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29 ‎[1] **A psalm by David. Give to the Lord, sons of the mighty. **Some commentators understand “sons of the mighty” to be angels; others say this represents the heavenly bodies. But the context of the verse implies that it is addressing human beings of great strength and stature; it is they who are best able to praise God in the most fitting manner. **Give to the Lord, **that is,** **praise Him, for His **glory and strength. **
‎[2] **Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bow down to the Lord in holy splendor. **
‎[3] From this point on, the psalmist elaborates on the various manifestations of God’s revelation, which He terms “the voice of the Lord”:* ***The voice of the Lord is on the waters; God of glory thunders; the Lord is **heard **upon surging waters. **
‎[4] **The voice of the Lord is mighty, **and** the voice of the Lord is majestic. **He is also revealed in majestic beauty.
‎[5] **The voice of the Lord **with its might** breaks cedars, **the strongest of trees;** the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. **In essence, the revelation of God makes the entire world tremble.
‎[6] **He makes them, **the trees and all the creations in the world,** **jump from their place and **skip like calves;** the great mountains, such as the **Lebanon and **the **Siryon,**** **skip **like young oryxes. **
‎[7] **The voice of the Lord hews flames of fire. **It draws forth fire from the shattering mountains.
‎[8] **The voice of the Lord makes the desert tremble **in awe. **The Lord makes the desert of Kadesh tremble. **This particular desert is mentioned to allude to the events that accompanied the revelation at Sinai, near Kadesh, as they are portrayed in several other psalms.
‎[9] **The voice of the Lord causes deer to calve. **The very same revelatory powers, the same voice that shakes the world, can also be a voice of gentleness, bringing fertility and fruitfulness to the world. **And **it also **strips the forests bare **by felling all their trees.** In His abode, **which is close to Him, as it were, the “voices of God” manifest themselves not in a display of power but rather in a tranquil manner,** **as** all proclaim His glory. **
‎[10] **The Lord sat enthroned at the flood. **Some commentators say that *mabul*, “the flood,” refers to the time when God sat in judgment and sentenced the earth to annihilation. It exemplifies how terrifying God’s power can be. Others, however, believe that it is a name for God’s throne of judgment.** The Lord sits as King forever, **as builder and creator upon earth, not as its destroyer.** **
‎[11] **The Lord gives strength to His people, **so** **that they may be able to praise Him suitably; this requires strength, as the opening verse of the psalm stated.** **But at the same time, **the Lord will bless His people with peace. **He will grant a double blessing, combining physical strength and power with peace and tranquility.
Version: The Steinsaltz Tanakh - English
Source: https://korenpub.com/collections/the-steinsaltz-tanakh/products/steinsaltz-tanakh
License: Copyright: Steinsaltz Center