Psalm 29 King James Version
29 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty[1], give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve[2], and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
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- What are the meteorological effects used by David?
- In what role would David have personally experienced these weather phenomena?
- Have you ever been caught in rough weather? How did it make you feel?
- What are other Biblical narratives involving weather storms?
- Why do you think this Psalm was chosen for the Baptism of Our Lord? What are the similarities and differences between Psalm 29 and St. Matthew 4: 13-17?
- To whom is the Psalm addressed: A. God; B. heavenly beings; C. Creation; D. Glory itself.
- Psalm 29 speaks of the “cedars of Lebanon” being broken. What was partially built from the cedars of Lebanon (cf. 1 Kings 5)? What would the breaking of the cedars of Lebanon and oak trees have meant to the Israelite worshiper of the LORD?
- What is “glory”?
- What is holiness? How would you describe the Holiness of God? The splendor of holiness? See Leviticus 20: 26; 1 Peter 1: 16. What is the reason for the holiness of Christians?
- What is the “voice of the Lord” (qal Adonai)? This phrase is used in this Psalm seven times. What does the number 7 symbolize in the Bible?
- “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood”: What does this verse remind us of in the Bible?
- In verse 11, the Lord will give “strength” and “peace”. What is “strength”? Peace?
From Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Psalms, by James Luther Mays:
[1] Or “heavenly beings”, Hebrew, “sons of God” or “sons of might”
[2] Or, “Possibly the sound of God’s voice frightens the deer, causing them to give birth early. However, the consonants in “deer” are the same as those “oaks”; this reading continues the idea that God’s voice shakes the trees.” (LSB footnote)
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