Psalm 29:3-10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 29:1-11

In this psalm we have, I. A demand of the homage of the great men of the earth to be paid to the great God. Every clap of thunder David interpreted as a call to himself and other princes to give glory to the great God. Observe, 1. Who they are that are called to this duty: ?O you mighty (Ps. 29:1), you sons of the mighty, who have power, and on whom that power is devolved by succession and inheritance, who have royal blood running in your veins!? It is much for the honour of the great God that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 Pausan. Arcad. sive l. 8. p. 503. 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 Psalm 18:13 ; and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, Jeremiah... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:4

The voice of the Lord is powerful ,.... Or "with power" F1 בכח "in potentia", Pagninus, Montanus; "cum potentia", Cocceius, Michaelis; "with able power", Ainsworth. ; as thunder, in the effect of it, shows; and so is the Gospel, when it comes, not in word only, but is attended with the power of God to the conversion and salvation of souls; it is then quick and powerful, Hebrews 4:12 ; and the word of Christ personal, when here on earth, was with power, Luke 4:32 ; the voice... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:5

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ,.... Such an effect thunder has upon the tallest, strongest, and largest trees, as to break them into shivers; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon ; a mountain in the north part of the land of Judea, so called from its whiteness, both by reason of the snow with which some part of it is covered in summer, as Tacitus observes F2 Hist. l. 5. c. 6. ; and partly from the colour of the earth that has no snow on it, which looks as white... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:6

He maketh them also to skip like a calf ,.... That is, the cedars, the branches being broken off, or they torn up by the roots, and tossed about by the wind; which motion is compared to that of a calf that leaps and skips about; Lebanon and Sirion, like a young unicorn ; that is, these mountains move and skip about through the force of thunder, and the violence of an earthquake attending it; so historians report that mountains have moved from place to place, and they have met and dashed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:7

The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. Or "cutteth with flames of fire" F5 חצב להבות אש "caedit cum flammis ignis", Cocceius, Gejerus. ; that is, the thunder breaks through the clouds with flames of fire, or lightning, as that is sometimes called, Psalm 105:32 ; and with which it cleaves asunder trees and masts of ships, cuts and hews them down, and divides them into a thousand shivers. Some refer this, in the figurative and mystical sense, to the giving of the law... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 יחיל "parturire faciet", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis; "dolore parturientis afflicit", Piscator. word signifies, and as it is rendered in Psalm 29:9 ; all which effects thunder produces, and may mystically signify the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles, and the consequence... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:9

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve ,.... Which being timorous creatures, the bringing forth of their young, which is naturally very painful and difficult, is lessened and facilitated by thunder; they being either so frightened with it that they feel not their pains; or their pains, being hastened by it, become more easy; and naturalists observe, that the time of bringing forth their young is at that season of the year when thunder is most frequent; see Job 39:1 . Thunder has a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:10

The Lord sitteth upon the flood ,.... Noah's flood; which is always designed by the word here used, the Lord sat and judged the old world for its wickedness, and brought a flood upon them, and destroyed them; and then he abated it, sent a wind to assuage the waters, stopped up the windows of heaven, and the fountains of the great deep, and restrained rain from heaven; and he now sits upon the confidence of waters in the heavens, at the time of a thunder storm, which threatens with an... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 29:3

The voice of the Lord - Thunder, so called, Exodus 9:23 , Exodus 9:28 , Exodus 9:29 ; Job 37:4 ; Psalm 18:13 ; Isaiah 30:30 . On this subject see the note on Job 37:4 , where there is a particular description of the nature and generation of thunder; and of the lightning, clap, rain, and other phenomena which accompany it. Upon many waters - The clouds, which Moses calls the waters which are above the firmament. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 29:1-11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 29:10

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 29:3

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