Topical Encyclopedia
Thunder, a natural phenomenon characterized by a loud rumbling or crashing noise following a lightning flash, is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a manifestation of God's power and majesty. In the biblical context, thunder often symbolizes the voice of God, divine judgment, or a demonstration of His omnipotence.
Old Testament ReferencesIn the Old Testament, thunder is often associated with God's presence and His communication with humanity. One of the most notable instances is found in the account of Mount Sinai, where God gives the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Exodus 19:16 describes the scene: "On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled." Here, thunder serves as a tangible sign of God's awe-inspiring presence and the seriousness of His covenant with Israel.
The Psalms frequently use thunder as a metaphor for God's voice and power.
Psalm 29:3-4 states, "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." This passage poetically illustrates the might and authority of God's voice, likening it to the commanding sound of thunder.
In
1 Samuel 7:10 , thunder is depicted as a tool of divine intervention: "As Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel." Here, God uses thunder to protect His people and ensure their victory over their enemies.
New Testament ReferencesWhile the New Testament contains fewer direct references to thunder, it continues to convey the theme of divine power and revelation. In the Book of Revelation, thunder is part of the apocalyptic imagery that accompanies the unfolding of God's final judgment.
Revelation 4:5 describes the throne of God: "From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven lamps of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God." Thunder here underscores the majesty and authority of God as He prepares to execute His divine plan.
Symbolism and Theological SignificanceThroughout the Bible, thunder serves as a powerful symbol of God's voice and His sovereign control over creation. It is often associated with His judgment, as seen in the plagues of Egypt, where thunder and hail were part of the divine punishment (
Exodus 9:23-24). Thunder also signifies God's ability to protect and deliver His people, as demonstrated in the victory over the Philistines.
In a broader theological context, thunder reminds believers of the transcendence and holiness of God. It calls for reverence and awe, acknowledging that God's ways and thoughts are higher than human understanding. Thunder, as a natural phenomenon, reflects the grandeur of the Creator and His active involvement in the world.
ConclusionIn summary, thunder in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol that conveys God's power, presence, and judgment. It serves as a reminder of His sovereignty and the awe-inspiring nature of His voice, calling believers to worship and trust in His divine authority.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Thunderis hardly ever heard in Palestine form the middle of April to the middle of September; hence it was selected by Samuel as a striking expression of the divine displeasure toward the Israelites. (1 Samuel 12:17) Rain in harvest was deemed as extraordinary as snow in summer, (Proverbs 26:1) and Jerome states that he had never witnessed it in the latter part of June or in July. Comm. on (Amos 4:7) In the imaginative philosophy of the Hebrews, thunder was regarded as the voice of Jehovah, (Job 37:2,4,5;40:9;Psalms 18:13;29:3-9;Isaiah 30:30,31) who dwelt behind the thunder-cloud. (Psalms 81:7) Thunder was, to the mind of the Jew, the symbol of divine power (Psalms 29:3) etc., and vengeance. (1 Samuel 2:10;2 Samuel 22:14)
ATS Bible Dictionary
ThunderAnd lightning are significant manifestations of the power of God, and emblems of his presence,Exodus 19:161 Samuel 2:10 12:17Psalm 18:13. Thunder is poetically called "the voice of the Lord" in the sublime description of a thunder-storm inPsalm 29:11;
"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thundereth;
The Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars;
Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon," etc.
See alsoJob 37:1-5 40:9Jeremiah 10:13. In illustration of Ps
29:9, Moffat, while describing the thunder-storms of South Africa,
say that the antelopes flee in consternation; and that he has
observed the Bechuanas starting off early on the morning following
such a storm in quest of young antelopes prematurely born. In Ps
78:48, "hot thunderbolts" means lightning.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Often referred to in Scripture (
Job 40:9;
Psalm 77:18;
104:7). James and John were called by our Lord "sons of thunder" (
Mark 3:17). In
Job 39:19, instead of "thunder," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version translates (ra'amah) by "quivering main" (marg., "shaking"). Thunder accompanied the giving of the law at Sinai (
Exodus 19:16). It was regarded as the voice of God (
Job 37:2;
Psalm 18:13;
81:7; Comp.
John 12:29). In answer to Samuel's prayer (
1 Samuel 12:17, 18), God sent thunder, and "all the people greatly feared," for at such a season (the wheat-harvest) thunder and rain were almost unknown in Palestine.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The sound which follows a flash of lightning; the report of a discharge of atmospheric electricity.
2. (n.) The discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt.
3. (n.) Any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon.
4. (n.) An alarming or startling threat or denunciation.
5. (n.) To produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity; -- often used impersonally; as, it thundered continuously.
6. (n.) Fig.: To make a loud noise; esp. a heavy sound, of some continuance.
7. (n.) To utter violent denunciation.
8. (v. t.) To emit with noise and terror; to utter vehemently; to publish, as a threat or denunciation.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
THUNDERthun'-der (ra`am (1 Samuel 2:10Job 26:14;Job 39:19;Job 40:9Psalm 77:18;Psalm 81:7;Psalm 104:7Isaiah 29:6), qol, "a voice" (Exodus 9:231 Samuel 7:10;1 Samuel 12:17Job 28:26;Job 38:25)): Thunder is the noise resulting from the lightning discharge. It is very common in the winter storms of Syria and Palestine and occurs in the extra-season storms. Thunder accompanied the storm of hail in Egypt at the time of the plagues: "The Lord sent thunder and hail" (Exodus 9:23).
Lightning and thunder are indications of the power of Yahweh and His might. "The thunder of his power who can understand?" (Job 26:14); "The God of glory thundereth" (Psalm 29:3). Yahweh also confused the Philistines with thunder (1 Samuel 7:10), and His foes were "visited of Yahweh of hosts with thunder" (Isaiah 29:6). Thunder was regarded as the voice of Yahweh: "God thundereth with the voice of his excellency" (Job 37:4), and God spoke to Jesus in the thunder (bronte,John 12:29).
See alsoLIGHTNING.
Alfred H. Joy
Greek
1027. bronte --thunder... bronte. 1028 .
thunder. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: bronte
Phonetic Spelling: (bron-tay') Short Definition:
thunder Definition:
thunder.
...993. Boanerges -- Boanerges, an epithet applied to the two sons of...
... Proper Noun, Indeclinable Transliteration: Boanerges Phonetic Spelling:
(bo-an-erg-es') Short Definition: Boanerges Definition: Boanerges, sons ofthunder....
3655. ombros -- a rainstorm
... a shower, thunderstorm Of uncertain affinity; athunder storm -- shower. (ombros) --
1 Occurrence. 3654, 3655. ombros. 3655a . Strong's Numbers.
Strong's Hebrew
7482. raam --thunder... 7481, 7482. raam. 7483 .
thunder. Transliteration: raam Phonetic Spelling:
(rah'am) Short Definition:
thunder. Word Origin from
...7481. raam -- tothunder
... 7480, 7481. raam. 7482 . tothunder. Transliteration: raam Phonetic Spelling:
(raw-am') Short Definition: roar.... make to fret, roar,thunder, trouble....
7485. Raamyah -- perhaps "thunder of Yah," an Israelite who...
... perhaps "thunder of Yah," an Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel. Transliteration:
Raamyah Phonetic Spelling: (rah-am-yaw') Short Definition: Raamiah....
7483. ramah -- perhaps vibration, quivering
...thunder. Feminine of ra'am; the mane of a horse (as quivering in the wind) --thunder.
see HEBREW ra'am. 7482, 7483. ramah. 7484 . Strong's Numbers.
7267. rogez -- agitation, excitement, raging
... Word Origin from ragaz Definition agitation, excitement, raging NASB Word Usage
rage (1), raging (1),thunder (1), turmoil (3), wrath (1)....
6963. qol -- sound, voice
... 7), public (1), report (1), roared loudly* (1), roared* (1), screamed* (1), shout
(1), sound (98), sound* (1), sounds (3), speaks (1),thunder (11), thunderbolt...
7452. rea -- perhaps shouting, roar
... aloud, noise, shouted. From ruwa'; a crash (ofthunder), noise (of war), shout
(of joy) -- X aloud, noise, shouted. see HEBREW ruwa'. 7451b, 7452. rea. 7453...
6051. anan -- a cloud mass, cloud
... cloudy. From anan; a cloud (as covering the sky), ie The nimbus orthunder-cloud --
cloud(-y). see HEBREW anan. 6050, 6051. anan. 6052 . Strong's Numbers.
1899. hegeh -- a rumbling, growling, moaning
... mourning, sound, tale. From hagah; a muttering (in sighing, thought, or asthunder) --
mourning, sound, tale. see HEBREW hagah. 1898, 1899. hegeh. 1900 ....
2671. chets -- arrow
... From chatsats; properly, a piercer, ie An arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively,
(of God)thunder-bolt; (by interchange for ets) the shaft of a spear...
Library
Thunder.
... IV. CREATION. Hymn 83Thunder. John Newton 8,6,8,6.Thunder. When a black overspreading
cloud. Has dark'ned all the air; And peals ofthunder roaring loud....
The Son ofThunder
... SERMON XVII."THE SON OFTHUNDER. John 1:1.... He was one of the two whom the Lord surnamed
Boanerges, the Son ofThunder"the man of the loud and awful voice....
Macbeth andThunder at Drury Lane
... Chapter 10. Retirement in Paddington; Wesley Slandered; Premonitions;
A Dream Macbeth andThunder at Drury Lane. Monday, 17."As...
Psalm 29. LM Storm andThunder.
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 29. LM Storm andthunder. 1 Give
to the Lord, ye sons of fame, Give to the Lord renown and...
Psalm 29 Storm andThunder.
... THE PSALMS OF DAVID PSALM 29 Storm andthunder. LM Storm andthunder. Give to
the Lord, ye sons of fame,. Give to {he Lord renown and power,....
Imitations ofThunder, and Other Illusions.
... Book IV. Chapter XXXII."Imitations ofThunder, and Other Illusions.Thunder
is produced in many ways; for stones very numerous...
The Sons ofThunder.
... THE LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM THE SONS OFTHUNDER. Then came to him the
mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons James and John...
of the Statue of Christ in Paneas which Julian Overthrew and Made...
... XXI." Of the Statue of Christ in Paneas which Julian overthrew and made Valueless;
he erected his own Statue; this was overthrown by aThunder-Bolt and...
The Meaning of the Seventh Seal, that Is, of the Seven Trumpets.
... and lightnings, and an earthquake." In which words is described the oracle vt
qvl"Bath Kol, that is, the daughter of the voice, or ofthunder, by which God...
Conviction of Sin.
... It was upon this account that Peter and James and John were called the sons ofthunder,
because in the word which they were to preach there were to be not only...
Thesaurus
Thunder (48 Occurrences)... Easton's Bible Dictionary Often referred to in Scripture (Job 40:9; Psalm 77:18;
104:7). James and John were called by our Lord "sons of
thunder" (Mark 3:17).
...Thunder-flames (8 Occurrences)
Thunder-flames.Thunder-flame,Thunder-flames. Thundering .
Multi-Version ConcordanceThunder-flames (8 Occurrences)....
Thunder-flame (6 Occurrences)
Thunder-flame. Thundereth,Thunder-flame.Thunder-flames .
Multi-Version ConcordanceThunder-flame (6 Occurrences)....
Thunder's (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceThunder's (2 Occurrences). Job 28:26 In appointing a
statute for the rain, and a way for thethunder's flash: (DBY)....
Peals (7 Occurrences)
... Revelation 4:5 Out from the throne there came flashes of lightning, and voices,
and peals ofthunder, while in front of the throne seven blazing lamps were...
Lightning (49 Occurrences)
... Frequently referred to by the sacred writers (Nahum 1:3-6).Thunder and lightning
are spoken of as tokens of God's wrath (2 Samuel 22:15; Job 28:26; 37:4...
Flashes (16 Occurrences)
... Revelation 4:5 Out from the throne there came flashes of lightning, and voices,
and peals ofthunder, while in front of the throne seven blazing lamps were...
Thundering (16 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) ofThunder. 2. (a.) Emittingthunder. 3. (a.) Very great; --
often adverbially. 4. (n.)Thunder. Multi-Version Concordance...
Boanerges (1 Occurrence)
... Sons ofthunder, a surname given by our Lord to James and John (Mark 3:17)
on account of their fervid and impetuous temper (Luke 9:54)....
Flash (19 Occurrences)
... Why do your eyes flash, (WEB ASV NAS RSV NIV). Job 28:26 In appointing a statute
for the rain, and a way for thethunder's flash: (DBY)....
Resources
Why did Jesus refer to James and John as the sons of thunder? | GotQuestions.orgWhat do the seven thunders in Revelation 10:1-7 mean? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice? | GotQuestions.orgThunder: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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