Psalms 29:3

“The voice of the Lord [is] upon the waters, etc.] What follows concerning thunder, the voice of the Lord, gives so many reasons why he should have glory given him and be worshipped; the Heathens f441 paid their devotion to thunder and lightning: but this should be done to the author of them; which may be literally understood of thunder, and is the voice of the Lord; (see <191813>Psalm 18:13 <184009>Job 40:9); and which is commonly attended with large showers of rain, (<241013>Jeremiah 10:13); and is very terrible upon the waters, and has its effect there, (<19A407>Psalm 104:7); and this is the rather mentioned, because that there is a God above, who is higher than the mighty, who are called…”

“The voice of the Lord--audible exhibition of His power in the tempest, of which thunder is a specimen, but not the uniform or sole example. the waters--the clouds or vapors (Psa 18:11; Jer 10:13).”

“The voice of the Lord - The voice of Yahweh. There can be no doubt that the expression here, which is seven times repeated in the psalm, “the voice of Jehovah,” refers to thunder; and no one can fail to see the appropriateness of the expression. In heavy thunder it seems as if God spake. It comes from above. It fills us with awe. We know, indeed, that thunder as well as the other phenomena in the world, is produced by what are called “natural causes;” that there is no miracle in thunder; and that really God does not “speak” anymore in the thunder than he does in the sighing of the breeze or in the gurgling of the rivulet; but: (a) He seems more impressively to speak to people in the thunder;…”

“The waters - Above in the clouds, which are called waters, Gen 1:7; Psa 18:11. The Divine power displays itself in those high places, which are far above the reach of all earthly potentates. Many - Upon the clouds, in which there are vast treasures of water, and upon which God is said to sit or ride, Psa 18:10-11, Psa 104:3. Psalms 29:5”

“29:3-9 The word translated voice (Hebrew qol) can also mean “noise” (1 Kgs 1:45) or “thunder” (Joel 3:16). The Lord’s voice is awe-inspiring, and it dominates whatever rumblings people might attribute to other deities.”

“The voice: Psa 18:13-15, Psa 77:16-19; Mat 8:26, Mat 8:27; Rev 17:14, Rev 17:15 God: Psa 24:7-10; Act 7:2 thundereth: Exo 9:28, Exo 9:33, Exo 19:16; Sa1 7:10; Job 37:2-5; Joh 12:29; Rev 4:5, Rev 8:5; Rev 11:19, Rev 16:18, Rev 19:6 many waters: or, great waters, Psa 93:3, Psa 93:4, Psa 104:3 Psalms 29:4”

“Now follows the description of the revelation of God's power, which is the ground of the summons, and is to be the subject-matter of their praise. The All-glorious One makes Himself heard in the language ( Rev 10:3.) of the thunder, and reveals Himself in the storm. There are fifteen lines, which naturally arrange themselves into three five-line strophes. The chief matter with the poet, however, is the sevenfold קול ה. Although קול is sometimes used almost as an ejaculatory "Hark!" ( Gen 4:10; Isa 52:8), this must not, with Ewald (286, f), be applied to the קול ה of the Psalm before us, the theme of which is the voice of God, who announced Himself from heaven - a voice which moves the world.…”