Hebrews 12:21

New Living Translation

Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling."

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
What they saw was so terrible that Moses said, "I am shaking with fear."

Revised Standard Version
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
eve so terreble was ye sight which appered. Moses sayde I feare and quake.

Hebrew Names Version
and so fearful was the appearance, that Moshe said, "I am terrified and trembling."

New American Standard Bible
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."

New Century Version
What they saw was so terrible that Moses said, "I am shaking with fear."

Update Bible Version
and so fearful was the appearance, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:

Webster's Bible Translation
And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble:)

English Standard Version
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."

World English Bible
and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And so terrible was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and tremble.

Weymouth's New Testament
and so terrible was the scene that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so dredeful it was that was seyn, that Moises seide, Y am a ferd, and ful of trembling.

English Revised Version
and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:

Berean Standard Bible
The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

Contemporary English Version
The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear.

Amplified Bible
In fact, so terrifying was the sight, that Moses said, "I AM FILLED WITH FEAR and trembling."

American Standard Version
and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:

Bible in Basic English
And the vision was so overpowering that even Moses said, I am shaking and full of fear.

Complete Jewish Bible
and so terrifying was the sight that Moshe said, "I am quaking with dread."

Darby Translation
and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling;)

International Standard Version
Indeed, the sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."Deuteronomy 9:19">[fn]Exodus 19:16;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and so terrible was the sight, that Musha said, I fear and tremble

Murdock Translation
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I fear and tremble.

King James Version (1611)
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses sayde, I exceedingly feare, and quake.

New Life Bible
What Moses saw was so hard to look at that he said, "I am full of fear and am shaking."

New Revised Standard
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.")

Geneva Bible (1587)
And so terrible was the sight which appeared, that Moses said, I feare and quake.)

George Lamsa Translation
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I fear and quake.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, so fearful was that which was showing itself, Moses, said - I am terrified, and do tremble l

Douay-Rheims Bible
And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so terrible was the syght which appeared, that Moyses sayde, I feare and quake.)

Good News Translation
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling and afraid!"

Christian Standard Bible®
The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear.

King James Version
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

Lexham English Bible
And the spectacle was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling."

Literal Translation
And so fearful was the thing appearing, Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling." Deut. 9:19

Young's Literal Translation
and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, `I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And so terrible was the sighte which appeared, that Moses sayde: I feare and quake.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and so terrible was the appearance, that Moses cry'd out, "I tremble with the fright."

New English Translation
In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, " I shudder with fear ."

New King James Version
And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling." Deuteronomy 9:19 ">[fn] )

Simplified Cowboy Version
Even Moses was shaking as he said, "I am terrified."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling."

Legacy Standard Bible
And so terrible was what appeared, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling."

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. ¹⁹ For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. ²⁰ They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." ²¹ Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." ²² No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. ²³ You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. ²⁴ You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. ²⁵ Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! ²⁶ When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." ²⁷ This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Moses: Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:19, Psalms 119:120, Isaiah 6:3-5, Daniel 10:8, Daniel 10:17, Revelation 1:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:6 - hid Exodus 19:12 - or touch Nehemiah 4:14 - great Daniel 10:7 - but Habakkuk 3:2 - I have Luke 2:9 - and they Acts 24:25 - Felix

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And so terrible was the sight,.... Of the smoke, fire, and lightnings; or of God himself, who descended on the mount; with which agrees the Arabic version, which renders the words, "and so terrible was he who vouchsafed himself to be seen"; not in the bush burning with fire; at which time Moses was afraid to look upon God, Exodus 3:6 but on Mount Sinai, when the law was given:

[that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: perhaps he might say this, when he spake, and God answered him, Exodus 19:19. These words are nowhere recorded in Scripture; wherefore the apostle had them either by divine revelation, or from tradition, confirmed by the former: for the Jews have a notion that Moses did quake and tremble, and when upon the mount; and that he expressed his fear and dread. They have such a tradition as this e;

"when Moses ascended on high, the ministering angels said before the holy blessed God, Lord of the world, what has this man, born of a woman, to do among us? he said unto them, to receive the law he is come; they replied before him, that desirable treasure, which is treasured up with thee, nine hundred, and seventy, and four generations, before the world was created, dost thou seek to give to flesh and blood? "What is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him? who hast set thy glory above the heavens!" The holy blessed God said to Moses, return them an answer; he said, before him, Lord of the world, מתיירא ענא, "I am afraid", lest they should burn, (or consume) me, with the breath of their mouth.''

Compare this last clause with 2 Thessalonians 2:8 and elsewhere f those words being cited, he called unto Moses, Exodus 25:16 it is observed:

"this Scripture comes not, but לאיים עליו "to terrify him"; that so the law might be given with fear, fervour, and trembling; as it is said, Psalms 2:11''

Once more g,

"at the time that the holy blessed God said to Moses, "go, get thee down, for thy people have corrupted themselves",

Exodus 32:7 אזדעזע משה, "Moses trembled"; and he could not speak, c.''

And again, it is said h, that when Moses was on Mount Sinai, supplicating for the people of Israel, five destroying angels appeared, and immediately נתיירא משה, "Moses was afraid". Now this circumstance is mentioned by the apostle, to aggravate the terror of that dispensation that Moses, a great and good man; and who had much familiarity with God; the general of the people of Israel; their leader and commander; a man of great courage and presence of mind; and was their mediator between God and them; and yet feared, and quaked: the best of men are not without sin; and the most holy man on earth cannot stand before a holy God, and his holy law, upon the foot of his own righteousness, without trembling: it is an awful thing to draw nigh to God; and there is no such thing as doing it without a Mediator; and that Mediator must be more than a creature: and it is our happiness that we have such a Mediator, who never feared, nor quaked; who failed not, nor was he discouraged.

e T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 88. 2. Yalkut, 2. par. 2. fol. 92. f T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 4. 2. g Zohar in Exod. fol. 84. 4. h Midrash Kohelet, fol. 69. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said ... - This is not recorded in the account of the giving of the Law in Exodus, and it has been made a question on what authority the apostle made this declaration respecting Moses. In Deuteronomy 9:19, Moses indeed says, of himself, after he had come down from the mountain, and had broken the two tables of stone that were in his hand, that he was greatly afraid of the anger of the Lord on account of the sin of the people. “I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you;” and it has been supposed by many that this is the passage to which the apostle here alludes. But it is very evident that was spoken on a different occasion from the one which is referred to in the passage before us. That was after the Law was promulgated, and Moses had descended from the mount; and it was not said in view of the terrors of the scene when the Law was given, but of the apprehension of the wrath of God against the people for their sin in making the golden calf.

I know not how to explain this, except by the supposition that the apostle here refers to some tradition that the scene produced this effect on his mind. In itself it is not improbable that Moses thus trembled with alarm (compare Exodus 19:16), nor that the remembrance of it should have been handed down among the numerous traditions which the Jews transmitted from age to age. There must have been many things that occurred in their journey through the wilderness which are not recorded in the Books of Moses. Many of them would be preserved naturally in the memory of the people, and transmitted to their posterity; and though those truths might become intermingled with much that was fabulous, yet it is not irrational to suppose that an inspired writer may have adduced pertinent and true examples from these traditions of what actually occurred. It was one method of preserving “the truth,” thus to select such instances of what actually took place from the mass of traditions which were destined to perish, at would be useful in future times. The circumstance here mentioned was greatly suited to increase the impression of the sublimity and fearfulness of the scene. Moses was accustomed to commune with God. He had met him at the “bush,” and had been addressed by him face to face, and yet so awful were the scenes at Horeb that even he could not bear it with composure. What may we then suppose to have been the alarm of the body of the people, when the mind of the great leader himself was thus overpowered!