Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, "Glory!"
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
[lectionary translation]
A THUNDERSTORM OF GRACE
Scholars of the history of religion point out that the Christian Church “baptized” pagan rites - like decorating a tree at midwinter, or saluting the rising sun in the Spring – into our festivals of Christmas and Easter. In a very similar way, the religion of ancient Israel was full of tropes borrowed directly from Canaanite theology and liturgies. Psalm 29 is often cited as a perfect example of this, as it describes Israel’s God - “the LORD (YHWH)” - using terms lifted directly from old hymns to Ba’al, the Canaanite rain-god with a thundering voice. So, in many commentaries, we find Psalm 29 defined as a “victory hymn” celebrating the defeat of false Canaanite gods by the true deity of the Israelites – whose Name (YHWH) is glorious, majestic and omnipotent, conquering history and the world.
What is missing in such “historical/liturgical” commentaries, is the profoundly personal and even mystical impact of this psalm in the heart and soul of the person reading or chanting it. The cadence of the Hebrew original is mesmerizing. It is like a mantra, bringing our mind to a deep listening-in-the-storm for YHWH – that Unknown Name revealing the Ever-Becoming of Holiness. That phrase “the voice of YHWH” - is repeated over and over, transcending literal context, and becoming, really, an incantation.
It is fascinating to watch how translators struggle with this uncanny and mystical immediacy in the Hebrew, as if trying to find more “harmless” English words and images that will take that unutterable and deafening “Voice of Sheer Silence” – and “domesticate” it for us. But “harmless” words (like the word “ascribe” for example, where the Hebrew has havu! - “Bring!”) fail utterly to capture our hearts. We love instead the mountains skipping like calves (vs. 6), the spears of fire (vs. 7) and the forest stripped bare (vs. 9). There is an ego-shattering effect to Psalm 29, poetically evoking as it does an irresistible thunderstorm. In this storm, we find a wild joy, losing our selves even as we find our better Becoming.
I would render the opening verses of Psalm 29 in a way that keeps some of the mystical cadence of the Hebrew, while hinting at the trans-personal “gentle force” of Nature, cracking our human power and softening us with the loss of self. It is a thunderstorm of grace: we are shaken by it, and find at its heart a remarkable peace.
PSALM 29: 1-2
A Song for the Beloved
Children born of thunderous power – Come!
Bring your simple gift, your heart’s deep care,
When Wonder’s mighty weakness calls.
Bring your simple gift, your fierce abundant need,
As poverty of soul becomes your all.
Bring your simple gift, and dare to cast yourself
Upon that boundless Unknown Name.
Humble yourself. Become now more:
Step into the Beauty here, at your Sacred Core.
[Rendered from the Hebrew by Henry Ralph Carse
Copyright Henry Ralph Carse]