Psalm 104:32
New International Version
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

New Living Translation
The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch.

English Standard Version
who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!

Berean Standard Bible
He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder.

King James Bible
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

New King James Version
He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.

New American Standard Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

NASB 1995
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

NASB 1977
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Legacy Standard Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Amplified Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Christian Standard Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.

American Standard Version
Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

Contemporary English Version
You look at the earth, and it trembles. You touch the mountains, and smoke goes up.

English Revised Version
Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Good News Translation
He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.

International Standard Version
He looks at the earth and it shakes; he touches the mountains and they smoke.

Majority Standard Bible
He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder.

NET Bible
He looks down on the earth and it shakes; he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.

New Heart English Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Webster's Bible Translation
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

World English Bible
He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Who is looking to earth, and it trembles, "" He comes against hills, and they smoke.

Young's Literal Translation
Who is looking to earth, and it trembleth, He cometh against hills, and they smoke.

Smith's Literal Translation
Looking upon the earth and it will tremble: he will touch up the mountains and they will smoke.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He considers the earth, and he makes it tremble. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

New American Bible
Who looks at the earth and it trembles, touches the mountains and they smoke!

New Revised Standard Version
who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He looks on the earth, and it trembles; he rebukes the hills, and they smoke.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For he looks at the earth and it quakes and he rebukes the mountains and they smoke!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
who looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble; who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Many Are Your Works, O LORD!
31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works. 32He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder. 33I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.…

Cross References
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.

Nahum 1:5-6
The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers. / Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.

Amos 9:5-6
The Lord GOD of Hosts, He who touches the earth and it melts, and all its dwellers mourn—all the land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt— / He builds His upper rooms in the heavens and founds His vault upon the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth. The LORD is His name.

Habakkuk 3:6-10
He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. / I saw the tents of Cushan in distress; the curtains of Midian were trembling. / Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation? ...

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 5:4-5
O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water. / The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.

Psalm 97:4-5
His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles. / The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

Psalm 18:7
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.

Psalm 77:18
Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

Isaiah 2:19-21
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. / In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. / They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Revelation 6:12-14
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, / and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. / The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

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.

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.’

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.

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.


Treasury of Scripture

He looks on the earth, and it trembles: he touches the hills, and they smoke.

looketh

Psalm 77:16
The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.

Psalm 97:4,5
His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled…

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

he toucheth

Psalm 50:3
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

Psalm 144:5
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

Exodus 19:18
And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

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Psalm 104
1. A meditation upon the mighty power
7. And wonderful providence of God
31. God's glory is eternal
33. The prophet vows perpetually to praise God














He looks on the earth
The phrase "He looks on the earth" emphasizes the sovereignty and omnipotence of God. The Hebrew root for "looks" is "נבט" (nabat), which implies a gaze that is both discerning and authoritative. This is not a passive glance but an active, powerful observation that can influence creation itself. Historically, this reflects the belief in God's intimate involvement with the world, a theme prevalent throughout the Psalms. God's gaze is not merely observational but carries the weight of divine intention and power, reminding us of His ultimate control over the earth.

and it trembles
The earth's trembling at God's look signifies the awe-inspiring power of the Creator. The Hebrew word "רָעַשׁ" (ra'ash) is used here, often translated as "quake" or "tremble," indicating a physical reaction to the divine presence. This imagery is reminiscent of the theophanies in the Old Testament, where God's presence causes natural phenomena, such as earthquakes, to occur. It serves as a reminder of the holiness and majesty of God, whose mere glance can cause the earth to respond in reverence and fear.

He touches the mountains
The act of God touching the mountains conveys His direct interaction with creation. The Hebrew verb "נָגַע" (naga) means "to touch" or "to strike," suggesting a deliberate and powerful action. Mountains, often seen as symbols of stability and permanence, are subject to God's will. This phrase underscores the idea that nothing in creation is beyond God's reach or influence. It reflects the biblical theme of God's transcendence and immanence, where He is both above creation and actively involved within it.

and they smolder
The imagery of mountains smoldering at God's touch evokes a sense of divine power and judgment. The Hebrew word "עָשַׁן" (ashan) means "to smoke" or "to smolder," often associated with volcanic activity or the aftermath of a fire. This can be seen as a metaphor for God's purifying presence, which consumes impurities and brings about transformation. In the biblical context, fire is frequently a symbol of God's holiness and judgment, as seen in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). This phrase serves as a powerful reminder of God's ability to purify and renew creation through His holy presence.

(32) Trembleth.--With the praise is united something of awe and fear, since the majesty and power of Him who made the world is so great. Its very existence is dependent on His will, and a glance, a touch from Him would be enough to shake it to its foundations and consume it. For "the smoky mountain tops," comp. Psalm 144:5, and see Note, Psalm 148:8.

Verse 32. - He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth (comp. Psalm 18:7; Psalm 114:7). The earth "trembles," as knowing that it can be destroyed at any moment. He toucheth the hills, and they smoke; or, the mountains - the strongest portions of the earth (Psalm 36:6; Psalm 65:6) - "smoke" when he touches them (see Exodus 19:18; Deuteronomy 4:11; Psalm 144:5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He looks
הַמַּבִּ֣יט (ham·mab·bîṭ)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard

on the earth,
לָ֭אָרֶץ (lā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and it trembles;
וַתִּרְעָ֑ד (wat·tir·‘āḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7460: To tremble, quake

He touches
יִגַּ֖ע (yig·ga‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

the mountains,
בֶּהָרִ֣ים (be·hā·rîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

and they smolder.
וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ׃ (wə·ye·‘ĕ·šā·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6225: To smoke, be angry


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OT Poetry: Psalm 104:32 He looks at the earth and it (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 104:31
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