In Psalm 29, David writes of “the God of glory” thundering. Later, in verse 9 “in His temple all cry, ‘Glory!’” in praise and worship to Him.
The word translated “glory” in this psalm is kavod (כָּבוֹד). It is used four times in the eleven verses of the psalm. It is used as a root word approximately 376 times in the Old Testament and is translated “glory” about 200 of those instances. The root is from a word meaning “heavy”, suggested by some to be from the heavy equipment of a soldier. It carries strong ideas of importance, honor, majesty, power, respectability, and, of course, glory.
Sometimes words from this root are simply translated as heavy: in Exodus 17:12 Moses’ hands were heavy, in 1 Samuel 4:18 Eli is heavy (although this implies that he was important enough to be able to eat a great deal and not expend much effort), and in 2 Samuel 14:26 Absalom’s hair is heavy (but implying a beauty and glory about it).
In Genesis 31:1 it is translated as wealth — Jacob gains kavod. In Proverbs 11:16 and Proverbs 26:1 it is rendered as honor — “A gracious woman gets kavod” and “kavod is not fitting for a fool”.
The phrase “the glory of the LORD” is used 35 times in the Old Testament. Israel will see the kavod of YHWH in Exodus 16:7. They see His glory at Sinai, at the tabernacle, and at the Temple (possibly inspiring the Jews to speak of the shekinah glory, the glory of God dwelling with His people that is written about in rabbinic literature). In Ezekiel 11:23 the kavod of YHWH goes out of Jerusalem.
David calls the YHWH the “King of glory” in Psalm 24. When kavod is used as a characteristic of God, it is used in a sense not seen applied to men. As one unknown writer put it, God’s glory is “a revelation of the holy in the midst of the profane” — the God of glory is a holy God.
Glory is also used in the New Testament. In Greek, it is usually translated from doxa (δόξα). In John 12:27-29 the Father speaks from heaven about the glory of His name and the some of crowd around say it thundered. Also writing about the Father speaking from heaven, Peter simply calls Him “the Majestic Glory” in 2 Peter 1:16-18.
The God of glory, who is seen in power, might, and reverent fear, is also the God of peace. At the end of Psalm 29, David implores the God of glory to “bless His people with peace” — to bless His people with shalom. At Christ’s birth shepherds see a multitude of heavenly host saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” and praising God in Luke 2:11-14. In Hebrews 7:2, Melchizedek, a foreshadowing of Christ, is called the king of peace.
Consider Mark 4:39 when Christ stills the storm, saying “Peace, be still” — this too is a form of His glory, causing those around to be afraid of Him that even the waves and the winds obey. The Lord can make Himself and His glory known in stormy power or in calm gentleness.
Near the beginning of his gospel John wrote, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Later, in John 14:27, Christ says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Then finally, in John 16:33, Jesus, sent by the Majestic Glory to glorify His name, said this: “In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
— Stefan Richardson