Psalm 29: Hashem's Voice/2

Psalm 29: Hashem's Voice

Exegetical Approaches

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Fierceness of God in Nature

The psalm highlights God's fierce and awesome power as evidenced by His controlling of natural phenomena.

Sources:Ibn EzraTehillim Second Commentary 29:3-11About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, opinion in RadakTehillim 29About R. David Kimchi, MalbimTehillim Beur HaInyan 29Tehillim Beur HaInyan 48:1About R. Meir Leibush Weiser,

Historical event?

Revelation at Sinai

The psalm reflects the fearsome atmosphere of the events surrounding the Revelation at Sinai.

Sources:Mekhilta DeRashbi Shemot19:16About Mekhilta DeRashbi Shemot, RashiTehillim 29:3-11About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, opinion in RadakTehillim 29About R. David Kimchi

Parallel descriptions – Though at first glance one might question whether the depictions in the psalm at all relate to the Revelation at Sinai, elsewhere, too, the event is described with similar imagery:

• Shemot 19 speaks of lightning and thunder, fire, loud blasts, and a trembling mountain matching the fiery flames, thundering voice of Hashem, and "skipping" mountains of this chapter.
• Shofetim 5:4-5 speaks of storming clouds and dripping rain, matching the flooding waters mentioned here.
• Tehillim 114  describes mountains "skipping like rams" and the "land writhing" in the presence of Hashem, similar to the images in verses 6 and 8 here.

"Upon the waters" – According to Rashi the presence of God in the waters refers not to His bringing of a storm but to the supernatural crossing of the Sea of Reeds.

Hashem's voice – The emphasis on Hashem's voice throughout the psalm might reflect the importance of sound (rather than visuals) during revelation. Throughout Devarim 4, Hashem emphasizes how at Sinai, the people heard Hashem's voice but did not see His image.¹ Thus, here, too in describing the event, the focus is on God's voice.

Fear

Hewing fire – Rashi and the Midrash suggest that this describes the hewing of the Tablets with Divine fire

Midbar Kadesh

Mention of Flood

Parallel descriptions

Victory Over Enemies

The images of the psalm are metaphors for the defeat of Israel's enemies, or perhaps a literal description of the demise of the nation's adversaries via some natural disaster.

Sources:RadakTehillim 29About R. David Kimchi, Hoil MosheTehillim 29About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

Historical Overview: Punishment and Restoration

The psalm metaphorically describes a historical pattern of deterioration from an ideal state, necessitating punishment and a revised ideal, itself doomed to failure. Only in Messianic times will the original ideal state be restored.

Sources:SfornoShiurei Sforno Tehillim 29About R. Ovadyah Sforno

¹ See Devarim 4:12, 15, 33 and 36.