Psalm 29 is the 29th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 28. In Latin, it is known as "Adferte Domino filii Dei".[1] The psalm attributes itself to David. It is a hymn, describing the advent of Yahweh in a storm.
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Nonconformist Protestant liturgies.
Origin
Psalm 29 is an example of an Enthronement Psalm wherein the supreme deity is described in Theophanic terminology as taking his place of rulership. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars like Charles and Emilie Briggs argued that it "seems to belong to the Persian period subsequent to Nehemiah", that is, between 445 and 333 BCE.[2][3][4]
However, more recent scholarship has undermined this conclusion; archaic language and content have been identified in the Psalm, akin to other early strata such as the Song of the Sea, befitting an early pre-exilic context.[5]: 121–122 Cross opines that generations of scholars have firmly identified literary dependence on Canaanite mythology, particularly the Ba'al Cycle, and concludes on this basis that its present form is "no later than the 10th century BC."[5]: 151-152 Similarly, Freedman cites "considerable scholarly sentiment" supporting a pre-monarchic provenance, and suggests that Psalm 29 may be dated as early the 12th century BCE, making it among the oldest portions of literature in the Hebrew Bible.[6]
Theme
[Psalm] 29 is a hymn, describing the advent of Yahweh in a storm. (1) The angels worship Yahweh in the heavenly temple (v.1-2); (2) the thunder of Yahweh's voice is a great power (a) on the waters (v.3-4); (b) upon Lebanon and its cedars (v.5-6); (c) upon the wilderness and its forests (v.8-9); (3) Yahweh, enthroned over the Flood, reigns forever and bestows blessings on his people (v.10-11).
— [7]
Uses
Judaism
- Is the recited during Kabbalat Shabbat; in Ashkenazic, Hasidic and some Sephardic communities.[8] In other Sephardic communities, Kabbalat Shabbat begins with this Psalm.
- Is recited on Shabbat during Shacharit as when returning the Torah Scroll to the ark.[9]
- Is recited in some congregations before Maariv on Motzei Shabbat.[10]
- Is recited on the third day of Sukkot in some traditions.[11]
- Is recited on Shavuot in some traditions.[11]
- Verse 11 is part of Talmud Berachos 64a.[12] It is the final verse of Birkat Hamazon,[13] is recited during the prayers following Motzei Shabbat Maariv,[14] and is recited when opening the Hakafot on Simchat Torah.[15]
- In some communities, it is recited at the end of weekday maariv (along with Psalms 24 and 8) when maariv is recited after nightfall.[16]
Coptic Orthodox Church
In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office of Terce.[17]
Book of Common Prayer
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the fifth day of the month.[18]
Musical settings
Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a metric paraphrase of Psalm 28 in German, "Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Gott, mein Hort", SWV 125, for the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.
Text
The following table shows the Hebrew text[19][20] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint[21] and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic text come from different textual traditions.[note 1] In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 28.
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הָב֣וּ לַ֭יהֹוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים הָב֥וּ לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה כָּב֥וֹד וָעֹֽז׃ | (A Psalm of David.) Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. | Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ· ἐξοδίου σκηνῆς. - ΕΝΕΓΚΑΤΕ τῷ Κυρίῳ, υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὺς κριῶν, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν, |
| 2 | הָב֣וּ לַ֭יהֹוָה כְּב֣וֹד שְׁמ֑וֹ הִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה בְּהַדְרַת־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ | Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. | ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, προσκυνήσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν αὐλῇ ἁγίᾳ αὐτοῦ. |
| 3 | ק֥וֹל יְהֹוָ֗ה עַל־הַ֫מָּ֥יִם אֵֽל־הַכָּב֥וֹד הִרְעִ֑ים יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עַל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃ | The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. | φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δόξης ἐβρόντησε, Κύριος ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. |
| 4 | קוֹל־יְהֹוָ֥ה בַּכֹּ֑חַ ק֥וֹל יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה בֶּהָדָֽר׃ | The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. | φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐν ἰσχύϊ, φωνὴ Κυρίου ἐν μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ. |
| 5 | ק֣וֹל יְ֭הֹוָה שֹׁבֵ֣ר אֲרָזִ֑ים וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ | The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. | φωνὴ Κυρίου συντρίβοντος κέδρους, καὶ συντρίψει Κύριος τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου |
| 6 | וַיַּרְקִידֵ֥ם כְּמוֹ־עֵ֑גֶל לְבָנ֥וֹן וְ֝שִׂרְיֹ֗ן כְּמ֣וֹ בֶן־רְאֵמִֽים׃ | He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. | καὶ λεπτυνεῖ αὐτὰς ὡς τὸν μόσχον τὸν Λίβανον, καὶ ὁ ἠγαπημένος ὡς υἱὸς μονοκερώτων. |
| 7 | קוֹל־יְהֹוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃ | The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. | φωνὴ Κυρίου διακόπτοντος φλόγα πυρός, |
| 8 | ק֣וֹל יְ֭הֹוָה יָחִ֣יל מִדְבָּ֑ר יָחִ֥יל יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מִדְבַּ֥ר קָדֵֽשׁ׃ | The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. | φωνὴ Κυρίου συσσείοντος ἔρημον καὶ συσσείσει Κύριος τὴν ἔρημον Κάδης. |
| 9 | ק֤וֹל יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ יְחוֹלֵ֣ל אַיָּלוֹת֮ וַֽיֶּחֱשֹׂ֢ף יְעָ֫ר֥וֹת וּבְהֵיכָל֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ אֹמֵ֥ר כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 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. | φωνὴ Κυρίου καταρτιζομένη ἐλάφους, καὶ ἀποκαλύψει δρυμούς· καὶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ αὐτοῦ πᾶς τις λέγει δόξαν. |
| 10 | יְ֭הֹוָה לַמַּבּ֣וּל יָשָׁ֑ב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה מֶ֣לֶךְ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. | Κύριος τὸν κατακλυσμὸν κατοικιεῖ, καὶ καθιεῖται Κύριος βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. |
| 11 | יְֽהֹוָ֗ה עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן יְהֹוָ֓ה ׀ יְבָרֵ֖ךְ אֶת־עַמּ֣וֹ בַשָּׁלֽוֹם׃ | The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. | Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει, Κύριος εὐλογήσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ. |
Verse 2
- Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.[22]
The same words as verse 2b, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, arise in Psalm 96:9. These words form the title of a hymn by Irish clergyman John Samuel Bewley Monsell.[23] Alexander Kirkpatrick comments that
Suggestive as this rendering is, it can hardly be right; and the true sense is that given in [the] Revised Version margin, in holy array.[24]
Notes
- ^ A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain.
References
- ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 28 (29) Archived 10 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
- ^ For the quote see Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 252.
- ^ For the date of Nehemiah, see James D. G. Dunn (19 November 2003). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-8028-3711-0.
- ^ For the end of the Persian period, see Mark J. Boda; J. Gordon McConville (14 June 2013). Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets. InterVarsity Press. p. 415. ISBN 978-0-8308-9583-0.
- ^ a b Cross, Frank Moore (1997-09-01). Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-09176-4.
- ^ Freedman, David Noel Freedman (1987). Miller, Patrick D; Hanson, Paul D; McBride, Samuel Dean (eds.). Ancient Israelite Religion: Essays in Honor of Frank Moore Cross. Fortress Press. pp. 315–317. ISBN 978-0-8006-0831-6.
- ^ Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 251.
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 314
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 458
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 592
- ^ a b The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 479
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 195
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 607
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 759
- ^ Seder Avodat Yisrael.
- ^ "Terce". agpeya.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
- ^ "Psalms – Chapter 29". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 29 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ "Psalm 28 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
- ^ Psalm 29:2: King James Version
- ^ Jubilate Hymns Ltd., O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, accessed 23 October 2021
- ^ Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 29, accessed 23 October 2021
External links
- Pieces with text from Psalm 29: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 29: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Psalm 29 Mechon-mamre
- Text of Psalm 29 according to the 1928 Psalter
- A psalm of David. / Give to the LORD, you sons of God text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 25:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 29 – The Voice of the LORD in the Storm enduringword.com
- Psalm 29 / Refrain: The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. Church of England
- Psalm 29 at biblegateway.com
- Hymns for Psalm 29 hymnary.org
- Recordings of three Hebrew tunes to the entire psalm
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