Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 29
PSAL. XXIX.
David exhorteth Princes to give glory to God. 3 The marvellous effects of the Lords Voice. 10 His providence at the Floud, 11 and protection of his people.
A Psalme of David.
GIve ye to Iehovah, sons of the mighties, give yee to Iehovah glory and strength. Give yee to Iehovah the glory of his Name: bow downe your selves to Iehovah, in the comely honour of the Sanctuary. The voice of Iehovah is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth: Iehovah, upon many waters. The voice of Iehovah is with able power; the voice of Iehovah with comely honour. The voice of Iehovah breaketh the Cedars; and Iehovah breaketh asunder the Cedars of Lebanon. And hee maketh them leape like a calfe: Lebanon and Shirjon like a young Vnicorne. The voice of Iehovah striketh flames of fire. The voice of Iehovah maketh the wildernesse to tremble: Iehovah maketh the wildernesse of Kadesh to tremble. The voice of Iehovah maketh the Hindes tremblingly to travell, and maketh bare the forests, and in his Palace every one faith glory. Iehovah sate at the Floud, and Iehovah shal sit King for ever. Iehovah will give strength to his people; Iehovah will blesse his people with peace.
Annotations.
A Psalme of David] The Greeke addeth to this title, Exodiou skenes, that is, of the solemne assemblie of th… Taber…cle, (or Booth.) for the solemne assembly at the Feast of Tabernacles, mentioned in Levit. 23. 36, called in Hebrew Ghnat s…reth, is there and in other places translated in Greeke Exod…on: so this title intimateth that this Psalme was sung at the feast of Tabernacles. And so Maimony in Misneh, tom. 3. in Tamidin, chap. 10. sect. 11. saith that every day of the daies of that feast they said a peculiar song for the addition of the day; and in the first of the working daies of the solemne feast, they said (Psalm. 29.) Give ye unto the LORD, sonnes of the mighties, &c. Sonnes of the mighties] that is, ye mighty men, or potentates. So Psal. 89. 7. The Chaldee referreth it to the company of Angels. strength] or strong praise. See Psal. 8. 3. and 1 Tim. 6. 16.
Vers. 2. honour of the Sanctuary] that is, the honourable Sanctuary, (as the Greeke explaineth it, in his holy court) or, with honour of sanctuy, that is, with holy honour. So Psal. 96. 9. 1 Chron. 16. 29. This phrase is sometime used of Gods holy Majestie, 2 Chron. 20. 21.
Vers. 3. The voice] that is, the thunder, as Exod. 20. 18. called Gods voice, Exod. 9. 28, 29. Yet voices and thundrings are sometimes distinct, as Revel. 4. 5. and 8. 5. and 11. 19. and 16. 18. This word voice is generally used for all noise or sound, 2. King. 7. 6. 1 Cor. 14. 10. upon the waters] which are above the firmament, Gen…. 7. where the thunder is heard. So waters meane watry clouds, in Psalm. 18. 12. Or above the waters, that is, a louder voice than the roaring of the waters; whereof see Ezek. 1. 24. and 43. 2. Rev. 1. 15. and 14. 2. and 19. 6. Gods voice shaketh heavens and earth, Hebr. 12. 26. Iehovah upon] that is, thundereth upon, or, his voice is above many waters.
Vers. 5. Cedars of Lebanon] The Cedar is a tree tall, strong and durable; and for the drinesse of it, the timber rotteth not. They are called Cedars of God, Psal. 80. 11. and by him planted, Psal. 104. 16. Lebanon is a mountaine in Canaan, high, pleasant, and fruitfull, full of Cedars and other trees, the glory of that mount, 2 Chron. 2. 8. Song 3. 9. and 5. 15. Isa. 60. 13. Hos. 14. 6, 7, 8. It is called Lebanon, of whitenesse, for the snow that lieth on it, Ier. 18. 14. To this mount, and to the goodly trees thereon, great kingdomes and personages are compared, Ezek. 31. 3. and 17. 3. Ier. 22. 23. Iudg. 9. 15. 2 King. 14. 9. And the just mans estate in special, Psal. 92. 14.
Vers. 6. Shirjon] this is mount Hermon, called of the Sidonians, Shirjon, and of the Amorites, Shenir, Deut. 3. 9. and by another name Sion, (not Tsijon, spoken of in Psal. 2. 6.) Deut. 4. 48. for this Shirjon or Hermon lay without the river Iarden, where Ogh reigned, Ios. 12. 1, 5. 1 Chron. 5. 23. Here also grew goodly trees, and many wilde beasts kept in it, Ezek. 27. 5. Song 4. 8. Of Hermon see more in Psal. 89. 13. and 133. 3. and 42. 7. a young Unicorne] a fierce untamed beast; see Psal. 22. 22. The Hebrew phrase is, son of the Vnicornes; the like is also, Psal. 114. 4. All young creatures, and things that come of, or belong to another, are in Hebrew called sons: so the sons of the cole, are sparkes, Job 5. 7. the sons of the quiver, are arrowes, Lam. 3. 13. the sonne of the morne, is the morning starre, Isa. 14. 12. the sonnes of S…, are the Citizens there, Psal. 149. 2. the sonnes of the wedding chamber, are the Bridegroomes friends, Matth. 9. 15. and many the like.
Vers. 7. striketh] or cutteth …mes, as the flashes of lightning with the thunder.
Vers. 8. maketh tremble] or quake, or paineth the wildernesse, that is, the wilde beasts there, which being frighted by Gods voice or thunder, doe travell and bring forth their young with paine and trembling. Kadesh] called also Paran and Zin, a desart thorow which the Israelites passed from Aegypt to Canaan, Numb. 13. 27. and 33. 36. and had the name of the citie Kadesh by which it lay, Numb. 20. 1, 16. The beasts of this wildernesse were cruell, Deut. 8. 15. and 32. 10.
Vers. 9. the hindes] though of all other creatures they bring forth with great trouble, bowing themselves, bruising their young, and casting out their sorrowes, Iob 39. 4, 6. maketh bare] by driving the beasts with the thunder into their dens; as the Chaldee addeth, the beasts of the forest; or, by beating off the leaves and fruits of the trees. So the fig-tree is said to be made bare, Ioel 1. 7. every one] so the Greeke turneth it: or it may be read, every whit, or all of it, meaning of his people, vers. 11. which saith, glory to God, or all of it, that is, of his glory, he saith (that is, God declareth) in his Temple. The Chaldee saith, and in the Temple of the house of his Sanctuary which is above, all his ministers doe say his glory.
Vers. 10. at the floud] meaning Noahs floud, Gen. 6. and 7. for to that onelyonly both the Hebrew and Greeke word is applied. And here the Chaldee paraphraseth thus, The Lord at the generation of the s…oud, sate on the seat of judgement, to take vengeance on them: he sate also upon the seat of mercies, and delivered Noah, and reigneth over his sonnes for ever and ever.
Vers. 11. with peace] or in peace; which word betokeneth integrity, perfection, a making whole and absolute; opposed both to warre and sword, Psalm. 120. 7. Matth. 10. 34. and to division, consusion, and …umu…uous disorder, Luke 12. 51. 1 Cor. 14. 33. It denoteth all prosperitie, safety, and welfare of soule and body, and specially that spoken of in Eph. 2. 14, 15. where Christ is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken the stop of the partition wall, &c. to make of twaine, one new man in himselfe, so making peace.