Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
Understand This
Psalm 29, explained
What Psalm 29 is saying
Psalm 29 is a hymn of theophanic praise celebrating the 'voice of the LORD' (qol YHWH), repeated seven times, manifesting through a thunderstorm moving across the landscape from Lebanon to the wilderness of Kadesh. The heavenly assembly (bene elim, 'sons of gods') is summoned to ascribe glory to YHWH. The psalm concludes with YHWH enthroned over the flood (mabbul), a term used elsewhere only for Noah's flood, asserting sovereignty over cosmic chaos.
The background behind it
Widely recognized as one of the oldest psalms, Psalm 29 shows strong affinities with Ugaritic (Canaanite) hymns to Baal, the storm god. Many scholars view it as a deliberate polemic: the powers attributed to Baal in Canaanite religion belong exclusively to YHWH.
Themes running underneath
The sevenfold 'voice of the LORD' demonstrates that nature's most terrifying force is actually divine speech. The storm moves geographically from north to south while moving theologically from chaos to temple, where 'everything says Glory!' The enthronement over the flood asserts mastery over the ultimate symbol of cosmic disorder.
Why it still matters
In an age of ecological anxiety and climate awareness, this psalm reframes natural forces as expressions of divine speech rather than impersonal processes. It challenges believers to hear God's voice in creation's power and find peace in His sovereignty over chaos.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.