King James Bible
"And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled."
This marks the climactic moment after three days of consecration and preparation commanded by God. The specific timing emphasizes the divine appointment and builds anticipation for God's revelation at Sinai. These natural phenomena manifest God's awesome presence in ways familiar to ancient theophanies—storm imagery conveying both power and hiddenness. The thick cloud particularly recalls God's protective presence during the Exodus while maintaining the mystery of His holiness. The supernatural trumpet blast, likely not of human origin, serves as a divine summons and announces God's royal arrival. In ancient Near Eastern contexts, trumpets heralded the presence of kings, here signaling the King of kings preparing to establish His covenant. The people's physical trembling reveals the appropriate human response to encountering the holy God—a mixture of reverent fear and awe. This visceral reaction underscores the gravity of the moment as Israel prepares to receive the Law directly from Yahweh.