◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 29 98; Isaiah 66:18–23; Romans 15:7–13 (New English Translation)

Prev Day

January 5, 2020

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

January 2020
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 29

Psalm 29^[a]

A psalm of David.

29 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings,^[b]
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power.^[c]
²Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation.^[d]
Worship the Lord in holy attire.^[e]
³The Lord’s shout is heard over the water;^[f]
the majestic God thunders,^[g]
the Lord appears over the surging water.^[h]
⁴The Lord’s shout is powerful,^[i]
the Lord’s shout is majestic.^[j]
⁵The Lord’s shout breaks^[k] the cedars,
the Lord shatters^[l] the cedars of Lebanon.^[m]
⁶He makes them skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion^[n] like a young ox.^[o]
⁷The Lord’s shout strikes^[p] with flaming fire.^[q]
⁸The Lord’s shout shakes^[r] the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.^[s]
⁹The Lord’s shout bends^[t] the large trees^[u]
and strips^[v] the leaves from the forests.^[w]
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!”^[x]
¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters,^[y]
the Lord sits enthroned^[z] as the eternal king.
¹¹The Lord gives^[aa] his people strength;^[ab]
the Lord grants his people security.^[ac]

Footnotes

Psalm 29:1 sn Psalm 29. 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.
Psalm 29:1 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (ʾelim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (b^ene ʾelim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
Psalm 29:1 tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”
Psalm 29:2 tn Heb “ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the Lord’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.)
Psalm 29:2 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
Psalm 29:3 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] over the water.” As the next line makes clear, the “voice of the Lord” is here the thunder that accompanies a violent storm. The psalm depicts the Lord in the role of a warrior-king, so the thunder is his battle cry, as it were.
Psalm 29:3 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the Lord coming in the storm to do battle with his enemies and to vindicate his people.
Psalm 29:3 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over the raging waters.
Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by strength.”
Psalm 29:4 tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] accompanied by majesty.”
Psalm 29:5 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
Psalm 29:5 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).
Psalm 29:5 sn 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).
Psalm 29:6 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
Psalm 29:6 sn 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.
Psalm 29:7 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the Lord’s shout is accompanied by “flames of fire,” that is, lightning bolts.
Psalm 29:7 sn 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).
Psalm 29:8 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
Psalm 29:8 sn 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.
Psalm 29:9 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
Psalm 29:9 tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the Lord’s shout gives birth to deer” is absurd. In light of the parallelism (note “forests” in the next line) and v. 5, it is preferable to emend אַיָּלוֹת (ʾayyalot, “deer”) to אֵילוֹת (ʾelot, “large trees”) understanding the latter as an alternate form of the usual plural form אַיָּלִים (ʾayyalim).
Psalm 29:9 tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
Psalm 29:9 tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (yaʿar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (y^eʿarim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (y^e’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.
Psalm 29:9 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
Psalm 29:10 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
Psalm 29:10 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
Psalm 29:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
Psalm 29:11 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
Psalm 29:11 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the Lord intervenes in battle on their behalf.

Psalm 98

Psalm 98^[a]

A psalm.

98 Sing to the Lord a new song,^[b]
for he performs^[c] amazing deeds.
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance.^[d]
²The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver;^[e]
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
³He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel.^[f]
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.^[g]
⁴Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
⁵Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music.
⁶With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord.
⁷Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it.
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
⁹before the Lord.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,^[h]
and the nations in a just manner.

Isaiah 66:18-23

¹⁸“I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming^[a] to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;^[b] they will come and witness my splendor. ¹⁹I will perform a mighty act among them^[c] and then send some of those who remain to the nations—to Tarshish, Pul,^[d] Lud^[e] (known for its archers^[f]), Tubal, Javan,^[g] and to the distant coastlands^[h] that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. ²⁰They will bring back all your countrymen^[i] from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them^[j] on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels^[k] to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. ²¹And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. ²²“For just as the new heavens and the new earth I am about to make will remain standing before me,” says the Lord, “so your descendants and your name will remain. ²³From one month^[l] to the next and from one Sabbath to the next, all people^[m] will come to worship me,”^[n] says the Lord.

Footnotes

Isaiah 66:18 tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may need emendation. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, baʾah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ʿet) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (baʾ) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).
Isaiah 66:18 tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”
Isaiah 66:19 tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).
Isaiah 66:19 tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).
Isaiah 66:19 sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).
Isaiah 66:19 tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).
Isaiah 66:19 sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).
Isaiah 66:19 tn Or “islands” (NIV).
Isaiah 66:20 tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”
Isaiah 66:20 tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Isaiah 66:20 tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.
Isaiah 66:23 tn Heb “new moon.” The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
Isaiah 66:23 tn Heb “all flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NAB, NASB, NIV “all mankind”; NLT “All humanity.”
Isaiah 66:23 tn Or “bow down before” (NASB).

Romans 15:7-13

Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance

⁷Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. ⁸For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised^[a] on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers,^[b] ⁹and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy.^[c] As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”^[d] ¹⁰And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”^[e] ¹¹And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”^[f] ¹²And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”^[g] ¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,^[h] so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 29[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 98[a]

A psalm.

Footnotes

Footnotes

Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance

Footnotes

Psalm 29^[a]

Psalm 98^[a]