Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 29

Give to the Lord - Ascribe to Yahweh; or, recognize Him as entitled to what is here ascribed to Him. The word cannot be understood, as we commonly understand it, to mean imparting to another, or granting to another what He does not currently possess - for God is always in possession of what is here ascribed to Him.

O you mighty - Margin, as in Hebrew, “you sons of the mighty.” The Hebrew word used here - אלים 'Êliym - is the plural form of one of the names of God - אל 'Êl. The word properly means “strong, mighty, a mighty one, a hero;” then, “strength, might, power;” and then it is applied to God as “the Mighty One,” the Almighty (Gesenius). In the plural form, the word means “mighty ones, heroes, gods”: (Exodus 15:11; Exodus 18:11; Daniel 11:36). The phrase “sons of the mighty” is used only here and in Psalms 89:6. The allusion is undoubtedly to the angels as being in an eminent sense the sons of God, or of the mighty ones; and they are referred to here under that appellation as being themselves endowed with power or strength.

Compare Psalms 103:20, Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength; margin: “mighty in strength.” In view of the wonderful exhibitions of God’s power in the storm - exhibitions far above the power of the most exalted of His creatures, the psalmist calls upon the angels, the most exalted of them, to acknowledge the existence of a power so much beyond their own.

Glory and strength - Majesty and might. Acknowledge Him as the God of glory, as endowed with power. That is, learn from the manifestations of the power evinced in the storm how great is the power and the glory of God.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name — Margin: “the honor of his name.” The honor of His name is that which is due to it, or which properly belongs to it. The “name” is used here, as it often is, for God Himself; and the meaning is, “Ascribe to God the honor that is properly his due.” This is a claim addressed to the angels; it is a claim certainly not less binding on people. It is practically a call on all creatures in the universe to ascribe due honor to God.

Worship the Lord — This exhortation is made particularly in view of the manifestations of His power in the storm. The idea is that one who is capable of putting forth such power as is displayed in a tempest has a claim to adoration and praise.

In the beauty of holiness — Margin: “in his glorious sanctuary.” The Hebrew phrase would properly mean “holy beauty.” Some have supposed that it means “in holy adorning,” or in such consecrated vestments as were worn by priests in the sacred services of the sanctuary, or when they came into the presence of Yahweh. So DeWette understands it. But the more probable interpretation is that which refers it to the state of the heart—the “internal” ornament—with which we should approach God—to a holy and pure state of mind, that beauty or appropriateness of the soul which consists in holiness or purity. Of this the external clothing of the priesthood was itself but an emblem, and this is that which God desires in those who approach Him in an act of worship.

It may be added that there is no “beauty” like this; that there is no external comeliness, no charm of person or complexion, no adorning of costly robes, that can be compared with this. It is this which God seeks, and with this He will be pleased, whether under a less or more attractive external form; whether under rich and costly attire, or under the plain and decent clothing of poverty.

The voice of the Lord - The voice of Yahweh. There can be no doubt that the expression here, which is seven times repeated in the psalm, “the voice of Jehovah,” refers to thunder; and no one can fail to see the appropriateness of the expression. In heavy thunder it seems as if God spoke. It comes from above. It fills us with awe. We know, indeed, that thunder, as well as the other phenomena in the world, is produced by what are called “natural causes;” that there is no miracle in thunder; and that God does not really “speak” any more in the thunder than He does in the sighing of the breeze or in the gurgling of the rivulet; but:

• He seems more impressively to speak to people in the thunder; and
• He may not improperly be regarded as speaking alike in the thunder, in the sighing of the breeze, and in the gurgling stream.

In each and all of these ways God is addressing people; in each and all there are lessons of great value conveyed, as if by His own voice, respecting His own existence and character. Those lessons which are addressed to us particularly in thunder pertain to His power, His majesty, His greatness; to our own weakness, feebleness, and dependence; to the ease with which He could take us away; and to the importance of being prepared to stand before such a God.

Is upon the waters. The word “is” is supplied here by our translators in italics. The whole passage might be read as an exclamation: The voice of Jehovah upon the waters! It is the utterance of one who is overpowered by a sudden clap of thunder. The mind is awed. God seems to speak; His voice is heard rolling over the waters.

The psalm was most likely composed in view of the sea or a lake—not improbably in view of the Mediterranean, when a storm was passing over it. A thunderstorm is sublime anywhere, in mountain scenery or upon the plains, upon the land or upon the ocean; but there are circumstances which give it special grandeur at sea, when the thunder seems to “roll” along with nothing to check or break it, and when the sublimity is increased by the solitude which reigns everywhere on the ocean.

The God of glory - The glorious God. See the notes at Psalms 24:7-10.

The Lord is upon many waters - Yahweh Himself seems to be on the ocean. His voice is heard there, and He Himself appears to be there. The margin here is, “great waters.” This would seem to imply that the psalm was composed in view of waters more extended than a lake or a river, and sustains the idea expressed above, that it was in view of the great waters which must have been so familiar to the mind of the sacred writer—the waters of the Mediterranean.

The voice of the Lord is powerful - Margin, as in Hebrew: “in power.” That is, is mighty; or, has strength. Allusion may be made to what seems to be the effect of thunder in prostrating trees, or tearing off their limbs, or it may be merely to the loud sound of the thunder.

Is full of majesty - Margin, as in Hebrew, “in majesty.” That is, it is grand, sublime, overpowering.

Breaketh the cedars - The thunder prostrates the lofty trees of the forest. The psalmist speaks as things appeared, attributing, as was natural and commonly done, to the thunder what was really produced by lightning. It is now fully known that the effect referred to here is not produced by thunder, but by the rapid passage of the electric fluid as it passes from the cloud to the earth. That power is so great as to split the oak or the cedar, to twist off their limbs, and to prostrate their lofty trunks to the ground.

The psalmist speaks of thunder as accomplishing this in the same way that the sacred writers and all people, even scientific individuals, commonly speak—for example, when we say, the sun rises and sets, the stars rise and set, etc. People who would try to always speak with scientific accuracy, or in the strict language of science, would be unintelligible to the majority of humankind. Perhaps on most subjects they would soon stop speaking altogether, since they themselves would be utterly unsure about what constitutes scientific accuracy.

People who require that a revelation from God should always use language of strict scientific precision are really requiring that a revelation anticipate by hundreds or thousands of years the discoveries of science. They are also requiring it to use language that, when the revelation was given, would have been unintelligible to the majority of humankind.

Indeed, such language would always be unintelligible to a large portion of the human race, since people ordinarily, however much the exact truths of science may be spread, do not learn to speak with such exactness. As long as people speak on the subject at all, they will probably continue to say that the sun rises and sets, that the grass grows, and that water runs.

Breaketh the cedars of Lebanon - “Cedars are mentioned as the loftiest forest trees, and those of Lebanon as the loftiest of their species.” — “Professor Alexander.” The cedars of Lebanon are often referred to in the Scriptures as remarkable for their size and grandeur: 1 Kings 4:33; 1 Kings 5:6; Psalms 92:12; Ezra 3:7.