Psalm 29 9

Psalm 29:9 kjv

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 nkjv

The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"

Psalm 29:9 niv

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

Psalm 29:9 esv

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

Psalm 29:9 nlt

The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks
and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, "Glory!"

Psalm 29 verses

Psalm 29 9 Meaning

Psalm 29:9 declares the Lord's supreme and awe-inspiring power manifested through His "voice," which refers to His thunderous power or divine utterance. This power is so absolute that it both causes wild does to prematurely give birth in terror or travail, and violently strips the leaves and branches from the forest trees, revealing their bareness. Yet, despite this tremendous display of cosmic force, the verse culminates in the serene affirmation that in His temple—His holy dwelling place—everything and everyone gathered in worship declares and acknowledges His singular, absolute "Glory." This verse highlights God's comprehensive sovereignty over nature, from life-giving processes to destructive might, all of which elicit appropriate worship and praise in His sacred presence.

Psalm 29 9 Context

Psalm 29 is a majestic hymn (a psalm of praise) proclaiming the absolute sovereignty and power of Yahweh. Often referred to as "The Voice of God" Psalm, it vividly describes a powerful thunderstorm sweeping across the Near East, from Lebanon down to the wilderness of Kadesh, using the sevenfold repetition of "the voice of the Lord" (קול יהוה, qol YHWH). This literary structure emphasizes the completeness and pervasive nature of God's authority. The psalm serves as a potent polemic against the Canaanite god Baal, who was revered as the god of storms, thunder, and fertility. In the context of ancient Near Eastern beliefs where natural forces were deified, Psalm 29 forcefully reattributes all power over the elements—thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and their effects—solely to Yahweh, establishing Him as the unrivaled supreme deity and Creator. The historical context positions the Jerusalem Temple as the central place of worship where the overwhelming power demonstrated in nature finds its proper interpretive response: reverent worship and declarations of God's glory.

Psalm 29 9 Word analysis

• "The voice of the Lord": Qol YHWH (קול יהוה). The Hebrew word qol means sound, noise, voice, or thunder. In Psalm 29, its repeated use specifically links it to thunder, emphasizing the awesome, inescapable power of God's presence in the storm. It represents God's authoritative, effective, and revealing word and power. This contrasts directly with the ineffectual voices attributed to pagan deities like Baal. The recurrence of this phrase throughout the psalm reinforces divine omnipresence and omnipotence.
• "makes the deer calve": Yechôlel 'ayyalot (יחולל אילות). The verb yechôlel (from ḥul) can mean "to travail, to writhe in pain," or "to bring forth." 'Ayyalot refers to female deer or does. The image vividly portrays the terror inflicted by God's powerful voice, causing wild does to go into labor prematurely or suffer painful births. Some scholars, noting a slight textual variant ('elôt), suggest it might refer to "oaks" or "terebinths" twisting and groaning, further emphasizing nature's subjugation. However, the interpretation of "deer calving" is widely accepted, portraying God's control even over delicate biological processes and demonstrating how deeply His power affects all aspects of creation, forcing a visible response from creatures.
• "and strips the forests bare": Va'yecheśśōp yê'ārōt (ויחשוף יערות). The verb va'yecheśśōp means "to lay bare, uncover, strip, denude." Yê'ārōt refers to forests. This imagery powerfully describes the destructive force of God's storm—high winds, heavy rain, or lightning—ripping foliage and bark from trees, revealing their skeletal forms. It symbolizes the comprehensive and unsparing nature of God's power, which can reshape landscapes and demonstrate complete dominance over natural robust elements. It suggests God's power is absolute, leaving nothing concealed from its force.
• "and in His temple": Ûvəhêḵālô (ובהיכלו). Hêḵāl denotes a palace, sanctuary, or the Jerusalem Temple. This phrase marks a significant transition from the cosmic, wild display of God's power in nature to His concentrated, ordered presence within His dwelling place among His people. It signifies that the God who thunders across creation is the same God worshipped in His sacred sanctuary, providing a crucial bridge between natural revelation and special revelation received in worship.
• "everything says, 'Glory!'": Kullô 'ōmēś Majīd (כלו אומר כבוד). Kullô means "all of it" or "everything." Majīd (from kābôd) means "glory, honor, splendor, majesty." This is the ultimate, climactic response to the divine display. Inside the temple, the awe inspired by God's power translates into worship. "Everything" can encompass both the entire cosmic creation implicitly testifying to His glory (as in Ps 19:1) and, more immediately in the context of the temple, every worshiper, every priestly act, and perhaps even heavenly beings gathered to acknowledge and praise God's inherent, magnificent being and works. It is the proper, universal recognition of God's unmatched splendor and worthiness of praise.

Psalm 29 9 Bonus section

The number seven is a prominent literary feature of Psalm 29. The phrase "voice of the Lord" appears precisely seven times (excluding verse 9's reference to it) or sometimes interpreted as seven manifestations, underscoring the perfection and completeness of God's power over all aspects of creation, resonating with biblical numerology often signifying divine totality or completion. The imagery of deer "calving" or "writhe" (depending on the interpretation of the Hebrew verb ḥul) is unusually violent for childbirth, depicting an almost unnatural trauma caused by the divine sound. This choice of word highlights not just power but also a terrifying aspect of divine sovereignty that forces nature to respond dramatically. The psalm strategically bridges two spheres: the "cosmic temple" (the entire created world where God displays His glory) and the "earthly temple" (the sanctuary in Jerusalem where His glory is worshipped). The actions outside the temple (storm) and the response inside the temple (glory) are intimately linked, signifying that the Lord's magnificent works in creation are intended to evoke worship from humanity.

Psalm 29 9 Commentary

Psalm 29:9 is a magnificent conclusion to a powerful psalm that showcases the Lord's absolute sovereignty over creation. Having illustrated Yahweh's overwhelming power through the storm, the verse pivots from the raw force outside to the sanctified space within. The voice that causes creatures to writhe in terror and devastates vast forests is the same voice whose awesome reality compels a unanimous, reverent declaration of "Glory!" in the Temple. This stark juxtaposition—untamed, destructive power contrasted with ordered, harmonious worship—underscores a profound theological truth: the Creator God who is mightily active in the world is the only one worthy of praise. His power is not chaotic but divinely ordered to bring forth His honor. This truth dismantled pagan notions of gods who merely embodied natural forces; instead, Yahweh stands transcendent above them, sovereignly directing all things to His ultimate glory. This implies that experiencing God's power in nature should lead to a recognition of His sacredness and a worshipful response in His presence.