Psalms 29:1

PSALM 29

THE PSALM OF THE SEVEN THUNDERS

This is one of the most beautiful psalms in the Bible, called a "Psalm of sublime grandeur," by Dummelow, "Awe-inspiring poetry," by Yates and, "A magnificent description of a thunder-storm rolling over the land," by Maclaren.

We have adopted the title here that was used by Delitzsch.[1] There is no good reason for rejecting the ancient inscription which labels this as "A Psalm of David."

This psalm has: (1) a prelude (Psalms 29:1-2); (2) a description of the mighty thunderstorm (Psalms 29:3-9); and (3) a postlude (Psalms 29:10-11).

Anyone who has ever been in a really violent thunderstorm can truly appreciate this reference to nature in a violent mood.

A number of dependable scholars tell us that this psalm, in form and terminology, resembles, "Ancient Canaanite poems from 1400 to 1300 B.C., recently discovered at Ugarit in Syria."[2] However, as Rhodes pointed out, "The theology of this Psalm is Israelite, not Canaanite."[3] One of such ancient poems was somewhat similar to this psalm, extolling the might ascribed by the pagans to their storm-god Baal-Hadad. If indeed David made use of such a source, "His purpose was polemical, for this Psalm is a deliberate rejection of Canaanite polytheism. Here it is not Baal, but Jehovah, who is the God of the storm,"[4] not in some particular place, but all over the creation. In fact, "The name of Jehovah appears no less than eighteen times in this brief chapter."[5]

DeHoff identified the occasion for this psalm as that of the celebration, "Of that abundant rain which fell in the days of David, after the heavens had been shut up for three years" (2 Samuel 21:1-10).[6]

Kidner also pointed out that one of the happy features of this psalm is the transition, at the end of it, "From nature in an uproar to the people of God in peace."[7]

Psalms 29:1-2

THE PRELUDE

"Ascribe unto Jehovah, O ye sons of the mighty,

Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.

Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name;

Worship Jehovah in holy array."

"O ye sons of the mighty" (Psalms 29:1). The problem associated with this passage regards, "Who are these sons of the mighty?" Addis and most critical scholars render this place, "`Sons of God,' meaning superhuman beings as in Genesis 6:1." The trouble with that is that Genesis 6:1 is not a reference either to superhuman beings or to angels of God but to ordinary humans who loved and served God.

See our full discussion of this question in Vol. 1 of our Pentateuch Series, Genesis, pp. 98,99, wherein are given seven unanswerable arguments against interpreting that passage as a reference to "angels." It is no such thing. If one wants to know who "sons of God are," let him read it in the Bible (1 John 3:1; Romans 8:14; Galatians 4:6, etc.). As for the references usually cited as supporting the view that angels are mentioned in Genesis 6, namely Job 1:8 and Daniel 3:25, etc., the word "angels" is not found in any of them.

Delitzsch and other usually dependable scholars have missed it completely here. He said, "It is not the mighty of earth who are here called to worship Jehovah, but the angels."[8] To which we bring up the question: "Since when did the Bible become a book for instructing the angels of God?" What kind of imagination is necessary for supposing that the Jewish King David could order the angels of heaven to fall down and worship God and to ascribe unto him "Glory?"

No! As F. F. Bruce, the noted scholar of Manchester, England, stated it, "The American Standard Version of 1901 is the most accurate of the versions for purposes of detailed study of the Bible." This verse is an outstanding example of that superiority.

Many others have also noted that, "The mighty ones of earth" are the ones here called to worship. We are grateful for the discernment of Ash who stated that, in this verse, "It is possible that the reference is to powerful nobles."[9]

"Bishop Horne over a hundred and fifty years ago gave the correct meaning here that, `The prophet addresses himself to the mighty ones of earth' exhorting them to give God the glory."[10] Yes, the persons here exhorted to "give God the Glory" are the rich, the powerful, the rulers and authorities of the world. The angels of heaven need no such exhortation, but the mighty of earth stand in the utmost need of it.

If any further proof of our interpretation is needed, let the student turn to Psalms 96:7f. "Where these two verses are quoted and addressed there to humanity at large,"[11]