Psalms 29:7

_THE VOICE OF THE LORD DIVIDETH THE FLAMES OF FIRE._ Divideth - Hebrew, heweth; i:e., heweth asunder all opponents with the forked lightnings (Psalms 29:5) (Gejer, Hengstenberg). "O arm of the Lord ... that hath CUT х_ CHAATSAB_ (H2672), the same verb as here] Rahab" (Isaiah 51:9; Hosea 6:5). The Chaldaic, Septuagint, Vulgate Arabic, and Syriac support the English version. As Yahweh's voice calls forth, so it cleaves through the lightning flame: the thunder pealing through the lightning. The brevity of the verse corresponds to the rapidity of the lightning....

Verse Psalms 29:7. _DIVIDETH THE FLAMES OF FIRE._] The forked zigzag lightning is the cause of _thunder_; and in a thunder-storm these lightnings are variously dispersed, smiting houses, towers, trees, men, and cattle, in different places....

DIVIDETH THE FLAMES OF FIRE - Margin, “cutteth out.” The Hebrew word - חצב _châtsab_ - means properly “to cut, to hew, to hew out;” as, for example, stones. The allusion here is undoubtedly to lightning; and the image is either that it seems to be cut out, or cut into tongues and streaks - or, more probably, that the “clouds” seem to be cut or hewed so as to make openings or paths for the lightning. The eye is evidently fixed on the clouds, and on the sudden flash of lightning, as if the clouds had been “cleaved” or “opened” for the passage of it. The idea of the psalmist is that the “voice of the Lord,” or the thunder, seems to cleave or open the clouds for the flames of fire to play amidst the tempest. Of course this language, as well as that which has been already noticed Psalms 29:5, must be taken as denoting what “appears” to

EXPOSITION THIS is a psalm of praise to God, and at the same time one intended to comfort and cheer his people. It consists of three parts: (1) An introduction (Psalms 29:1, Psalms 29:2), in which "the sons of the mighty" are called upon to praise and worship God; (2) a main body, in which the might of God is set forth by the description of a thunderstorm (Psalms 29:3); and (3) an application (Psalms 29:10, Psalms 29:11), in which the people are called upon to

THE VOICE OF THE LORD DIVIDETH THE FLAMES OF FIRE. Or "cutteth with flames of fire" e; that is, the thunder breaks through the clouds with flames of fire, or lightning, as that is sometimes called, Psalms 105:32; and with which it cleaves asunder trees and masts of ships, cuts and hews them down, and divides them into a thousand shivers. Some refer this, in the figurative and mystical sense, to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai f, on which the Lord descended in fire, and from his right hand went a fiery law; but rather this may be applied to the cloven or divided tongues of fire which sat upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, as an emblem of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit bestowed on them; though it seems best of all, as before, to understand this of the voice of Christ in the Gospel, which cuts and hews down all the goodliness of men, and lays them to the gro

Psalms 29 The judgment Storm _ 1. Give unto the Lord the glory of His Name (Psalms 29:1)_ 2. The day of the Lord described as a thunderstorm (Psalms 29:3) 3. The calm after the storm--the Lord is King (Psalms 29:10) Psalms 29:1. The voice of His trusting people is hushed; His voice is now heard. From Psalms 25:1; Psalms 26:1;...

XXIX. Yahweh's glory in the storm (Psalms 29:1): He is enthroned for the protection of His people (Psalms 29:10 f.). PSALMS 29:1. THE SONS OF GOD (_mg._) are superhuman beings (_cf._ Genesis 6:1 *, Job 1:6 *) who minister in the heavenly Temple. Psalms 29:2_ b_. Follow _mg._ The LXX read, in his holy court. Psalms 29:6. Sirion is another name for Hermon

DIVIDETH THE FLAMES: or, "cleaveth [with] flames of fire": i.e. lightning....

The exhibition of Jehovah's power which is the ground of the opening call to praise. His voice is heard in the pealing of the thunder above the storm-clouds (Psalms 29:3); the storm bursts, it shatters the cedars and shakes the mountains in the far north (Psalms 29:5); the lightnings flash (Psalms 29:7); the deserts to the far south with their affrighted denizens tremble (Psalms 29:8); and over all resounds the chorus, Glory (Psalms 29:9 _b_). The seven times repeated _voice of the Lord_is like successive peals of thunder....

THE VOICE OF THE LORD DIVIDETH THE FLAMES, &C.— i.e. Casteth out several slashes of lightning: the original word חצב _chotseb_ signifies to _cut out, divide,_ or _distribute;_ so the _thunder,_ or, _the voice of the Lord,_ is said to send forth the lightning; which is, indeed, the precursor of the thunder; the cause and not the effect of it. The _thunder,_ however, or _voice of the Lord,_ is here with great beauty and propriety considered as that which commands and distributes the lightning. _Shaketh the wilderness,_ is rendered by Bishop Hare, _maketh the desart tremble._ Respecting _Kadesh,_ See Numbers 33:36....