Job 37:2-5(v3)Hear, oh, hear the noise of his voice, the sound that goes out of his mouth. He sends it out under the whole sky, and his lightning to the…
Psalms 93:3-4(v3)The floods have lifted up, Yahweh, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves. Above the voices of many waters,…
Ezekiel 10:5(v4)The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
Genesis 6:17(v10)I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that…
Psalms 10:16(v10)Yahweh is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.
Show all 79 cross-references
1 Timothy 1:17(v10)Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Numbers 13:26(v8)They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and…
Psalms 33:9(v4)For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.
Exodus 9:33(v3)Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured…
Psalms 46:2-5(v9)Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; though its waters roar…
Psalms 68:33(v4)To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
Jeremiah 51:15-16(v4)“He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom. By his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.…
Luke 4:36(v4)Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the…
Exodus 9:28(v3)Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”
Exodus 19:16(v3)On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an…
Job 39:1-3(v9)“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? Can you count the months that they…
Psalms 18:13-15(v3)Yahweh also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered…
Psalms 26:8(v9)Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells.
Psalms 48:9(v9)We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple.
Psalms 77:16-19(v3)The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed. The depths also convulsed. The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded…
Psalms 77:18(v7)The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.
Ezekiel 20:46-48(v9)“Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South. Tell…
Matthew 8:26-27(v3)He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.…
Mark 4:41(v10)They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Genesis 8:1-2(v10)God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The…
Leviticus 10:2(v7)Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.
Numbers 23:22(v6)God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
Deuteronomy 3:9(v6)(The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.)
1 Samuel 7:10(v3)As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder…
Job 38:8-11(v10)“Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb, when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, marked…
Psalms 104:3(v3)He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
Psalms 114:4-7(v6)The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back? You…
Psalms 144:5-6(v7)Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your…
Isaiah 2:13(v5)for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan,
Isaiah 66:6(v4)A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Yahweh that repays his enemies what they deserve.
John 12:29(v3)Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Revelation 4:5(v3)Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven…
Revelation 8:5(v3)The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, then threw it on the earth. Thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an…
Revelation 11:19(v3)God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an…
Revelation 16:18(v3)There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as has not happened since there were men on the earth,…
Revelation 19:6(v3)I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying,…
Exodus 9:23(v7)Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained…
2 Kings 1:10-12(v7)Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” Then…
Job 9:6(v8)He shakes the earth out of its place. Its pillars tremble.
Job 37:3(v7)He sends it out under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth.
Job 38:25(v10)Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunder storm,
Job 38:35(v7)Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are?’
Psalms 2:6-9(v10)“Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.” I will tell of the decree: Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your…
Psalms 18:7(v8)Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
Psalms 24:7-10(v3)Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. Who is the King of glory? Yahweh…
Psalms 29:3(v10)Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters.
Psalms 46:3(v8)though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling.
Psalms 65:7(v10)You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
Psalms 92:10(v6)But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.
Psalms 93:1(v10)Yahweh reigns! He is clothed with majesty! Yahweh is armed with strength. The world also is established. It can’t be moved.
Psalms 99:1(v10)Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
Psalms 134:1-2(v9)Look! Praise Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, who stand by night in Yahweh’s house! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary. Praise Yahweh!
Psalms 135:1-2(v9)Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh’s name! Praise him, you servants of Yahweh, you who stand in Yahweh’s house, in the courts of our God’s house.
Isaiah 9:18(v9)For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in…
Isaiah 10:18-19(v9)He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints. The…
Isaiah 13:13(v8)Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his…
Jeremiah 4:23-25(v6)I saw the earth, and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light. I saw the mountains, and behold, they…
Daniel 2:44(v10)“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left to…
Habakkuk 3:6-11(v6)He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed.…
Matthew 6:13(v10)Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Luke 8:25(v4)He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the…
Acts 7:2(v3)He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in…
Revelation 17:14-15(v3)These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with him…
Revelation 20:11(v6)I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
Judges 9:15(v5)“The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come…
Psalms 104:6-9(v10)You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder…
Joel 3:16(v8)Yahweh will roar from Zion, and thunder from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth will shake; but Yahweh will be a refuge to his…
Haggai 2:6(v8)For this is what Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;
Haggai 2:21(v8)“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth.
Hebrews 12:26(v8)whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”
Numbers 16:35(v7)Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
Job 40:9-12(v4)Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him? “Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with…
Psalms 63:2(v9)So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory.
Psalms 104:16(v5)Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (18 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
John Calvin1540 · Public DomainOn vv3, 5, 9, 103. The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters.…
3. The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters. David now rehearses the wonders of nature which I have previously referred to; and well indeed does he celebrate the power of God as well as his goodness, in his works. As there is nothing in the ordinary course of nature, throughout the whole frame of heaven and earth, which does not invite us to the contemplation of God, he might have brought forward, as in Psalm 19:1, the sun and the stars, and the whole host of heaven, and the earth with its riches; but he selects only those works of God which prove not only that the world was at first created by him, and is governed by his power, but which also awaken the torpid, and drag them, as it were, in spite of themselves, humbly to adore him; as even Horace was compelled, though he was not only a heathen poet, but an Epicurean, and a vile contemner of Deity, to say of himself in one of his Odes, — (Lib. I. Ode 34.)
“A fugitive from heaven and prayer, I mocked at all religious fear, Deep scienced in the mazy lore Of mad philosophy; but now Hoist sail, and back my voyage plough To that blest harbour which I left before.
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“For, lo! that awful heavenly Sire, Who frequent cleaves the clouds with fire, Parent of day, immortal Jove; Late through the floating fields of air, The face of heaven serene and fair, His thund’ring steeds, and winged chariot drove,” etc. Dr Francis’ Translation of Horace.
Experience, too, tells us that those who are most daring in their contempt of God are most afraid of thunderings, storms, and such like violent commotions. With great propriety, therefore, does the prophet invite our attention to these instances which strike the rude and insensible with some sense of the existence of a God, “Qui contraignent les barbares et gens esbestez sentir qu’il y a un Dieu.” — Fr. “Which constrain the rude and insensible to feel that there is a God.”
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10The thunder claps that are heard out of the…
The thunder claps that are heard out of the clouds, ought to make the wicked to tremble for fear of God’s anger.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv3–10Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD [is] upon…
Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD [is] upon many waters.
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters] Thunder is here called, and fitly, the voice of the Lord (being brought, as one instance of those many other glorious works of his in nature), because it comes from him alone. Natural causes there are assigned of it; but we must not stick in them, as Epicurus and his hogs would have us. (The ancient Romans said Deus tonat, Deus fulgurat, for which now tonat, fulgurat.) The best philosophy in this behalf is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking unto us from heaven, as if he were present; and to see him in his lightnings, as if he cast his eyes upon us, to behold what we had been doing. This voice of the Lord is fitly instanced as an evidence of the Divine power and majesty; because it is so dreadful, even to the greatest atheists; as it was to Caius Caligula, that potent emperor, ready to run into a mouse hole in a time of thunder (Sueton.).
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The God of glory thundereth] And men quake before him; as worms at such a time wriggle into the corners of the earth. And yet your dive clappers duck net at this rattle in the air, though they do at a far smaller matter. So, many tremble not at God’s terrible threats, that yet are afraid of a penal statute.
The Lord is upon many waters] viz. When he thundereth. De aquis pendulis loquitur, saith Vatablus; He speaketh of the waters in the clouds, which are many, and of great force, as appeared in the general deluge; and doth still appear by that infinite inundation of rain that followeth upon the thunder claps. Some render it, The Lord, or, The voice of the Lord, is above many waters, i.e. above the loud roaring of many waters, which is even drowned by the thunder.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv3–10The voice of the Lord, i.e. thunder, as is…
The voice of the Lord, i.e. thunder, as is manifest from the next clause, and the following effects; which is oft called the Lord’s voice, as Exo 9:23,28,29; Job 37:4,5; Psa 18:14; 46:6. Upon the waters; either,
1. Upon the seas; where its noise spreads far and wide, and is very terrible. But the following verses speak of the effects of it upon the earth only. Or rather,
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2. Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen 1:7; Psa 18:11, because they are of a watery substance. And this circumstance is considerable here, to magnify the Divine power, which displayeth itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates, and from whence he can easily and unavoidably smite all that dwell upon the earth, and will not submit to him. Upon many waters, i.e. upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, Psa 18:10,11; 104:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv3–10The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,....…
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,.... What follows concerning thunder, the voice of the Lord, gives so many reasons why he should have glory given him and be worshipped; the Heathens (y) paid their devotion to thunder and lightning: but this should be done to the author of them; which may be literally understood of thunder, and is the voice of the Lord; see Psa 18:13; and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, Jer 10:13; and is very terrible upon the waters, and has its effect there, Psa 104:7; and this is the rather mentioned, because that there is a God above, who is higher than the mighty, who are called upon to give glory to him, and because that thunder has been terrible to kings and great men of the earth; or this may be figuratively interpreted of the voice of Christ in the Gospel, which reaches to many nations and people, compared to waters, Rev 17:15. The disciples had a commission to preach it to all nations, and the sound of their words went into all the world, Rom 10:18;
the God of glory thundereth; this shows that thunder may be meant by the voice of the Lord, who is glorious in himself, and in all his works; and may be applied to the Gospel of Christ, who is the Lord of glory, and whose ministers, at least some of them, are sons of thunder; see Co1 2:8;
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the Lord is upon many waters; that is, his voice is, as before, which is thunder; and that this belongs to God, the Heathens were so sensible of, that they called their chief deity Jupiter Tonans (z).
(y) Pausan. Arcad. sive l. 8. p. 503. (z) Horat. Epod. l. 5. Ode 2. v. 29. Martial. l. 2. Ep. 95.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10The waters - Above in the clouds, which are…
The waters - Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen. i, 7 chap. xviii, 11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates. Many - Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, chap. xviii, 10, 11; civ, 3.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10Verse 3. The voice of the Lord] THUNDER, so…
Verse 3. The voice of the Lord] THUNDER, so called, Ex 9:23, Ex 9:28-29; Job 37:4; Ps 18:13; Isa 30:30. On this subject see the note on Job 37:4, where there is a particular description of the nature and generation of thunder; and of the lightning, clap, rain, and other phenomena which accompany it.
Upon many waters.] The clouds, which Moses calls the waters which are above the firmament.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn vv3, 4, 7, 9, 10Psa 29:3. The voice of the Lord — That…
Psa 29:3. The voice of the Lord — That is, thunder, frequently so called; is upon the waters — Upon the seas, where its noise spreads far and wide, and is very terrible; or rather above the clouds, which are sometimes called waters, as Gen 1:7; Psa 18:11, because they are of a watery substance, and frequently much water is contained in them. And this circumstance is noticed here as being of considerable importance to magnify the divine power, which displays itself in these superior regions, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates, and from whence he can easily and unavoidably smite all that dwell upon the earth, and will not submit to him. The Lord is upon many waters — Upon the clouds, in which there are sometimes vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit and ride, Psa 18:10-11; Psa 104:3.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv3–10The voice of the Lord - The voice of…
The voice of the Lord - The voice of Yahweh. There can be no doubt that the expression here, which is seven times repeated in the psalm, “the voice of Jehovah,” refers to thunder; and no one can fail to see the appropriateness of the expression. In heavy thunder it seems as if God spake. It comes from above. It fills us with awe. We know, indeed, that thunder as well as the other phenomena in the world, is produced by what are called “natural causes;” that there is no miracle in thunder; and that really God does not “speak” anymore in the thunder than he does in the sighing of the breeze or in the gurgling of the rivulet; but:
(a) He seems more impressively to speak to people in the thunder; and
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(b) He may not improperly be regarded as speaking alike in the thunder, in the sighing of the breeze, and in the gurgling stream.
In each and all of these ways God is addressing men; in each and all there are lessons of great value conveyed, as if by His own voice, respecting His own existence and character. Those which are addressed to us particularly in thunder, pertain to His power, His majesty, His greatness; to our own weakness, feebleness, dependence; to the ease with which He could take us away, and to the importance of being prepared to stand before such a God. “Is upon the waters.” The word “is” is supplied here by our translators in italics. The whole passage might be read as an exclamation: “The voice of Jehovah upon the waters!” It is the utterance of one who is overpowered by a sudden clap of thunder. The mind is awed. God seems to speak; His voice is heard rolling over the waters. The psalm was most likely composed in view of the sea or a lake - not improbably in view of the Mediterranean, when a storm was passing over it. A thunderstorm is sublime anywhere, in mountain scenery or upon the plains, upon the land or upon the ocean; but there are circumstances which give it special grandeur at sea, when the thunder seems to “roll” along with nothing to check or break it, and when the sublimity is increased by the solitude which reigns everywhere on the ocean.
The God of glory - The glorious God. See the notes at Psa 24:7-10.
The Lord is upon many waters - Yahweh Himself seems to be on the ocean. His voice is heard there, and He Himself appears to be there. The margin here is, “great waters.” This would seem to imply that the psalm was composed in view of waters more extended than a lake or a river, and sustains the idea above expressed, that it was in view of the great waters which must have been so familiar to the mind of the sacred writer - the waters of the Mediterranean.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn vv3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power…
The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power in the tempest, of which thunder is a specimen, but not the uniform or sole example.
the waters--the clouds or vapors (Psa 18:11; Jer 10:13).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon1874 · Public DomainOn vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 103. The voice of the Lord—This poetic name for…
3. The voice of the Lord—This poetic name for thunder (Job_37:4; Job_40:9) has a sevenfold repetition, and is probably the type and basis of the apocalyptic “seven thunders,” (Rev_10:3-4,) as the allegoric imagery of that book is almost wholly borrowed from the Old Testament.
Upon the waters—Either the “great waters”—that is, the sea, as in third line of the verse—or dark water clouds, as Psa_18:11. Thunder upon the ocean has a peculiarly deep and solemn sound, which is probably referred to here.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv3–103. The voice of the Lord] So thunder is…
3. The voice of the Lord] So thunder is called in Exo_9:23 ff.; Psa_18:13; &c. Cp. Rev_10:3 f.
upon the waters] Hardly the sea, as though the storm were represented as coming in from the Mediterranean; but rather the waters collected in the dense masses of storm-cloud upon which Jehovah rides (Psa_18:9 ff.; Psa_104:3; Jer_10:13).
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the God of glory] Cp. “the King of glory” (Psa_24:7 ff.).
the Lord is upon many waters] The idea of the first line is repeated and emphasised. Not Jehovah’s voice alone, but Jehovah Himself is there, and the waters are many (or, great). The R.V. Even the Lord upon many waters is hardly an improvement. The P.B.V. of Psa_29:3-4 is a free paraphrase of the supposed sense.
3–9. The exhibition of Jehovah’s power which is the ground of the opening call to praise. His voice is heard in the pealing of the thunder above the storm-clouds (Psa_29:3-4); the storm bursts, it shatters the cedars and shakes the mountains in the far north (Psa_29:5-6); the lightnings flash (Psa_29:7); the deserts to the far south with their affrighted denizens tremble (Psa_29:8-9); and over all resounds the chorus, Glory (Psa_29:9 b). The seven times repeated voice of the Lord is like successive peals of thunder.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv3–10(3) The voice.—The invocation to the angels over, the…
(3) The voice.—The invocation to the angels over, the storm bursts, and seven successive peals of thunder mark its course of fury and destruction. It is first heard rolling over the waters from the west (comp. 1Ki_18:44), unless the “waters” and “many waters,” as in Psa_18:11-12, refer to the gathered masses of rain-cloud, when we might compare
“Then broke the thunder
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Like a whole sea overhead.”
BROWNING: Pippa Passes.
The Hebrew kôl (“voice”), used also of any loud sound (2Sa_15:10, of the trumpet; Eze_1:24, of water), is sometimes used (Gen_4:10; Isa_52:8) to call attention, like our “Hark !” So Ewald here. Others refer it to the thunder, as in Psa_77:18; but it seems better to take it for the combined noise of the storm, thunder, wind, and rain, as in Shakespeare—
“The gods who keep this pudder o’er our heads.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv3–10The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.…
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The description of God"s might in the thunderstorm now begins with one of the sudden transitions which David loves. "The voice of the Lord already identified with the thunder in Psa_18:13 is suddenly heard muttering in the height of heaven, "upon the waters;" i.e. the waters stored in the clouds that float on high in the air. The God of glory the God set forth in vers. 1, 2thundereth. It is he himself, according to the psalmist, no minor agent. The Lord (Jehovah) is upon the many (or, great) waters. (comp. Job_37:2-5 and Psa_18:7-14)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon1885 · Public DomainOn vv3–10Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon…
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The thunder is not only poetically but instructively called "the voice of God, "since it peals from on high; it surpasses all other sounds, it inspires awe, it is entirely independent of man, and has been used on some occasions as the grand accompaniment of God's speech to Adam's sons. There is a peculiar terror in a tempest at sea, when deep calleth unto deep, and the raging sea echoes to the angry sky. No sight more alarming than the flash of lightning around the mast of the ship; and no sound more calculated to inspire reverent awe than the roar of the storm. The children of heaven have often enjoyed the tumult with humble joy peculiar to the saints, and even those who know not God have been forced into unwilling reverence while the storm has lasted. The glory of God thundereth. Thunder is in truth no mere electric phenomenon, but is caused by the interposition of God himself. Even the old heathen spake of Jupiter Tonans; but our modern wise men will have us believe in laws and forces, and anything or nothing so they may be rid of God. Electricity of itself can do nothing, it must be called and sent upon its errand; and until the almighty Lord commissions it, its bolt of fire is inert and powerless. As well might a rock of granite, or a bar of iron fly in the midst of heaven, as the lightning go without being sent by the great First Cause. The Lord is upon many waters. Still the Psalmist's ear hears no voice but that of Jehovah, resounding from the multitudinous and dark waters of the upper ocean of clouds, and echoing from the innumerable billows of the storm tossed sea below. The waters above and beneath the firmament are astonished at the eternal voice. When the Holy Spirit makes the divine promise to be heard above the many waters of our soul's trouble, then is God as glorious in the spiritual world as in the universe of matter. Above us and beneath us all is the peace of God when he gives us quiet.
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. Yes, great God, these torrents of tears which flow down from my eyes announce thy divine presence in my soul. This heart hitherto so dry, so arid, so hard; this rock which thou hast struck a second time, will not resist thee any longer, for out of it there now gushes healthful waters in abundance. The selfsame voice of God which overturns the mountains, thunders, lightens, and divides the heaven above the sinner, now commands the clouds to pour forth showers of blessings, changing the desert of his soul into a field producing a hundredfold; that voice I hear. J. B. Massillon.
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Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. All things which we commonly say are the effects of the natural powers of matter and laws of motion, are, indeed (if we will speak strictly and properly), the effects of God's acting upon matter continually and at every moment, either immediately by himself, or mediately by some created intelligent being. Consequently there is no such thing as the cause of nature, or the power of nature. Samuel Clarke, 1675-1729. "The friend and disciple of Newton."
Ver. 3-10.
The voice of the Lord on the ocean is known,
The God of eternity thundereth abroad;
The voice of the Lord from the depth of his throne
Is terror and power; all nature is awed.
The voice of the Lord through the calm of the wood
Awakens its echoes, strikes light through its caves;
The Lord sitteth King on the turbulent flood,
The winds are his servants, his servants the waves. James Montgomery, 1771-1854.
Ver. 3-11
Messiah's voice is in the cloud,
The God of glory thunders loud.
Messiah rides along the floods,
He treads upon the flying clouds.
Messiah's voice is full of power,
His lightnings play when tempests lower.
Messiah's voice the cedars breaks,
While Lebanon's foundation quakes.
Messiah's voice removes the hills,
And all the plains with rivers fills.
The voice of their expiring God,
Shall make the rocks to start abroad;
Mount Zion and Mount Sirion,
Shall bound along with Lebanon:
The flames of fire shall round him wreathe,
When he shall on the ether breathe.
Messiah's voice shall shake the earth,
And, lo! the graves shall groan in birth,
Ten thousand thousand living sons
Shall be the issue of their groans.
The peace of God the gospel sounds;
The peace of God, the earth rebounds,
The gospel everlasting shines
A light from God that never declines.
This is the light Jehovah sends,
To bless the world's remotest ends.
Barclay's Paraphrase.
Ver. 3. God's voice heard in trouble and above trouble, or in great personal and national calamities.
Psalms 29:4*
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11.: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11.: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator1887 · Public DomainOn vv3, 9, 10The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
Psa_29:3-4
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
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The voice of Jehovah upon the waters
The very pathway of the Lords people is said to be through the waters; and they are a people that do business in deep waters. How Israel, how Peter, found the truth of our text. But when passing through deep waters we are more inclined--and it is a crying evil--to listen to the roar of the waves than to the voice of my precious Christ.
I. afflictions are compared to waters, billows, . . . deep waters. And these may come upon the Church at large through hatred of the truth by Papists, Arminians and Socinians and others. And upon private persons, through temporal trials and persecutions. But these are other waters, blessed ones, such as told of in Eze_47:1-23.
II. the Lords voice on these waters. It is an overruling and comforting voice, in waters of affliction: of conviction, comfort and direction, in the waters of the sanctuary.
III. the attention demanded to such a voice. Listen for it more than to any other whether persecutor or preacher. Supernatural joy comes from listening to the Lords voice. Have you all heard it? If not, may it awaken you now. (Joseph Irons.)
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.--
The majestic voice
All Gods works praise Him, but there are some which praise Him more than others. There are some of His doings upon which there seems to be graven in larger letters than usual the name of God. Such as the lofty mountains, the thunders and lightnings. The old and universal belief was, that the thunder was the voice of God. But there are spiritual voices of God, and of these we would speak. Samuel on his bed heard it. Saul at his conversion. And God often speaks to man by the Holy Spirit. And the voice of God is ever full of majesty. It is so--
I. essentially; it must be so. Think whose voice it is. How Gods voice is full of majesty because--
1. It is true.
2. Commanding.
3. Very powerful. Let there be light, and there was light.
4. And because Gods voice is His Word, and His Word was His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. always. Gods voice, like mans, has various tones, but it is always full of majesty.
1. Let the tone be what it may, whether harsh as in threatening, or sweet as when consoling, or august as when commanding. Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward. And at the Resurrection of the dead, and at the Judgment Day.
2. And in all the different degrees of its loudness. Some calls of God are loud, others gentle but all majestic.
3. And in all its mediums. The meanness of a speaker for God does not hinder this.
III. in its effects.
1. It is a breaking voice. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars. The proudest and most stubborn sinner is broken before Him.
2. Moving. He maketh them (the mountains) also to skip like a calf. No mountain of error, falsity, or sin can stand unmoved when He speaks.
3. Dividing. Divideth the flames of fire. Where Gods Word is faithfully preached it is ever a dividing power.
4. Shaking shaketh the wilderness. Gods Word does this in mens hearts.
5. Bringing forth--maketh the hinds to calve. So Gods Word makes the soul bring forth holy desire and joy, and whatever a man has in him it has to come forth.
6. Discovering--discovereth the forests. Hypocrites hide, but God discovers them. Oh, listen to His voice bidding you believe and be saved. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Voice of the Lord
This sacred poem from which our text is taken, is one of the most elevated and sublime to which the poetry of inspiration itself has given birth. But the words are capable of other than their primary application.
I. consider the modes in which God speaks to man.
1. Through Nature--see this psalm,
2. Through the dispensations and in the government of Providence.
3. Through His revealed truth, and--
4. Chief of all, through His Son.
II. the attributes by which these communications are prominently distinguished--Power and Majesty. Consider--
1. The glory of His nature from whom they proceed.
2. The contents of the communications themselves. They speak of the Divine perfections and chiefly of Gods method of redeeming sinful man.
3. The issues in which attention to, or neglect of, these communications is to terminate. They are identified with the destinies of mans deathless soul.
III. THE tribute which these communications made by God to man imperatively require.
1. Faith.
2. Gratitude.
3. Prayer for ourselves and for our fellow-men. How, then, shall you who are despising these communications of God answer it in the great day of Judgment? Oh, come to Jesus now. (James Parsons.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv3, 6, 9General Information:
General Information:
The psalm shows Yahweh's power and glory.
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The voice of Yahweh is heard over the waters
God's voice is louder and clearer than all other sounds and noises. It can be heard over other loud sounds such as the sound of the waters. This can be stated in active form. AT: "When Yahweh speaks his voice is louder than the sound of the sea" or "Yahweh shouts louder than the sound of the waters" (See: Active or Passive)
over the waters
This refers to the seas or the oceans. These waters make a very loud noise as the waves rise and fall.
The voice of Yahweh
All occurrences of "voice" here represent Yahweh speaking. The writer is emphasizing that when Yahweh speaks, the sound is so loud it is heard over the waters, and it is so powerful it can destroy the largest trees. AT: "When Yahweh speaks, his voice" (See: Metonymy)
the God of glory thunders
This speaks about God speaking as if it were the sound of thunder. Just like the sound of thunder, Yahweh's voice can be heard over large distances. AT: "The voice of the glorious God is loud like thunder" or "When the glorious God speaks it rumbles like thunder" (See: Metaphor)
Tyndale Open Study Notes2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv3, 5, 6, 8, 1029:3-9 The word translated voice (Hebrew qol) can also…
29:3-9 The word translated voice (Hebrew qol) can also mean “noise” (1 Kgs 1:45) or “thunder” (Joel 3:16). The Lord’s voice is awe-inspiring, and it dominates whatever rumblings people might attribute to other deities.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv3, 5, 9, 10 3. The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters.…
3. The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters. David now rehearses the wonders of nature which I have previously referred to; and well indeed does he celebrate the power of God as well as his goodness, in his works. As there is nothing in the ordinary course of nature, throughout the whole frame of heaven and earth, which does not invite us to the contemplation of God, he might have brought forward, as in Psalm 19:1, the sun and the stars, and the whole host of heaven, and the earth with its riches; but he selects only those works of God which prove not only that the world was at first created by him, and is governed by his power, but which also awaken the torpid, and drag them, as it were, in spite of themselves, humbly to adore him; as even Horace was compelled, though he was not only a heathen poet, but an Epicurean, and a vile contemner of Deity, to say of himself in one of his Odes, — (Lib. I. Ode 34.)
“A fugitive from heaven and prayer, I mocked at all religious fear, Deep scienced in the mazy lore Of mad philosophy; but now Hoist sail, and back my voyage plough To that blest harbour which I left before.
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“For, lo! that awful heavenly Sire, Who frequent cleaves the clouds with fire, Parent of day, immortal Jove; Late through the floating fields of air, The face of heaven serene and fair, His thund’ring steeds, and winged chariot drove,” etc. Dr Francis’ Translation of Horace.
Experience, too, tells us that those who are most daring in their contempt of God are most afraid of thunderings, storms, and such like violent commotions. With great propriety, therefore, does the prophet invite our attention to these instances which strike the rude and insensible with some sense of the existence of a God, “Qui contraignent les barbares et gens esbestez sentir qu’il y a un Dieu.” — Fr. “Which constrain the rude and insensible to feel that there is a God.”
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 The thunder claps that are heard out of the…
The thunder claps that are heard out of the clouds, ought to make the wicked to tremble for fear of God’s anger.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv3–10 Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD [is] upon…
Psa 29:3 The voice of the LORD [is] upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD [is] upon many waters.
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters] Thunder is here called, and fitly, the voice of the Lord (being brought, as one instance of those many other glorious works of his in nature), because it comes from him alone. Natural causes there are assigned of it; but we must not stick in them, as Epicurus and his hogs would have us. (The ancient Romans said Deus tonat, Deus fulgurat, for which now tonat, fulgurat.) The best philosophy in this behalf is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking unto us from heaven, as if he were present; and to see him in his lightnings, as if he cast his eyes upon us, to behold what we had been doing. This voice of the Lord is fitly instanced as an evidence of the Divine power and majesty; because it is so dreadful, even to the greatest atheists; as it was to Caius Caligula, that potent emperor, ready to run into a mouse hole in a time of thunder (Sueton.).
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The God of glory thundereth] And men quake before him; as worms at such a time wriggle into the corners of the earth. And yet your dive clappers duck net at this rattle in the air, though they do at a far smaller matter. So, many tremble not at God’s terrible threats, that yet are afraid of a penal statute.
The Lord is upon many waters] viz. When he thundereth. De aquis pendulis loquitur, saith Vatablus; He speaketh of the waters in the clouds, which are many, and of great force, as appeared in the general deluge; and doth still appear by that infinite inundation of rain that followeth upon the thunder claps. Some render it, The Lord, or, The voice of the Lord, is above many waters, i.e. above the loud roaring of many waters, which is even drowned by the thunder.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–10 The voice of the Lord, i.e. thunder, as is…
The voice of the Lord, i.e. thunder, as is manifest from the next clause, and the following effects; which is oft called the Lord’s voice, as Exo 9:23,28,29; Job 37:4,5; Psa 18:14; 46:6. Upon the waters; either,
1. Upon the seas; where its noise spreads far and wide, and is very terrible. But the following verses speak of the effects of it upon the earth only. Or rather,
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2. Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen 1:7; Psa 18:11, because they are of a watery substance. And this circumstance is considerable here, to magnify the Divine power, which displayeth itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates, and from whence he can easily and unavoidably smite all that dwell upon the earth, and will not submit to him. Upon many waters, i.e. upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, Psa 18:10,11; 104:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–10 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,....…
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters,.... What follows concerning thunder, the voice of the Lord, gives so many reasons why he should have glory given him and be worshipped; the Heathens (y) paid their devotion to thunder and lightning: but this should be done to the author of them; which may be literally understood of thunder, and is the voice of the Lord; see Psa 18:13; and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, Jer 10:13; and is very terrible upon the waters, and has its effect there, Psa 104:7; and this is the rather mentioned, because that there is a God above, who is higher than the mighty, who are called upon to give glory to him, and because that thunder has been terrible to kings and great men of the earth; or this may be figuratively interpreted of the voice of Christ in the Gospel, which reaches to many nations and people, compared to waters, Rev 17:15. The disciples had a commission to preach it to all nations, and the sound of their words went into all the world, Rom 10:18;
the God of glory thundereth; this shows that thunder may be meant by the voice of the Lord, who is glorious in himself, and in all his works; and may be applied to the Gospel of Christ, who is the Lord of glory, and whose ministers, at least some of them, are sons of thunder; see Co1 2:8;
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the Lord is upon many waters; that is, his voice is, as before, which is thunder; and that this belongs to God, the Heathens were so sensible of, that they called their chief deity Jupiter Tonans (z).
(y) Pausan. Arcad. sive l. 8. p. 503. (z) Horat. Epod. l. 5. Ode 2. v. 29. Martial. l. 2. Ep. 95.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 The waters - Above in the clouds, which are…
The waters - Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen. i, 7 chap. xviii, 11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates. Many - Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, chap. xviii, 10, 11; civ, 3.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 Verse 3. The voice of the Lord] THUNDER, so…
Verse 3. The voice of the Lord] THUNDER, so called, Ex 9:23, Ex 9:28-29; Job 37:4; Ps 18:13; Isa 30:30. On this subject see the note on Job 37:4, where there is a particular description of the nature and generation of thunder; and of the lightning, clap, rain, and other phenomena which accompany it.
Upon many waters.] The clouds, which Moses calls the waters which are above the firmament.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 7, 9, 10 Psa 29:3. The voice of the Lord — That…
Psa 29:3. The voice of the Lord — That is, thunder, frequently so called; is upon the waters — Upon the seas, where its noise spreads far and wide, and is very terrible; or rather above the clouds, which are sometimes called waters, as Gen 1:7; Psa 18:11, because they are of a watery substance, and frequently much water is contained in them. And this circumstance is noticed here as being of considerable importance to magnify the divine power, which displays itself in these superior regions, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates, and from whence he can easily and unavoidably smite all that dwell upon the earth, and will not submit to him. The Lord is upon many waters — Upon the clouds, in which there are sometimes vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit and ride, Psa 18:10-11; Psa 104:3.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv3–10 The voice of the Lord - The voice of…
The voice of the Lord - The voice of Yahweh. There can be no doubt that the expression here, which is seven times repeated in the psalm, “the voice of Jehovah,” refers to thunder; and no one can fail to see the appropriateness of the expression. In heavy thunder it seems as if God spake. It comes from above. It fills us with awe. We know, indeed, that thunder as well as the other phenomena in the world, is produced by what are called “natural causes;” that there is no miracle in thunder; and that really God does not “speak” anymore in the thunder than he does in the sighing of the breeze or in the gurgling of the rivulet; but:
(a) He seems more impressively to speak to people in the thunder; and
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(b) He may not improperly be regarded as speaking alike in the thunder, in the sighing of the breeze, and in the gurgling stream.
In each and all of these ways God is addressing men; in each and all there are lessons of great value conveyed, as if by His own voice, respecting His own existence and character. Those which are addressed to us particularly in thunder, pertain to His power, His majesty, His greatness; to our own weakness, feebleness, dependence; to the ease with which He could take us away, and to the importance of being prepared to stand before such a God. “Is upon the waters.” The word “is” is supplied here by our translators in italics. The whole passage might be read as an exclamation: “The voice of Jehovah upon the waters!” It is the utterance of one who is overpowered by a sudden clap of thunder. The mind is awed. God seems to speak; His voice is heard rolling over the waters. The psalm was most likely composed in view of the sea or a lake - not improbably in view of the Mediterranean, when a storm was passing over it. A thunderstorm is sublime anywhere, in mountain scenery or upon the plains, upon the land or upon the ocean; but there are circumstances which give it special grandeur at sea, when the thunder seems to “roll” along with nothing to check or break it, and when the sublimity is increased by the solitude which reigns everywhere on the ocean.
The God of glory - The glorious God. See the notes at Psa 24:7-10.
The Lord is upon many waters - Yahweh Himself seems to be on the ocean. His voice is heard there, and He Himself appears to be there. The margin here is, “great waters.” This would seem to imply that the psalm was composed in view of waters more extended than a lake or a river, and sustains the idea above expressed, that it was in view of the great waters which must have been so familiar to the mind of the sacred writer - the waters of the Mediterranean.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power…
The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power in the tempest, of which thunder is a specimen, but not the uniform or sole example.
the waters--the clouds or vapors (Psa 18:11; Jer 10:13).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 3. The voice of the Lord—This poetic name for…
3. The voice of the Lord—This poetic name for thunder (Job_37:4; Job_40:9) has a sevenfold repetition, and is probably the type and basis of the apocalyptic “seven thunders,” (Rev_10:3-4,) as the allegoric imagery of that book is almost wholly borrowed from the Old Testament.
Upon the waters—Either the “great waters”—that is, the sea, as in third line of the verse—or dark water clouds, as Psa_18:11. Thunder upon the ocean has a peculiarly deep and solemn sound, which is probably referred to here.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–10 3. The voice of the Lord] So thunder is…
3. The voice of the Lord] So thunder is called in Exo_9:23 ff.; Psa_18:13; &c. Cp. Rev_10:3 f.
upon the waters] Hardly the sea, as though the storm were represented as coming in from the Mediterranean; but rather the waters collected in the dense masses of storm-cloud upon which Jehovah rides (Psa_18:9 ff.; Psa_104:3; Jer_10:13).
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the God of glory] Cp. “the King of glory” (Psa_24:7 ff.).
the Lord is upon many waters] The idea of the first line is repeated and emphasised. Not Jehovah’s voice alone, but Jehovah Himself is there, and the waters are many (or, great). The R.V. Even the Lord upon many waters is hardly an improvement. The P.B.V. of Psa_29:3-4 is a free paraphrase of the supposed sense.
3–9. The exhibition of Jehovah’s power which is the ground of the opening call to praise. His voice is heard in the pealing of the thunder above the storm-clouds (Psa_29:3-4); the storm bursts, it shatters the cedars and shakes the mountains in the far north (Psa_29:5-6); the lightnings flash (Psa_29:7); the deserts to the far south with their affrighted denizens tremble (Psa_29:8-9); and over all resounds the chorus, Glory (Psa_29:9 b). The seven times repeated voice of the Lord is like successive peals of thunder.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–10 (3) The voice.—The invocation to the angels over, the…
(3) The voice.—The invocation to the angels over, the storm bursts, and seven successive peals of thunder mark its course of fury and destruction. It is first heard rolling over the waters from the west (comp. 1Ki_18:44), unless the “waters” and “many waters,” as in Psa_18:11-12, refer to the gathered masses of rain-cloud, when we might compare
“Then broke the thunder
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Like a whole sea overhead.”
BROWNING: Pippa Passes.
The Hebrew kôl (“voice”), used also of any loud sound (2Sa_15:10, of the trumpet; Eze_1:24, of water), is sometimes used (Gen_4:10; Isa_52:8) to call attention, like our “Hark !” So Ewald here. Others refer it to the thunder, as in Psa_77:18; but it seems better to take it for the combined noise of the storm, thunder, wind, and rain, as in Shakespeare—
“The gods who keep this pudder o’er our heads.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–10 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.…
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The description of God"s might in the thunderstorm now begins with one of the sudden transitions which David loves. "The voice of the Lord already identified with the thunder in Psa_18:13 is suddenly heard muttering in the height of heaven, "upon the waters;" i.e. the waters stored in the clouds that float on high in the air. The God of glory the God set forth in vers. 1, 2thundereth. It is he himself, according to the psalmist, no minor agent. The Lord (Jehovah) is upon the many (or, great) waters. (comp. Job_37:2-5 and Psa_18:7-14)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain On vv3–10 Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon…
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The thunder is not only poetically but instructively called "the voice of God, "since it peals from on high; it surpasses all other sounds, it inspires awe, it is entirely independent of man, and has been used on some occasions as the grand accompaniment of God's speech to Adam's sons. There is a peculiar terror in a tempest at sea, when deep calleth unto deep, and the raging sea echoes to the angry sky. No sight more alarming than the flash of lightning around the mast of the ship; and no sound more calculated to inspire reverent awe than the roar of the storm. The children of heaven have often enjoyed the tumult with humble joy peculiar to the saints, and even those who know not God have been forced into unwilling reverence while the storm has lasted. The glory of God thundereth. Thunder is in truth no mere electric phenomenon, but is caused by the interposition of God himself. Even the old heathen spake of Jupiter Tonans; but our modern wise men will have us believe in laws and forces, and anything or nothing so they may be rid of God. Electricity of itself can do nothing, it must be called and sent upon its errand; and until the almighty Lord commissions it, its bolt of fire is inert and powerless. As well might a rock of granite, or a bar of iron fly in the midst of heaven, as the lightning go without being sent by the great First Cause. The Lord is upon many waters. Still the Psalmist's ear hears no voice but that of Jehovah, resounding from the multitudinous and dark waters of the upper ocean of clouds, and echoing from the innumerable billows of the storm tossed sea below. The waters above and beneath the firmament are astonished at the eternal voice. When the Holy Spirit makes the divine promise to be heard above the many waters of our soul's trouble, then is God as glorious in the spiritual world as in the universe of matter. Above us and beneath us all is the peace of God when he gives us quiet.
Ver. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. Yes, great God, these torrents of tears which flow down from my eyes announce thy divine presence in my soul. This heart hitherto so dry, so arid, so hard; this rock which thou hast struck a second time, will not resist thee any longer, for out of it there now gushes healthful waters in abundance. The selfsame voice of God which overturns the mountains, thunders, lightens, and divides the heaven above the sinner, now commands the clouds to pour forth showers of blessings, changing the desert of his soul into a field producing a hundredfold; that voice I hear. J. B. Massillon.
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Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. All things which we commonly say are the effects of the natural powers of matter and laws of motion, are, indeed (if we will speak strictly and properly), the effects of God's acting upon matter continually and at every moment, either immediately by himself, or mediately by some created intelligent being. Consequently there is no such thing as the cause of nature, or the power of nature. Samuel Clarke, 1675-1729. "The friend and disciple of Newton."
Ver. 3-10.
The voice of the Lord on the ocean is known,
The God of eternity thundereth abroad;
The voice of the Lord from the depth of his throne
Is terror and power; all nature is awed.
The voice of the Lord through the calm of the wood
Awakens its echoes, strikes light through its caves;
The Lord sitteth King on the turbulent flood,
The winds are his servants, his servants the waves. James Montgomery, 1771-1854.
Ver. 3-11
Messiah's voice is in the cloud,
The God of glory thunders loud.
Messiah rides along the floods,
He treads upon the flying clouds.
Messiah's voice is full of power,
His lightnings play when tempests lower.
Messiah's voice the cedars breaks,
While Lebanon's foundation quakes.
Messiah's voice removes the hills,
And all the plains with rivers fills.
The voice of their expiring God,
Shall make the rocks to start abroad;
Mount Zion and Mount Sirion,
Shall bound along with Lebanon:
The flames of fire shall round him wreathe,
When he shall on the ether breathe.
Messiah's voice shall shake the earth,
And, lo! the graves shall groan in birth,
Ten thousand thousand living sons
Shall be the issue of their groans.
The peace of God the gospel sounds;
The peace of God, the earth rebounds,
The gospel everlasting shines
A light from God that never declines.
This is the light Jehovah sends,
To bless the world's remotest ends.
Barclay's Paraphrase.
Ver. 3. God's voice heard in trouble and above trouble, or in great personal and national calamities.
Psalms 29:4*
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver 3-11: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. The Lord, etc. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-10. See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11.: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Ver. 3-11.: See Psalms on "Ps 29:3" for further information.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv3, 9, 10 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
Psa_29:3-4
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
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The voice of Jehovah upon the waters
The very pathway of the Lords people is said to be through the waters; and they are a people that do business in deep waters. How Israel, how Peter, found the truth of our text. But when passing through deep waters we are more inclined--and it is a crying evil--to listen to the roar of the waves than to the voice of my precious Christ.
I. afflictions are compared to waters, billows, . . . deep waters. And these may come upon the Church at large through hatred of the truth by Papists, Arminians and Socinians and others. And upon private persons, through temporal trials and persecutions. But these are other waters, blessed ones, such as told of in Eze_47:1-23.
II. the Lords voice on these waters. It is an overruling and comforting voice, in waters of affliction: of conviction, comfort and direction, in the waters of the sanctuary.
III. the attention demanded to such a voice. Listen for it more than to any other whether persecutor or preacher. Supernatural joy comes from listening to the Lords voice. Have you all heard it? If not, may it awaken you now. (Joseph Irons.)
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.--
The majestic voice
All Gods works praise Him, but there are some which praise Him more than others. There are some of His doings upon which there seems to be graven in larger letters than usual the name of God. Such as the lofty mountains, the thunders and lightnings. The old and universal belief was, that the thunder was the voice of God. But there are spiritual voices of God, and of these we would speak. Samuel on his bed heard it. Saul at his conversion. And God often speaks to man by the Holy Spirit. And the voice of God is ever full of majesty. It is so--
I. essentially; it must be so. Think whose voice it is. How Gods voice is full of majesty because--
1. It is true.
2. Commanding.
3. Very powerful. Let there be light, and there was light.
4. And because Gods voice is His Word, and His Word was His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. always. Gods voice, like mans, has various tones, but it is always full of majesty.
1. Let the tone be what it may, whether harsh as in threatening, or sweet as when consoling, or august as when commanding. Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward. And at the Resurrection of the dead, and at the Judgment Day.
2. And in all the different degrees of its loudness. Some calls of God are loud, others gentle but all majestic.
3. And in all its mediums. The meanness of a speaker for God does not hinder this.
III. in its effects.
1. It is a breaking voice. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars. The proudest and most stubborn sinner is broken before Him.
2. Moving. He maketh them (the mountains) also to skip like a calf. No mountain of error, falsity, or sin can stand unmoved when He speaks.
3. Dividing. Divideth the flames of fire. Where Gods Word is faithfully preached it is ever a dividing power.
4. Shaking shaketh the wilderness. Gods Word does this in mens hearts.
5. Bringing forth--maketh the hinds to calve. So Gods Word makes the soul bring forth holy desire and joy, and whatever a man has in him it has to come forth.
6. Discovering--discovereth the forests. Hypocrites hide, but God discovers them. Oh, listen to His voice bidding you believe and be saved. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Voice of the Lord
This sacred poem from which our text is taken, is one of the most elevated and sublime to which the poetry of inspiration itself has given birth. But the words are capable of other than their primary application.
I. consider the modes in which God speaks to man.
1. Through Nature--see this psalm,
2. Through the dispensations and in the government of Providence.
3. Through His revealed truth, and--
4. Chief of all, through His Son.
II. the attributes by which these communications are prominently distinguished--Power and Majesty. Consider--
1. The glory of His nature from whom they proceed.
2. The contents of the communications themselves. They speak of the Divine perfections and chiefly of Gods method of redeeming sinful man.
3. The issues in which attention to, or neglect of, these communications is to terminate. They are identified with the destinies of mans deathless soul.
III. THE tribute which these communications made by God to man imperatively require.
1. Faith.
2. Gratitude.
3. Prayer for ourselves and for our fellow-men. How, then, shall you who are despising these communications of God answer it in the great day of Judgment? Oh, come to Jesus now. (James Parsons.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3, 6, 9 General Information:
General Information:
The psalm shows Yahweh's power and glory.
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The voice of Yahweh is heard over the waters
God's voice is louder and clearer than all other sounds and noises. It can be heard over other loud sounds such as the sound of the waters. This can be stated in active form. AT: "When Yahweh speaks his voice is louder than the sound of the sea" or "Yahweh shouts louder than the sound of the waters" (See: Active or Passive)
over the waters
This refers to the seas or the oceans. These waters make a very loud noise as the waves rise and fall.
The voice of Yahweh
All occurrences of "voice" here represent Yahweh speaking. The writer is emphasizing that when Yahweh speaks, the sound is so loud it is heard over the waters, and it is so powerful it can destroy the largest trees. AT: "When Yahweh speaks, his voice" (See: Metonymy)
the God of glory thunders
This speaks about God speaking as if it were the sound of thunder. Just like the sound of thunder, Yahweh's voice can be heard over large distances. AT: "The voice of the glorious God is loud like thunder" or "When the glorious God speaks it rumbles like thunder" (See: Metaphor)
over many waters
"over the large bodies of water"
translationWords
voice
water
God
power
majesty
cedar
Lebanon
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3, 5, 6, 8, 10 29:3-9 The word translated voice (Hebrew qol) can also…
29:3-9 The word translated voice (Hebrew qol) can also mean “noise” (1 Kgs 1:45) or “thunder” (Joel 3:16). The Lord’s voice is awe-inspiring, and it dominates whatever rumblings people might attribute to other deities.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.