Psalms 29:5
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yes, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
American King James Version (AKJV)
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yes, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
American Standard Version (ASV)
The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; Yea, Jehovah breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
By the voice of the Lord are the cedar-trees broken, even the cedars of Lebanon are broken by the Lord.
Webster's Revision
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yes, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
World English Bible
The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
English Revised Version (ERV)
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
Definitions for Psalms 29:5
Clarke's Psalms 29:5 Bible Commentary
Breaketh the cedars - Very tall trees attract the lightning from the clouds, by which they are often torn to pieces. Woods and forests give dreadful proof of this after a thunderstorm.
Barnes's Psalms 29:5 Bible Commentary
Breaketh the cedars - The thunder prostrates the lofty trees of the forest. The psalmist speaks as things appeared, attributing, as was natural, and as was commonly done, that to the thunder which was really produced by the lightning. It, is now fully known that the effect here referred to is not produced by thunder, but by the rapid passage of the electric fluid as it passes from the cloud to the earth. that power is so great as to rive the oak or the cedar; to twist off their limbs; to prostrate their lofty trunks to the ground. The psalmist speaks of thunder as accomplishing this, in the same way that the sacred writers and all men, even scientific men, commonly speak, as when we say, the sun rises and sets - the stars rise and set, etc. People who would undertake in all cases to speak with scientific accuracy, or in the strict language of science, would be unintelligible to the mass of mankind; perhaps on most subjects they would soon cease to speak at all - since they themselves would be in utter doubt as to what is scientific accuracy. People who require that a revelation from God should always use language of strict scientific precision, really require that a revelation should anticipate by hundreds or thousands of years the discoveries of science, and use language which, when the revelation was given, would be unintelligible to the mass of mankind; nay, which would be always unintelligible to a large portion of the race - since people ordinarily, however much the exact truths of science may be diffused, do not learn to use such exactness of speech. As long as men have occasion to speak on the subject at all they will probably continue to say that the sun rises and sets; that the grass grows; and that water runs.
Breaketh the cedars of Lebanon - "Cedars are mentioned as the loftiest forest trees, and those of Lebanon as the loftiest of their species." - "Prof. Alexander." The cedars of Lebanon are often referred to in the Scriptures as remarkable for their size and grandeur: 1 Kings 4:33; 1 Kings 5:6; Psalm 92:12; Ezra 3:7.
Wesley's Psalms 29:5 Bible Commentary
29:5 Lebanon - A place famous for strong and lofty cedars.