The occasion of this Psalm is a thunderstorm; it is not, however, limited to the outward natural phenomena, but therein is perceived the self-attestation of the God of the redemptive history. Just as in the second part of Psa 19:1-14 the God of the revelation of salvation is called יהוה seven times in distinction from the God revealed in nature, so in this Psalm of thunders, קול ה is repeated seven times, so that it may be called the Psalm of the hepta' brontai' (Rev 10:3.). During the time of the second Temple, as the addition to the inscription by the lxx ἐξοδίου (ἐξόδου) σκηνῆς (= σκηνοπηγίας) seems to imply,[1] it was sung on the Shemini Azereth, the last day (ἐξόδιον, Lev 23:36) of the feast of tabernacles. Between two tetrastichs, in each of which the name יהוה
- ↑ The שׁיר of the Temple liturgy of the Shemini Azereth is not stated in the Talmud (vid., Tosefoth to B. Succa 47a, where, according to Sofrim xix. §2 and a statement of the Jerusalem Talmud, Psa 6:1-10, or 12, it guessed at). We only know, that Psa 29:1-11 belongs to the Psalm-portions fore the intervening days of the feast of tabernacles, which are comprehended in the vox memorialis בהיהום (Succa 55a, cf. Rashi on Joma 3a), viz., Psa 29:1-11 ()ה; Psa 50:16 ()ו; Psa 94:16 ()מ; Psa 94:8 ()ב; Psa 81:7 ()ה; Psa 82:5 ()י. Besides this the treatise Sofrim xviii. §3 mentions Psa 29:1-11 as the Psalm for the festival of Pentecost and the tradition of the synagogue which prevails even at the present day recognises it only as a festival Psalm of the first day of Shabuoth Pentecost; the Psalm for Shemini Azereth is the 65th. The only confirmation of the statement of the lxx is to be found in the Sohar; for there (section )צ Psa 29:1-11 is referred to the pouring forth of the water on the seventh day of the feast of the tabernacles (Hosianna rabba), since it is said, that by means of the seven קולות (corresponding to the seven compassings of the altar) seven of the Sephiroth open the flood-gates of heaven.
