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Psalm 68:8
The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai— at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
6God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
7God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
8The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai— at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.
10Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
Notice
Trembling earth and pouring skies make God's presence feel weighty, while the name “God of Israel” ties that grandeur to a particular people.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What difference does naming Sinai make to how you read the trembling earth?
Write on thisWhat do you associate with “the God of Israel” when you address God in prayer?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
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Exodus 19:18All of Mount Sinai smoked, because the LORD descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.Both texts name Sinai and describe the ground shaking at God's presence; Exodus recounts his descent in fire.
Exodus 19:16On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and …Both describe overwhelming signs surrounding God's presence: the psalm's earth trembles, while the people tremble in Exodus.
Isaiah 64:1Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—Isaiah asks for mountains to quake at God's presence, while the psalm recalls the earth trembling before him.
1 Kings 19:11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the …Both mention shaking earth near God's presence, though Kings specifies that the LORD was not in the earthquake.
Judges 5:4–5“LORD, when you went out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.Both describe the earth trembling and the sky dropping water as God goes before his people.
Deuteronomy 5:23–25When you heard the voice out of the middle of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, even all the heads of your tribes, …Both recall Israel encountering God amid striking signs in the natural world, with Deuteronomy describing a mountain burning with fire.
Hebrews 12:26whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”Both recall the earth shaking before God; Hebrews attributes that shaking to his voice and adds a promise concerning the heavens.
Psalm 41:13Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.Both name him “the God of Israel”; Psalm 41 turns that shared title into an enduring blessing.
Isaiah 45:3I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, even the …Both identify God as “the God of Israel,” though Isaiah speaks of hidden riches rather than trembling earth.
Psalm 77:18The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.Both describe the earth trembling amid events in the sky, connecting creation's upheaval with God's presence and action.
Psalm 68:35You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!Both name the God of Israel and portray his might; the closing verse says he gives strength to his people.
Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it.Both state that the earth trembles at God's presence; Nahum extends the description to mountains, hills, and the world's inhabitants.
Where this verse fits
Praise and worship. sermon or Bible study notes.
One step
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Encouragement
The God before whom the earth trembles is the God who went before his people in the wilderness. His greatness does not place them beyond his care.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).