Bible Strands
Psalms 97:5
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses a worshiping assembly during a liturgical declaration of Yahweh’s enthronement, following descriptions of cosmic signs and preceding a call for all peoples to recognize His glory.
The words — The Hebrew verb נָ֭מַסּוּ (Na.ma.su) literally means "they melt," applied directly to הָרִ֗ים (ha.Rim), "the mountains," to describe a physical dissolution. The text states that this melting occurs מִלִּפְנֵי (mi.li.f.Nei), "before/at the presence of," both Yahweh and the Lord of all the earth.
The thread — This motif of terrain yielding to divine presence appears in Nahum 1:5, where mountains quake and melt, and in Isaiah 24:19, where the earth is violently split and shaken.
Why it lands — The text first reports a physical phenomenon, then requires the reader to acknowledge that no earthly structure remains stable before divine authority, demanding submission to His absolute rule.
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 Hebrew words
King James Version
The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Cross-references
- 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.
- Micah 1:3 For behold, the LORD comes forth from His dwelling place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
- Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
- Isaiah 64:1 If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence,
- 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.
- Psalms 47:2 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!
- Psalms 46:6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
- Joshua 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
- Judges 5:4 O LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the land of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens poured out rain, and the clouds poured down water.
- Psalms 83:18 May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.