This is an inspired and dramatic description of a thunderstorm that started somewhere over Mediterranean Sea (v. 3) and moved eastward to the Lebanon mountain range in the northern part of the land of Israel (v. 5). The storm continued moving eastward overland to Mount Hermon (v. 6; Sirion, Deut. 3:8–9), where it turned south and traveled about two hundred miles down to Kadesh in the wilderness (v. 8), and there it dispersed. It was accompanied by loud thunder (“the voice of the Lord” see 18:13–14; Job 37:1–5; 40:9) and also by lightning (v. 7). Seven times you find the phrase “the voice of the Lord” (see Rev. 10:3–4), and it was “the God of glory” who was thundering and revealing His majesty. He is also “the King of glory” (24:7).
The Lebanon range was about ten thousand feet above sea level, and the Canaanites believed it was the home of their gods. It was famous for its cedar forests (72:16; 1 Kings 4:33), but the thunder of God broke even those stalwart trees (v. 5). In fact, the thunder made the trees and the mountains skip like calves (v. 6; see 114:1ff.)! In Scripture, the cedar tree is sometimes a symbol of a nation or a kingdom, including David’s dynasty (Ezek. 17:1–3), Assyria (Ezek. 31:3), and even Israel (Num. 24:6). The prophet Isaiah saw the fall of the proud cedars as a picture of the defeat of the nations in the day of the Lord (Isa. 2:10–17). Note that it was the thunder—the voice of God—that broke the trees, and not the wind or the lightning. The voice of God is powerful and can shake the wilderness like an earthquake (v. 8). So frightened were the animals that the hinds went into premature labor and delivered their calves. Imagine being born in a thunderstorm!
During this demonstration of God’s great power, the angels were watching with amazement and shouting, “Glory!” (v. 9). The angels learned about God’s grace, wisdom, and power by watching the Son of God when He served on earth (1 Tim. 3:16). They also learned during the week of creation (Job 38:7), and they are learning today as they behold the church on earth (Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12).