Salmi 29:2 Commento

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.

Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name,.... Or "the glory of his name" (x): which is suitable to his nature, agreeable to his perfections, and which belongs unto him on account of his works; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; the Lord is only to be worshipped, and not any creature, angels or men; not Jehovah the Father only, who is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth; but the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost also, being of the same nature, and possessed of the same perfections; and that with both internal and external worship; and in true holiness, in which there is a real beauty: holiness is the beauty of God himself, he is glorious in it; it is the beauty of angels, it makes them so glorious as they are; and it is the beauty of saints, it is what makes them like unto Christ, and by which they are partakers of the divine nature; and in the exercise of holy graces, and in the discharge of holy duties, should they worship the Lord; unless this is to be understood of the place of worship, the sanctuary, or holy place in the tabernacle; or rather the church of God, which holiness becomes; but the former sense seems best. (x) "gloriam nominis ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Michaelis.

Many assume an attitude of prayer, but they are not in the court because of the wandering of their mind and the distraction of their thoughts coming from vain solicitude.… He who makes his belly a god, or glory, or money, or anything else that he honors more than all things neither adores the Lord nor is in the holy court, even though he seems to be worthy of the visible assemblies.

"Bring unto the Lord glory and honour" [Psalm 29:2]. By your works let the Lord be glorified and honoured. "Bring unto the Lord glory to His name." Let Him be made known gloriously throughout the world. "Worship the Lord in His holy court." Worship the Lord in your heart enlarged and sanctified. For you are His regal holy habitation.

"Bring." Next he sets forth the spiritual sacrifice. And first he states it. Second, he clarifies it, at "Bring to the Lord glory to his name." It should be noted that the Lord wished these things to be offered to him not for his own sake, because he himself said, "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls?" etc., but so that we might recognize him as the source of all our goods and the end to which all things are to be referred. And therefore it is lawful for no one to offer sacrifice except to God. For God is the end, and we can add nothing to him; and therefore we ought to glorify him, so that whatever we do, we do for his glory: 1 Cor. 10: "Do all things for the glory of God." Likewise, God is the source, and therefore we owe him honor. Mal. 1: "If I am the Lord, where is my honor?" And therefore he says, "Bring to the Lord glory and honor." 1 Tim. 1: "To God alone be honor and glory." "Adore the Lord." Here he clarifies the spiritual sacrifice. And first he shows how we owe him glory. Second, how we owe him honor. He says therefore that God himself is glorious, and therefore we owe him glory; hence he says, "Bring to the Lord glory to his name." He is glorious in himself; but his name ought to be glorious in us, that is, so that in our knowledge it may be glorious. And that he may be glorious and illustrious in us, we ought to give him honor. And therefore he says, "Adore the Lord in his holy court," that is, in this Church, which is like the court of heaven. Or "in the court," that is, in the mind: Jn. 4: "True worshipers," etc.

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.

name--as (Psa 5:11; Psa 8:1). beauty of holiness--the loveliness of a spiritual worship, of which the perceptible beauty of the sanctuary worship was but a type.