This section pictures a thunderstorm.
29:3-4 Evidently David saw the storm first over a large body of water, probably the Mediterranean Sea. He spoke of the thunder as God's voice. This is an apt comparison since thunder is a noise that comes from heaven. However, he may also have used this figure to imply Yahweh's control over His creation. God brought the creation into existence with a word (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24)
29:5-7 David's description of the progress of the storm pictured it moving inland over Lebanon to the north of Israel. The Lord's voice (thunder) seemingly split the mighty cedars of Lebanon and tossed them about like match sticks. Of course the lightning and wind were probably the actual agents of this devastation, but the psalmist described it as the result of Yahweh's decree. Likewise he said God called forth flames of fire (lightning). Both Old and New Testaments speak of lightning as God's tool of judgment. Lebanon and Sirion are names of mountains in the Anti-Lebanon range.
29:8-9 As the storm moved eastward into the wilderness area near Kadesh north of Damascus, it shook the earth. It made the deer give birth to their calves prematurely and blew the leaves off the trees. Consequently all God's angelic host glorified Him for His great power.
It is probably significant that the phrase "voice of the Lord"occurs seven times in verses 3-9. The Israelites often regarded things done seven times as perfect acts of God such as the creation that God accomplished in seven days.
