Psalm 29

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". The psalm is attributed 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.

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. 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." 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.

Hebrew
The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

 * 1) Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
 * 2) Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
 * 3) The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
 * 4) The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
 * 5) The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
 * 6) He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
 * 7) The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
 * 8) The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
 * 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.
 * 10) The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
 * 11) The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Verse 2

 * Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The same words as verse 2b, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, arise in. These words form the title of a hymn by Irish clergyman John Samuel Bewley Monsell. 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."

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)."

Judaism

 * Is the sixth paragraph of Kabbalat Shabbat.
 * Is recited on Shabbat during Shacharit as when returning the Torah Scroll to the ark.
 * Is recited in some congregations before Maariv on Motzei Shabbat.
 * Is recited on the third day of Sukkot in some traditions.
 * Is recited on Shavuot in some traditions.
 * Verse 11 is part of Talmud Berachos 64a. It is the final verse of Birkat Hamazon, is recited during the prayers following Motzei Shabbat Maariv, and is recited when opening the Hakafot on Simchat Torah.

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.

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, published first in 1628.