Psalms 29:8

8 the voice of the Lord shaking desert; and the Lord shall stir (al)together the desert of Kadesh. (the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.)

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 And he shall all-break them to dust, as a calf of the Lebanon; and the darling was as the son of an unicorn. (And he maketh Lebanon to jump like a calf; and Sirion to leap like a young wild ox.)
7 The voice of the Lord parting the flame(s) of fire; (The voice of the Lord sendeth out flashes of lightning;)
8 the voice of the Lord shaking desert; and the Lord shall stir (al)together the desert of Kadesh. (the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.)
9 The voice of the Lord making ready harts (to calve), and he shall show thick things; and in his temple all men shall say glory. (The voice of the Lord maketh the harts to calve, and bringeth the goat kids early to their birth; and in his Temple everyone shall shout, Glory!)
10 The Lord maketh to inhabit the great flood; and the Lord shall sit king (into) without end. (The Lord ruleth over the great flood/The Lord ruleth over the deep waters; and the Lord shall sit as King forever.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.