Psalms 29 Study Notes: God Speaks in the Thunderstorm
The heavenly beings are called to honor the LORD as His name deserves. A mighty thunderstorm sweeping over waters, forests, and wilderness displays the power of God's voice. The psalm ends with the LORD reigning as King over the flood and giving His people strength and peace.
General
Whom does 29:1 first call on to give glory and strength to the LORD?
Answer: The heavenly beings
The psalm opens by calling the heavenly beings to credit glory and strength to the LORD. To ascribe means to give credit where it is due: they are to give Him the honor His name deserves and worship Him in holy splendor (29:1-2). If even the mighty beings of heaven must bow, how much more should people on earth. Other psalms call God's angels to bless and praise Him (103:20; 148:2), and John sees countless angels around the throne giving glory to the Lamb (Revelation 5:11-12).
- Psalm 29:1-2 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”The psalm summons the heavenly beings to give the LORD the glory He deserves.
- Psalm 103:20 (BSB)“Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.”God's mighty angels are called to bless Him.
- Psalm 148:2 (BSB)“Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.”All God's angels and heavenly hosts are called to praise Him.
- Revelation 5:11-12 (BSB)“Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels encircling the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!””Countless angels around the throne give glory to the Lamb.
Theological
Who are summoned to ascribe glory and strength to the LORD in 29:1?
Answer: The heavenly beings
The call to worship is addressed first to the heavenly beings, who are to credit the LORD with glory, strength, and the honor proper to His name, worshiping Him in holy splendor (29:1-2). The heavenly court itself is summoned to acknowledge His supremacy, as in 103:20 and 148:2, and Revelation shows the angelic host ascribing glory to the Lamb (Revelation 5:11-12).
- Psalm 29:1-2 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”The psalm summons the heavenly beings to give the LORD the glory He deserves.
- Psalm 103:20 (BSB)“Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.”God's mighty angels are called to bless Him.
- Psalm 148:2 (BSB)“Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.”All God's angels and heavenly hosts are called to praise Him.
- Revelation 5:11-12 (BSB)“Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels encircling the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!””Countless angels around the throne give glory to the Lamb.
General
In the midst of the storm, what does 29:10 affirm about the LORD?
Answer: He reigns as King forever, ruling even the flood
As the storm rages, everyone in His temple cries out in praise of His glory (29:9). The LORD is seated as King above the flood and rules forever (29:10). The word for the flood here recalls the great flood of Noah's day (Genesis 7:17), when God also ruled over the waters and afterward promised never again to wipe out all life with such waters (Genesis 9:11). Another psalm says the LORD above is mightier than the roaring seas (93:3-4).
- Psalm 29:9-10 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.”All in the temple cry glory as the LORD reigns as King over the flood forever.
- Genesis 7:17 (BSB)“For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.”The flood of Noah's day, which the flood of 29:10 recalls.
- Genesis 9:11 (BSB)“And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.””After the flood God covenanted never again to destroy the earth by water.
- Psalm 93:3-4 (BSB)“The floodwaters have risen, O LORD; the rivers have raised their voice; the seas lift up their pounding waves. Above the roar of many waters—the mighty breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is majestic.”The LORD is shown to be mightier than the raging waters.
Theological
What does 29:10 declare about the LORD's reign amid the storm?
Answer: He reigns as King forever, ruling even the flood
The storm ends in the temple, where all ascribe glory (29:9), and in a confession of kingship: the LORD reigns as King above the flood, for all time (29:10). The flood recalls the deluge of Noah's day (Genesis 7:17), over which God also ruled and after which He covenanted never again to destroy all flesh by water (Genesis 9:11). His kingship over the waters is celebrated again in 93:3-4.
- Psalm 29:9-10 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.”All in the temple cry glory as the LORD reigns as King over the flood forever.
- Genesis 7:17 (BSB)“For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.”The flood of Noah's day, which the flood of 29:10 recalls.
- Genesis 9:11 (BSB)“And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.””After the flood God covenanted never again to destroy the earth by water.
- Psalm 93:3-4 (BSB)“The floodwaters have risen, O LORD; the rivers have raised their voice; the seas lift up their pounding waves. Above the roar of many waters—the mighty breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is majestic.”The LORD is shown to be mightier than the raging waters.
General
True or False: Psalm 29 ends with the LORD giving strength to His people and blessing them with peace.
Answer: True
This is true. The psalm that began with heavenly beings giving strength to God ends with God giving strength to His people and blessing them with peace (29:11). The same power that thunders in the storm is turned to the good of those who belong to Him. The priestly blessing asked the LORD to grant His people peace (Numbers 6:24-26), Jesus gives His own peace to His followers (John 14:27), and God's peace guards believers in Christ (Philippians 4:7).
- Psalm 29:11 (BSB)“The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.”The psalm ends with the LORD strengthening His people and blessing them with peace.
- Numbers 6:24-26 (BSB)“‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’”The priestly blessing asks the LORD to give His people peace.
- John 14:27 (BSB)“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.”Jesus gives His own peace to His followers.
- Philippians 4:7 (BSB)“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”God's peace guards the hearts and minds of those in Christ.
Theological
True or False: Psalm 29 closes with the LORD bestowing strength and peace on His people.
Answer: True
This is true. The psalm forms a deliberate reversal: heavenly beings ascribe strength to the LORD (29:1), and the LORD gives strength to His people and blesses them with peace (29:11). The sovereign power displayed in the storm is covenant power exercised for His people, the peace of the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), given in fullness by Christ (John 14:27) and guarding the hearts of believers (Philippians 4:7).
- Psalm 29:11 (BSB)“The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.”The psalm ends with the LORD strengthening His people and blessing them with peace.
- Numbers 6:24-26 (BSB)“‘May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.’”The priestly blessing asks the LORD to give His people peace.
- John 14:27 (BSB)“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.”Jesus gives His own peace to His followers.
- Philippians 4:7 (BSB)“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”God's peace guards the hearts and minds of those in Christ.
General
In 29:3-9, what does the repeated picture of a great storm display?
Answer: The majestic power of the LORD's voice over creation
Again and again the psalm speaks of the LORD's voice, heard in a mighty thunderstorm. It thunders over the waters, splinters Lebanon's cedars, makes the mountains leap like young animals, strikes with fire like lightning, shakes the Kadesh wilderness, and leaves the forests bare (29:3-9). The storm sweeps from the waters across the northern mountains of Lebanon and Sirion, another name for Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:8-9), and on into the wilderness. Every part of creation is under the command of His word. Job also hears the thunder as God's majestic voice (Job 37:4-5), and the heavens themselves were made by His word (33:6).
- Psalm 29:3-9 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!””The LORD's voice is heard in a storm that shakes waters, mountains, wilderness, and forest.
- Deuteronomy 3:8-9 (BSB)“At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon— which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir—”Sirion is identified as another name for Mount Hermon in the far north.
- Job 37:4-5 (BSB)“Then there comes a roaring sound; He thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His voice resounds. God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend.”Thunder is likewise described as God's majestic voice doing wonders.
- Psalm 33:6 (BSB)“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.”The same word of the LORD that thunders in the storm created the heavens.
Theological
What do the thunderstorm images of 29:3-9 set forth?
Answer: The majestic power of the LORD's voice over creation
The sevenfold refrain of the LORD's voice presents the thunderstorm as a display of His sovereign power: over the waters, through the cedars of the north, across Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon, Deuteronomy 3:8-9), into the Kadesh wilderness, and through the forests (29:3-9). Mountains, wilderness, and forest all tremble at His word. Job describes the same majestic thunder (Job 37:4-5), and the word that shakes creation is the word that made it (33:6).
- Psalm 29:3-9 (BSB)“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is heard over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!””The LORD's voice is heard in a storm that shakes waters, mountains, wilderness, and forest.
- Deuteronomy 3:8-9 (BSB)“At that time we took from the two kings of the Amorites the land across the Jordan, from the Arnon Valley as far as Mount Hermon— which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir—”Sirion is identified as another name for Mount Hermon in the far north.
- Job 37:4-5 (BSB)“Then there comes a roaring sound; He thunders with His majestic voice. He does not restrain the lightning when His voice resounds. God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things we cannot comprehend.”Thunder is likewise described as God's majestic voice doing wonders.
- Psalm 33:6 (BSB)“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.”The same word of the LORD that thunders in the storm created the heavens.