Nahum 1:5
New International Version
The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.

New Living Translation
In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed.

English Standard Version
The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.

Berean Standard Bible
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.

King James Bible
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

New King James Version
The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.

New American Standard Bible
Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills come apart; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

NASB 1995
Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

NASB 1977
Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

Amplified Bible
The mountains quake before Him And the hills melt away; Indeed the earth is shaken by His presence— Yes, the world and all that dwell in it.

Christian Standard Bible
The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence — the world and all who live in it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at His presence— the world and all who live in it.

American Standard Version
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

Contemporary English Version
At the sight of the LORD, mountains and hills tremble and melt; the earth and its people shudder and shake.

English Revised Version
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The mountains quake because of him. The hills melt. The earth draws back in his presence. The world and all who live in it draw back as well.

Good News Translation
Mountains quake in the presence of the LORD; hills melt before him. The earth shakes when the LORD appears; the world and all its people tremble.

International Standard Version
Mountains shake because of him, and the hills melt. The earth goes into upheaval at his presence, as does the world with all of its inhabitants.

Majority Standard Bible
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers.

NET Bible
The mountains tremble before him, the hills convulse; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all its inhabitants are laid waste.

New Heart English Bible
The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.

Webster's Bible Translation
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, even the world, and all that dwell therein.

World English Bible
The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Mountains have shaken because of Him, "" And the hills have been melted; And the earth [is] lifted up at His presence, "" And the world and all dwelling in it.

Young's Literal Translation
Mountains have shaken because of Him, And the hills have been melted; And lifted up is the earth at His presence, And the world and all dwelling in it.

Smith's Literal Translation
The mountains shook from him, and the hills melted, and the earth will lift up from his face, and the habitable globe and all dwelling in it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The mountains tremble at him, and the hills are made desolate: and the earth hath quaked at his presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The mountains have trembled before him, and the hills have become desolate, and the earth has quaked before his face, both the world and all that dwells in it.

New American Bible
The mountains quake before him, and the hills dissolve; The earth is laid waste before him, the world and all who dwell in it.

New Revised Standard Version
The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who live in it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The mountains quake before him and the hills break loose; the earth trembles at his presence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Mountains shook from before him and the hills are broken apart; the Earth shook from before him, the world and all its inhabitants
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The mountains quake at Him, And the hills melt; And the earth is upheaved at His presence, Yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The mountains quake at him, and the hills are shaken, and the earth recoils at his presence, even the world, and all that dwell in it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Oracle of Nineveh
4He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. 5The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence— the world and all its dwellers. 6Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.…

Cross References
Psalm 97:5
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

Isaiah 64:1-3
If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence, / as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence! / When You did awesome works that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled at Your presence.

Micah 1:4
The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.

Habakkuk 3:6
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.

Exodus 19:18
Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.

Judges 5:5
The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.

Psalm 114:7
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

Isaiah 2:19
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Jeremiah 4:24
I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.

Revelation 6:14-17
The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. / Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. ...

Hebrews 12:26-27
At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth, but heaven as well.” / The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.

Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’

2 Peter 3:10-12
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. / Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness / as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

Revelation 16:18-20
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. / The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. / Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.

Isaiah 13:13
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.


Treasury of Scripture

The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yes, the world, and all that dwell therein.

mountains.

2 Samuel 22:8
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

Psalm 29:5,6
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon…

Psalm 68:8
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

the hills.

Judges 5:5
The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.

Psalm 46:6
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

Psalm 97:5
The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

the earth.

2 Peter 3:7-12
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men…

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Nahum 1
1. The majesty of God in goodness to his people, and severity against his enemies.














The mountains quake before Him
The imagery of mountains quaking is a powerful representation of God's immense power and authority. In Hebrew, the word for "mountains" is "הָרִים" (harim), which often symbolizes stability and permanence. Yet, even these mighty structures tremble at the presence of the Lord. This reflects the idea that nothing in creation is beyond God's control. Historically, mountains were seen as places of divine encounter, such as Mount Sinai, where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The quaking of mountains signifies a theophany, a visible manifestation of God, emphasizing His supremacy over all creation.

and the hills melt away
The phrase "hills melt away" uses the Hebrew word "מוֹג" (môg), meaning to dissolve or melt. This imagery conveys the overwhelming power of God that even the hills, which are smaller than mountains but still significant, cannot withstand His presence. In a historical context, this could be seen as a metaphor for the collapse of human pride and false security. The melting hills symbolize the transient nature of earthly power and the futility of resisting God's will. This serves as a reminder of the ultimate sovereignty of God over all earthly realms.

the earth trembles at His presence
The earth trembling is a common biblical motif that signifies divine intervention. The Hebrew word "רָעַשׁ" (ra'ash) means to quake or shake. This trembling is not just a physical reaction but a spiritual one, indicating the awe and reverence due to God. In scriptural context, the earth trembling is often associated with God's judgment or revelation, as seen in events like the giving of the Law at Sinai or the resurrection of Christ. It underscores the idea that all creation responds to its Creator, highlighting the intimate connection between God and the world He has made.

the world and all its dwellers
The term "world" in Hebrew is "תֵּבֵל" (tebel), which refers to the inhabited earth. This phrase emphasizes the universality of God's dominion. Not only does the physical earth respond to God, but so do all its inhabitants. This includes every nation, tribe, and individual, underscoring the comprehensive scope of God's authority. Historically, this would have been a powerful reminder to the people of Judah, to whom Nahum prophesied, that despite the threats from surrounding nations, God is the ultimate ruler over all. It calls believers to trust in God's sovereign plan and to live in reverence and obedience to Him.

(5) Is burned.--Better, heaves.

Verse 5. - The mountains quake. The mountains, the very emblems of stability, tremble before him (Adios 8:8). The hills melt; Οἱ βουνοὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, "The hills were shaken" (Septuagint). The hills dissolve like wax or anew at his presence (see Amos 4:13; Micah 1:4). Burned; Septuagint, ἀνεστάλη, "recoils," "is upheaved," as by an earthquake. This rendering has the greatest authority. The world; i.e. the habitable world, and all living creatures therein (Joel 1:18-20). Nature animate and inanimate is represented as actuated by the terror of conscious guilt.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The mountains
הָרִים֙ (hā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

quake
רָעֲשׁ֣וּ (rā·‘ă·šū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7493: To undulate, through fear, to spring

before Him,
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

and the hills
וְהַגְּבָע֖וֹת (wə·hag·gə·ḇā·‘ō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1389: A hillock

melt away;
הִתְמֹגָ֑גוּ (hiṯ·mō·ḡā·ḡū)
Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4127: To melt

the earth
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

trembles
וַתִּשָּׂ֤א (wat·tiś·śā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

at His presence—
מִפָּנָ֔יו (mip·pā·nāw)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

the world
וְתֵבֵ֖ל (wə·ṯê·ḇêl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8398: The earth, the globe, its inhabitants, a particular land

and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

its dwellers.
יֹ֥שְׁבֵי (yō·šə·ḇê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry


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OT Prophets: Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before him and (Nah. Na)
Nahum 1:4
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