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“We worship the Creator who has revealed himself as the Redeemer.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

History

The Hebrew Scriptures begin with the story of creation, and creation themes permeate the OT. Sometimes the psalmists reflect on the creation narratives of Gen 1—2 (e.g., Pss 8; 24:1; 33:6), while at other times on God’s providential maintenance of the natural world (e.g., 19:1–6; 29; 104; 148). The Psalter declares that God’s glory is evident through the things he has made, and the world is the theater of his glory.161 Psalm 29 has been classified as an enthronement psalm162 or a hymn of praise,163 and these two are not mutually exclusive for God’s enthronement calls forth praise. In Ps 29, both his enthronement and resulting praise stem from the manifestation of himself in nature, specifically the thunderstorm. Psalm 29 affirms God’s sovereignty over creation, as well as his providential care of it.

The ancient Hebrews had a strong perception of the distinction between the Creator and the creation. They were not pantheists who saw nature itself as divine. The biblical doctrine of creation implies a greater-lesser relationship between God and his natural creation. In the words of C. S. Lewis, “To say that God created Nature, while it brings God and Nature into relation, also separates them. What makes and what is made must be two, not one. Thus the doctrine of Creation in one sense empties Nature of divinity.”164 The Israelites were creationists who believed that Yahweh was the creator who stood apart from his creation, while at the same time infusing it with his glory so that it continually testifies to his majesty. Again, Lewis summarizes the relationship between the Creator and the creation: “Nature and God were distinct; the One had made the other; the One ruled and the other obeyed.”165 God’s sovereign rule over creation permeates Ps 29 as he uses nature to reveal his glory in the heavens above and on the earth below.

Psalm 29 may be the oldest of the psalms.166 Its structure reveals the following three divisions: the call to worship and testimony (vv. 1–2), the appearance of Yahweh in the storm (vv. 3–9), and the acknowledgement of Yahweh’s enthronement as king (vv. 10–11).167 Its imagery evokes ancient Canaanite theophanies (i.e., appearances of a god to humans) of Baal, who was often symbolized by a thunderstorm. In fact, it was common in ANE religions to associate various gods with the power of the storm. The Egyptian god Amun was the great storm god who provided rain for crops and animals.168 In Canaanite mythology, Baal was the “rider of the clouds,” and is often pictured wielding thunder in one hand and lightening in the other.169 Baal worshipers said that the voice of Baal was heard in the thunderstorm.170 Therefore, the imagery, linguistic forms, and rhythmic patterns shared between Ugaritic poetry and Ps 29 invite comparative analysis. However, scholars debate whether or not a Canaanite hymn had influenced the psalmist. One view sees Ps 29 as an adaptation of an older Canaanite hymn where the name Yahweh is substituted for Baal, making it a polemic against Baal and appealing to the power of Yahweh in the storm. However, no specific Canaanite hymn actually exists, so this view rests on a flimsy hypothetical document at best.171 To be clear, it is not as if a hymn to Baal is known to us, but there is a wealth of extant Ugaritic poetry that predates Ps 29 and that shares stylistic similarities with it.172 Another view sees the psalm as an original production of the Hebrew psalmist, whose style and phraseology reflect that of the Canaanites. In other words, the psalmist has used terminology and modes of expression common to his ANE context.173 It can be said with a significant measure of confidence that “thematically it is clear that this Israelite poem borrows from its Canaanite environment.”174 Such borrowing was likely polemical or apologetic to teach Israel that it was not Baal who was the power of the storm, but Yahweh.175 It is worth noting that the LXX superscript for this psalm associates it with the last day of the Festival of Tabernacles at the end of the dry season: “On the occasion of the solemn assembly of the Tabernacle.” A storm would be a welcome relief, as well as a forecast of God’s provisions for another season.176 Psalm 29, then, is a potent polemic against any notion that the pagan god Baal was responsible for the refreshing rains.

The thunderstorm is no mere natural phenomenon; it is Yahweh’s work and does his bidding, resulting in his praise and glory. The fact that the covenant name of God, Yahweh, occurs eighteen times in Ps 29 underscores the anti-Baal polemic. If the Israelites were tempted to associate Baal’s voice with the thunder and lightening of the storm, the psalm makes it clear with the sevenfold repetition of the “voice of the LORD” that only Yahweh speaks through the storm. Patrick Reardon believes the psalm uses onomatopoeia—a poetic device in which a word imitates the thing to which it refers—in its repetition of the “voice of the LORD” where the word “voice” (qol) is pronounced with the full glottal shock of the Hebrew letter qoph (which sounds like a strong k or kh in Eng.). Put differently, the word mimics the sound of a repeated thunder roll.177 With seven being the number of completeness or fullness in the Bible, the point is that the thunderstorm reflects Yahweh’s all-powerful strength.178 These poetic devices—onomatopoeia and repetition—illustrate God’s voice as a reverberating thunder roll.

The psalm’s polemical thrust begins with the address in 29:1 to “heavenly beings” (bene elim, lit. “sons of gods”). This verse is notoriously difficult to interpret. Some English translations struggle to capture the literal sense of bene elim, and tend to soften it to “mighty ones” (NIV) or “heavenly beings” (ESV) because it, along with the plural noun elim, refers to gods in ANE literature. Therefore, translators may be reluctant to admit the possibility that Israel may have acknowledged the existence of other gods alongside Yahweh.179 Gerald Wilson notes that we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the early Israelites were polytheists, especially given the biblical data that records many instances where Israel ran after other gods. The biblical portrait demonstrates Israel’s repeated efforts to worship pagan gods in the polytheistic milieu of the ANE. Wilson comments that this propensity to worship other deities eventually led to the exile where idolatry in Israel was ultimately stamped out. In other words, only after the exile were the Hebrews considered to be absolute monotheists.180 Psalm 29, therefore, does not reject altogether the existence of other gods, but rather puts them in their proper place—beneath Yahweh in subordination to him, and who worship Yahweh themselves (29:2).

When warning Israel against worshiping other gods, the OT does not unilaterally call into question their existence, but their worthiness to receive worship. These other gods worshiped by the pagans pale in comparison to the all-powerful and authoritative creator, Yahweh. What we appear to have in the biblical record of the belief system of ancient Israel is henotheism, in which many gods are thought to exist, although only one (i.e., Yahweh) has claim on one’s absolute loyalty.181 Yahweh is the “most high God,” sovereign over all other heavenly beings, and is to be “exalted above all gods” (1 Chr 16:25; Pss 95:3; 96:4; 97:9; Dan 11:36–37). The first commandment speaks of having “no other gods before me” (Exod 20:3); that is, Yahweh holds first place among whatever gods are thought to exist.182 Of course, these passages and others like them can be interpreted metaphorically so that their rhetorical purpose is to magnify the glory of Yahweh at the expense of pagan deities.183 Either way, Yahweh is king of the cosmos. Psalm 29:1–2, therefore, is the template for interpreting the psalm as a polemic against foreign gods. The scene portrays the divine council that meets in the heavenly throne room of Yahweh where he summons divine beings to acknowledge (lit. “ascribe to”) his glory and strength.184 While angels may be present at this council of “heavenly beings,” the psalm’s polemic points to the council as the deposed gods of the Canaanite pantheon.185

The polemic is strengthened in verse 2 where the heavenly beings are invited to worship the LORD by ascribing to him the “glory” due his name. The heavenly throne room scene evokes the image of a palace where the king’s court has been hailed to hear an authoritative word from him. The heavenly beings are called to appear before the throne in order to pay homage to the Lord and to worship him. By acknowledging his glory, they confess the majesty of Yahweh above all gods. Here, as in verse 1, “glory” is the organizing motif of this heavenly worship assembly. The initial summons features the term “glory” (vv. 1–2), and it also occurs at the beginning and end of the proclamation of the voice of the LORD (vv. 3, 9).186 Mays defines the term in the context as a summary for the divine attributes of the LORD as king and as a description of the manifestation of God’s divine royalty in the world.187 Additionally, God’s glory is specifically expressed through the storm in the context of Ps 29. While not an exhaustive portrayal of God’s glory, the rhetorical effect is to invite the onlookers to see his glory on display in the storm. The heavenly court that testifies to the glory of God does so “in the splendor of holiness” (lit. “splendid holy attire,” v. 2), which is either a reference to Yahweh’s royal robes that signify his rank as king, or to the court apparel given to those who appear before a king in his throne room.188 We need not decide between these two views as they both make the same point: Yahweh’s kingly majesty calls forth worship, and the pagan deities themselves ascribe to him glory and strength and humbly bow in worship when they are summoned before his presence.

The body of the psalm describes various effects of God’s all-powerful strength—the voice of the LORD (vv. 3–9). The phrase “voice of the LORD” moves the psalm along a progression, like a storm, from beginning to end. This voice of the LORD not only resounds in the context of the storm in Ps 29, it also answers the call for God to not remain silent in Ps 28:1.189 This is another instance of “microstructuring” within the Psalter where some psalms have been intentionally placed adjacent to one another due to connecting, similar, or overlapping content. Verses 3–8 describe the track of the storm as it develops over the Mediterranean Sea and heads eastward toward Palestine, hitting land at Lebanon in the north and extending far to the south to the wilderness of Kadesh. There is certainly more to this “track” than mere geography. Given the polemical nature of the psalm, the “waters” and “many waters” of verse 3 reflect the ANE mythological mindset that views water as a chaotic force that endangers creation. Waters need to be tamed, and only the gods can do so. In the context of Ps 29, Yahweh rules over the chaotic waters so that they do his bidding. What seems an untamable and destructive force is in full submission to the voice of the LORD. This harkens back to the creation narrative where darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Gen 1:2). The ancients saw the waters as barriers to God’s creative agenda, but he was the great victor who subdued the abyss and transformed it from a life-threatening force to a life-giving servant. Walter Brueggemann and William Bellinger reiterate how “waters represent the powers of chaos and disorder that oppose YHWH’s creation.”190 Similarly, Mays notes the larger mythological worldview where the divine victor who was victorious over the counterforces of chaos resulting in the creation of the world and manifests the reign of the deity.191 Psalm 29:4, then, reiterates God’s victory over the forces of chaos and propels the psalm forward as the storm makes landfall in verses 5–9, which describe various effects of the storm—metaphorically the voice of the LORD—as it passes over land.

The mighty wind gusts and thunderous voice of God pierce the forested region of Lebanon (v. 5), which was known in the ANE for its cedar trees. They were the largest trees in the region, and associated ANE accounts claim that the great monster Huwawa guarded them.192 The polemic of the verse is clear: Yahweh’s theophany decimates the great forest, and no foreign god can withstand his torrent. What is more, the entire mountainous regions of Lebanon and Sirion (or Mount Hermon) jump in fright at the piercing sound of the voice of the LORD (v. 6). The imagery conveys booming thunder and blinding flashes of lightening so fearsome that what seem to be immoveable and unshakeable mountains jump like a young wild ox (“unicorn” KJV), which is renown for its strength and aggression (cf. Num 23:22; 24:8; Deut 33:17; Job 39:9–12). Again, the track of the storm is massive; it comes ashore in the northern regions of Lebanon and extends to the southern regions to the desert of Kadesh (v. 8), and everything in between.193 The final effect of the voice of the LORD is that it “twists the oaks and makes the forest bare” (v. 9 NIV). Verse 9 is notoriously difficult to translate due to textual discrepancies in the manuscript tradition; an equally plausible translation of the first colon reads: “makes the deer give birth” (ESV). The idea is that the thunder associated with God’s voice is so terrifying, it causes animals to give birth prematurely.194 The first option (i.e., “twists the oaks”) best fits the context and parallelism of the verse.195 It gives the impression that the storm continues on its track and nothing can withstand its power. The theophany signifies that the power of the LORD is unobstructed, truly terrifying, and yet it brings the refreshing rains.

I noted previously the “glory” theme of the psalm, and verse 9c brings this theme to a climax as the power of the thunderstorm inspires worshipers in the temple to cry “Glory!” Here at the peak of the storm worshipers fulfill the opening call to “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” (v. 2).196 It is unclear if this is the heavenly temple (or throne room) of God, or the earthly temple in Jerusalem. Perhaps the ambiguity is intentional and fuses heavenly and earthly worshipers together in one grand chorus shouting the praises of Yahweh. Put differently, heavenly worship is echoed in the worship of the LORD in the temple in Jerusalem.197

Many psalms draw to a close with a statement summarizing the main theme of the psalm, and Ps 29:10 is a good example of this literary device. What the psalmist implies at the beginning of the psalm, he expresses more fully near the end: the LORD reigns! The throne room scene of verses 1–2, where the gods bow before the royal presence of Yahweh, comes to full expression in verse 10. The storm begins to dissipate with a summary statement of the kingship of God who “sits enthroned over the flood” (v. 10). The thunderstorm of verses 3–9 is but a mere manifestation (however magnificent) of the cosmic reign of Yahweh. One can say that verses 3–9 illustrate the reign of God, while verse 10 definitively declares it. In other words, let there be no doubt about who tames the abyss—Yahweh, not Baal. The reference to the “flood” (mabbul) probably carries a two-fold sense referring to the Mediterranean Sea where the storm developed, and also to the chaotic waters of the flood in Gen 6—9. In fact, the latter is the only other place in the OT where the same term appears, and it does so twelve times.198 Psalm 29:10 declares God’s reign over the very powers that threaten to destroy creation. This essentially parallels the thought in verse 3, where the voice of the LORD was over the waters, yet it is not merely a restatement of that thought, but an amplification of it. It is the grand declaration of the reign of Yahweh in the psalm, and it is because of verse 10 that Ps 29 is often categorized as an enthronement psalm.

Again, the parallelism of verse 10 is not synonymous in the sense that colon B (“the LORD sits enthroned as king forever”) merely restates colon A (“the LORD sits enthroned over the flood”). Instead the B colon heightens the A colon: “The LORD reigns over the flood; and what is more, the LORD reigns forever.” Put differently, the first colon is spatial and the second is temporal, although both are universal.199 To be sure, one is not greater than the other, but they are different from each other. Nevertheless, in the ANE worldview, the most turbulent, violent, untamable force known to humanity rests in submission beneath the feet of God. Wilson captures well the psalmist’s awareness of Yahweh’s reign in verse 10: “This exercise of divine authority and control over the chaotic forces threatening to undo creation and human existence established once and for all that Yahweh is the cohesive power that holds the universe together.”200

With this declaration of God’s universal reign, the psalm ends as quickly as the storm began, and the result is precisely what one expects once the storm passes—peace. Reardon observes that most of the psalm is loud and active, but decidedly peaceful at the end.201 Calmness occurs once the whipping winds, torrential rains, blinding lightening and booming thunder of a violent storm has ended. Psalm 29 ends with this sense of peace, but it is more than simply the absence of the thunderstorm. The Hebrew concept of peace (shalom) is wholeness, harmony, and completeness.202 In the context of Ps 29, Yahweh is the provider and sustainer of his people; he gives the refreshing rains for their crops, herds, and livelihood. As I noted earlier, the LXX superscript to this psalm associates it with the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was in part an agricultural feast that celebrated Yahweh as the one who quenched the dry and thirsty land. The final verse of the psalm, then, commemorates the provisions of God who sends the rains and meets the needs of his people.

The last line of the psalm may be a prayer (“May the LORD bless his people with peace”), or it may be a declaration: (“The LORD blesses his people with peace”).203 Either way, this verse is the psalm’s pinnacle polemic against Baal worship: Yahweh, not Baal, provides for Israel, and the strength of Yahweh, not Baal, is manifested in the storm and imparts strength to Israel. The larger ANE cosmic themes of the psalm reach down to a practical level in verse 11 where God’s glory and strength bring peace upon Israel. Mays notes that the very power that creates the universe “offers the people of God the coherence and constancy of shalom.”204 Similarly, Dietrich Bonhoeffer affirms the psalm’s practical import: “Psalm 29 lets us wonder at the frightful power of God in the thunder, and yet its goal lies in the power, the blessing, and the peace which God sends to his people.”205 Thus, Ps 29 ends with a summons to Yahweh, who harnessed the chaotic waters of creation and the flood, and who manifests his glory in the storm, to channel his power toward Israel for its wholeness and wellbeing.

Christology