Nahum 1:5

5 The mountains shake in front of him, and the hills melt. The earth trembles when he comes; the world and all who live in it shake with fear.

Nahum 1:5 Meaning and Commentary

Nahum 1:5

The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt
As Sinai of old did, when the Lord descended on it, ( Exodus 19:18 ) ( Judges 5:5 ) . Mountains figuratively signify kings and princes; and hills large countries, as Jarchi and Abarbinel observe, and the inhabitants of them; particularly the kingdoms and nations belonging to the Assyrian empire, which would tremble and quake, and their hearts melt with fear, when they should hear of the destruction of Nineveh their chief city; and of the devastation made by the enemy there and in other parts, under the direction of the Lord of hosts; his power and providence succeeding him: and the earth is burnt at his presence;
either when he withholds rain from it, and so it be comes parched and burnt up with the heat of the sun; or when he rains fire and brimstone on it, as he did on Sodom and Gomorrah; or consumes any part of it with thunder and lightning, as he sometimes does; nay, if he but touch the mountains, they smoke; see ( Psalms 104:32 ) ; yea, the world, and all that dwell therein;
as in the last day, at the general conflagration, when the world, and all the wicked inhabitants of it, will be burnt up; see ( 2 Peter 3:10 ) .

Nahum 1:5 In-Context

3 The Lord does not become angry quickly, and his power is great. The Lord will not let the guilty go unpunished. Where the Lord goes, there are whirlwinds and storms, and the clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
4 He speaks to the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers. The areas of Bashan and Carmel dry up, and the flowers of Lebanon dry up.
5 The mountains shake in front of him, and the hills melt. The earth trembles when he comes; the world and all who live in it shake with fear.
6 No one can stay alive when he is angry; no one can survive his strong anger. His anger is poured out like fire; the rocks are smashed by him.
7 The Lord is good, giving protection in times of trouble. He knows who trusts in him.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.