringeth out wind from His treasures.
Easton
often referred to in Scripture (Job 40:9; Ps 77:18; 104:7). James and John were called by our Lord "sons of thunder" (Mr 3:17). In Job 39:19, instead of "thunder," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version translates (ra'amah) by "quivering main" (marg., "shaking"). Thunder accompanied the giving of the law at Sinai (Ex 19:16). It was regarded as the voice of God (Job 37:2; Ps 18:13; 81:7; comp. Joh 12:29). In answer to Samuel's prayer (1Sa 12:17-18), God sent thunder, and "all the people greatly feared," for at such a season (the wheat-harvest) thunder and rain were almost unknown in Palestine.
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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.
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.' And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;
Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth.
And an arm like God hast thou? And with a voice like Him dost thou thunder?
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
The voice of Thy thunder is in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.
In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try thee by the waters of Meribah. Selah.
From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away.
and James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names -- Boanerges, that is, 'Sons of thunder;'
Fausets
Rare in the clear air of Palestine in harvest time or summer, which shows how its coming at Samuel's call unto Jehovah was by divine agency (1Sa 12:17-18). God so blessed the Holy Land that the ingathering of fruits and the threshing in the open air were unimpeded by rain. Its coming then would be as unseasonable and calamitous as "honour" conferred on a "fool" (Pr 26:1). Symbolizing divine wrath and judgment (Ex 19:16; Ps 29:3-9; 1Sa 2:10). Thunderings are figuratively spoken of as "voices of God" (Ex 9:28 margin, compare Joh 12:29-30). Job 26:14, translated "and how faint is the word whisper that we hear of Him! but the thunder (i.e. the majestic fullness) of His power (in antithesis to 'the whisper') who can understand?" (1Co 13:9-12.) Job 39:19, "hast thou clothed his (the horse's) neck with thunder?" i.e. majesty (Umbreit): or his arched neck inspiring fear as the thunder does; but Maurer, "with his trembling, quivering mane."
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make ye supplication unto Jehovah, and plead that there be no voices of God and hail, and I send you away, and ye add not to remain.'
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.
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.' And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;
Lo, these are the borders of His way, And how little a matter is heard of Him, And the thunder of His might Who doth understand?
The voice of Jehovah is on the waters, The God of glory hath thundered, Jehovah is on many waters. The voice of Jehovah is with power, The voice of Jehovah is with majesty, read more. The voice of Jehovah is shivering cedars, Yea, Jehovah shivers the cedars of Lebanon. And He causeth them to skip as a calf, Lebanon and Sirion as a son of Reems, The voice of Jehovah is hewing fiery flames, The voice of Jehovah paineth a wilderness, Jehovah paineth the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of Jehovah paineth the oaks, And maketh bare the forests, And in His temple every one saith, 'Glory.'
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not comely for a fool.
the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there hath been thunder; others said, 'A messenger hath spoken to him.' Jesus answered and said, 'Not because of me hath this voice come, but because of you;
for in part we know, and in part we prophecy; and when that which is perfect may come, then that which is in part shall become useless. read more. When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe; for we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known;
Hastings
There is no finer description of a thunderstorm than that of Ps 29. In a land of high mountains and deep gorges, split throughout its length by the great cleft of the Jordan, the effect of thunder is peculiarly terrible. In Palestine it is confined almost entirely to winter (1Sa 12:17 f.), but the writer once witnessed a terrific storm late in April, among the Gilead uplands. It is invariably accompanied by rain. According to poetic and popular Ideas, thunder was the voice of God (Ps 104:7; Job 37:4 etc.), which a soul gifted with insight might understand and interpret (Joh 12:28 f.; cf. Mr 1:11; Mt 3:17 etc.). It is the expression of His resistless power (1Sa 2:10; Ps 18:13 etc.), and of His inexorable vengeance (Isa 30:30 etc.). Thunder plays a part in afflicting the Egyptians (Ex 9:23 ff.), at the delivery of the Law (Ex 19:16; 20:18), and in discomfiting the Philistines (1Sa 7:10). It is not guided by caprice, but by the will of God (Job 28:26; 38:25). It appears largely in the more terrible imagery of the Apocalypse. For 'Sons of Thunder,' see Boanerges.
W. Ewing.
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And Moses stretcheth out his rod towards the heavens, and Jehovah hath given voices and hail, and fire goeth towards the earth, and Jehovah raineth hail on the land of Egypt,
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.
And all the people are seeing the voices, and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and the people see, and move, and stand afar off,
Jehovah -- broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.'
and Samuel is causing the burnt-offering to go up -- and the Philistines have drawn nigh to battle against Israel -- and Jehovah doth thunder with a great noise, on that day, upon the Philistines, and troubleth them, and they are smitten before Israel.
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'
After it roar doth a voice -- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard.
Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices?
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away.
And caused to be heard hath Jehovah The honour of His voice, And the coming down of His arm He doth shew with the raging of anger, And the flame of a consuming fire, Scattering, and inundation, and hailstone.
and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My Son -- the Beloved, in whom I did delight.'
and a voice came out of the heavens, 'Thou art My Son -- the Beloved, in whom I did delight.'
Father, glorify Thy name.' There came, therefore, a voice out of the heaven, 'I both glorified, and again I will glorify it;'
Morish
This is of rare occurrence in Palestine, and is regarded in scripture as being the voice of God in power, both in the O.T. of the past and in the Revelation of the future. Ps. 29; Ps 77:18; 104:7; Re 4:5; 6:1; etc.: compare also Joh 12:29. In Ps 78:48, in recounting the plagues of Egypt, the flocks are represented as being consumed by HOT THUNDERBOLTS. The word is resheph, and is also translated 'coals,' 'burning coals,' 'burning heat.' Doubtless lightning is referred to, as when the 'fire of God' fell from heaven and burnt up Job's sheep. Job 1:16.
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While this one is speaking another also hath come and saith, 'Fire of God hath fallen from the heavens, and burneth among the flock, and among the young men, and consumeth them, and I am escaped -- only I alone -- to declare it to thee.'
The voice of Thy thunder is in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.
And delivereth up to the hail their beasts, And their cattle to the burning flames.
From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away.
the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there hath been thunder; others said, 'A messenger hath spoken to him.'
and out of the throne proceed do lightnings, and thunders, and voices; and seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God,
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as it were a voice of thunder, 'Come and behold!'
Smith
is hardly ever heard in Palestine form the middle of April to the middle of September; hence it was selected by Samuel as a striking expression of the divine displeasure toward the Israelites.
Rain in harvest was deemed as extraordinary as snow in summer,
and Jerome states that he had never witnessed it in the latter part of June or in July. Comm. on
In the imaginative philosophy of the Hebrews, thunder was regarded as the voice of Jehovah,
Job 37:2,4-5; 40:9; Ps 18:13; 29:3-9; Isa 30:30-31
who dwelt behind the thunder-cloud.
Thunder was, to the mind of the Jew, the symbol of divine power
etc., and vengeance.
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Jehovah -- broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.'
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'
Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth.
After it roar doth a voice -- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard. God thundereth with His voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.
And an arm like God hast thou? And with a voice like Him dost thou thunder?
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
The voice of Jehovah is on the waters, The God of glory hath thundered, Jehovah is on many waters. The voice of Jehovah is with power, The voice of Jehovah is with majesty, read more. The voice of Jehovah is shivering cedars, Yea, Jehovah shivers the cedars of Lebanon. And He causeth them to skip as a calf, Lebanon and Sirion as a son of Reems, The voice of Jehovah is hewing fiery flames, The voice of Jehovah paineth a wilderness, Jehovah paineth the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of Jehovah paineth the oaks, And maketh bare the forests, And in His temple every one saith, 'Glory.'
In distress thou hast called and I deliver thee, I answer thee in the secret place of thunder, I try thee by the waters of Meribah. Selah.
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honour is not comely for a fool.
And caused to be heard hath Jehovah The honour of His voice, And the coming down of His arm He doth shew with the raging of anger, And the flame of a consuming fire, Scattering, and inundation, and hailstone. For from the voice of Jehovah broken down is Asshur, With a rod He smiteth.