John Calvin Commentary Psalms 29:1

"Ascribe unto Jehovah, O ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength." — Psalms 29:1 (ASV)

Give to Jehovah, you sons of the mighty. It was no doubt David’s design to lead all men to worship and reverence God; but as it is more difficult to bring great men, who excel in rank, to order, he expressly addresses himself to them. It is obvious that the LXX, in giving the translation, sons of rams, were led into a mistake by the affinity of the Hebrew words.

Indeed, concerning the signification of the word, the Jewish commentators are all agreed; but when they proceed to speak of its meaning, they pervert and obscure it with the most chilling comments. Some interpret it as the angels, some as the stars; and others will have it that the great men referred to are the holy fathers.

But David only intended to humble the princes of this world, who, being intoxicated with pride, lift up their horns against God. This, accordingly, is the reason why he introduces God, with a terrifying voice, subduing by thunders, hailstorms, tempests, and lightnings, these stubborn and stiff-necked giants, who, if they are not struck with fear, refuse to stand in awe of any power in heaven.

We see, therefore, why, passing over others, he directs his discourse particularly to the sons of the mighty. The reason is that there is nothing more common than for them to abuse their lofty station with impious deeds, while they madly arrogate to themselves every divine prerogative. So that they might at least modestly submit to God and, mindful of their frailty, place their dependence upon His grace, it is necessary, so to speak, to compel them by force.

David, therefore, commands them to give strength to Jehovah, because, deluded by their treacherous imaginations, they think that the power they possess is supplied to them from some source other than heaven. In short, he exhorts them to lay aside their haughtiness and their false opinion about their own strength, and to glorify God as he deserves.

By the glory of God’s name (verse 2), he means that which is worthy of his majesty, of which the great men of this world are accustomed to deprive him. The repetition also shows that they must be vehemently urged before a proper acknowledgment is extorted from them. By the brightness of God’s sanctuary is to be understood not as heaven, as some think, but as the tabernacle of the covenant, adorned with the symbols of the divine glory, as is evident from the context.

And the prophet intentionally mentions this place, in which the true God had manifested himself, so that all men, abandoning superstition, should turn to the pure worship of God. It would not be sufficient to worship any heavenly power, but the one and unchangeable God alone must be worshipped; this cannot happen until the world is reclaimed from all foolish inventions and services forged in the minds of men.