Psalms

Psalm 29

KJV

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Overview

Psalm 29 calls heavenly or mighty beings to ascribe glory and strength to the LORD, then portrays the LORD’s voice moving through a thunderstorm from the waters and Lebanon toward the wilderness. Cedars break, mountains skip, fire flashes, the wilderness shakes, and the whole temple answers, “Glory.” The closing verses confess the LORD enthroned as king and ask for strength and peace for his people. The storm is poetic theophany, not a weather forecast or permission to declare particular disasters direct punishment.

Setting and context

The superscription identifies Psalm 29 as “A Psalm of David,” without naming a historical incident. Verses 1–2 summon worship; verses 3–9 repeat “the voice of the LORD” across a powerful storm-theophany; verses 10–11 move from the flood and kingship to blessing, strength, and peace. The repeated divine voice gives the poem its central rhythm.

Themes

Ascribing glory and strength to the LORD · Worship in holiness · The voice of the LORD over the waters · Storm-theophany and creation imagery · Cedars, Lebanon and Sirion · Fire, wilderness and the temple cry of glory · The LORD enthroned as king · Strength and peace for God’s people

Reflection

Reading notes

The opening summons the “sons of the mighty” or heavenly beings to ascribe glory and strength to the LORD; the phrase should be handled with textual humility rather than turned into a hierarchy of human elites. The worshiper is called to give the LORD the glory due his name and worship in the beauty or splendor of holiness; worship is God-centered, not a performance for status. The voice of the LORD is over the waters and the God of glory thunders; the storm imagery portrays divine majesty without reducing every thunderstorm to a coded message about particular people. The voice of the LORD is powerful and full of majesty; the repeated phrase emphasizes divine authority rather than measurable acoustic force. The LORD’s voice breaks the cedars, even the cedars of Lebanon; the image magnifies divine power over what appears strong and enduring. Lebanon and Sirion are pictured skipping like young animals; the hyperbolic movement belongs to poetry and should not be treated as a geological description. The voice of the LORD divides or flashes flames of fire, an image commonly associated with lightning in the storm sequence; it is theological poetry, not a technique for predicting lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness, including Kadesh; the poem extends the storm’s reach without authorizing claims that earthquakes or storms prove targeted divine wrath. The LORD’s voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, while everything in his temple cries “Glory”; the verse combines vulnerable life, exposed creation and worship, with translation nuance around the animal imagery. The LORD sits enthroned over the flood and remains king forever; the image affirms sovereignty and should not be turned into a timetable, scientific model, or prediction of a new flood. The psalm ends by asking the LORD to give strength to his people and bless them with peace; divine peace does not guarantee exemption from conflict, illness, disaster, or the need for prudent action.

Key passages

Psalm 29:2: The worshiper is called to give the LORD the glory due his name and worship in the beauty or splendor of holiness; worship is God-centered, not a performance for status. The worshiper is called to give the LORD the glory due his name and worship in the beauty or splendor of holiness; worship is God-centered, not a performance for status. Psalm 29:4: The voice of the LORD is powerful and full of majesty; the repeated phrase emphasizes divine authority rather than measurable acoustic force. The voice of the LORD is powerful and full of majesty; the repeated phrase emphasizes divine authority rather than measurable acoustic force. Psalm 29:9: The LORD’s voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, while everything in his temple cries “Glory”; the verse combines vulnerable life, exposed creation and worship, with translation nuance around the animal imagery. The LORD’s voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, while everything in his temple cries “Glory”; the verse combines vulnerable life, exposed creation and worship, with translation nuance around the animal imagery. Psalm 29:10: The LORD sits enthroned over the flood and remains king forever; the image affirms sovereignty and should not be turned into a timetable, scientific model, or prediction of a new flood. The LORD sits enthroned over the flood and remains king forever; the image affirms sovereignty and should not be turned into a timetable, scientific model, or prediction of a new flood. Psalm 29:11: The psalm ends by asking the LORD to give strength to his people and bless them with peace; divine peace does not guarantee exemption from conflict, illness, disaster, or the need for prudent action. The psalm ends by asking the LORD to give strength to his people and bless them with peace; divine peace does not guarantee exemption from conflict, illness, disaster, or the need for prudent action.

Questions readers ask

Ascribe glory to the LORD? Verses 1–2 summon heavenly or mighty beings to give the LORD the glory due his name and to worship in holiness. The voice of the LORD in the storm? Verses 3–9 repeat the voice of the LORD through waters, thunder, cedars, mountains, fire and wilderness until all in the temple cry “Glory.” The LORD reigns and blesses with peace? Verses 10–11 confess the LORD enthroned over the flood and as king forever, then ask him to give strength and peace to his people.