Voice

The organ of speech; someone's voice expresses a person's character, thoughts and emotions, and attracts attention by its tone and volume.

The human voice

The sound of familiar voices

Acts 12:14 See also Genesis 27:22; Judges 18:3; 1 Samuel 24:16, 1 Samuel 26:17; Song of Solomon 2:14, Song of Solomon 8:13

When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

Groups of people speaking in unison

Exodus 24:3 See also 1 Samuel 10:24; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 23:11; Ezra 10:12; Acts 12:22, Acts 19:34, Acts 22:22

When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.”

Voices communicate in various ways

Voices expressing defiance

1 Samuel 17:8 See also 2 Kings 19:22 parallel Isaiah 37:23

And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.

Voices of varying volume

God's loud voice

God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend.

Loud human voices

1 Samuel 28:12; 2 Chronicles 20:19; Ezra 10:12; Isaiah 40:9; Luke 4:33; Acts 7:57

God's quiet voice

1 Kings 19:12–13 See also Job 26:14

After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Quiet human voices

Job 4:16; Ecclesiastes 9:17; Isaiah 42:2

Voices addressed to God

In praise

Luke 17:15 See also Judges 5:11; 1 Kings 8:55; Ezra 3:11; Psalm 47:1, Psalm 100:1–4; Isaiah 24:14; Luke 19:37

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.

In prayer

Psalm 27:7 See also Deuteronomy 33:7; Psalm 64:1

Hear, O LORD, my voice when I call; be merciful and answer me.

Assurance that God hears his people's voice

Psalm 5:3 See also Exodus 22:23; Deuteronomy 24:15; Psalm 55:17; Isaiah 19:20

In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.

God's response to his people's voice

Nehemiah 9:9 See also Genesis 21:17; Exodus 2:23–25, Exodus 3:9; Numbers 20:16

You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.

God sometimes refuses to hear his people's voice

Ezekiel 8:18 See also Isaiah 1:15, Isaiah 59:1–2; Jeremiah 14:12; Amos 5:23

Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”

The futility of lifting up one's voice to an idol

Judges 10:14; 1 Kings 18:26, 1 Kings 18:28; Jeremiah 11:12

Voices that proclaim God's word

Romans 10:18 The original sense of the voice of the heavens is reapplied to all who proclaim the gospel. See also Isaiah 58:1; Micah 3:8; Acts 2:14

But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

The voice of God

God's voice addresses individuals

Genesis 3:9 See also Exodus 3:4; 1 Samuel 3:4; Isaiah 6:8; Jeremiah 1:4; Ezekiel 1:28

But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”

God's voice is awe-inspiring

Psalm 29:3–9 See also Deuteronomy 5:26, Deuteronomy 18:16; Job 37:2; Psalm 46:6, Psalm 68:33; Isaiah 30:30–31, Isaiah 42:13; Ezekiel 1:24; Hebrews 12:19, Hebrews 12:26

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 majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

God's voice demands obedience

Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 30:20; 1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 30:21; Hebrews 3:7–8

God's voice affirms his Son

Matthew 3:17 parallels Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22 at Jesus Christ's baptism; Matthew 17:5 parallels Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35–36 at the transfiguration; John 12:28; 2 Peter 1:17–18

The voice of Jesus Christ

His voice is recognisable

John 10:1–5, John 10:14–16, John 10:27

His voice calls people to him

John 7:37 See also Acts 9:4–7 parallels Acts 22:7–9, Acts 26:14–16; Revelation 3:20

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

His voice raises the dead

John 5:25, John 5:28, John 11:43

His voice cries out

Matthew 27:46 parallel Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:50 parallel Luke 23:46

Other voices

The voices of angels

Job 38:7; Daniel 10:6; Matthew 1:20–21, Matthew 2:13; Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:11–12, Revelation 14:7–9, Revelation 18:2

The voice of wisdom

Proverbs 1:20, Proverbs 8:1–4

The voices of the natural world

Psalm 19:1–4 See also Job 38:41; Psalm 93:3; Romans 10:18

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.