Mountains: God: Causes, to Tremble
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Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical narrative, mountains often symbolize strength, stability, and the presence of God. However, they also serve as a powerful illustration of God's might and sovereignty, as He is depicted as having the power to cause them to tremble. This imagery is used throughout Scripture to convey God's supreme authority over creation and His ability to intervene in the natural order.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 97:5 · "The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth." This verse vividly portrays the mountains melting, emphasizing God's overwhelming presence and power. The imagery of melting mountains signifies the transformative and awe-inspiring nature of God's presence.

2. Nahum 1:5 · "The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers." Here, the prophet Nahum describes the earth's response to God's presence, highlighting the trembling of mountains as a testament to His divine authority and the fearsome nature of His judgment.

3. 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." This passage from Habakkuk underscores the eternal nature of God's ways and His ability to disrupt the natural order, causing even the ancient and seemingly immutable mountains to crumble.

4. Exodus 19:18 · "Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently." At Mount Sinai, the trembling of the mountain serves as a dramatic backdrop to the giving of the Law, illustrating the holiness and power of God as He establishes His covenant with Israel.

5. Judges 5:5 · "The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel." In the Song of Deborah, the quaking of mountains is recounted as a historical testament to God's intervention on behalf of His people, reinforcing His role as the divine warrior and protector.

Theological Significance:

The trembling of mountains in the presence of God serves as a metaphor for the overwhelming power and majesty of the Creator. It reflects the biblical theme of God's transcendence and immanence—His ability to be both above and within His creation. The imagery of trembling mountains is often associated with divine revelation, judgment, and deliverance, underscoring God's active role in the history of His people.

In the biblical worldview, mountains are not merely physical structures but are imbued with spiritual significance. They are places where God reveals Himself, as seen in the accounts of Mount Sinai and Mount Carmel. The trembling of these mountains signifies the profound impact of God's presence and the inevitable response of creation to its Creator.

The depiction of mountains trembling before God also serves as a reminder of human humility and the need for reverence before the Almighty. It calls believers to recognize the limits of human strength and the ultimate authority of God over all creation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Nahum 1:5
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Habakkuk 3:10
The mountains saw you, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Works of Providence
... man strikes us with as if these second causes had no ... is dark, the sea stands still,
the mountains tremble; "at thy ... yet not one thought, one word of God all the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xx gods works of.htm

"As Thy Days, So Shall Thy Strength Be"
... in my own position, I have a thousand causes to confess ... If our troubles should become
high as mountains. God's grace would become like Noah s flood: it would ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/as thy days so shall.htm

What are the Clouds?
... If the small dust which he causes is of equal magnitude ... the greatest things with
man are little things with God. We call the mountains great, but what are they ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/what are the clouds.htm

That the Foundation and Strength of Hope and Faith is Fear.
... Who is a God as Thou art, raising up unrighteousness ... impiety?" [4337] And in Nahum:
"The mountains were moved at ... His rage causes the beginnings to flow, and the ...
/.../three books of testimonies against the jews/20 that the foundation and.htm

The Majestic Voice
... us that it is to be accounted for by natural causes. ... good lives, resolutions, and
hopes; but God's voice will ... seek to do it, under rocks and mountains, or in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the majestic voice.htm

Testimonies.
... Gospel, acknowledging them as the truth; which causes some natural ... is not of man,
but of God, by His ... faith, so that I could remove mountains' (2 Corinthians 13 ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xli testimonies.htm

The Rent Veil
... Sin, by separating the soul from God, causes spiritual death ... of perfect reconciliation
and delight in God which shall ... a young hart upon the mountains of Division ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the rent veil.htm

The Sixth Season
... why did the mountains smoke under him, the people ... But deadness causes distraction,
and distraction increases deadness ... might walk in communion with God in which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/vi the sixth season.htm

Thou Anointest My Head with Oil; My Cup Runneth Over.
... It is one of these causes, or both of them together ... that which before was the anger
of God is swiftly ... have ranged over fields and waves and mountains, when you ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/x thou anointest my head.htm

'Fruit which is Death'
... Desperate, they implore the mountains to fall on them, as ... of ours; namely, trust
in self, and consequent neglect of God. ... us no help, but are the causes of our ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/fruit which is death.htm

Resources
What does “how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news” mean in Isaiah 52:7? | GotQuestions.org

Can faith really move mountains? | GotQuestions.org

What is the seven mountain mandate, and is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Mountains: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Mountains

Mountains are the Sources of Springs and Rivers

Mountains of Difficulties

Mountains of God's Righteousness

Mountains of Persons in Authority

Mountains of Proud and Haughty Persons

Mountains of the Church of God

Mountains: (Breaking Forth Into Singing) of Exceeding Joy

Mountains: (Burning) of Destructive Enemies

Mountains: (Dropping New Wine) of Abundance

Mountains: (Made Waste) of Desolation

Mountains: (Threshing of) Heavy Judgments

Mountains: A Defence to a Country

Mountains: Abarim

Mountains: Abounded With: Deer

Mountains: Abounded With: Forests

Mountains: Abounded With: Game

Mountains: Abounded With: Herbs

Mountains: Abounded With: Minerals

Mountains: Abounded With: Precious Things

Mountains: Abounded With: Spices

Mountains: Abounded With: Stone for Building

Mountains: Abounded With: Vineyards

Mountains: Abounded With: Wild Beasts

Mountains: Afford Refuge in Time of Danger

Mountains: Afforded Pasturage

Mountains: Amalek

Mountains: Ararat

Mountains: Bashan

Mountains: Beacons or Ensigns often Raised Upon

Mountains: Bethel

Mountains: Called: Everlasting Hills

Mountains: Called: God's Mountains

Mountains: Called: Perpetual Hills

Mountains: Called: Pillars of Heaven

Mountains: Called: The Ancient Mountains

Mountains: Called: The Everlasting Mountains

Mountains: Canaan Abounded In

Mountains: Carmel

Mountains: Collect the Vapours Which Ascend from the Earth

Mountains: Ebal

Mountains: Ephraim

Mountains: Gerizim

Mountains: Gilboa

Mountains: Gilead

Mountains: God: Causes, to Melt

Mountains: God: Causes, to Skip

Mountains: God: Causes, to Smoke

Mountains: God: Causes, to Tremble

Mountains: God: Formed

Mountains: God: Gives Strength To

Mountains: God: Makes Waste

Mountains: God: Overturns

Mountains: God: Parches, With Draught

Mountains: God: Removes

Mountains: God: Scatters

Mountains: God: Set Fast

Mountains: God: Sets the Foundations of, on Fire

Mountains: God: Waters, from his Chambers

Mountains: God: Weighs, in a Balance

Mountains: Hachilah

Mountains: Hermon

Mountains: Hor

Mountains: Horeb

Mountains: Lebanon

Mountains: Made to Glorify God

Mountains: Many Exceedingly High

Mountains: Mizar

Mountains: Moreh

Mountains: Moriah

Mountains: Nebo (Part of Abarim)

Mountains: Often Inhabited

Mountains: Often Selected As Places for Idolatrous Worship

Mountains: Olives or Mount of Corruption

Mountains: Pisgah (Part of Abarim)

Mountains: Proclamations often Made From

Mountains: Seir

Mountains: Sinai

Mountains: Sion

Mountains: Sometimes Selected As Places for Divine Worship

Mountains: Tabor

Mountains: The Elevated Parts of the Earth

Mountains: Volcanic Fires of, Alluded To

Related Terms

Quake (23 Occurrences)

Valleys (38 Occurrences)

Abarim (8 Occurrences)

Ararat (4 Occurrences)

Quaked (13 Occurrences)

Dens (10 Occurrences)

Majestic (22 Occurrences)

Mountaintops (4 Occurrences)

Shephelah (2 Occurrences)

Pisidia (2 Occurrences)

Arabia (9 Occurrences)

Deer (15 Occurrences)

Cedars (37 Occurrences)

Burst (33 Occurrences)

Plains (31 Occurrences)

Melt (33 Occurrences)

Melted (33 Occurrences)

80000 (3 Occurrences)

Mountain (298 Occurrences)

Defied (20 Occurrences)

Merom (2 Occurrences)

Pastures (25 Occurrences)

Burns (34 Occurrences)

Bether (1 Occurrence)

Cutters (14 Occurrences)

Carriers (7 Occurrences)

Cities (427 Occurrences)

Ciccar

Caves (17 Occurrences)

Chamois (1 Occurrence)

Anakims (9 Occurrences)

Armenia (2 Occurrences)

Shadows (11 Occurrences)

Snow (25 Occurrences)

Stonecutters (6 Occurrences)

Sank (19 Occurrences)

Sharon (9 Occurrences)

Prevailed (46 Occurrences)

Burdens (35 Occurrences)

Streams (80 Occurrences)

Sounds (64 Occurrences)

Sardis (3 Occurrences)

Shrines (40 Occurrences)

Mount (311 Occurrences)

Phoenicians

Phoenicia (6 Occurrences)

Partridge (2 Occurrences)

Shake (68 Occurrences)

Shook (33 Occurrences)

Shaking (162 Occurrences)

Arabah (32 Occurrences)

Shade (67 Occurrences)

Sheep (413 Occurrences)

Shaken (62 Occurrences)

Kir (11 Occurrences)

Depths (56 Occurrences)

Shadow (72 Occurrences)

Sinai (38 Occurrences)

Sounding (99 Occurrences)

Quarry (5 Occurrences)

3600 (2 Occurrences)

Vapor (6 Occurrences)

Zoar (12 Occurrences)

Ensign (21 Occurrences)

Den (19 Occurrences)

Drip (12 Occurrences)

Densest (2 Occurrences)

Month (197 Occurrences)

Mistake (5 Occurrences)

Peaks (5 Occurrences)

Pines (7 Occurrences)

Pontus (3 Occurrences)

Plateau (13 Occurrences)

Phoenix (2 Occurrences)

Poplar (4 Occurrences)

Publisheth (3 Occurrences)

Preparing (25 Occurrences)

Pamphylia (6 Occurrences)

Publishes (3 Occurrences)

Mountains: God: Causes, to Smoke
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