Psalm 29 9 Commentary

Well – as we start our Psalm 29 9 commentary – David goes back to noting how the Lord’s voice in the storm affects the forest and even some animals in it.

9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve,
and discovereth the forests:
and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

Psalm 29 9 Commentary
To Calve

So, the Lord’s voice in the storm – the thunder accompanied by the lighting can be quite a frightening sight. So frightening that the very sensitive doe will sometimes give birth prematurely due to its fright.

Interestingly, this word to calve is the same word found in verse 8 that’s translated as shaketh.

Psalm 29 9 Commentary
Discovereth

So, David draws attention to the effect that a storm can have on the animals in a forest.

But then he returns to the effect that a storm has on the trees of that forest. The wind that also accompanies a storm can strip leaves off of trees. That’s the sense in which David says that the Lord’s voice discovereth the forests. That term discovereth is used in Joel 1:7 of stripping leaves from a tree. High winds can do this.

Psalm 29 9 Commentary
Temple

And then David seems to draw our attention from where it’s been – from the sea, and then from Lebanon/northern Israel, and then from east of Lebanon out in the wilderness – to now the temple.

But if David’s writing this, the temple hasn’t been built yet. So, where is he talking about?

Psalm 29 9 Commentary
Tabernacle

Well, it’s possible that he could be speaking of the Tabernacle. That temporary tent was sometimes referred to as a temple – because in some sense it was a special housing area of God’s presence.

Psalm 29 9 Commentary
Heavenly Court

But I think more interesting is the possibility that this could be referring to some sort of temple in heaven where God and his council inhabit.

And remember how David started the psalm. He called on “the sons of God” to ascribe glory to the Lord.

And now here in verse 9 what do we see those in his heavenly temple declaring?

They say glory! The same word used in verses 1, 2, and 3. The same word urged on heavenly beings and those tempted to worship them to ascribe to the Lord. That’s what going on here.

Return to our Psalm 29 Commentary.