translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PSA

label: NET study note

text: . In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.


text: The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13 ).


text: Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon ( Deut 3:9 ).


text: Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals ( a calf…a young ox ) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.


text: The Lord ’s shout strikes with flaming fire . The short line has invited textual emendation, but its distinct, brief form may highlight the statement, which serves as the axis of a chiastic structure encompassing vv. 5-9 : (A) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 5 ); (B) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 6 ); (C) the Lord’s shout is accompanied by destructive lightning (v. 7 ); (B´) the Lord’s shout shakes the terrain (v. 8 ); (A´) the Lord’s shout destroys the forest (v. 9 ).


text: Kadesh . The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.


text: Strength . This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16 .