(A Psalm of David.) Give unto Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty ones, give unto Jehovah glory and strength;
The psalm opens not with a prayer but with a command, and the ones commanded are the strongest people there are. Two questions run through the first line. Who are these "heavenly beings" — in other translations, "the sons of the mighty"? And what can anyone give to God that is not already His?
The title in this verse comes from a Hebrew word for strength, one used across the Old Testament for God Himself.
El, "the strong or mighty one." It is often used of God, especially in Job and the Psalms. Job 5:8; Ps. 22:1, etc.; and of the Lord Jesus in Isa. 9:6. It is also used for the false gods, Ps. 81:9; Dan. 11:36; and is translated "mighty" in Ps. 29:1; Ps. 82:1.
Commentators differ here. Some read the phrase as an address to angels. Others say it speaks to human rulers, the men God set in power on earth.
The word translated "mighty" literally means "gods." We are told it never means "God" on its own, but always "the gods" (Ex. 15:11; Dan. 11:36). It does not refer to angels. It refers to the mighty men who answer to God as His representatives in government on the earth (John 10:34-35). Such men have always failed. First they sought to rule in their own strength. Then they used their position of power to build up their own glory.
The other reading rests on how the same expression works elsewhere in the older books of the Bible.
You cannot deny that "sons of God," in the early books of the Bible (Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7), is used for angels. The same phrase, in a slightly different Hebrew form, is what we read in Ps. 29:1 and Ps. 89:6.
The command tells them to trace their glory and strength back to their only Source.
The psalm begins by calling the "sons of the mighty" to give Jehovah His place of supremacy over all. Most readers, it seems, take it as an address to angels. But what follows shows it is spoken to the mighty of the earth. It is a message like the one in Rev. 14:6-7, the message of the "everlasting gospel," which announces the coming kingdom of God. They are to ascribe glory and strength to Jehovah as the only Source of these.
The two things asked for here are part of what God has revealed about Himself. His name holds them, just as it holds mercy, goodness and righteousness.
The name of Jehovah means what He is in Himself. It reveals His character, and also His relationship with His people. His name (or glory) and His people's blessing go together. But making His glory our first aim is the only true way to secure our blessing… So "glory and strength" are in that name (Ps. 29:1); "mercy and truth" (Ps. 115:1); "goodness" (Ps. 25:7); "loving-kindness" (Ps. 138:2); "righteousness" (Ps. 143:1).
The psalms just before this one are full of pleading. This one is the reply.
The voice of His trusting people is hushed; His voice is now heard. From Psalm 25 to 28 we have watched the inner struggle of the faithful few left in Israel. We heard their prayers. We learned of their hopes and expectations, and of their trials and sorrows. Their last prayer in the Psalm before this one was "Save your people," and now we see Him rising to save them. His glory and strength, the glory of His Name, will now be displayed.
The verse speaks to the powerful, but the weak are meant to overhear it.
Psalm 29 calls the mighty to hear the mightier voice of Jehovah. They are to acknowledge Him and worship before Him according to the holy order of His house… But this Jehovah is above the proud roar of created strength, like waves crashing against Him. He sits as King for ever, above it all and despite it all. And He, this mighty Jehovah, will give strength to His people and bless them with peace. It is a real encouragement for the faithful. It is not their complaint or their appeal. It is a testimony given to strengthen their hearts in the presence of the mighty. The One who cares for them is mightier than they are.
- Give — the word. "Mighty" here renders a Hebrew word for the strong one, used of God, of Christ in Isaiah 9:6, and even of false gods.
- Give — who. Commentators differ. Some hear angels, as in Job. Others hear earthly rulers, men set in power as God's representatives, who have always used that power for their own glory.
- Give — what. Glory and strength, given back to Him as their only Source. They belong to His revealed name, as mercy, goodness and righteousness do.
- Give — why now. The four psalms before this are the cries of a suffering people. The last of them prays "Save your people." This psalm is God rising to answer.
- Give — the result. The command falls on the powerful. The comfort falls on the faithful: the One who cares for them is mightier than those who oppress them.
Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; worship Jehovah in holy splendour.
Psalm 29 opens with a command, not a prayer. It speaks to the powerful: the people who usually collect glory must hand it over. Two questions sit at the centre of the verse. What does it mean to give God something He already owns? And what is the "splendor of holiness" He asks worshippers to come in?
The call in this psalm goes out to "the mighty." One writer says the word means rulers on earth, not angels.
The word used for the "mighty" literally means "gods." We are told that on its own it never means "God"; it always means "the gods." It does not refer to angelic beings. It refers to those mighty men who are responsible to God as His representatives in government on the earth. Such men have always failed. First they seek to rule in their own strength, and then they use their place of power to advance their own glory.
The glory asked for belongs to a name. One writer draws out what that name says about God, and how He accepts what is given.
They are to give Him the glory of His Name — the Ever-living, the Unchanging, who remains the same through all creature changes. And they are to give Him allegiance in the only way He can accept it: adorned with the beauty of the holiness He calls for.
One commentator ties this call for glory to the temple, the place where God set His name.
The one point I would notice is how worship is joined to this: here we own Him in His temple, where He has placed His name. He has revealed His name. Glory is due to Him as revealed, to His name. That name reveals Himself, and it is also the name of His relationship with His people. There He has placed His name, so as to form a centre of association and a revealed place of worship. So, while His voice may proclaim the majesty of that name, those who know it are drawn together by it as a place of common worship.
Translations differ here. The ESV reads "the splendor of holiness," while older versions read "the beauty of holiness." One writer explains the word behind it.
The word translated here as "beauty" is sometimes translated "glory." So for the words translated, "Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness," we have "Worship Jehovah in holy splendour."
Another writer links this holiness to God living among His people.
The great truth stamped on this wonderful thought of God dwelling among His people is holiness. "Holiness befits your house" is always true.
The word "due" makes worship a debt, not a donation. One writer traces that debt to the night God rescued Israel from Egypt. Three parties there each got what they were due.
Death and judgment were the Egyptians' due, because of their wilful sin and rebellion in the sight of God. Salvation became Israel's due, on the ground of the slain lamb and the blood-sprinkled doorposts. And worship was the Lord's due, because of what He had done — both for the glory of His great name and the blessing of His redeemed people.
No worshipper has such holiness in himself. One writer says where the beauty comes from.
How wonderful that we can give to Him! We are nothing in ourselves, and unworthy too. Yet God's rich grace sets us with the mighty, and enables us to offer to Him in the beauty of holiness — the beauty that is ours in Christ through His redeeming work at Calvary. The gift of God's love to us cannot be measured or told. Yet we can answer His infinite grace by giving back to Him, and saying, "Of your own have we given you."
- Give. The verse gives a command, not a request. Glory is God's due — a debt we owe for what He has done, not a gift we choose to make.
- Due. His name tells us what we owe: the Ever-living, the Unchanging, who stays the same while everything created shifts around Him.
- Mighty. The call goes first to rulers. They have always failed — ruling in their own strength, and using their position for their own glory. The debt falls hardest on those least used to paying it.
- Holiness. The "splendor of holiness" — older versions say "beauty of holiness" — is not ours by nature. It is ours in Christ, through His work at Calvary.
- Gathered. His revealed name is more than something to praise. It becomes a centre, drawing those who know it into one place of worship.
The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth, -- Jehovah upon great waters.
Psalm 29 opens with a call to give glory to the LORD. This verse tells us where that glory sounds out — in a voice rolling over the waters like thunder. Two questions shape the psalm from here: whose voice is this, and what are the "many waters" it masters?
One writer notes how rare this title is, and who can take it in:
In Psalm 29 we read of the God of glory, the only place in the Old Testament that uses that title. It appears in verse 3, and verse 9 says that in His temple everyone speaks of His glory. God has brought a company into that glory with understanding, able to discern it and respond to it.
Another writer sums up the psalm: 'El' supreme, over every power that stands against Him.
The power of His voice celebrates Jehovah's Name in full (vv. 3-9): 'El' supreme, in the strength of holiness, over every opposing power. So glory is the one universal keynote of praise in His Temple.
Thunder here is not scenery. One writer gives its meaning across Scripture:
Thunder is God's voice in judgment, the expression of His authority in it (1 Sam. 7:10; Ps. 18:13; Job 26:14).
The psalm's storm pictures point beyond weather:
The greatness of Jehovah's power as the deliverer of His people, in line with the judgment that is written, is the leading topic of this Psalm. The imagery is Jewish throughout. The cedars seem to stand for the princes, and the great waters for the peoples. The day that will burn like an oven will break their strength and make their numbers few. "The voice of Jehovah" is the great theme of the Psalm. In Scripture this expression often shows the ruling power of Christ, whose name is the Word of God (Isa. 30:30-31; Ps. 2:6; Joel 3:16, etc.; cp. Rev. 19:13).
Another writer sets that coming thunder beside a day when the same voice needed none.
In the millennial age God's voice will sound with no uncertain note "over the waters" (v. 3). The surging might of the ocean's waves will be no match for the overpowering voice of God. The waters stand for "peoples and multitudes and nations and languages" (Rev. 17:15). The voice of the Son of God will subdue them all, and as the God of glory He will speak like thunder. While on earth, He did not need to speak like thunder to subdue the raging sea. He said with calm simplicity, "Peace! Be still!" (Mk. 4:39), and there was a great calm. But the nations of earth will need a voice of thunder before they are ready to listen to the Lord Jesus.
Everyone hears the thunder. Only one place grasps what it means. One writer holds the two halves of the psalm together — creation shaken outside, worship inside.
Psalm 29 summons the mighty to hear the mightier voice of Jehovah. They are to own Him and worship before Him according to the holy order of His house. The psalm celebrates the power of His voice in all creation. But there is a place of worship with understanding, where His glory is known — His temple, where men are to come. This Jehovah is above the proud raging of the surges of created strength. He sits as King for ever, above it all and in spite of it all. And He, this mighty Jehovah, will give strength to His people and bless them with peace.
Another writer makes it a matter of nearness to God:
The awesome thunderings are indeed God's voice to men, calling on them to listen to Him. But if we are to understand God's will, and to discern His glory, we must know what it is to be found in the secret of His presence.
A voice this loud could terrify God's own people. One writer sees the opposite — the faithful kept safe while the storm passes by:
This is a celebration of the power of "the voice of the Lord," who is also "the God of glory."… Think of Noah in the ark while the waters rose. Think of Lot in Zoar while fire poured down on Sodom. Think of Israel behind their Passover doors while the angel went through Egypt with the sword. So the remnant will rest in their rooms in a coming day (Isa. 26:20). They will have a song too, while the decreed vengeance takes its course (Isa. 30:32), and not a hair of theirs will perish.
- The Voice — thunder over the waters is God's voice in judgment, the open expression of His authority.
- The Waters — the "many waters" stand for crowds of people, and the cedars for their princes. That day will break their strength.
- The Speaker — writers name this voice as Christ's. He calmed a sea with "Peace! Be still!" One day He will speak to the nations in thunder.
- The Temple — everyone hears the storm, but only those near Him, in His temple, take in His glory.
- The People — the psalm that shakes the earth ends in strength and peace for His own. They rest while the judgment passes by.
The voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.
Psalm 29 calls the mighty of the earth to stop trusting their own strength and to give glory to God. One sound runs through the whole song — the voice of the LORD — and verse 4 tells us what that voice carries: strength and majesty.
The psalm speaks to the strong. One commentator sums up its whole movement:
Psalm 29 summons the mighty to hear the mightier voice of the LORD. It calls them to own Him and to worship before Him according to the holy order of His house, celebrating the power of His voice in all creation. But there is a place of understanding worship, where His glory is known — His temple, where people are to come. And this LORD is above the proud raging of the surges of created strength. He sits King for ever above it all, and despite it all. And He, this mighty LORD, will give strength to His people and bless them with peace. It is a positive encouragement for the faithful. It is not their complaint or appeal. It is a testimony to encourage their hearts in the presence of the mighty. He who cares for them is mightier than they.
One commentator translates the Hebrew closely. Where the ESV has "powerful" and "full of majesty," he renders it "in strength" and "in majesty":
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory has thundered; the LORD is upon many waters. The voice of the LORD is in strength, the voice of the LORD is in majesty. (Note: the Hebrew gives the definite article here.)
Verse 3 has just named the sound: God thunders. That sound carries a fixed meaning:
Thunder is God's voice in judgment, the expression of His authority in it.
The waters of verse 3 stand for nations. Read that way, verse 4 points to a day when human strength meets a stronger word:
The waters symbolize "peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues" (Rev. 17:15). The voice of the Son of God will subdue them all. As the God of glory, He will speak like thunder. While on earth, He did not need to speak like thunder to subdue the raging sea, but said with calm simplicity, "Peace! Be still!" (Mk. 4:39), and there was a great calm. But the nations of earth will need a voice of thunder before they are ready to listen to the Lord Jesus. He will make them feel how powerless they are. For His voice is powerful and full of majesty, and all creation will then see it proved.
The power of this voice does not depend on volume. Another writer traces it through the ministry of Christ, who never had to raise it:
That voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh and bows the everlasting hills. It showed a still mightier force in the days of the despised Messiah's patience. At the command of the gracious healer of His people, the demons came out unwilling — and He spoke no louder than any other man. The grave of Lazarus gave back its rotting occupant at the voice of Jesus... The raging tempests fell into a peaceful calm when Jesus spoke His will to them. But far mightier than all these was this: that voice could speak into the souls of wretched sinners the divine assurance of forgiveness and of life.
The psalm ends with strength and peace for God's people. One writer reads the closing verses as the calm of those who are safe while the storm passes:
This is a celebration of the power of "the voice of the LORD," who is also "the God of glory." The last verses let us see the rest of the faithful and hear their joys. Meanwhile this power passes by to destroy the ungodly. The faithful remnant will rest, like Noah in the ark while the waters rose. They will rest like Lot in the town of Zoar while fire fell on Sodom, and like Israel behind their Passover doors while the angel went through Egypt with the sword.
- Voice. The psalm calls the mighty to hear One mightier than themselves. The One who cares for His people is stronger than they are.
- Majesty. Closer to the Hebrew, the voice is in strength and in majesty — power and glory together, not volume.
- Thunder. Thunder is God's voice in judgment, the expression of His authority.
- Nations. Waters picture peoples. A world that would not listen to a calm word will hear a voice of thunder and feel its own weakness.
- Peace. The same voice calmed storms and emptied a grave, and it still speaks forgiveness. While its power passes by in judgment, His people rest in strength and peace.
The voice of Jehovah breaketh cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon
Psalm 29 pictures a storm crossing the land, and verse 5 is the moment the LORD's voice reaches the great cedars. Why does His power fall on trees at all, and what do the cedars stand for?
One writer sees the whole passage as a single storm moving across the land. The cedars break when it reaches the mountains.
This great and overwhelming judgment of the day of the Lord comes before us as a picture: a storm sweeping through the land of Israel from north to south. It shows us the unstoppable power of the Lord in judgment. We hear the voice of the Lord in the roar of the waters and the thunder of the waves. The storm breaks on the shore. It bursts in full fury on the mountains of Lebanon and Hermon, breaking the mighty cedars in pieces. Behind these destructive forces of nature is the mighty power of God that will overwhelm the nations in the coming storm of judgment.
The cedar was not picked at random. One writer follows its use through several books of the Bible.
In Scripture the cedar always stands for power or exaltation, if not pride. When the king of Israel wanted to pour contempt on the king of Judah, he compared himself to a cedar and Judah's king to a thistle (2 Kings 14:9). The Psalmist uses it to express the prosperity of the righteous, "He shall grow as the cedar in Lebanon" (Ps. 92:12). When judgment comes upon the great of the earth, the prophet Isaiah says it is the day of Jehovah upon the cedars of Lebanon (2:13). These mark the cedar as the symbol of dignity and power.
One writer sets the crash of verse 5 beside Isaiah's picture of the coming day of the Lord.
Then the crash comes. The cedars of Lebanon stand for created greatness at its full height, and they take the force of the blow. The storm shatters them and breaks them down. So the prophet announces the coming day of the Lord (Isa. 2:11-14): the proud looks of man will be humbled, the arrogance of men will be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The day of the Lord of hosts will come against everyone who is proud and lofty, against everyone who is lifted up, and against all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up... The trees represent the individual rulers of the earth.
Verse 6 says the broken cedars skip like a calf. One writer takes that as proof that the psalm is not talking about real trees.
The cedar is a majestic tree. It speaks of the elite of mankind in their proud exaltation. But the Lord by His voice breaks them down, and He will humble all the pride of man in the same way. Verse 6 shows that the Lord has not been speaking of the literal cedars in verse 5, because He makes them "skip like a calf." This shows that man's pride will give way to a willing response to the sovereign work of God.
Writers also apply this line beyond the day of judgment. One writer puts the crashing voice of the psalm next to the voice of Jesus.
And how tender and sweet is the voice of Jesus, the Son of God! Long ago, the voice of Jehovah in unstoppable might broke down even the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 29:5). At Sinai that voice made men shudder with fear and dread.
Another writer finds the same breaking power at work in the call of Levi.
What force was there in the words, "Follow Me"? None. And yet, despite himself, he rose up and followed Jesus... What mighty power was detaching Levi from everything he had in the world? It was the voice of the Lord that breaks the cedars. Do you know such a moment? We should never have been at the feet of Jesus if the Lord had not drawn us.
The shattering is not the psalm's last word. One writer reads it as encouragement for people who feel small next to the powers around them.
Psalm 29 summons the mighty to hear the mightier voice of Jehovah, to own Him and worship before Him according to the holy order of His house... But this Jehovah is above the proud raging of the waves of created strength. He sits as King forever, above it all and despite it all. And He, this mighty Jehovah, will give strength to His people and bless them with peace... The One who cares for them is mightier than they are.
- Voice — the psalm pictures a storm sweeping the land, and verse 5 is the moment it hits the heights.
- Cedars — in Scripture the cedar stands for dignity, power and pride. It pictures the greatness of man, not the timber of Lebanon.
- Broken — the blow lands on everything lofty. That is what the day of the Lord does.
- Skipping — the broken trees also leap like a calf. God humbles pride and gives glad response in its place.
- Peace — the voice that shatters the mighty gives strength and peace to His people. The One who cares for them is stronger than they are.
And he maketh them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young buffalo.
This verse keeps the storm moving: after the cedars snap, the mountains themselves start to leap. The psalm names two of the highest peaks in the region and makes them jump like young animals — so what does that picture say about God's voice?
Sirion is not a second, unknown place. Different peoples used different names for the same mountain:
A great mountain on the north-east border of Palestine. It forms the highest part of the Anti-Lebanon range. Its highest peak is 9,200 feet above the sea, and is almost always covered with snow. The Sidonians called it SIRION (Deuteronomy 3:9; Psalm 29:6), and the Amorites called it SHENIR.
The second half of the verse names an animal, "a young wild ox" in the ESV. The same dictionary explains the word behind it:
The Hebrew word is reem. The Authorized Version translated it "unicorn," but nothing in Scripture suggests the animal had only one horn... Its great strength and wildness are its main features: it cannot be used for farm work, as a tame ox can... It is most probably a species of wild ox.
So what does the leaping picture? One writer stays inside the storm and reads the trees and the mountains as two levels of human power:
This is no exaggeration, and it is not untrue to nature. Nor are we to think of an earthquake, which would bring in a different element from the one we are dealing with. This is no common storm. The hills themselves tremble and start like a frightened animal before Jehovah. The governments of the earth seem to be in view here, while the trees stand for the individual rulers: all that is most stable quakes.
Another writer names the day this storm stands for:
The psalm pictures this great and overwhelming judgment of the day of the Lord as a storm that sweeps through the land of Israel from north to south. It brings before us the irresistible power of the Lord in judgment. We hear the voice of the Lord in the roar of the waters and the thunder of the waves. The storm breaks on the shore and bursts in all its fury on the mountains of Lebanon and Hermon, breaking the mighty cedars in pieces.
Commentators differ on the tone of the skipping. Another writer takes verse 6 as proof that the psalm is not speaking of literal trees at all:
Verse 6 shows that the Lord has not been speaking of the literal cedars in verse 5. He makes them "skip like a calf," which shows that man's pride will give way to a willing response to the sovereign work of God. Lebanon and Sirion will also come under God's gracious and powerful dealings, and will respond as a young wild ox. They lie outside the bounds of Israel, and so are spoken of as "wild."
The storm has a limit and a purpose. The same writer traces both:
The next verse shows the limit of the storm. It comes from the north of the land of Israel, from Lebanon and Hermon (Sirion), and sweeps past the territory of Judah in the south, dying away in the wilderness of Kadesh-barnea, where the people wandered so long after the exodus... The course of the storm is the course of the invasion of Israel's foes in the last days. God uses the enemy as His rod in a correction that works repentance. Then He comes Himself to deliver them. It is the "great and terrible day of the Lord," but it ends in refreshment, revival, and eternal salvation.
The psalm does not end in the storm. Its closing verses turn to those who have worshipped in the temple:
The closing verses give the blessed result for those who have been into the temple and worshipped the Lord in the beauty of holiness. They realize that whatever the storms of this world, the Lord is above them. However great the might of the mighty ones, the Lord is mightier. They may be mighty for a time; Jehovah is "King for ever."
- Named — Sirion is the Sidonian name for Hermon, a snow-capped peak of over 9,000 feet. The wild ox beside it is famous for a strength no one can tame or harness.
- Shaken — the untameable is made to jump. The trees stand for individual rulers and the mountains for the governments behind them; before God's voice, "all that is most stable quakes."
- Sifted — the storm has a route: from Lebanon and Hermon in the north, down past Judah. It also has a purpose. God uses the enemy as a rod to work repentance in His people.
- Softened — commentators differ on the leaping. One hears an animal bolting in fear. Another hears man's pride giving way to a willing response to God, even beyond Israel's borders.
- Settled — the storm is not the last word. Those who have worshipped in the temple know that the mighty are mighty only for a time: the Lord is King forever.
The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire.
Psalm 29 describes a storm. The phrase "the voice of the LORD" runs through it like a refrain, and here that voice is lightning. Translations differ over the verb. The ESV says the voice flashes the flames out. Older versions say it cuts or divides them. Either way, one question stands: what does a lightning bolt tell us about God?
One writer reads the whole psalm as a single advancing storm. The lightning in it is not random destruction. It opens a reign.
This psalm pictures the day of the Lord, when He will show Himself in wrath and in mercy, as a rushing thunderstorm... The fury of the storm breaks the mighty cedars of Lebanon. Those cedars stand for the high and exalted things that will be broken to pieces in that day... He shows Himself with flames of fire, the lightning of His righteousness, which brings in His glorious reign.
Scripture treats thunder as God speaking. One reference work traces the picture through the plagues on Egypt and back to Job.
Thunder is rare in Palestine, and Scripture treats it as the voice of God in power, both in the Old Testament of the past and in the Revelation of the future... In Psalm 78:48, which recounts the plagues of Egypt, hot thunderbolts consume the flocks. The word is resheph, and is also translated 'coals,' 'burning coals,' 'burning heat.' It surely means lightning, as when the 'fire of God' fell from heaven and burned up Job's sheep. Job 1:16.
One writer reads the verb as "divides." The fire is measured out, not simply poured out.
"The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire" (v. 7). He knows exactly how to bring His fiery judgments on each object of judgment so that they fit its condition. His judgment separates one case from another. He sees clearly what measure of judgment each one calls for.
The repeated phrase means more than thunder. Commentators tie it to the One who rules.
"The voice of Jehovah" is the main theme of this Psalm. In Scripture the phrase often stands for the ruling power of Christ, whose name is the Word of God (Isaiah 30:30-31; Psalm 2:6; compare Revelation 19:13).
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The same voice that divides fire once spoke at ordinary volume — and did greater things.
That voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh and bows the everlasting hills. It showed even greater force in the days when the despised Messiah waited in patience. The demons cried out in dread and came out against their will at the command of the gracious healer of His people, and He spoke no louder than any other man. The grave of Lazarus gave back its rotting occupant at the voice of Jesus... But mightier far than all these things was the power of that voice to speak into the souls of wretched sinners the divine assurance of forgiveness and of life.
The psalm ends in peace. One writer shows where the faithful are while the storm passes.
This psalm celebrates the power of "the voice of the Lord," who is also "the God of glory." (See v. 3) The last verses let us see the rest of the faithful and hear their joy, while this power passes by to destroy the wicked. Noah was in the ark while the waters rose. Lot was in Zoar while the fire fell on Sodom. Israel stayed behind their doors at Passover while the angel went through Egypt with the sword. In the same way the faithful remnant will one day rest in their rooms (Isaiah 26:20) and sing, while the appointed vengeance runs its course (Isaiah 30:32), and not a hair of theirs will perish.
The point of listing the storm's seven blows is not to frighten the faithful but to steady them.
Psalm 29 calls the mighty to hear the mightier voice of Jehovah, to acknowledge Him and worship before Him according to the holy order of His house... But this Jehovah is above the proud raging waves of created strength. He sits as King for ever, above it all and despite it all. And He, this mighty Jehovah, will give strength to His people and bless them with peace. This is real encouragement for the faithful. It is not their complaint or their appeal. It is a testimony to strengthen their hearts in the presence of the mighty. The One who cares for them is mightier than they are.
- Voice — Scripture treats thunder as God speaking in power. The flames in verse 7 are the lightning inside that speech.
- Measured — the fire is divided, not scattered. Each object of judgment gets what its condition calls for.
- Christ — commentators link "the voice of the LORD" to the ruling power of the One called the Word of God. That same voice once emptied a grave without being raised.
- Sheltered — while the fire falls, the faithful are indoors and singing, like Noah, Lot and Israel on their nights of judgment.
- Peace — the storm ends in blessing. The God who divides fire gives strength to His people and peace.
The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
Psalm 29 follows the voice of the Lord as it moves like a storm across the land. In verse 8 that voice reaches the far south, where nothing stands but empty desert. Why is even that bare ground shaken?
The thunder in this psalm is more than weather. One writer traces the storm's path across Israel and names what stands behind it.
The psalm pictures this great and overwhelming judgment of the day of the Lord as a storm sweeping through the land of Israel from north to south. It sets before us the unstoppable power of the Lord in judgment. We hear the voice of the Lord in the roar of the waters and the thunder of the waves. The storm breaks on the shore and hits the mountains of Lebanon and Hermon with full force, smashing the mighty cedars... Behind these destructive forces of nature is the mighty power of God, who will overwhelm the nations in the coming storm of judgment.
The name of the desert carries its own message — one that shuts down any hope of sitting the day out.
The name Kadesh means "apartness." But you may cut yourself off from everyone, even in a lonely, deserted wilderness, and you will still not escape the judgment of God in the coming day. Some may claim to be "neutral," but God will show that no one is neutral. People are either for Him or against Him. The voice of the Lord will shake them in that day.
Kadesh was not simply an empty name to Israel. It was the site of some of their hardest memories.
It was one of the stopping places of the Israelites. They stayed there a long time, and from there the twelve spies were sent into the land. At the end of the thirty-eight years of wandering they came back to Kadesh, and Miriam died and was buried there. It was here also that Moses struck the rock when the people complained for water... We know it lay in the far south of the land.
Behind the thunder is a person. One writer takes the psalm's cedars and waters as more than scenery.
The cedars seem to stand for the princes and the great waters for the peoples. In the day that will burn like an oven, the strength of the princes will be broken and the crowds of the peoples reduced to few. "The voice of Jehovah" is the great theme of the psalm, and in Scripture that phrase often shows the ruling power of Christ, whose name is the Word of God (Isa. 30:30-31; Ps. 2:6; Joel 3:16, etc.; cp. Rev. 19:13).
The voice that shakes a desert was heard on earth at ordinary volume, and its greatest work was not destruction.
That voice shakes the wilderness of Kadesh and makes the everlasting hills bow. Yet it showed even greater force in the days when the despised Messiah waited patiently. At the command of the gracious healer of His people, the demons came out against their will, crying out in dread, though He spoke no louder than any other man. At the voice of Jesus, the grave of Lazarus gave back its decaying occupant... But far mightier than all of this was the power of that voice to speak into the souls of wretched sinners God's own assurance of forgiveness and life.
The psalm's closing verses turn from the storm to the people who rest through it.
This psalm celebrates the power of "the voice of the Lord," who is also "the God of glory." The last verses let us see the rest and hear the joy of the faithful, while that power passes by to destroy the wicked. Noah sat in the ark while the waters rose. Lot sat in Zoar while fire fell on Sodom. Israel sat behind their Passover doors while the angel went through Egypt with the sword. In the same way the remnant will one day rest in their own rooms (Isa. 26:20), and have a song as well, while the sentence of vengeance runs its course.
- The voice — the thunder running through this psalm is God's voice in judgment. Scripture links that voice to the ruling power of Christ, whose name is the Word of God.
- The reach — the storm sweeps the land from north to south. Kadesh lies in the far south, so nothing is left outside its path.
- The name — Kadesh means "apartness." The shaking of that lonely desert says no one escapes by keeping to himself. No one is neutral.
- The mercy — the same voice drove out demons and called Lazarus from the grave. Its greatest work was to speak forgiveness and life into sinners, and it was no louder than any other man's.
- The rest — while that power passes by to destroy the wicked, the faithful are safe, like Noah in the ark and Israel behind the Passover doors. They even have a song while judgment runs its course.
The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests; and in his temple doth every one say, Glory!
The psalm has been tracking a storm: seven times the voice of the LORD breaks cedars and shakes the wilderness. Here that voice both gives life and lays waste, and then the scene moves indoors — which raises the question why terror outside and worship inside share one verse.
The same power that shatters the cedars also opens the womb. Both belong to the one voice. One writer holds the two together: life given, and everything laid open.
But then comes a beautiful addition: "The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth" (v. 9). The same voice that judges the wicked has power to give life to the deer. By implication it gives life to every soul who submits to His sovereign government. Besides this His voice "strips the forests bare." Does this not remind us that "all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13)? When someone is born again, he welcomes this exposure to the eyes of God. Such stripping is not so welcome to the unbeliever. It may seem strange that this is added: "in His temple all cry, 'Glory!'" But when our hearts are truly laid open before God, we will so value the holiness of His presence — His sanctuary — that we will respond with glad rejoicing, glorifying the One whose voice does such great things.
Read prophetically, the two halves of the line are two halves of one work — and the verse marks the end of the whole psalm's story.
The final verse gives us the end in two ways. First, the deer is made to give birth: the new birth comes for the nation, hastened by that terrible visitation which God uses to bring blessing. On the other hand, the forests are stripped, and that is the work of judgment itself. So the work of Him who is perfect in it all has two sides. And in His temple — the place where He is seen and known — "all of it" proclaims His "glory." I do not think that means the temple itself or the people in it, which would not fit the line of truth here; it is all His work itself that proclaims His glory. This is the perfect end of all.
The same writer links this birth to a promise of a nation born at once. The shocks that frighten the deer are the means.
The earth will still be shaking with shocks of upheaval, which both the Old and New Testaments assure us will come. God will use these shocks to make the frightened deer give birth (Ps. 29:9) — the nation of Israel born spiritually in this way, as in one day (Isa. 66:8).
Everyone hears the storm, but the cry "Glory!" rises in one place. That is the point of the shift to the temple: the voice shows its power outside, and inside people understand it.
Psalm 29 calls the mighty to hear the mightier voice of Jehovah, to own Him and to worship before Him according to the holy order of His house. It celebrates the power of His voice in all creation. But there is a place of intelligent worship where His glory is understood — His temple, where men are to come.
The word said there is one word, and everyone says it. That makes the temple unlike every other gathering place.
The centre is His temple, for there "doth everyone speak of His glory" — "in His temple doth everyone say Glory!" (N. Tr.). In His temple there is no discordant note; the praise is universal and forever.
Commentators differ over the Hebrew here. Some translate it "everyone says, Glory"; older margins read "every whit of it utters glory," making the speaker the temple and its contents rather than the worshippers. The Numerical Bible takes the second line further, applying it not to the building but to God's work itself, which "all of it" proclaims His glory. Read of the sanctuary, the phrase covers even its furniture — every object made to say something about God.
he ministered unto the Lord in the presence of Eli. Though himself but a child, he ministered to the Lord — a little Levite indeed, serving Jehovah as best his infant years permitted, caring for the things about "the tent of testimony," the holy vessels and utensils, all of which were intended to express God's glory under various figures. (See Ps. 29:9, marg.)
Thunder reaches every ear, yet its meaning is not obvious to every ear. The verse implies where the meaning is learned.
Only those who know the presence of the Lord can understand how His glory shows in all His works. The awesome thunder really is God's voice to people, calling them to listen to Him. But if we are to understand God's will and to discern His glory, we must know what it means to be found in the secret of His presence.
- One voice. The voice that strips the forest also brings the deer to birth — judgment and life come from the same speaker.
- One work. In the future, the birth is a nation born spiritually; the stripping is the judgment that hastens it.
- One place. Everyone hears the storm; only in the temple, the place of intelligent worship, do people understand the glory.
- One word. Inside, nothing clashes: every voice says "Glory," and one writer hears all God's work saying it too.
- One condition. God's works only preach His glory to those who know His presence; away from the sanctuary, thunder stays mere thunder.
Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as king for ever.
Psalm 29 has been one long storm. This verse comes when the noise stops, and it names the One who sat above the storm the whole time.
The word behind "flood" here is not the ordinary word for rising water. It is tied to one event, and commentators ask how far that tie reaches.
The "flood" (mabbul) is a word used in Scripture only for what destroyed the world in Noah's day. It does not follow that the direct application is to that, and yet the reference must not be brushed aside. Here is now a second Flood, of which that old flood was in fact a type. Another world has now come to an end, and a wholly new state of things follows. At this flood too Jehovah has sat enthroned; and Jehovah now sits (openly) as King forever.
A flood can also mean a crowd of people in uproar. Read that way, the throne above the water says something about how God handles nations.
Jehovah sits on the floods, is above them, and rules to His own purposes all the tumultuous movements of the mass of peoples. He sits too as King forever. As He is above the swellings of men, so He sits in sure, unmoved government forever. But then there is the connection with His people. He gives them strength; He blesses them with peace. Verse 10 is the possession of power over all and in Himself; verse 11 is what He is for the people.
Noah's flood is not the end of the story. Commentators read the verse as a pattern for a judgment still to come.
The majesty and dignity of the Lord is now emphasized, His sitting enthroned at the Flood. He was in perfect control of the flood of Noah's day. In the same way, He will sit enthroned when the awesome flood of God's judgment sweeps over the whole earth at the time of the Great Tribulation (v. 10). He will sit as King forever, subduing everything before His face.
This verse comes after the thunder, not during it. The psalm keeps repeating one name — Jehovah, which most Bibles print as "the LORD" — and one writer says whose name it is.
The storm is past. The Lord has come. The judgment flood is gone. Jehovah has now taken His throne. He is King and blesses His people with peace. The name of Jehovah is found eighteen times in this Psalm, and this Jehovah is our ever-blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
If He sits over the flood, His people are not swept away by it. Three pictures follow, and each has the same shape: the faithful safe inside, judgment at work outside.
The last verses show us the rest of the faithful and let us hear their joys, while this power passes by to destroy the ungodly. Noah was in the ark while the waters were spreading. Lot was in Zoar while fire fell on Sodom. Israel stayed behind their Passover doors while the angel went through Egypt with the sword. In the same way, the faithful remnant will soon rest in their rooms (Isa. 26:20). They will have a song as well, while the appointed vengeance takes its course (Isa. 30:32), and not a hair will perish.
That same throne is where Jesus Himself rested, and the writer offers the reader the same place.
The God whom He served was behind every circumstance. He sat above the water-flood and put a strong bridle on the mouth of the storm. It could not rage beyond His permission. His love would keep His loved One in all His ways, and the ever-blessed and completely dependent Jesus rested there. And, Christian, He gives that pillow to you, so that you may find rest in the middle of trouble.
- Flood. The word here is the word for Noah's deluge, and Scripture uses it almost nowhere else. It sets the Lord above the one judgment everyone remembers.
- Throne. He does not just outlast the flood. He sits over it, above the raging of nations, and rules their uproar toward His own purposes.
- Forever. The seat outlasts the storm. When the judgment water drains away, the King is still there. Commentators name this Jehovah as the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Shelter. He keeps His own while the waters rise — Noah in the ark, Israel behind the Passover door. They are safe enough to sing while judgment runs its course.
- Peace. Verse 10 is His power in Himself. Verse 11 is that power turned toward His people: He gives them strength, and He blesses them with peace.
Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
The psalm has been one long storm of thunder, snapping cedars and shaking wilderness. It ends with two quiet gifts for a small people: strength and peace.
Before the psalm gives anything to His people, it seats God above the floods.
Jehovah sits on the floods. He is above all the wild movements of the mass of peoples, and He rules them to His own purposes. He sits too as King for ever. As He is above the swellings of men, so He sits in sure, unmoved government for ever. But then there is the connection with His people. He gives them strength; He blesses them with peace. Verse 10 is the possession of power over all and in Himself; verse 11, what He is for the people. It is a call to the mighty to own Jehovah, and the sure blessing of Israel.
Many psalms ask God for something. Older translations read this closing line as a promise, not a request: "the LORD will give strength to his people."
This mighty Jehovah will give strength to His people and bless them with peace. It is a positive encouragement for the faithful; not their complaint or appeal, but a testimony for them to encourage their hearts in the presence of the mighty. He that cares for them is mightier than they.
God alone wins the victory in this psalm. One writer traces where the good of it goes, and why the world's search for peace keeps failing.
While He alone gains the victory, He will not enjoy it alone. Rather, He "will give strength to His people" (v. 11). They will have found by painful experience that they are pitifully weak. But in depending on the strong One, they will find wonderful strength. He will also "bless his people with peace." What marvellous peace, after centuries of trouble! Today the whole world is crying out for peace. But peace has escaped them, because they have refused the one Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus.
The order of the two gifts matters. One writer sees it acted out in the Gospels, in a woman who came to Jesus afraid.
Here the woman who came to the Lord in fear and trembling is told to depart in peace. The Prince of peace gave His royal gift to a woman whose sorrow of heart had broken her spirit (Proverbs 15:13). At the same time He proved Himself to be the Jehovah of prophecy, giving first strength and then peace: "May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!" (Psalm 29:11).
The promise has an address. It lands on people who worship.
The closing verses give the blessed result. It belongs to those who have been into the temple and worshipped the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Such realise that whatever the storms of this world, the Lord is above them. However great the might of the mighty ones, the Lord is mightier. They may be mighty for a time; Jehovah is "King for ever."
What ties these worshippers to God is His revealed name.
His name has been revealed. Glory is due to Him as revealed, to His name. That name reveals Himself, and it is also the name of His relationship with His people. There He has placed His name, to form a centre where they gather and a revealed place of worship.
The peace promised here is not peace because the storm has stopped. It is rest inside the storm, and Scripture keeps picturing it.
The last verses let us see the rest of the faithful and hear their joys. All this time God's power is passing by to destroy the wicked. Think of Noah in the ark while the waters were spreading. Think of Lot in Zoar while fire fell on Sodom. Think of Israel inside their Passover doors while the angel went through Egypt with the sword. In the same way, the remnant will rest in their rooms one day (Isaiah 26:20). They will have a song too, while the appointed vengeance runs its course (Isaiah 30:32), and not a hair will perish.
Commentators differ on timing. Some tie the promise to Israel's blessing still ahead. Others show it already at work in the Gospels.
- Storm — Thunder, broken cedars and a shaking wilderness are the voice of God. He is mightier than the mighty of the earth.
- Throne — Verse 10 shows His own power. He sits as King forever above the floods. Verse 11 turns that power toward His people.
- Strength — He wins alone, but He does not enjoy it alone. People who have learned how weak they are find real strength by depending on the strong One.
- Peace — The gifts come in order: strength first, then peace. The Prince of Peace sent a trembling woman away in peace.
- Glory — Worshippers carry the result away. Whatever the storms of this world, the Lord is above them, and His people rest while judgment passes by.