Ascribe Glory to Yahweh – Psalm 29

This is a praise psalm by David.  It uses Yahweh’s personal identification 18 times.  There is no doubt that at the time of this psalm’s composure the name Yahweh was vocalized by His people.  There was no fear of pronouncing it.  There seems to be consensus that Israelites stopped pronouncing the tetragrammaton, the four consonants in Hebrew that made the divine name, and said adonai, or “lord” instead.  Later scribes put the vowel signs for adonai, “lord,” in the tetragrammaton, to signal the readers to say adonai instead of Yahweh.  Later readers, using these vowels with the four consonants got the rendition, Jehovah, but that is an error.  Yahweh is the correct pronunciation.

A Psalm of David.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.  May the LORD give strength to his people!  May the LORD bless his people with peace!  (Psalm 29 ESV)

Let angels and all God’s people acknowledge the splendor of His holiness and His glory and strength.  What is witnessed in the thunderstorm that gathers over the Mediterranean sea, hits land in the north in Lebanon at Mount Hermon and drives south all the way to the desert in Kadesh, is symbolic of the powerful voice of Yahweh that makes a mountain seem like a young calf that is startled.  Yahweh is the true king who once flooded the whole earth with rain but now visits His people with rain when needed and is their source of strength and peace.