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The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
Psalms 29:5 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Yahweh’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
  • KJV The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
  • BSB The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
  • NKJV The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
  • NLT The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Lord's voice breaks even the mighty cedars of Lebanon. It shows God's power over the strongest of creation.

Overview

The towering cedars, symbols of strength and permanence, are shattered by God's voice. Nothing in creation can withstand His word. The image reminds us that human strength and pride are nothing before the God whose word both breaks and rebuilds.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Isa 2:13For all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan,
  • Judg 9:15“The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
  • Ps 104:16Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 29:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 29:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.