Psalm 29:3

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory has thundered: the Lord is upon many waters.

Psalm 29:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 29:3

The voice of the Lord [is] upon the waters
What follows concerning thunder, the voice of the Lord, gives so many reasons why he should have glory given him and be worshipped; the Heathens ^F25 paid their devotion to thunder and lightning: but this should be done to the author of them; which may be literally understood of thunder, and is the voice of the Lord; see ( Psalms 18:13 ) ( Job 40:9 ) ; and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, ( Jeremiah 10:13 ) ; and is very terrible upon the waters, and has its effect there, ( Psalms 104:7 ) ; and this is the rather mentioned, because that there is a God above, who is higher than the mighty, who are called upon to give glory to him, and because that thunder has been terrible to kings and great men of the earth; or this may be figuratively interpreted of the voice of Christ in the Gospel, which reaches to many nations and people, compared to waters, ( Revelation 17:15 ) . The disciples had a commission to preach it to all nations, and the sound of their words went into all the world, ( Romans 10:18 ) ;

the God of glory thundereth;
this shows that thunder may be meant by the voice of the Lord, who is glorious in himself, and in all his works; and may be applied to the Gospel of Christ, who is the Lord of glory, and whose ministers, at least some of them, are sons of thunder; see ( 1 Corinthians 2:8 ) ( Mark 3:17 ) ;

the Lord [is] upon many waters;
that is, his voice is, as before, which is thunder; and that this belongs to God, the Heathens were so sensible of, that they called their chief deity Jupiter Tonans ^F26.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Pausan. Arcad. sive l. 8. p. 503.
F26 Horat. Epod. l. 5. Ode 2. v. 29. Martial. l. 2. Ep. 95.

Psalm 29:3 In-Context

1 Bring to the Lord, ye sons of God, bring to the Lord young rams; bring to the Lord glory and honour.

2 Bring to the Lord glory, due to his name; worship the lord in his holy court.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory has thundered: the Lord is upon many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 There is the voice of the Lord who breaks the cedars; the Lord will break the cedars of Libanus.

6 And he will beat them small, even Libanus itself, like a calf; and the beloved one is as a young unicorn.

7 There is a voice of the Lord who divides a flame of fire.

8 A voice of the Lord who shakes the wilderness; the Lord will shake the wilderness of Cades.

9 The voice of the Lord strengthens the hinds, and will uncover the thickets: and in his temple every one speaks of his glory.

10 The Lord will dwell on the waterflood: and the Lord will sit a king for ever.

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