Psalms 29 · The Lantern

A Psalm of David. Give to the LORD, O you mighty, give to the LORD glory and strength.

Everyone who discusses divine matters in an orderly way so as always to hold the correct opinion concerning the Father, the Godhead of the Only-begotten and the glory of the Holy Spirit, brings glory and honor to the Lord.

You who are entrusted with the divine message, he is saying, and are called children of God, bear the divine message everywhere with all enthusiasm, transform those reared on nonsense into rational people and offer them first to God; then through them present the worship and the hymns, celebrating the benefactor in the divine dwellings.

In other Psalms, the Psalmist recalled the confidence he has in God; here, however, as one who has been delivered, he gives thanks. And first are set forth Psalms pertaining to thanksgiving. Second, he recalls the benefits bestowed, at "In you, O Lord, I have hoped." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he invites others to give thanks.

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Give to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD is upon many waters.

The waters are also the saints, because rivers flow from within them, that is, spiritual teaching that refreshes the souls of the hearers. Again, they receive water that springs up to eternal life, wherefore it becomes in those who receive it rightly "a fountain of water, springing up unto life everlasting." On such waters, then, is the Lord.

Now, the verse forecasts the voice emanating from heaven at the Jordan, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased." He called it "thunder" as coursing to the whole world through the sacred Gospels.

"The voice of the Lord is upon the waters," etc. Here he sets forth the divine benefits. And first, the past ones. Second, the future ones, at "The Lord makes the flood to dwell," etc. Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he enumerates the benefits bestowed.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord is not in the weak and dissolute soul but in that which vigorously and powerfully achieves the good.… Magnificence is virtue extraordinarily great. One who performs great actions becomingly … hears himself called magnificent.

From this he prophesies the power imparted to the apostles.… The narrative of the Acts also teaches us things in harmony with this: we learn from there how at his ascension Christ the Lord addressed his holy disciples in the words, "Stay in this city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Ten days later on the feast of Pentecost, "there came a sound from heaven l…

"The voice of the Lord in power." Above, the Psalmist, according to the mystical understanding, touched upon the mystery of the conversion of the Jews and Gentiles; here, however, he sets forth the benefit of temporal gifts. And concerning this he does three things. First, he proposes the spiritual gifts.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yes, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

The cedar is at times praised by Scripture as a stable tree, free from decay, fragrant, and adequate for supplying shelter, but at times it is attacked as unfruitful and hard to bend, so that it offers a representation of impiety.… The Lord is said to break those vainly puffed up and magnifying themselves in the things of this world that are considered exalting, wealth, glory,…

He signals through these words the overthrow of the idols: since the idols' precincts in ancient times were on high places, providing no fruit to their worshipers, he likened them to "the cedars of Lebanon," which though lofty do not naturally bear edible fruit.

Next he recalls the benefits bestowed after the crossing. And this can be understood in two ways. First, through the removal of evil. Second, through the conferring of goods, at "The voice of the Lord shaking." Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he sets forth the benefit.

He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

"And shall bruise them as the calf of Libanus" [Psalm 29:6]. And when their proud exaltation has been cut off, He will lay them low after the imitation of His Own humility, who like a calf was led to slaughter [Isaiah 53:7] by the nobility of this world.

This animal is called the unicorn, but I cannot say that I have seen him. But I have seen four brazen figures of him set up in the four-towered palace of the King of Ethiopia. From these figures I have been able to draw him as you see. They speak of him as a terrible beast and quite invincible, and say that all his strength lies in his horn.

Likewise, "And he will reduce them like a calf." Here the perfection of conversion is set forth. Mount Lebanon is very rich in pastures, and the priests, on account of the abundance of victims, had cattle graze there.

The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.

Although fire seems to human intelligence to be incapable of being cut or divided, yet by the command of the Lord it is cut through and divided.

"The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of fire" [Psalm 29:7]. The Voice of the Lord, without any harm to Himself, passing through all the excited ardour of them that persecute Him, or dividing the furious rage of His persecutors, so that some should say, "Is not this haply the very Christ;" others, "Nay; but He deceives the people:" [John 7:41, 12] and so cutting short…

"The voice of the Lord dividing the flame." Here he recalls the benefit by which they were freed from an evil inflicted by God. In Num. 11, it is said that on account of the murmuring of the people, fire invaded part of the camp, and at the raising of Moses' hands the fire was extinguished.

The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The thick woods, the woody souls in which, like some wild beasts, the varied passions of sins lurk, are cleared out by that word, which is "keener than any two-edged sword."

The desert was the church that, at first, had no children. By the preaching of Christ, this wilderness "was shaken" and "came to labor and gave birth, and there was born in a single day an entire nation." She who before was called the "wilderness of Cades," the desert of holiness—inasmuch as she had been barren of virtues—begins "to bring forth stags" and send out in throngs ho…

"The Voice of the Lord moving the wilderness" [Psalm 29:8]. The Voice of the Lord moving to the faith the Gentiles once "without hope, and without God in the world;" [Ephesians 2:12] where no prophet, no preacher of God's word, as it were, no man had dwelt.

The voice of the LORD makes the hinds to calve, and discovers the forests: and in his temple does every one speak of his glory.

One who is in the temple of God does not speak out abuse or folly or words full of shameful matters, but "in his temple all shall speak his glory." … This one duty, referring glory to the Creator, belongs to every army of heavenly creatures. Every creature, whether silent or uttering sound, whether celestial or terrestrial, gives glory to the Creator.

"The Voice of the Lord perfecting the stags" [Psalm 29:9]. For the Voice of the Lord has first perfected them that overcame and repelled the envenomed tongues. "And will reveal the woods." And then will He reveal to them the darknesses of the Divine books, and the shadowy depths of the mysteries, where they feed with freedom.

Now, he called "woods" the idols' precincts as being utterly fruitless; these are the kinds of woods or coppices that the best woodcutters are accustomed to chop down, leaving the earth bare of them, and they plant fruitbearing trees and sow seeds of edible crops.

The LORD sits upon the flood; yes, the LORD sits King for ever.

The LORD will give strength to his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Psalms29

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