Psalms 29:8

8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes 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 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.