Psalm 29

Psalm 29 belongs to Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41), and its superscription reads "A Psalm of David." The preceding Psalm 28 ends with a plea that God would be the strength and salvation of his people; this psalm concludes with the confession that the LORD gives strength and peace to his people.

Structure

• Verses 1–2: The psalmist summons the "mighty" to ascribe glory and strength to the LORD and to worship him in holy attire.
• Verses 3–9: "The voice of the LORD" thunders over many waters, breaks the cedars of Lebanon, makes Lebanon and Sirion skip like a calf, divides the flames of fire, and shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. In his temple everything cries, "Glory!"
• Verses 10–11: The LORD sits enthroned over the flood as King forever and blesses his people with strength and peace.

Key Verses

• Psalm 29:2 "Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." This verse is frequently cited as a call to worship.
• Psalm 29:10 "The LORD sitteth King for ever." This declares the kingship of the LORD over the forces of nature.
• Psalm 29:11 "The LORD will bless his people with peace." The psalm ends as the LORD's awesome majesty gives way to blessing for his people.

People and Places

• David: Named as the author in the superscription.
• The mighty: Those called to praise in verse 1. The Hebrew expression is close to "sons of God," so some interpret them as heavenly beings (angels), while others take them to be earthly rulers.
• Lebanon: A mountain region in northern Israel, famous for its cedars.
• Sirion: The name the Sidonians used for Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:9).
• The wilderness of Kadesh: Many identify it with the region around Kadesh Barnea in the south, though some identify it with Kadesh in the region of Syria.

Points for Reflection

• In verses 3–9, "the voice of the LORD" occurs seven times. The passage can be read as depicting a storm that begins over the sea, sweeps across the northern mountains, and passes on to the southern wilderness.
• A widely known view among scholars holds that the psalm borrows the form of hymns once sung to the Canaanite storm god Baal in order to declare that the LORD is the true King who rules the storm.
• The Hebrew word translated "flood" in verse 10 is said to be the same word used for Noah's Flood.
• In verse 9, some translations, following a different reading of the Hebrew, render the phrase concerning the "hinds" as "shakes the oaks."
• The superscription in the Septuagint adds words associated with the day of departing from the tabernacle, leading some interpreters to connect the psalm with the Feast of Tabernacles.
• In Christian interpretation, the voice of God sounding over the waters is sometimes read in connection with the voice from heaven heard at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:17).

In the Korean Church

Churches that follow the lectionary of the church calendar (a list of assigned readings for each season and feast) read this psalm on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord during the Epiphany season and on Trinity Sunday. Verse 2 is also sometimes quoted in the "call to worship" read at the opening of a service.