Psalms 29:8

8 Domine in voluntate tua praestitisti decori meo virtutem avertisti faciem tuam et factus sum conturbatus

Psalms 29:8 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 29:8

The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness
The ground of it, the trees in it, and the beasts that harbour there; and causes them to be in pain, and to bring forth their young, as the F7 word signifies, and as it is rendered in ( Psalms 29:9 ) ; all which effects thunder produces, and may mystically signify the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and the consequence of it. The Gentile world may be compared to a wilderness, and is called the wilderness of the people, ( Ezekiel 20:35 ) ; the inhabitants of it being ignorant, barren, and unfruitful; and the conversion of them is expressed by turning a wilderness into a fruitful land, ( Isaiah 35:1 Isaiah 35:2 Isaiah 35:6 Isaiah 35:7 ) ( Isaiah 41:18 Isaiah 41:19 ) ; and the Gospel being sent thither has been the means of shaking the minds of many with strong and saving convictions; which made them tremble and cry out, what shall we do to be saved?

the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh;
which was the terrible wilderness that the children of Israel passed through to Canaan's land; the same with the wilderness of Zin, ( Numbers 33:36 ) ; and was called Kadesh from the city of that name, on the borders of Edom, ( Numbers 20:1 Numbers 20:16 ) ; the Targum paraphrases it,

``The word of the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Rekam;''

in the Targum in the King's Bible it is,

``makes the serpents in the wilderness of Rekam to tremble;''

but that thunder frightens them, I have not met with in any writer.


FOOTNOTES:

F7 (lyxy) "parturire faciet", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis; "dolore parturientis afflicit", Piscator.

Psalms 29:8 In-Context

6 quoniam ira in indignatione eius et vita in voluntate eius ad vesperum demorabitur fletus et ad matutinum laetitia
7 ego autem dixi in abundantia mea non movebor in aeternum
8 Domine in voluntate tua praestitisti decori meo virtutem avertisti faciem tuam et factus sum conturbatus
9 ad te Domine clamabo et ad Deum meum deprecabor
10 quae utilitas in sanguine meo dum descendo in corruptionem numquid confitebitur tibi pulvis aut adnuntiabit veritatem tuam
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.