Psalm 29:3 Komentář

It is the probable conjecture of some very good interpreters that David penned this psalm upon occasion, and just at the time, of a great storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, as the eighth psalm was his meditation in a moon-light night and the nineteenth in a sunny morning. It is good to take occasion from the sensible operations of God's power in the kingdom of nature to give glory to him. So composed was David, and so cheerful, even in a dreadful tempest, when others trembled, that then he penned this psalm; for, "though the earth be removed, yet will we not fear." I. He calls upon the great ones of the world to give glory to God (Psa 29:1, Psa 29:2). II. To convince them of the goodness of that God whom they were to adore, he takes notice of his power and terror in the thunder, and lightning, and thunder-showers (Psa 29:3-9), his sovereign dominion over the world (Psa 29:10), and his special favour to his church (Psa 29:11). Great and high thoughts of God should fill us in singing this psalm. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 29 A Psalm of David. In the Vulgate Latin version is added, "at the finishing of the tabernacle"; suggesting that this psalm was composed at that time, and on that occasion; not at the finishing of the tabernacle by Moses, but at the finishing of the tent or tabernacle which David made for the ark in Zion, Sa2 6:17. The title in the Arabic version is, "a prophecy concerning the incarnation, ark, and tabernacle.'' In the Septuagint version, from whence the Vulgate seems to have taken the clause, it is, at the "exodion", "exit", or "going out of the tabernacle"; that is, of the feast of tabernacles; and which was the eighth day of the feast, and was called which word the Septuagint renders the word here used, Lev 23:36; though it was on the first of the common days of this feast that this psalm was sung, as Maimonides (w) says. Some think it was composed when the psalmist was in a thunder storm, or had lately been in one, which he in a very beautiful manner describes. Kimchi thinks it refers to the times of the Messiah; and it may indeed be very well interpreted of the Gospel, and is very suitable to Gospel times. (w) Hilchot Tamidin, c. 10. s. 11.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,.... What follows concerning thunder, the voice of the Lord, gives so many reasons why he should have glory given him and be worshipped; the Heathens (y) paid their devotion to thunder and lightning: but this should be done to the author of them; which may be literally understood of thunder, and is the voice of the Lord; see Psa 18:13; and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, Jer 10:13; and is very terrible upon the waters, and has its effect there, Psa 104:7; and this is the rather mentioned, because that there is a God above, who is higher than the mighty, who are called upon to give glory to him, and because that thunder has been terrible to kings and great men of the earth; or this may be figuratively interpreted of the voice of Christ in the Gospel, which reaches to many nations and people, compared to waters, Rev 17:15. The disciples had a commission to preach it to all nations, and the sound of their words went into all the world, Rom 10:18; the God of glory thundereth; this shows that thunder may be meant by the voice of the Lord, who is glorious in himself, and in all his works; and may be applied to the Gospel of Christ, who is the Lord of glory, and whose ministers, at least some of them, are sons of thunder; see Co1 2:8; the Lord is upon many waters; that is, his voice is, as before, which is thunder; and that this belongs to God, the Heathens were so sensible of, that they called their chief deity Jupiter Tonans (z). (y) Pausan. Arcad. sive l. 8. p. 503. (z) Horat. Epod. l. 5. Ode 2. v. 29. Martial. l. 2. Ep. 95.

The waters are also the saints, because rivers flow from within them, that is, spiritual teaching that refreshes the souls of the hearers. Again, they receive water that springs up to eternal life, wherefore it becomes in those who receive it rightly “a fountain of water, springing up unto life everlasting.” On such waters, then, is the Lord.

"The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters" [Psalm 29:3]. The Voice of Christ is upon the peoples. "The God of majesty has thundered." The God of majesty, from the cloud of the flesh, has awfully preached repentance. "The Lord is upon many waters." The Lord Jesus Himself, after that He sent forth His Voice upon the peoples, and struck them with awe, converted them to Himself, and dwelt in them.

Now, the verse forecasts the voice emanating from heaven at the Jordan, “This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” He called it “thunder” as coursing to the whole world through the sacred Gospels.

When Jesus was baptized, after the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down as a dove, the Father spoke over the waters saying, “You are my Son.” The God of majesty thundered, that is, he spoke profoundly over the waters, that is, over the nations so that they would be made complete in virtue and in the magnificence of Christ Jesus. And each one stood apart from the rebellious and rejoiced.

"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters," etc. Here he sets forth the divine benefits. And first, the past ones. Second, the future ones, at "The Lord makes the flood to dwell," etc. Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he enumerates the benefits bestowed. Second, he concludes with thanksgiving, at "And in his temple." The benefits bestowed can be explained figuratively and mystically. Figuratively, indeed; and so in the first part he sets forth two benefits bestowed: namely, at the departure, and second, after the departure from it, at "The voice of the Lord breaking." And first he recalls the benefit of the departure from Egypt. Second, he makes it manifest. He says therefore: "The voice," that is, the command, "of the Lord was upon the waters" of the divided sea, as is said in Ex. 14. And he magnifies this in three ways. First, on the part of authority: "The God of majesty," who is majesty itself: Is. 6: "The whole earth was full of his majesty," "thundered," because when Moses raised his hands, a wind blew. And this blowing he calls "thundered," because thunder is produced from the agitation of winds. Also on the part of the matter, because he dried up not small waters but many, namely those of the sea: Is. 41: "Did you not dry up the sea?" Wis. 10: "He brought them across through exceedingly great water." Also on the part of the effect, from the fact that it was of great power in that it cast down the enemies: Ex. 15: "Your right hand, O Lord, has struck the enemy." For this reason it is said, "The voice of the Lord in power." Also another effect is of magnificence; hence he says, "The voice of the Lord in magnificence," because he made them pass through the sea on dry ground. Hence it follows in the same place, namely Ex. 15: "Magnificent in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy," etc. "The voice of the Lord breaking the cedars, and the Lord will break," etc.

Mystically, "The voice of the Lord upon the waters." A twofold benefit is implied: namely, of conversion and of the gifts that are given to the converted. "The voice of the Lord in power." According to the mystery, this can be explained in two ways. In one way, so that it is referred to the preaching of Christ; and so it deals with the conversion of Jews and Gentiles. Of the Jews, when he says "upon the waters." Human beings are likened to waters, because just as waters, people flow and do not return, 2 Kgs. 14. Hence "upon the waters" is said "the voice," that is, the preaching of the Lord, that is, upon the Jewish people, because from the teaching of God -- not yet incarnate, but awaited -- the Jews were converted to God. Concerning the conversion of the Gentiles, it follows when he says, "The God of majesty thundered." Thunder is formed in a cloud, in which the incarnation itself is signified, which is like a cloud: Is. 19: "Behold, the Lord ascends upon a light cloud." The God of majesty, therefore, thundered, that is, the almighty thundered through preaching from the cloud of his flesh: Job 37: "He will thunder with his voice marvelously." And he says "upon many waters," because the voice of the incarnate Lord was not only upon the Jews but upon the Gentiles: Is. 49: "I have given you as a light to the nations," etc. Or "upon the waters" of Baptism; hence from the time that Christ was baptized, this Psalm is sung.

Trust in God is encouraged by the celebration of His mighty power as illustrated in His dominion over the natural world, in some of its most terrible and wonderful exhibitions. (Psa 29:1-11) Give--or, "ascribe" (Deu 32:3). mighty--or, "sons of the mighty" (Psa 89:6). Heavenly beings, as angels.

The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power in the tempest, of which thunder is a specimen, but not the uniform or sole example. the waters--the clouds or vapors (Psa 18:11; Jer 10:13).

Now follows the description of the revelation of God's power, which is the ground of the summons, and is to be the subject-matter of their praise. The All-glorious One makes Himself heard in the language (Rev 10:3.) of the thunder, and reveals Himself in the storm. There are fifteen lines, which naturally arrange themselves into three five-line strophes. The chief matter with the poet, however, is the sevenfold קול ה. Although קול is sometimes used almost as an ejaculatory "Hark!" (Gen 4:10; Isa 52:8), this must not, with Ewald (286, f), be applied to the קול ה of the Psalm before us, the theme of which is the voice of God, who announced Himself from heaven - a voice which moves the world. The dull sounding קול serves not merely to denote the thunder of the storm, but even the thunder of the earthquake, the roar of the tempest, and in general, every low, dull, rumbling sound, by which God makes Himself audible to the world, and more especially from the wrathful side of His doxa. The waters in Psa 29:3 are not the lower waters. Then the question arises what are they? Were the waters of the Mediterranean intended, they would be more definitely denoted in such a vivid description. It is, however, far more appropriate to the commencement of this description to understand them to mean the mass of water gathered together in the thick, black storm-clouds (vid., Psa 18:12; Jer 10:13). The rumbling (Note: The simple rendering of קול by "voice" has been retained in the text of the Psalm, as in the Authorised Version. The word, however, which Dr. Delitzsch uses is Gedrhn, the best English equivalent of which is a "rumbling." - Tr.) of Jahve is, as the poet himself explains in Psa 29:3, the thunder produced on high by the אל הכּבוד (cf. מלך הכבוד, Psa 24:7.), which rolls over the sea of waters floating above the earth in the sky. Psa 29:4 and Psa 29:4, just like Psa 29:3 and Psa 29:3, are independent substantival clauses. The rumbling of Jahve is, issues forth, or passes by; ב with the abstract article as in Psa 77:14; Pro 24:5 (cf. Pro 8:8; Luk 4:32, ἐν ἰσχύΐ Rev 18:2), is the ב of the distinctive attribute. In Psa 29:3 the first peals of thunder are heard; in Psa 29:4 the storm is coming nearer, and the peals become stronger, and now it bursts forth with its full violence: Psa 29:5 describes this in a general form, and Psa 29:5 expresses by the fut. consec., as it were inferentially, that which is at present taking place: amidst the rolling of the thunder the descending lightning flashes rive the cedars of Lebanon (as is well-known, the lightning takes the outermost points). The suffix in Psa 29:6 does not refer proleptically to the mountains mentioned afterwards, but naturally to the cedars (Hengst., Hupf., Hitz.), which bend down before the storm and quickly rise up again. The skipping of Lebanon and Sirion, however, is not to be referred to the fact, that their wooded summits bend down and rise again, but, according to Psa 114:4, to their being shaken by the crash of the thunder-a feature in the picture which certainly does not rest upon what is actually true in nature, but figuratively describes the apparent quaking of the earth during a heavy thunderstorm. שריון, according to Deu 3:9, is the Sidonian name of Hermon, and therefore side by side with Lebanon it represents Anti-Lebanon. The word, according to the Masora, has ש sinistrum, and consequently is isriyown, wherefore Hitzig correctly derives it from Arab. srâ, fut. i., to gleam, sparkle, cf. the passage from an Arab poet at Psa 133:3. The lightning makes these mountains bound (Luther, lecken, i.e., according to his explanation: to spring, skip) like young antelopes. ראם, (Note: On Arab. r'm vid., Seetzen's Reisen iii. 339 and also iv. 496.) like βούβαλος, βούβαλις, is a generic name of the antelope, and of the buffalo that roams in herds through the forests beyond the Jordan even at the present day; for there are antelopes that resemble the buffalo and also (except in the formation of the head and the cloven hoofs) those that resemble the horse, the lxx renders: ὡς υἱὸς μονοκερώτων. Does this mean the unicorn Germ. one-horn depicted on Persian and African monuments? Is this unicorn distinct from the one horned antelope? Neither an unicorn nor an one horned antelope have been seen to the present day by any traveller. Both animals, and consequently also their relation to one another, are up to the present time still undefinable from a scientific point of view. (Note: By ראם Ludolf in opposition to Bochart understands the rhinoceros; but this animal, belonging to the swine tribe, is certainly not meant, or even merely associated with it. Moreover, the rhinoceros Germ. nose-horn is called in Egypt charnin (from Arab. chrn = qrn), but the unicorn, charnit. "In the year 1862 the French archaeologist, M. Waddington, was with me in Damascus when an antiquary brought me an ancient vessel on which a number of animals were engraved, their names being written on their bellies. Among the well known animals there was also an unicorn, exactly like a zebra or a horse, but with a long horn standing out upon its forehead; on its body was the word Arab. chrnı̂t. M. Waddington wished to have the vessel and I gave it up to him; and he took it with him to Paris. We talked a good deal about this unicorn, and felt obliged to come to the conclusion that the form of the fabulous animal might have become known to the Arabs at the time of the crusades, when the English coat of arms came to Syria." - Wetzstein.) Each peal of thunder is immediately followed by a flash of lightning; Jahve's thunder cleaveth flames of fire, i.e., forms (as it were λατομεῖ) the fire-matter of the storm-clouds into cloven flames of fire, into lightnings that pass swiftly along; in connection with which it must be remembered that קול ה denotes not merely the thunder as a phenomenon, but at the same time it denotes the omnipotence of God expressing itself therein. The brevity and threefold division of Psa 29:7 depicts the incessant, zigzag, quivering movement of the lightning (tela trisulca, ignes trisulci, in Ovid). From the northern mountains the storm sweeps on towards the south of Palestine into the Arabian desert, viz., as we are told in Psa 29:8 (cf. Psa 29:5, according to the schema of "parallelism by reservation"), the wilderness region of Kadesh (Kadesh Barnea), which, however we may define its position, must certainly have lain near the steep western slope of the mountains of Edom toward the Arabah. Jahve's thunder, viz., the thunderstorm, puts this desert in a state of whirl, inasmuch as it drives the sand (חול) before it in whirlwinds; and among the mountains it, viz., the strong lightning and thundering, makes the hinds to writhe, inasmuch as from fright they bring forth prematurely. both the Hiph. יהיל and the Pil. יחולל are used with a causative meaning (root חו, חי, to move in a circle, to encircle). The poet continues with ויּחשׂף, since he makes one effect of the storm to develope from another, merging as it were out of its chrysalis state. יערות is a poetical plural form; and חשׂף describes the effect of the storm which "shells" the woods, inasmuch as it beats down the branches of the trees, both the tops and the foliage. While Jahve thus reveals Himself from heaven upon the earth in all His irresistible power, בּהיכלו, in His heavenly palace (Psa 11:4; Psa 18:7), כּלּו (note how בהיכלו resolves this כלו out of itself), i.e., each of the beings therein, says: כבוד. That which the poet, in Psa 29:1, has called upon them to do, now takes place. Jahve receives back His glory, which is immanent in the universe, in the thousand-voiced echo of adoration.