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Psalm 29:7

The LORD’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning.

5The LORD’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox.
7The LORD’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
8The LORD’s voice shakes the wilderness. The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The LORD’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!”
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← Psalm 29:6Psalm 29:8 →
Notice

Lightning makes YHWH’s voice visible in this poem, confronting the reader with a force that no human voice can command.

Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.

What does the word “strikes” add to your understanding of YHWH’s voice?

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How does the lightning in verse 7 shape your reading of “Glory!” in verse 9?

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Connect

Where else Scripture says this

9 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.

This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 89:16In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.Both passages honor the LORD, though Psalm 89 speaks of rejoicing in his name rather than his power in lightning.
Psalm 77:18The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.Both poems connect God’s voice with a storm, describing lightning as an expression of his power.
Exodus 9:23Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and the LORD sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. The LORD rained hail on the land …Both texts attribute lightning to the LORD; Exodus places it within the thunder and hail sent upon Egypt.
Psalm 144:5–6Part your heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.Both portray the LORD’s power over nature: Psalm 29 describes lightning, while Psalm 144 asks him to touch mountains.
Leviticus 10:2Fire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.Both describe force proceeding from the LORD, though Leviticus recounts deadly fire and Psalm 29 describes lightning.
Job 37:3He sends it out under the whole sky, and his lightning to the ends of the earth.Both texts present lightning as subject to God’s action, with Job describing its reach across the earth.
2 Kings 1:10–12Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from …The shared thread is force from the sky associated with God; Kings recounts consuming fire, while Psalm 29 describes lightning.
Job 38:35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?Both texts connect lightning with command: the psalm attributes it to the LORD’s voice, while Job questions human command over it.
Numbers 16:35Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.Both attribute overwhelming force to the LORD, though Numbers describes fire killing incense bearers and Psalm 29 describes a storm.
Where this verse fits

Praise and worship. sermon or Bible study notes.

What the Bible says about worship →
One step

Something small to carry out of this verse

Read verses 5–9 aloud, pausing at each mention of voice

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Encouragement

Your worship has room for awe that leaves you short of words. Here, lightning declares the force of YHWH’s voice; creation is subject to his power.

Now put it in your words.

Start an entry on Psalm 29:7. Write what it stirs. Psalmlog sets your words beside Scripture and gives you one next step. Your first entry is free, no account needed.

Keep goingPsalm 29 · the whole chapter with its connection mapPsalms · every chapterBuild a reading plan through Psalms

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).