The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 29
In brief
Psalm 29 is a hymn of David to the power of God's voice, mentioned seven times. It rings out over the great waters, makes the thunder roll, breaks the cedars of Lebanon and shakes the wilderness, like a storm sweeping across the land. Everywhere the response is the same: Glory! The Lord sits enthroned as King forever. The last verse is deeply gentle: he gives strength to his people and blesses them with peace.
The chapter in 3 parts
1Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.
2Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.
3Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters.
4Yahweh’s voice is powerful. Yahweh’s voice is full of majesty.
5Yahweh’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox.
7Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
8Yahweh’s voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9Yahweh’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!”
10Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever.
11Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
Key verses
Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.
Giving glory means recognizing the worth of his name, and bowing down in response to who God is, before asking for anything at all.
Yahweh’s voice is powerful. Yahweh’s voice is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord is both powerful and majestic. God's Word is not a rumor, it acts on creation.
Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever.
Above the flood, the storms and the chaos, the Lord sits as King, and his reign has no end.
Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.
God's power turns toward his people: strength and peace are given to them. The peace in this psalm is not the absence of storm but God's blessing in the middle of it.
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What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 29
What does Psalm 29 mean?
Psalm 29 celebrates the voice of the Lord, which rings out in the storm and recalls his glory and kingship. It invites us to give him glory, then describes his power over nature. It ends with a promise of strength and peace for God's people.
What does the voice of the Lord mean in Psalm 29?
The phrase comes back seven times in the psalm. It refers to the word by which God acts, as at creation. Here it is tied to thunder and storm, which suggests a powerful display. The image says that God is neither silent nor powerless, and that his Word has authority over all creation.
How do you pray or meditate on Psalm 29?
Read it aloud slowly, pausing at each mention of the voice of the Lord. Let the power of the text remind you that God is greater than your storms. Finish with verse 11: ask him for strength for what you are facing this week and receive his peace, without waiting for the storm to stop.
Articles quoting Psalm 29
World English Bible translation — public domain.