This also purports to be a psalm of David, and it has every mark of being his production. It is designed to set forth the majesty and glory of God, especially as manifested in a thunderstorm, and was evidently composed in view of such an exhibition of His power and glory. It is one of the sublimest descriptions of a storm of thunder and lightning anywhere to be found. It is not possible to ascertain the particular occasion on which it was composed, nor is it necessary to do this in order to enter into the spirit and to appreciate the beauty of the psalm. Occasions occur in every country which furnish an illustration of the psalm; and its meaning can be appreciated by all.
The psalm has a universal applicability. It may be regarded as having been designed to show what feelings people should have in a violent storm, when the thunder rolls over sea and land, and when the lightnings flash along the sky; the effects which should be produced amidst such scenes; the influence of religion in keeping the mind from alarm - lifting up the soul in adoration of the great God - and inspiring confidence in One who has power to control elements so fearful. Amidst all the terrors of the tempest the mind of the psalmist was calm. The effect of it was to lead him to confide in the power of God, and to fill his soul with adoring views of him. We do not need to dread the fury of the elements when we know that they are under the absolute control of a Being of infinite goodness, truth, mercy, and love. If these fearful elements raged without control; if they were independent of God; if they were restrained by no laws; if the thunder rolled and the lightning played by mere caprice, or under the dominion of chance, well might we tremble.
The psalm properly consists of three parts:
I. The duty of ascribing praise and glory to God; of giving to him the glory due to his name; of worshipping him in the beauty of holiness, Psalm 29:1-2.
II. The description of the storm, Psalm 29:3-9. The thunder is seven times spoken of as "the voice of the Lord" (compare Revelation 10:3, "And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices"); and some special effect is referred to as resulting from the utterance of that voice. It is "upon the waters;" it is "powerful;" it is "full of majesty;" it "breaks the cedars;" it "divides the flames of fire;" it "shakes the wilderness;" it "makes the hinds to calve," and "discovereth the forests."
III. The impression that should be produced by the whole scene. The Lord presides over the floods; the Lord is King forever; the Lord is able to give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace, Psalm 29:10-11. In "such" a God His people may put confidence; under the protection of One who can arm himself with such power, and who can control such elements, His people have nothing to fear; in contending with such a God - one who can sweep the earth with desolation - who can direct the playing lightnings where He pleases - who can cause His voice to echo over hills, and vales, and floods, over the sea and the land, producing dismay and consternation - His enemies can have nothing to hope.

The psalmist calls upon the great and mighty to give thanks unto God, and to worship him in the beauty of holiness, on account of a tempest that had taken place, Psalm 29:1, Psalm 29:2. He shouts the wonders produced by a thunderstorm, which he calls the voice of God, Psalm 29:3-9. Speaks of the majesty of God, Psalm 29:10; and points out the good he will do to his people, Psalm 29:11.
In the Hebrew, this is called A Psalm for David. The Vulgate says, "A Psalm of David, when the tabernacle was completed." The Septuagint says: "A Psalm of David, at the going out or exodus of the tabernacle." The Arabic states it to be "A prophecy concerning the incarnation; and concerning the ark and the tent." Numbers 5:12. The Syriac, "A Psalm of David, concerning oblation." The Psalm was probably written to commemorate the abundant rain which fell in the days of David, after the heavens had been shut up for three years; 2-Samuel 21:1-10.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 29
A Psalm of David. In the Vulgate Latin version is added, "at the finishing of the tabernacle"; suggesting that this psalm was composed at that time, and on that occasion; not at the finishing of the tabernacle by Moses, but at the finishing of the tent or tabernacle which David made for the ark in Zion, 2-Samuel 6:17. The title in the Arabic version is,
"a prophecy concerning the incarnation, ark, and tabernacle.''
In the Septuagint version, from whence the Vulgate seems to have taken the clause, it is, at the "exodion", "exit", or "going out of the tabernacle"; that is, of the feast of tabernacles; and which was the eighth day of the feast, and was called which word the Septuagint renders the word here used, Leviticus 23:36; though it was on the first of the common days of this feast that this psalm was sung, as Maimonides (w) says. Some think it was composed when the psalmist was in a thunder storm, or had lately been in one, which he in a very beautiful manner describes. Kimchi thinks it refers to the times of the Messiah; and it may indeed be very well interpreted of the Gospel, and is very suitable to Gospel times.
(w) Hilchot Tamidin, c. 10. s. 11.

Exhortation to give glory to God.

The Psalm of the Seven Thunders
The occasion of this Psalm is a thunderstorm; it is not, however, limited to the outward natural phenomena, but therein is perceived the self-attestation of the God of the redemptive history. Just as in the second part of Psalm 19:1-14 the God of the revelation of salvation is called יהוה seven times in distinction from the God revealed in nature, so in this Psalm of thunders, קול ה is repeated seven times, so that it may be called the Psalm of the hepta' brontai' (Revelation 10:3.). During the time of the second Temple, as the addition to the inscription by the lxx ἐξοδίου (ἐξόδου) σκηνῆς (= σκηνοπηγίας) seems to imply,
(Note: The שׁיר of the Temple liturgy of the Shemini Azereth is not stated in the Talmud (vid., Tosefoth to B. Succa 47a, where, according to Sofrim xix. 2 and a statement of the Jerusalem Talmud, Psalm 6:1-10, or 12, it guessed at). We only know, that Psalm 29:1-11 belongs to the Psalm-portions fore the intervening days of the feast of tabernacles, which are comprehended in the vox memorialis בהיהום (Succa 55a, cf. Rashi on Joma 3a), viz., Psalm 29:1-11 ()ה; Psalm 50:16 ()ו; Psalm 94:16 ()מ; Psalm 94:8 ()ב; Psalm 81:7 ()ה; Psalm 82:5 ()י. Besides this the treatise Sofrim xviii. 3 mentions Psalm 29:1-11 as the Psalm for the festival of Pentecost and the tradition of the synagogue which prevails even at the present day recognises it only as a festival Psalm of the first day of Shabuoth Pentecost; the Psalm for Shemini Azereth is the 65th. The only confirmation of the statement of the lxx is to be found in the Sohar; for there (section )צ Psalm 29:1-11 is referred to the pouring forth of the water on the seventh day of the feast of the tabernacles (Hosianna rabba), since it is said, that by means of the seven קולות (corresponding to the seven compassings of the altar) seven of the Sephiroth open the flood-gates of heaven.)
it was sung on the Shemini Azereth, the last day (ἐξόδιον, Leviticus 23:36) of the feast of tabernacles. Between two tetrastichs, in each of which the name יהוה occurs four times, lie three pentastichs, which, in their sevenfold קול ה, represent the peals of thunder which follow in rapid succession as the storm increases in its fury.