The big picture
Psalms 29 opens in verse 1 with “Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 6 with “He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.”, and closes in verse 11 with “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, voice, glory, breaketh, cedars. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 11Psalms 29:1-6
1–6: Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Psalms 29:1–6 opens with “Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.” and reaches “He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 29 develops its own movement around LORD, voice, glory, breaketh, cedars, with particular weight carried by LORD, voice, glory.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.” Naming Give keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 29:1-6
King James Version1Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
Psalms 29:7-11
7–11: The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
Psalms 29:7–11 opens with “The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.” and reaches “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 29 develops its own movement around LORD, voice, glory, breaketh, cedars, with particular weight carried by LORD, voice, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.” The line’s distinctive content terms include divideth, fire, flames. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 29:7-11
King James Version7The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 29:1 begins with “Give unto the LORD , O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 29:6 forms a natural hinge: “He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.”
The final note
Psalms 29:11 leaves the reader with “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, voice, glory, breaketh, cedars, Lebanon help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does Laban's deception echo Jacob's earlier conduct?
An older and younger sibling are exchanged through a disguised identity, with family custom used to justify the outcome.
What changes when the narrator follows Leah?
Readers hear the pain of the less-loved woman and God's attention to her.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- doth
- does
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.