Psalm 29
Psalms 29 Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones
“Ascribe to the Lord,” that is, give (or, render) to Yahweh; or, recognize that He is entitled to what is ascribed to Him here. The word “ascribe” cannot be understood, as it is commonly with us, to denote the imparting to another, or granting to another what he does NOT now possess—for God is always in possession of what is ascribed to Him here.
“O mighty ones”—there are several opinions concerning the identity of the “mighty” which I will share with you:
(1) The angels. In the Hebrew this is “the sons of the mighty.” The Hebrew word used here is Eliym, the plural form of one of the names of God—El. The word means “strong, mighty, a mighty one, a hero;” then, “strength, might, power;” and then it is applied to God as “the Mighty One,” the Almighty. In the plural form, the word means “mighty ones, heroes, gods.” The phrase “sons of the mighty” is used only here and in Psalm 89:6—“For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?” The allusion is undoubtedly to the angels who are in a sense the sons of God, or of the mighty ones; and they are referred to here under that designation as being themselves endowed with power or strength. In view of the wonderful exhibitions of God’s power which can be seen in the storm—exhibitions far above the power of the most exalted of His creatures, the psalmist calls upon the angels to acknowledge the existence of a power so much beyond their own.
The Targum [an Aramaic translation, usually in the form of an expanded paraphrase, of various books or sections of the Old Testament] also refers this to the angels; there it says, “Give praise before the Lord, ye companies of angels, sons of the Mighty.” Angels are mighty ones, and excel all other creatures in strength; and are the sons of the Mighty, or of God; it is their duty and their business to glorify and to worship Him and his Son Jesus Christ, as they do continually.
(2) The princes and great men of the earth. These are those who receive much honor and glory from man; but because they are apt to seek their own glory, and ascribe too much to themselves, they are particularly called upon to give glory to God. Moreover, they have the ability to involve their subjects by their influence and example, to do the same as they do, so they may be included with them; for this is not to be understood as applying to them exclusive of others, as appears from Psalms 96:7-9: “Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.” It is proper that the great men of this world should pay their homage to God; and they are bound to do it, not only because, high as they are, He is infinitely above them, and therefore they must bow to him, but because they have received their power from Him, and are to use it for Him, and they owe this tribute of acknowledgment to Him.
(3) All the saints and people of God may be intended, for they are all princes and kings; and may be said to be mighty, especially those who are strong in faith; and these are those who give the most glory to God.
(4) The lightning and storm. The poet calls on the grand forces of nature themselves to offer praise to their Divine Master, for the glory which they have been commissioned to reveal. It is they who at the beginning and end of this psalm sing the praises of Him, who summoned them to speak to men in His name, and make His voice to be heard. “He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.” (Psalm 104:4). Every object we behold calls on us to bless and praise the Lord, who is great. His eternal power and Godhead are clearly shown by the things which he hath made. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. The Lord Jesus, the Son of his love, is the Light of the world.
“Ascribe to the Lord,” is a request that is often heard, but here it implies that the mighty men do not consider it their duty to “give to the Lord” and must, with great difficulty, be persuaded to do so. But it is very important to the wellbeing and prosperity of God’s kingdom among men that the mighty ones “Give unto the Lord” whole-heartedly. They are called to “give unto the Lord,” not because He needs anything, or could be benefited by any gifts of ours, nor do we have anything to give him that is not his own already. He is willing, though, to accept as a gift, the recognition of his glory, and of his dominion over us: Give unto the Lord your own selves, and then give Him your services.
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength
“Glory and strength”—“Majesty and might.” Acknowledge Him as the God of glory; as endowed with power. That is, learn from the manifestations of the power demonstrated in the storm how great is the power and the glory of God.
PRAY
Father you alone are due all honor and strength and power and glory forever!