Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 29. This is a hymn of praise to God for his awesome power, where a thunderstorm serves as a visible emblem of God's majestic voice. It was once common to think that this psalm was based on a Canaanite or Phoenician original, but the evidence for this is poor. It seems reasonable, however, to suppose that the setting of the psalm in a thunderstorm deliberately sets Yahweh over Baal, the storm-god widely worshiped in Syria-Palestine. Biblical authors do not present the phenomena of nature in themselves as problems; they are God's creation, serve his purposes, and demonstrate his power, wisdom, glory, faithfulness, and even love.

29:1-2 Call to Ascribe Glory to the Lord. The psalm begins by urging the heavenly beings or angels (cf. ESV footnote, lit., "sons of God"; cf. 89:6) to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, i.e., to acknowledge that these are true of God, and that he deserves admiration for them. in the splendor of holiness. As the ESV footnote explains, the Hebrew expression can be taken in more than one way; but the ESV text is more likely implying "for the splendor of God's holiness" (cf. 96:9; 1 Chron. 16:29).