The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes the sheer, repeated power of God's voice by mentioning the magnificent cedars of Lebanon twice. This isn't just repetition for poetic flair; it highlights that even the strongest and most glorious of nature's creations are utterly shattered by God's pronouncements, particularly the lightning and thunder described as His "voice."
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This Psalm is a powerful depiction of God's voice, not as a gentle whisper, but as a majestic and forceful announcement of His reign. It begins by calling on heavenly beings to give glory to God and then describes how God's voice, personified as a mighty storm, impacts the natural world, from breaking the mightiest trees to shaking the earth. This imagery builds towards a final declaration of God's strength and peace for His people.
Have you ever felt utterly overwhelmed by a storm, or perhaps a crisis that seemed too big to handle? This verse speaks to a power that dwarfs even the mightiest.
The Mighty Crash
This verse paints a vivid picture of God's voice as pure, unadulterated power. It's not just a sound; it's a force that breaks the cedars, especially the famous, sturdy cedars of Lebanon. These weren't just any trees; they were known for their immense strength and grandeur, symbolizing the tallest, most magnificent things in nature.
Think of a violent thunderstorm. The lightning flashes, the thunder roars, and the wind howls. In this passage, the 'voice of the LORD' is depicted as that overwhelming force. It's so potent that it can snap these mighty trees like twigs.
This isn't just about natural phenomena. The cedars of Lebanon were also seen as symbols of worldly pride and strength (Isaiah 2:13). When God's voice breaks them, it highlights that no human power, no earthly magnificence, can stand against His might.
The Bible often uses nature to reveal God's character. But why would the Psalmist emphasize creation's reaction to God's voice?
Creation's Awe
The passage doesn't stop with the breaking of trees. It describes how Lebanon 'skips like a calf' and mountains tremble. This is a poetic way of saying that all of creation responds with powerful, visible reactions to God's voice.
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The Natural World Reacts: When God speaks through thunder and storms, the mountains shake, and forests are thrown into chaos. It's a demonstration of His sovereignty over all things. Even the wilderness quakes. This shows that God's power isn't just directed at specific things; it affects the entirety of His creation.
A Rebuke to Humanity: Calvin points out the stark contrast: while the natural world trembles, humans often remain unmoved. The cedars, symbols of pride, are broken, yet people might still ignore God's voice in the thunder. This verse serves as a potent reminder that if mountains and trees react, humans certainly should. Ignoring God's powerful voice, especially when it's so evident in creation and His Word, is a serious folly.
Psalm 29's vivid imagery of God's power breaking the mighty cedars of Lebanon likely resonated deeply with an audience familiar with the awe-inspiring, and sometimes destructive, force of nature, particularly powerful thunderstorms over the prominent mountain ranges of their land. The cedars themselves were symbols of strength and majesty, making their destruction a potent metaphor for God's supreme authority over all creation, even over what humans consider most powerful and enduring.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
Davidic Kingdom at its Height
King David's reign and the subsequent reign of his son Solomon marked a period of significant prosperity, stability, and territorial expansion for Israel. This era saw the consolidation of power and the flourishing of arts and culture, as reflected in the Psalms.
c. 1000-900 BC
Composition of Psalms
Many Psalms, including those attributed to David, were likely composed and compiled during the United Monarchy or the early Divided Monarchy. This period was characterized by both grand religious expression and the political realities of surrounding empires.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the unified kingdom split into two: the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This political division brought new challenges and influenced the context in which later Psalms might have been understood.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its people. This event would have profoundly impacted the religious and political outlook of the remaining Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiled much of the population. This catastrophic event shaped Jewish identity and provided a new lens through which to interpret the Psalms, often as expressions of lament and hope.
This passage describes God's immense power, where even the proud and mighty (symbolized by the 'behemoth' and the proudest of men) are seen as humbled and brought low by His might, similar to how the cedars are broken.
Isaiah 2:12-13This text contrasts the proud and lofty things of the world, like the tall cedars of Lebanon, with God's power, stating that His day will bring down all that is high and lifted up.
Jeremiah 22:6-7Here, the imagery of Lebanon and its cedars is used to represent pride and might, which are ultimately subject to God's judgment and destruction, echoing the breaking of the cedars by God's voice.
Ezekiel 31:3-5This passage vividly describes the magnificent cedar of Lebanon, then pronounces judgment upon it, illustrating how even the strongest and most beautiful creations are ultimately in God's hands and subject to His will.
calvinPsalms 29:5-8: "The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon."
The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; I say, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. 6. And he maketh Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young unicorn. 7. The voice of Jehovah striketh out [or heweth out] flames of fire. 8. The voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness to quake, the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness of Kadesh to tremble.
The voice of Jehovah breaket…
jfbPsalms 29:5: "The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon."
5, 6. The tall and large cedars, especially of Lebanon, are shivered, utterly broken. The waving of the mountain forests before the wind is expressed by the figure of skipping or leaping.
The verse emphasizes the sheer, repeated power of God's voice by mentioning the magnificent cedars of Lebanon twice. This isn't just repetition for poetic flair; it highlights that even the strongest and most glorious of nature's creations are utterly shattered by God's pronouncements, particularly the lightning and thunder described as His "voice."
This Psalm is a powerful depiction of God's voice, not as a gentle whisper, but as a majestic and forceful announcement of His reign. It begins by calling on heavenly beings to give glory to God and then describes how God's voice, personified as a mighty storm, impacts the natural world, from breaking the mightiest trees to shaking the earth. This imagery builds towards a final declaration of God's strength and peace for His people.
This Psalm is a powerful depiction of God's voice, not as a gentle whisper, but as a majestic and forceful announcement of His reign. It begins by calling on heavenly beings to give glory to God and then describes how God's voice, personified as a mighty storm, impacts the natural world, from breaking the mightiest trees to shaking the earth. This imagery builds towards a final declaration of God's strength and peace for His people.
"The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon." — The verse emphasizes the sheer, repeated power of God's voice by mentioning the magnificent cedars of Lebanon twice. This isn't just repetition for poetic flair; it highlights that even the stronge…
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Last reviewed October 2026