Hebrews 12:26

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.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The author addresses the Hebrews believers, contrasting God’s past shaking of the earth at Sinai with His present declaration of a future shaking of both earth and heaven.

The words — φωνὴ (phōnē) = voice and ἐσὲλευσεν (esaleusen) = shook anchor the verse’s shift from a completed past action to a declared future promise.

The thread — Haggai 2:6 repeats the pledge to shake the heavens and earth, Isaiah 13:13 describes the earth and heavens trembling at divine wrath, and Exodus 19:18 shows Sinai enveloped in smoke as God descended in fire.

Why it lands — The text requires attentive obedience to the heavenly speaker rather than refusal, because the coming shaking will remove all created things so that only the unshakable kingdom remains.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Cross-references

Haggai 2:6 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger.
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.
Isaiah 2:19 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.
Joel 3:16 The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Psalms 114:6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams, O hills, like lambs?
Habakkuk 3:10 The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high.
Hebrews 12:27 The words “Once more” signify the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that the unshakable may remain.
Haggai 2:22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.