Psalms 29: The Voice of the LORD
A psalm of God's majesty in the storm, where the thunderous voice of the LORD shakes creation while he reigns as King and blesses his people with peace.
Psalms 29 (WEB)
1 Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.
3 Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters.
4 Yahweh’s voice is powerful. Yahweh’s voice is full of majesty.
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox.
7 Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
8 Yahweh’s voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 Yahweh’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever.
11 Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
Psalms 29 (KJV)
1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, 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, 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.
Psalms 29 (ASV)
1 Ascribe unto Jehovah, O ye sons of the mighty, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.
2 Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name; Worship Jehovah in holy array.
3 The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: The God of glory thundereth, Even Jehovah upon many waters.
4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful; The voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.
5 The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; Yea, Jehovah breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild-ox.
7 The voice of Jehovah cleaveth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, And strippeth the forests bare: And in his temple everything saith, Glory.
10 Jehovah satas Kingat the Flood; Yea, Jehovah sitteth as King for ever.
11 Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
Summary
This psalm of David is a thunderous hymn to the majesty and power of God, revealed in the imagery of a great storm. It opens by summoning the mighty ones of heaven to ascribe to the LORD glory and strength and to worship him in holy array. The center of the psalm is the sevenfold “voice of the LORD,” which rolls across the waters like thunder, breaks the mighty cedars of Lebanon, makes the mountains skip like a calf, flashes with lightning, shakes the wilderness, and strips the forests bare. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple everything cries, “Glory!” This is no random natural force but the powerful voice of the living God displaying his sovereign majesty over all creation. The closing verses bring the storm to a place of rest: the LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, and he sits as King forever. The psalm ends with a tender promise: “Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.” The same overwhelming power that shakes the cedars is turned toward the good of God's people, granting them strength and peace. Worship rises naturally before such a God, whose might guards rather than threatens those who are his.
Voices
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God of glory whose sevenfold voice thunders over creation, who sits enthroned as King forever and blesses his people with peace.
- The sons of the mighty — The heavenly beings summoned to ascribe to the LORD glory and strength and to worship him in holy array.
- God's people — Those to whom the LORD gives strength and on whom he bestows the blessing of peace amid his overwhelming power.
Key Verse
Psalm 29:11 (WEB)
Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
Lessons Learned
- The majesty of God in creation calls forth worship and the ascribing of glory to his name.
- The voice of the LORD is powerful and full of majesty, sovereign over all the forces of nature.
- God reigns as King forever, enthroned above every flood and storm.
- The same God whose power shakes the earth gives strength and peace to his people.
- Ascribe glory to God. “Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name” (Psalm 29:2, WEB). Worship begins by giving God the honor that is rightfully his.
- God's voice is powerful. “Yahweh's voice is powerful. Yahweh's voice is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:4, WEB). The God who speaks commands all creation with a word.
- God reigns as eternal King. “Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever” (Psalm 29:10, WEB). No storm or chaos can unseat the God who rules above them all.
- God's power blesses his people. “Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11, WEB). The might that shakes the cedars is turned to our good.
- How does the psalm begin, and who is called to worship in verses 1-2?
- Trace the “voice of the LORD” through the psalm. What does it do, and what does it reveal about God?
- What does it mean that the LORD “sits as King forever” (29:10), even over the Flood?
- How does the closing promise of strength and peace (29:11) relate to all the power described before it?
- When the storms of life feel overwhelming, how does this picture of God's majesty and peace steady you?
- The psalm opens by summoning the heavenly beings, the sons of the mighty, to ascribe glory and strength to the LORD and to worship him in holy array. Worship begins in heaven and draws all creation, and us, into giving God his due honor.
- The voice thunders over the waters, breaks cedars, makes mountains skip, flashes lightning, shakes the wilderness, and strips forests bare. Repeated seven times, it reveals God's overwhelming, sovereign power and moves the temple to cry, “Glory!”
- It means God is not threatened by chaos but rules over it; even the great Flood, a symbol of overwhelming disorder, sits beneath his throne. His kingship is permanent and unshakable, above every force that frightens us.
- After verses of overwhelming power, the psalm ends by turning that same might toward God's people, granting them strength and peace. The God who commands the storm is the God who keeps and blesses his own, so his power is our comfort.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to let the image of God enthroned above every flood quiet their fears, and to receive his promise of strength and peace. As leader, hold together God's awesome majesty and his tender care for his people.