Psalm 29:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

NIV: The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

NASB: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.

CSB: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

NLT: The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

KJV: The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

NKJV: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.

In this psalm, David compares God's voice—representing His will and His power—to a colossal storm (Psalm 29:3–4). A measure of power for any storm is damage to trees; when especially large trees are brought down, it implies the storm was intense.

Cedar trees of the Lebanon mountain range in the northern region of Israel were prized for their size and strength. According to 2 Chronicles 1:15, Solomon imported so much cedar that it became as plentiful as the sycamore fig trees in Israel's western foothills. Hiram, Tyre's king, provided cedar and cypress timber for Solomon's temple. He recognized that the Lord had bestowed wisdom on Solomon and promised to load it onto rafts and ship it to Israel. First Kings 5:10 reports: "So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired."

Cedar was also used in the construction of David's palace (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 17:1), in the building of Solomon's palace (1 Kings 7:2), in the rebuilding of the temple when the Jews returned from captivity (Ezra 3:7), and in purification (Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, 52).

Psalm 29:3–9 uses the phrase "the voice of the LORD" seven times. Each time, the designation precedes an example of God's power over nature. God's speech represents His will: that which He commands to happen will always happen. These examples offer a strong reason to associate God with glory and to give Him worship. Psalm 8 also expresses wonder at God's creative power.

David depicts the power of God's will—referred to as His "voice"—using imagery from thunderstorms and earthquakes. He calls on heaven to praise God. The Lord's voice has the power to shatter great trees, uproot mountains, shake deserts, strip forests, and strike terror into all living things. None of these events are mere change, but God is control of them all. David asks God to provide confidence and strength to Israel as they remember His omnipotent power.

This psalm of David magnifies the Lord's attribute of omnipotence. David draws pictures from nature to illustrate God's power. The psalm parallels Psalm 8 in its revelation of God through nature. Based on the imagery, David may have witnessed a potent thunderstorm moving from the Mediterranean Sea across the region. The theme of trust in God, thanks to His demonstrated power, is common in Scripture (Hebrews 11).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.