Testaments: 2 - Voice of Water and of Wind
The cedars shatter where such mad thunder rolls,
Holy breath rides high upon the churning tide.
It speaks, and rivers grow from broken shoals;
Its voice spits flame and tears the hills aside.
The heavens shake; the cry, the word,
From something more primal than human tongue.
They scream a name that won’t be heard,
That which strung the stars so loosely hung.
Comes the flood, bespoke destructive majesty,
The great storm to wreck and alike bless.
The temple contemplates this power endlessly
Wrath and awe and sacred fear of death.
What peace derives therein from words without a sound?
The peace of pale white lightning striking solid ground.
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Psalm 29
Estimated Date of Composition:
10th century BCE (or earlier)
Form:
Hymn (Praise Psalm)
Context:
Psalm 29 is considered one of the oldest Hebrew poems, with scholars noting its striking resemblance to Ugaritic texts extolling Baal, the storm god. It likely originated in a pre-exilic, monarchic context, possibly as a liturgical hymn adapted from earlier Canaanite traditions. The psalm describes Yahweh enthroned above the waters, commanding storms, breaking cedars, and shaking the wilderness—imagery linked with divine kingship and cosmic power. Its formal structure echoes ancient enthronement hymns, and many scholars believe it was repurposed to establish Yahweh’s supremacy in a polytheistic environment.
References:
• Smith, Mark S. The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel. Eerdmans, 2002.
• Dahood, Mitchell. *Psalms I: 1–50 (Anchor Bible Commentary)*. Doubleday, 1966.