Psalms 29:3-9

3 The 1voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory 2thunders, The LORD is over 3many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is 4powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces 5the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon 6skip like a calf, And 7Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of 8Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes 9the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And 10in His temple everything says, "Glory!"

Psalms 29:3-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 29

\\<>\\. In the Vulgate Latin version is added, "at the finishing of the tabernacle"; suggesting that this psalm was composed at that time, and on that occasion; not at the finishing of the tabernacle by Moses, but at the finishing of the tent or tabernacle which David made for the ark in Zion, 2Sa 6:17. The title in the Arabic version is, ``a prophecy concerning the incarnation, ark, and tabernacle.'' In the Septuagint version, from whence the Vulgate seems to have taken the clause, it is, at the "exodion", "exit", or "going out of the tabernacle"; that is, of the feast of tabernacles; and which was the eighth day of the feast, and was called true, which word the Septuagint renders exodion, the word here used, Le 23:36, Nu 29:35; though it was on the first of the common days of this feast that this psalm was sung, as Maimonides {w} says. Some think it was composed when the psalmist was in a thunder storm, or had lately been in one, which he in a very beautiful manner describes. Kimchi thinks it refers to the times of the Messiah; and it may indeed be very well interpreted of the Gospel, and is very suitable to Gospel times. {w} Hilchot Tamidin, c. 10. s. 11.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Psalms 104:7
  • 2. Job 37:4, 5; Psalms 18:13
  • 3. Psalms 18:16; Psalms 107:23
  • 4. Psalms 68:33
  • 5. Judges 9:15; 1 Kings 5:6; Psalms 104:16; Isaiah 2:13; Isaiah 14:8
  • 6. Psalms 114:4, 6
  • 7. Deuteronomy 3:9
  • 8. Numbers 13:26
  • 9. Job 39:1
  • 10. Psalms 26:8

Footnotes 3

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