Psalms 29:1

"Bring." Here he shows what should be offered. And first he sets forth the bodily sacrifice. Second, the spiritual one, at "Bring to the Lord glory." Offerings were made from three kinds of animals: namely, from oxen, goats, and rams; and above all other animals, …

Surely the holy teachers are often understood by the word rams, since they are the leaders of flocks that follow the Lord. Hence the psalmist says in a pleasing manner: "Bring to the Lord, O children of God, bring to the Lord the offspring of …

Give unto Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty. It was no doubt David's design to lead all men to worship and reverence God; but as it is more difficult to reduce great men, who excel in rank, to order, he expressly addresses himself to them. It is obvious, that the LXX, in giving the translation, sons of rams, were led into a mistake by the affinity of the Hebrew words.

Crowned heads must bow before the King of kings. What is here said to the mighty is said to all: Worship God; it is the sum and substance of the everlasting gospel, Rev. xiv. Now we have here, (1.) The nature of religious worship; it is giving to the Lord the glory due to his name,

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty,....

Give, i.e., ascribe. Neither men nor angels can confer anything upon Jehovah, but they should recognise his glory and might, and ascribe it to him in their songs and in their hearts. Unto the Lord, and unto him alone, must honour be given. Natural causes, as men call them, are God in action, and we must not ascribe power to them, but to the infinite Invisible who is the true source of all. O ye mighty.

Give, i.e., ascribe. Neither men nor angels can confer anything upon Jehovah, but they should recognise his glory and might, and ascribe it to him in their songs and in their hearts. Unto the Lord, and unto him alone, must honour be given. Natural causes, as men call them, are God in action, and we must not ascribe power to them, but to the infinite Invisible who is the true source of all. O ye mighty. Ye great ones of earth and of heaven, kings and angels, join in rendering worship to the blessed and only Potentate; ye lords among men need thus to be reminded, for ye often fail where humbler men are ardent; but fail no longer, bow your heads at once, and loyally do homage to the King of kings. How frequently do grandees and potentates think it beneath them to fear the Lord; but, when they have been led to extol Jehovah, their piety has been the greatest jewel in their crowns. Give unto the Lord glory and strength, both of which men are too apt to claim for themselves, although they are the exclusive prerogatives of the self existent God. Let crowns and swords acknowledge their dependence upon God. Not to your arms, O kings, give ye the glory, nor look for strength to your hosts of warriors, for all your pomp is but as a fading flower, and your might is as a shadow which declineth. When shall the day arrive when kings and princes shall count it their delight to glorify their God? "All worship be to God only, "let this be emblazoned on every coat of arms.

Give, i.e., ascribe. Neither men nor angels can confer anything upon Jehovah, but they should recognise his glory and might, and ascribe it to him in their songs and in their hearts. Unto the Lord, and unto him alone, must honour be given. Natural causes, as men call them, are God in action, and we must not ascribe power to them, but to the infinite Invisible who is the true source of all. O ye mighty.

O ye mighty - בני אלים beney elim, “sons of the strong ones,” or “sons of rams.” The Chaldee has, “Ye hosts of angels, sons of God.” The Vulgate has, “Offer to the Lord, ye sons of God; offer to the Lord the sons of rams;” in this rendering agree the Septuagint, Ethiopic Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. The old Psalter has, Bringes til Lord ye goddes sonnes; brynges til Lord sonnes of wether: which it paraphrases thus: that es, yourself, sonnes of apostles, that war leders of goddes folk; qwam ye study to folow. Glory and strength - Ascribe all excellence and might to him. The whole Psalm is employed in describing the effects produced by a thunder-storm which had lately taken place.

O ye mighty - בני אלים beney elim, “sons of the strong ones,” or “sons of rams.” The Chaldee has, “Ye hosts of angels, sons of God.” The Vulgate has, “Offer to the Lord, ye sons of God; offer to the Lord the sons of rams;” in this rendering agree the Septuagint, Ethiopic Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. The old Psalter has, Bringes til Lord ye goddes sonnes; brynges til Lord sonnes of wether: which it paraphrases thus: that es, yourself, sonnes of apostles, that war leders of goddes folk; qwam ye study to folow. Glory and strength - Ascribe all excellence and might to him. The whole Psalm is employed in describing the effects produced by a thunder-storm which had lately taken place.

Give unto the Lord - Ascribe unto Yahweh; or, recognize Him as entitled to what is here ascribed to Him. The word cannot be understood, as it is commonly with us, to denote the imparting to another, or granting to another what he does not now possess - for God is always in possession of what is here ascribed to Him. O ye mighty - Margin, as in Hebrew, “ye sons of the mighty.” The Hebrew word used here - אלים 'Êliym - is the plural form of one of the names of God - אל 'Êl. The word means properly “strong, mighty, a mighty one, a hero;” then, “strength, might, power;” and then it is applied to God as “the Mighty One,” the Almighty. (“Gesenius.”) In the plural form, the word means “mighty ones, heroes, gods:” Exo 15:11; Exo 18:11; Dan 11:36. The phrase “sons of the mighty” is used only here and in Psa 89:6. The allusion is undoubtedly to the angels as being in an eminent sense the sons of God, or of the mighty ones; and they are referred to here under that appellation as being themselves endowed with power or strength. Compare Psa 103:20, “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength;” margin: “mighty in strength.” In view of the wonderful exhibitions of God’s power in the storm - exhibitions far above the power of the most exalted of His creatures, the psalmist calls upon the angels, the most exalted of them, to acknowledge the existence of a power so much beyond their own. Glory and strength - Majesty and might. Acknowledge Him as the God of glory; as endowed with power. That is, learn from the manifestations of the power evinced in the storm how great is the power and the glory of God.