Psalms 29:7 — Word Study
WLCקוֹל־ יְהוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃
BSAThe voiceqôwl [sound or utterance] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] strikeschâtsab [divideth, cleaveth, or heweth] with flameslehâbâh [fiery flashes or lightning] of fireʼêsh [burning, flame]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| קוֹל־ | [the] voice of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| יְהוָ֥ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| חֹצֵ֗ב | [is] striking | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| לַהֲב֥וֹת | flames of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| אֵֽשׁ׃ | fire | Noun common, both singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire. |
| KJV | The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. |
| ASV | The voice of Jehovah cleaveth the flames of fire. |
| YLT | The voice of Jehovah is hewing fiery flames, |
| WEB | Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning. |
| BBE | At the voice of the Lord flames of fire are seen. |
There are no significant differences in translations for this verse.
The sentence is straightforward, with one main clause and a prepositional phrase that describes the action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָצַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 29:7
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Power of the LORD's Voicegenerated
Psalms 29:7 is part of a larger psalm that describes the overwhelming power of the voice of the LORD. The psalmist contrasts the might of God with the natural world, illustrating how God's voice commands creation itself. This theme of divine authority is echoed throughout the psalm, culminating in the recognition of God's glory in His temple, as seen in verse 9.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 77:18 | Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. |
| 2 | Psalm 144:5–6 | Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke. |
| 3 | Exodus 9:23 | So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. |
| 4 | Leviticus 10:2 | So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. |
| 5 | Numbers 16:35 | And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֹצֵ֗ב, cho.Tzevgenerated
The word חֹצֵ֗ב (cho.tzev) is a masculine singular participle from the root חָצַב (to hew or cut). It conveys the idea of striking or dividing, suggesting a powerful action that shapes or carves. In this verse, it describes the effect of the LORD's voice, emphasizing its forcefulness and ability to divide like a sharp tool.
This participle form indicates an ongoing action, underscoring the continuous power of God's voice. The imagery evokes a sense of authority and control, illustrating how the voice of the LORD can penetrate and influence the world around us.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads: 'The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire.' This is consistent across most translations, including the KJV and ASV, which also emphasize the striking nature of the voice.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse centers around the finite verb חֹצֵ֗ב, strikes, which serves as the focal point. It connects the subject, 'the voice of the LORD,' with the object, 'flames of fire.' This construction highlights the direct action of God's voice and its immediate impact.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the subject first, drawing attention to the voice of the LORD before describing its powerful action.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חֹצֵ֗ב with the Greek word διακόπτοντος, which means 'cutting' or 'dividing.' This choice reflects a similar understanding of the action described, emphasizing the powerful and transformative nature of God's voice.
This translation aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also suggests a broader interpretation of the voice as one that actively shapes and influences.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 29:7 tells us that the voice of the LORD is powerful and acts like flames of fire. This imagery illustrates how God's voice can strike and divide, showcasing His authority and strength in creation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The 'voice of the LORD' refers to God's powerful utterance, which can command nature and influence events.
Fire symbolizes power, purity, and judgment in the Bible, representing both God's presence and His ability to refine and transform.
This verse is part of a psalm that celebrates God's majesty and power, illustrating how His voice affects creation and commands respect.
The word 'strikes' emphasizes the forceful and impactful nature of God's voice, suggesting that it can divide and shape reality.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I recognize the power of God's voice in my own life?
- What are some ways that I can respond to the authority of the LORD as described in this psalm?
- In what situations have I felt God's presence like a consuming fire?
- How does understanding the power of God's voice change my perspective on challenges I face?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers comment on the power of God's voice as depicted in this verse, drawing theological insights from its imagery.
Although fire seems to human intelligence to be incapable of being cut or divided, yet by the command of the Lord it is cut through and divided.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 29 →
The voice of the Lord extinguishes the burning arrows of evil. That voice is the spiritual teaching that calls the ones believing in Christ grounded in wisdom.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 29 →
"The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of fire" [Psalms 29:7].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 29 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 29:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. Or "cutteth with flames of fire" (e); that is, the thunder breaks through the clouds with flames of fire, or lightning, as that is sometimes called,
Read John Gill on Psalms 29 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. Divideth - Hebrew, heweth; i:e., heweth asunder all opponents with the forked lightnings (Psalms 29:5) (Gejer, Hengstenberg).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 29 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDivideth, Heb. heweth out, i.e. it breaketh out of the clouds, and thereby makes way for the lightnings, which are suddenly dispersed over the face of the earth.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 29 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 29:7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. Ver. 7. The voice of the Lord divideth (Heb. cutteth out) the flames of fire] i.e. The lightniugs, which the thunder is said to strike, or cut out, because it causeth them to shoot and glide; it immediately followeth one flash, and goeth before another; dispersing and darting them hither and thither.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 29 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) The voice . . .—Literally, the voice of Jehovah cleaving flames of fire. The word is used of hewingstone and wood (Isaiah 10:15). The reference to lightning in this verse is universally admitted, some even seeing an allusion to the brief and sudden flash in the single clause of which the sentence is composed. But the most various explanations are given of the image employed. One of these—that of beating out as from an anvil—may be set aside as clumsy and unworthy of the poet. But the comparison with Isaiah 51:9, and Hosea 6:5, where the same verb is used of God’s “judgments,” makes it possible that the lightnings here are regarded as “thought-executing fires,” and if language would…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 29 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. Divideth the flames of fire.] The forked zigzag lightning is the cause of thunder; and in a thunder-storm these lightnings are variously dispersed, smiting houses, towers, trees, men, and cattle, in different places.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 29 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. divideth the flames of fire] Better, as in R.V., cleaveth the flames of fire; or, as in R.V. marg., heweth out flames of fire; a poetical description of the forked lightnings darting from the cloud.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 29 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDivideth the flames of fire - Margin, “cutteth out.” The Hebrew word - חצב châtsab - means properly “to cut, to hew, to hew out;” as, for example, stones.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 29 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire.
Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD strikes with flames of fire.
The Lord’s shout strikes with flaming fire.
Tyndale line
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of Jehovah cleaveth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD cleaveth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord deuideth the flames of sire.
Strictly literal
The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire.
The voice of Jehovah is hewing fiery flames,
The voice of YHWH is hewing fiery flames,
The voice of the Lord heweth out flames of fire.
The voice of Yahweh sends out flames of fire.
From the Latin
And in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved.
Simplified
The Lord's voice blazes out like lightning flashes.
At the voice of the Lord flames of fire are seen.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all five words matched. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the power of the LORD's voice across different textual traditions.
קוֹל־ יְהוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 29:7
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
The Hebrew word חָצַב (chatsab) means to hew, cut, or carve materials like wood and stone. It encompasses various actions such as digging, dividing, and engraving. The word appears in different forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating various nuances of cutting and shaping. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
[חָצַב] חָצֵב vb. hew, hew out, cleave
Qal
hew out, (dig)
hew stone
appar. hew wood
metaph. hew in pieces
Niph. be cut, hewn, graven (words on rock)
Pu. fig., hewn out of rock
Hiph. hew in pieces
base
H2672 [חָצַב] חָצֵב hew, hew out, cleave
2672 chatsab khaw-tsab'
or chatseb {khaw-tsabe'}; a primitive root ; to cut or carve
(wood), stone or other material); by implication, to hew,
split, square, quarry, engrave:--cut, dig, divide, grave, hew
(out, -er), made, mason.
חָצַב (cha.tsav) — to hew.
1) to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hew out, dig
1a2) to hew
1a2a) stone
1a2b) wood
1a3) to hew in pieces (metaph.)
1a4) to divide, cleave
1b) (Niphal) to be cut, be hewn, be engraved
1c) (Hiphil) to hew into pieces, cut up into pieces
1d) (Pual) to be cut from, be hewn from
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
The Hebrew word לֶהָבָה (*lehabah*) means 'flame' and can also refer to the 'tip' or 'head of a spear.' It is a feminine form of the related word לַ֫הַב (*lahav*). The entries consistently highlight these meanings without significant disagreement.
לֶהָבָה n.f. id. [לַ֫הַב]
flame, poet.
point, head of spear
base
H3852 לֶהָבָה id. [לַ֫הַב] . flame, poet.
. point, head of spear
3852 lehabah leh-aw-baw'
or lahebeth {lah-eh'-beth}; feminine of 3851, and meaning the
same:--flame(-ming), head (of a spear).
see HEBREW for 03851
לֶהָבָה (le.ha.vah) — flame.
1) flame
2) tip of weapon, point, head of spear
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֵשׁ (esh) means 'fire' and encompasses various types, including natural fire, supernatural fire associated with divine appearances, and fire used for cooking or on altars. It can also figuratively represent God's anger. The entries consistently highlight its literal and metaphorical uses, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֵשׁ 377 n.f. fire
fire, of conflagration
of supernatural fire
fire for cooking, roasting, parching
esp. of altar fire
fig. of Yahweh's anger
in various combinations
base
H784 אֵשׁ fire . fire, of conflagration
. of supernatural fire
. fire for cooking, roasting, parching
. esp. of altar fire
. fig. of Yahweh's anger
. in various combinations
784 'esh aysh
a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):--
burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.
אֵשׁ (esh) — fire.
1) fire
1a) fire, flames
1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)
1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)
1d) altar-fire
1e) God's anger (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
fir ('esh; pur):
These are the common words for fire, occurring very frequently. 'Ur, "light" (Isa 24:15 the King James Version; compare the Revised Version (British and American); Isa 31:9, and see FIRES), nur (Aramaic) (Da 3:22 ff) are found a few times, also 'eshshah (Jer 6:29), and be`erah (Ex 22:6), once each. Ac 28:2,3 has pura, "pyre," and Mr 14:54; Lu 22:56, phos, "light," the Revised Version (British and American) "in the light (of the fire)." "To set…
Fire
(1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Gen. 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Lev. 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chr. 7:1, 3). The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Lev. 10:1, 2;
is represented as the symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power, in the way either of approval or of destruction. (Exodus 3:2; 14:19) etc. There could not be a better symbol for Jehovah than this of fire, it being immaterial, mysterious, but visible, warming, cheering, comforting, but also terrible and consuming. Parallel with this application of fire and with its symbolical meaning are to be noted the similar use for sacrificial purposes and the respect paid to it, or to the heavenly bodies as symbols of deity, which prevailed among so many nations of antiquity, and of which the traces are not even now extinct; e.g. the Sabean and Magian systems of worship. (Isaiah 27:9) Fire for sacred purposes obtained elsewhere than from the altar was called "strange fire," and for the use of such Nadab and Abihu were punished…
In Scripture, is often connected with the presence of Jehovah; as in the burning bush, and on Mount Sinai, Ex 3:2 19:18 Ps 18:1-50 Hab 1:1-3:19. The second coming of Christ will be "in flaming fire," 2Th 1:8. In the New Testament it illustrates the enlightening, cheering, and purifying agency of the Holy Spirit, Mt 3:11 Ac 2:3. By sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices, God often signified his acceptance of them: as in the case of Abel, Ge 4:4; Abraham, Ge…