Grace Theological
Journal 7.1 (1986) 57-80
[Cited with permission
from Grace Theological Seminary;
digitally prepared for use at
Gordon and
THE WATERS OF THE EARTH:
AN EXEGETICAL STUDY OF
PSALM 104:1-9
DAVID G. BARKER
Ps 104:6-9
is viewed as a reference to the flood of Noah, not the
original creation week. Support for this interpretation is drawn
from
broad studies in the psalm’s setting, literary structure, and
grammar.
Current literature on
the psalm is brought into the discussion. The
conclusion is drawn that the psalm displays a unique cosmology and
a perspective including not only Yahweh’s creative power, but
also
Yahweh s providential
control in judgment and blessing. More specifi-
cally, Ps 104:8a speaks of the catastrophic tectonic activities
associated
with the Genesis flood.
*
*
*
INTRODUCTION
PSALM
104 is a majestic hymn of praise which extols Yahweh as
creator and sustainer of the natural world. As a
companion
hymn to Psalm 103, it calls upon the individual
worshiper to add his
voice to the vast chorus of praise ascending to the
very heavenly
dwelling place of God.
The specific issue for discussion in this study
is the meaning of
vv 6-9. Most would argue that the psalm reflects
the six day creation
week of Genesis 1, and that the specific reference
in Ps 104:6-9
is to the events of the first two days of the week
which culminate
in Gen 1:9. However, others have suggested that
the Noahic flood
is in view, here, and that the psalm goes far
beyond the limits of
Genesis 1.
Additionally, a specific problem is encountered
in the translation
and interpretation of v 8a of the psalm. What is
going up and down?
Is
it the waters or the mountains? If the former is accepted, both
textual and imagery problems develop; if the
latter, contextual prob-
lems arise.
The purpose of this article, therefore, is to
determine if it is a
viable alternative to interpret Ps 104:6-9 as a
reference to the Noahic
deluge. Additionally, it will seek to determine the
best translation of
v 8a in light of syntax, imagery and context. A
more general purpose
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of this study, however, is to exegete Ps 104:1-9
taking into considera-
tion factors such as
structure, setting, and literary history.
Essential to ascertaining the proper
interpretation of Ps 104:6-9
is a broad analysis of the psalm in terms of its
form, its setting in
Eastern
hymns. The first section of this study covers these areas. In
particular, of great significance is the analysis
of the psalm to deter-
mine if, in fact, the six day creation week forms
the organizational
skeleton, or if there are other structural
analyses that would see the
psalm in a broader perspective. Then the second
section supplies an
exegesis of vv 1-9 which is built upon the
backgrounds and structural
framework determined in the first section. The
first five verses are
included in this study in order to provide a
preparatory textual
analysis for the treatment of vv 6-9.
It is shown that vv 5-13 form an independent
stanza of the
psalm, with two subunits comprised of vv 5-9 and
10-13 respectively.
Therefore,
for the sake of completeness, vv 10-13 and their relation-
ship to the previous subunit are summarized. The
critical text for
analysis is vv 6-9. Therefore, while the psalm is
analyzed in its entirety
for the purpose of ascertaining structure, the
study basically limits
itself to the first nine verses. While a thorough
analysis of the entire
psalm would obviously be profitable, a satisfactory
solution to the
problems noted above may be determined within the
parameters out-
lined for this study.
THE SETTING
OF PSALM 104
Several considerations must be taken into
account when a study
of the setting of Psalm 104 is undertaken. These
may be enumerated
as follows: (1) the question of the place of the
psalm in the liturgy of
hymns, (3) its literary relationship to the Genesis
account of creation,
and (4) an analysis of the structure of the psalm
itself.
The Psalm in
Allen argues that on the basis of the initial
and final self exhorta-
tion, as well as the
personal references in vv 33-34, the psalm can be
characterized as an "individual hymn."l However,
it has usually been
assigned a role in the corporate worship of
to praise which in turn was to inspire communal
worship.2 Several
l Leslie K. Allen, Psalms 101-150, in Word Biblical Commentary,
ed. David A.
Hubbard, et al. (Waco, TX: Word, 1983) 28.
2 Ibid.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 59
have attempted to identify a specific setting for
the psalm. Humbert
links the psalm with some kind of Israelite autumn
festival parallel
with the Babylonian New Year Festival,3
though his position has not
been widely accepted.4 Craigie argues for the setting of the dedication
of Solomon's temple.5 He maintains that
the psalm is firmly within
the indigenous Hebrew poetic tradition, and that a
reconstruction of
1
Kgs 8:12-13 based on the LXX reflects the imagery of
Psalm 104.6
The
first two lines of the Kings passage as reconstructed are viewed as
reflecting Egyptian and Mesopotamian sun hymns7
with a polemic
intent. Additionally, he believes that the last two
lines reflect the
adaptation of a Ugaritic
Baal myth with, however, a retention of the
distinctive Hebrew theology concerning the temple as
a dwelling
place for Yahweh. These same motifs are evident in
Psalm 104; hence,
its association with Solomon's temple dedication.8
Nevertheless, the
evidence both for the reconstruction of the Kings
text and the associa-
tion of Psalm 104 with
Solomon's
ous. Certainly, there is
nothing that militates against an early date for
the psalm, but the attempt to be this precise is
somewhat precarious.
Crusemann has contended for a late date and
non-cultic setting for
the psalm based on the mixed nature of the form of
the hymn (plural
summons, self exhortation, etc.).9
However, several lines of evidence
have been forwarded which favor a pre-exilic date.
These include the
preterite use of the imperfect,
the use of Oty;ha
in vv 11
and 20, and
perhaps the usage of hz, as a relative pronoun
in vv 8 and 26 (cf. rw,xE
in vv 16, 17).10
It should be noted that Psalm 103 opens and
closes in the same
way as Psalm 104 and is attributed to David. Psalm
104 is untitled
except in the LXX which attributes it to David, and
claims have
been made that the LXX should be accepted because of
the com-
mon opening and closing
invocations. However, the common struc-
ture is reason enough to
explain their juxtaposition in the psalter and
3 P. Humbert,
"La relation de Genese et
du Psaume 104 avec la liturgie du Nouvel-
An israelite," RHPR 15 (1935) 22-27.
4 See in particular A. van der Voort, "Genese 1:1a 2:4a et Psaume 104," RB
58
(1951) 343-45.
5 Peter C. Craigie,
"The Comparison of Hebrew Poetry: Psalm 104 in Light of
Egyptian and Ugaritic
Poetry," Semitics 4 (1974) 19.
6 Ibid., 10, 19.
7 For examples of such hymns, see the
"Hymn to Aton" (ANET, 369-71) and the
"Shamash
Hymn" (ANET, 389-90).
8 Craigie,
"Comparison," 10, 19.
9 F. Crusemann, Studien zur Formgeschichte von Hymnus and Danklied in
(WMANT 32; Neukirchen-Vluyn:
Neukirchener, 1969) 301-2.
10 Cf. D. A. Robertson, Linguistic Evidence in Dating Early Hebrew
Poetry (SBLDS
3;
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common authorship is in no way required.11 Thus, the hymn seems to
have been a companion hymn to Psalm 103 which then
may very well
place it into the Davidic liturgical setting.
The Psalm in Relation to
ANE Hymnology
Recent scholarship has stressed the resemblances
between this
psalm and Ahkenaton's Hymn
to the Sun (14th C. B.C.).12 The refer-
ences to lions creeping about
at night (vv 20-21; cf. lines 17-20),
man's daytime activities (vv 22-23; cf. lines 27-29),
the contentment
of animals and birds (vv 11-14; cf. lines 30-36),
activities of creatures
and ships of the sea (vv 25-26; cf. lines 37-40),
the adulation of the
creator by creation (v 24; cf. lines 58-60), the
dependence of man
upon God (v 27; cf. lines 66-67), waters and mountains
(vv 6, 10; cf.
lines 66-67), and finally the life giving character
of the divine being
(vv 29-30; cf. lines 108-9),13 all seem to
indicate some kind of literary
relationship.
Some have tried to prove a direct relationship
between Akhena-
ton's hymn and the psalm.14 Breasted states,
"The hymn of Ikhnaton
thus reveals to us the source of the Hebrew
Psalmist's recognition of
the gracious goodness of God in the maintenance of
his creatures,
even the most insignificant."15
While most commentators stress some kind of
relationship, cau-
tion is usually expressed. Dahood and others posit a Canaanite
mediation of the hymn.16 It is
postulated that the Phoenicians, because
of their close commercial and cultural contact
with
the hymn into their own literary history, and that
the Hebrews
obtained it from the Phoenicians.17
Bernhardt argues, on the basis of
both theological and cosmological differences, that
the relationship is
quite general. He maintains that there was a similar
literary Gattung in
ancient
11 Allen, Psalms, 26.
12 ANET, 369-71.
13 Cf. ibid.,
370-71; also Allen, Psalms, 29.
14 Crusemann, Studien, 287;
James Breasted, The Dawn of Conscience (
Charles
Scribners', 1933), 366-70; A. Weigall,
The Life and Times of Akhnaton.
Pharaoh of
15 Breasted, The Dawn of Conscience, 368.
16 M. Dahood, Psalms III, 101-150 (AB; Garden City,
NY: Doubleday, 1970) 33;
cf.
Georges Nagel, "A propos des rapports du psaume 104 avec les textes egyptiens,"
Festschriftfur Alfred Bertholet, ed. O. Eissfeldt, et al. (Tubingen: J.
C. B. Mohr, 1950)
395-403; H.-J. Kraus, Psalmen (BKAT
15:2.5; Ausgabe, Neukirchen-Vluyn:
Neu-
kirchener, 1978) 880; and Pierre Auffert, "Note sur la
structure litteraire du Psaume
104
et ses incidences pour une comparison avec l' Hymne a Aton et Gen 1," RSR
(1982)
73-82.
17 Dahood,
Psalms III, 33.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 61
had a specific knowledge of the Egyptian hymn.18
Craigie argues from
a similar angle, maintaining that common motifs,
subject matter, and
intent will naturally result in similar hymns.19
As noted previously, he
finds parallels in other Egyptian sun hymns, a
Mesopotamian hymn
to Shamash, and in particular, the Ugaritic Baal myth.20 However, he
maintains that this may well indicate an association
of ideas rather
than a literary relationship.21 Craigie's thesis, particularly concerning
the Ugaritic Baal myth,
is built heavily upon the reconstruction of the
1
Kgs 8:12-13 text, and upon the fact that Phoenician
craftsmen were
used in the construction of the temple. This latter
fact causes Craigie
to see the psalm as a polemic against the theology
of Baal. This may
well be so, but it does not prove the literary
dependence he seeks to
demonstrate.
Kidner is aware of the various
similarities between Ahkenaton's
hymn and the psalm, but also aptly notes the wide
divergences
between the two, both in content and theology.
He states, "Theologi-
cally, it displays the
incalculable difference between worshipping the
sun and worshipping its Maker; indeed the psalm's
apparent allusions
to this famous hymn seem designed to call
attention to this very
point.”22 Hence,
there is no reason to suggest literary dependence
upon these pagan hymns or borrowing of theological
concepts and
ideas. A description by the psalmist of the natural
world inevitably
leads to ideas and imagery common to religious
expression but which
also can be used as an apology for the true God and
a polemic
against false gods.
The Psalm in Relation to
Genesis
That there is some relationship to the Genesis
account of creation
is obvious. Sequences are largely the same and
there is an overlap of
vocabulary.23 Kidner maintains that the
psalm is modelled "fairly
closely" on Genesis 1 and that the stages
of creation are starting
points for praise within the psalm.24
However, the nature and extent of this
relationship is not so
obvious. Allen observes that there is a basic
difference in style--the
psalm is exuberant and free while Genesis is
schematic and logical.
18 K. H. Bernhardt, "Amenhophis IV and Psalm 104," MIO 15 (1969) 205-6.
19 Craigie,
"Comparison," 13-15.
20 Ibid.
21 Ibid., 21.
22 Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150. in
the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, ed.
D.
J. Wiseman (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1975),367-68.
23 Ibid., 368.
24 Cf. Kidner's
chart (Ibid.) and also Allen's brief discussion (Psalms, 31).
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There
are also some differences in the order of events, particularly
concerning men and animals.25
Humbert argues that Psalm 104
depends upon Genesis,26 while
van der Voort argues, on the basis of various differences and the
use
of anthropomorphisms, that Genesis reflects the
use of the psalm.27
Craigie and Anderson opt for a mediating
position of a common
cultic origin for both texts.28 From a more
conservative perspective,
one would have to acknowledge the priority of the
Genesis text.29
However,
of greater concern for this study is the commonly
accepted notion that the psalm reflects only the
days of creation as
recorded in Gen 1:1-2:3. Fullarton
argues that the sequence of the
creative days is "the most outstanding
factor in the structure of the
psalm.”30
Kidner also develops his whole discussion around the
days
of creation and says that later scenes in the
psalm develop initial
glimpses with the result that there is a mingling
and overlapping of
the creation days as described in Genesis.31
Yet as these various
analyses are examined, one quickly finds that the
attempt to relegate
the psalm to such strictures is artificial. Some
emend the text to fit
their preconceived structure,32 while
others excuse sections that do
not precisely fit the pattern on the basis of an
exuberant style or
poetic license.33
Therefore, one suspects that while Genesis 1 may
be in view, this
does not exhaust the full intent and content of the
hymn. Rather, it is
apparent that the psalm goes beyond the creation
motif into a more
general motif of providential preservation of
the world by God. This
not only explains statements regarding God's
general preservation of
creation, but also explains references to the
destruction of his creation
through the global catastrophe of the Noahic deluge, an integral part
of ancient Hebrew cosmology.
25 Allen, Psalms, 31.
26 Humbert,
"La relation," 21.
27 van der Voort, "Genese 1:1 a
2:4a," 341-46.
28 Craigie,
"Comparison," 18; A. A. Anderson, The Book of Psalms, vol. 2 (NCB;
29 Cf. Kidner, Psalms 73-150, 368; and F. Delitzsch, Psalms,
vol. 3 trans. Francis
mans, 1970) 127. It is far beyond the scope of this
study to discuss the date and
authorship of the Pentateuch. A Mosaic authorship
and 15th century B.C. date for the
Pentateuch
is assumed for purposes of this study, which de facto results in the priority
of Genesis over most of the psalmic
materials.
30 Kemper Fullarton, "The Feeling for Form in Psalm 104," JBL 40 (1921) 43.
31 Kidner, Psalms 73-150, 368.
32 As does Fullarton,
"Feeling for Form," 48, who in turn accuses Gunkel,
Staerk,
Duhm,
Briggs and others of going too far in this regard.
33 As does Kidner,
Psalms 73-150, 368.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 63
The
next logical step, therefore, is an analysis of the structure of
the psalm to determine whether it can be
structurally limited to the
creation narrative.
Literary
Analyses of the Psalm
As Allen observes, little specific work has been
done on the
structure of the psalm.34 Paragraph
divisions are usually assigned on
the basis of apparent thought changes with little
regard for internal
textual criteria.35
An early analysis was suggested by Fullarton who manipulated
the material in order to fit in the first five days
of the creation week
of Genesis. He states, "The key to the
analysis is, of course, the first
chapter of Genesis.”36 He is rather
free in his handling of the text,
transposing vv 16 and 17 to fit between vv 11 and 12
in stanza 3
(vv 10-12),37 and suggesting that v 18 was added
when the last part of
stanza 4 (vv 13-15) was lost.38 Obviously
there is a measure of arti-
ficiality here, since there is no
attempt to establish the structure from
internal textual data.
Kidner also maintains that the
psalm is structured around the
creation week.39 Day 1 is seen in v
2a; day 2 in 2b-4; day 3 in 5-9
with elaboration in 10-18; day 4 in 19-23 and
perhaps 24; day 5 in
25-26
(but only the sea); and day 6 is "anticipated" in 21-24 and
discussed in 27-28 (and perhaps 29-30) in terms of
"food appointed
for all creatures.”40 As noted previously, he recognizes that
the days
of Genesis overlap and mingle and that the days of
creation are only
starting points for the creation drama.41
Yet there is still a measure of
artificiality in his attempt to
impose the structure of Genesis 1 on the
psalm.
Recently, however, two studies have suggested
structural formula-
tions for the psalm. Alden
postulates a ten-strophe chiastic structure
shown by the following pattern:42
34 Allen, Psalms, 31.
35 E.g., G. R.Driver,
"The Resurrection of Marine and Terrestrial Creatures," JSS
7
(1962) 22; cf. also
(1968)
199-223.
36 Fullarton,
"Feeling for Form," 45.
37 Ibid., 47.
38 Ibid., 48.
39 Kidner,
Psalms 73-150, 368.
40 Ibid.
41 Ibid.
42 Robert L. Alden. "Chiastic Psalms
III: A Study in the Mechanics of Semitic
Poetry
in Psalms 101-150," JETS 21
(1978) 201.
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I A
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
2-14
B God's creation of the
land and what is on it.
15
C The benefits to man
16-
I 8 D
The benefits to animals
19a
E
The moon
19b
E
The sun
20-22 D
Animals work at night
23
C Man works
in the daytime
24-32
B God's creation of the seas
and what is in them.
33-35
A Bless the LORD, O my soul.
He
observes that the B stanzas are long, but notes several key terms
that seemingly tie them together.43 The
major criticisms of this analysis
are the relative imbalance of the various stanzas
and the rather novel
determinations of the boundaries of
the stanzas.
Allen has suggested a five-strophe structure
with subdivisions of
the central three units.44 His analysis
may be schematized as follows:
A vv 1-4
B vv 5-13
b1 vv 5-9
b2 vv 10-13
C vv 14-23
c1 vv 14-18
c2 vv 19-23
B' vv 24-30
bl vv 24-26
b2 vv 27-30
A' vv 31-35
Several
factors that Allen notes need to be emphasized. First, the
term hWafA ends strophe A and
begins strophe A'; it also ends strophe
B
and begins strophe B'; finally it stands in the middle of strophe C
(v 19). Second, the divine name hvAhy; in strophes A and A'
serve to
indicate their complementary nature. Third, the
repetition of the terms
MdAxA and hdAbofE in both vv 14 and 23 indicate an inclusio, marking the
limits of the central strophe (C). A similar
phenomenon is observable
with the repetition of the term Cr,x, in vv 5 and 13, again
indicating an
inclusio and marking the limits
of strophe B, as well as a central
instance of the term at v 9. Additionally, a
clear theme dominates
strophe B as indicated by the fourfold
repetition of the term MyrihA.
Finally,
clear indications of a new thought are observable by the
exclamation at v 24 (beginning strophe B') and the
expression of the
wish at v 31 (beginning stroph
A,).45
43 Ibid.
44 Allen, Psalms, 32.
45 Ibid.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 65
Allen's presentation is quite convincing,
especially in light of the
fact that it essentially retains the more
traditional subdivisions (such
as in BHS),
yet puts them into structural perspective. Allen concludes,
"The
common exegetical divisions are thus vindicated by and large,
but their role within the overall structure has
hitherto been missed.”46
This
particular analysis has clear implications for the present
study. As noted earlier, commentators have insisted
that the psalm
essentially reflects the six day creation week of
Gen 1:1-2:3. How-
ever, while the events of the six day creation week
may be reflected in
the material, these events are not the skeleton
upon which the psalm
is constructed. The hymn goes beyond the stricture
of Genesis 1 into
a statement of Yahweh's general relationship to
the world, both as
creator and sustainer (cf. Col. 1:16-17). When
the artificial limiting of
the scope of the psalm to the creation event in
removed, God's general providence throughout
history can be seen.
This
opens the way for seeing vv 6-9 in particular as a reference to
the great deluge of Genesis 6-9.
For purposes of this study, therefore, Allen's
structural analysis
has been adopted and applied directly to the verses
under study.
Summary
It may be stated in summary that although the
date and pro-
venience of the psalm are
uncertain, there is no reason to relegate it
to the post-exilic era.
Second, although there are resemblances to other
ancient Near
Eastern
hymns, there is no convincing evidence to suggest that the
psalm is either directly or indirectly dependent upon
such sources.
Rather,
similarities arise from common imagery and intent. The
theology of Psalm 104 is vastly different from
the other ancient Near
Eastern
materials and one must conclude that there was an autono-
mous literary development.
This is not to say that the hymn was
composed in a vacuum, but that the theological
concepts are founded
in the moral and ethical monotheism of the Hebrew
faith.
Third, there is an obvious literary relationship
to the Genesis
account of creation. However, from a structural
analysis, it is clear
that the psalm cannot be restricted to the scope of
Genesis 1. Rather,
the psalm describes the creative and providential
acts of Yahweh in
the world.
46 Ibid.
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THEOLOGICAL
A TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF
PSALM 104:1-9
As stated at the outset, the primary purpose of
this study is to
determine the significance of the psalmist's
statements concerning
Yahweh's activities in relation to the waters
described in vv 6-9. It
has already been established structurally that the
psalm speaks of
more than the creation week of Genesis. Now it
becomes necessary to
examine the text in detail to determine more
precisely the intent of
the psalmist.
An Outline of the Psalm
Based on Allen's analysis, the following broad outline
has been
developed:
1A. Prologue: Yahweh is introduced as the
majestic and sovereign
God of the created universe (vv 1-4)
2A. Stanza 1: Yahweh uses the waters of the
earth both to destroy
and to sustain the
creation (vv 5-13)
1b. The
waters of the earth once covered the earth but now are
established in
their place (vv 5-9)
2b. The
waters of the earth now provide for all of Yahweh's creation
(vv 10-13)
3A. Stanza 2: Yahweh providentially controls and
provides for the
world of
man (vv 14-23)
lb. This providential care
extends to the vegetation of the earth
by which
provision is made for man's joy and strengthening
(vv 14-18)
2b. This
providential care extends to the control of the heavens by
which both human
and animal activities are regulated (vv 19-23)
4A. Stanza 3: Yahweh is in total sovereign
control of the world, both
in its
creation and in its sustaining (vv 24-30)
1b. This
sovereign activity created the waters upon and in which
ships and
living creatures exist (vv 24-26)
2b. This sovereign
activity determines life and death for all of
creation (vv 27-30)
5A. Epilogue: Praise to Yahweh for his powerful
creative and provi-
dential
activities (vv 31-35)
Outline
of Verses 1-13
Since this study is primarily concerned with vv
6-9, a more
precise outline has been developed for the
prologue and first stanza.
1 A. Prologue: Yahweh is introduced as the
majestic and sovereign
God of the created universe (vv 1-4)
1b. Invocation (v la)
2b. A
statement of Yahweh's greatness and majesty (v 1bc)
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 67
3b. A
description of Yahweh's greatness and majesty (vv 2-4)
1c. Yahweh's regal
attire (v 2a)
2c. Yahweh's regal tent
(v 2b)
3c. Yahweh's regal chambers
(v 3a)
4c. Yahweh's regal
chariot (v 3b)
5c. Yahweh's regal walk
(v 3c)
6c. Yahweh's regal
messengers (v 4)
2A. Stanza 1: Yahweh uses the waters of the
earth both to destroy
and to sustain the creation
(vv 5-13)
1b. The
waters of the earth once covered the earth, but now are
established in
their place (vv 5-9)
1c. The
earth is founded (v 5)
2c. The
earth undergoes a deluge of water (vv 6-9)
1d. The waters
cover the earth (v 6)
2d.
The waters flee from the surface of the earth (vv 7-8)
3d. The waters
are established in their place (v 9)
2b. The waters of the
earth now provide for all of Yahweh's creation
(vv
10-13)
1c. The
act of Yahweh in providing water for sustenance
(v 10)
2c. A
specific statement from grateful recipients for such
provision(vv 11-12)
3c. A
general statement of the creation's satisfaction for God's
care (v 13)
Textual Analysis
PROLOGUE:
Yahweh is introduced as the majestic and sovereign God
of the created universe (vv 1-4)
Invocation
(v la)
The anonymous introductory phrase hvAhy;-tx, ywip;na ykirEBA is repeated
at the end of the psalm (v 35) forming an inclusio. This establishes the
psalm as a hymn of praise to Yahweh, with particular
emphasis upon
individual praise as indicated by the term ywip;na.47 The term wp,n, is
probably best rendered by the term
"person" or "self," or even simply
by the personal pronoun.48 Hence, the
psalmist is calling upon himself
to praise Yahweh. At the same time it should be
remembered that the
psalm was in all likelihood sung as a corporate
expression of praise in
temple worship.49
The term ykirEBA, a piel
imperative from j`raBA, means to "bless,
praise,
salute."50 Oswalt
states that to bless in the OT means "to endue with
47 Ibid., 28.
48 Bruce K. Waltke. "wpanA," TWOT
2:590.
49 Allen, Psalms, 28.
50
BDB, 138.
68
GRACE THEOLOGICAL
JOURNAL
power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity
etc.”51 However,
when used in acknowledgement of
is upon praise for Yahweh and his saving activities
on behalf of
individual worshiper.52 Hence, the psalm
begins with a personal invocation
for praise for Yahweh's mighty and majestic acts in
theworld of man.
A
Statement of Yahweh's Greatness and Majesty (v 1bc)
This unit is identifiable by the usage of two
perfect verbs (TAl;daGA,
TAw;bAlA; note the following participles in v 2). After an.
introductory
self-appropriation of Yahweh as the
psalmist's personal God,53 the
psalmist makes a straightforward attributive
statement, dxom;.
TAl;daGA,
followed by a metaphorical statement, TAw;bAlA rdAhAv; dOh. The terms dOh
and rdAhA seem to have been
chosen for their literary assonance and
contain clear royal connotations (cf. Job 40:10;
Ps 96:6). Thus royal
imagery is consistent with the descriptions that
are to follow (cf.
vv 2-4). Delitzsch
observes rdAhAv;
dOh is not the glory that belongs
to God (as Jude 25), but rather it is the glory
that he has put on.54
The
psalmist is seeing the greatness of Yahweh in terms of his ac-
tions rather than his essential
being. His actions, however, reflect his
essential being, particularly his sovereignty over
the universe. The
metaphorical usage of Tw;bAlA effectively anticipates the subsequent
descriptions of the divine theophany as covered and housed by the
components of nature.
A
Description of Yahweh's Greatness and Majesty (vv 2-4)
Following a clear statement of the greatness and
royal majesty of
Yahweh,
the psalmist employs six participles to describe his God.
These
participles not only indicate further characteristics of Yahweh,
but the change from the perfect (v 1b) to
participles (vv 2-4) deline-
ates separate structural
units within the prologue.
Allen sees hF,fo as parallel with TAw;bAlA and observes that there
is a
problem created by the participial form. He
argues that the synony-
mous content of 1c and 2a
point to a bicolon, and so suggests the
proposed emendation hF,f;Ta based on haplography.
He states that
such a change "while not essential, would ease
the problem.”55 How-
51 John N. Oswalt, "j`raBA," TWOT 1:132.
52 Josef Scharbert, "jrb," TDOT 2:286, 293.
53 DSS 11QPs reads vnyhvlx making it more of a
communal statement; cf. J. A.
Sanders,
The
54 Delitzsch,
Psalms III, 128.
55 Allen, Psalms, 26. The emendation comes
from H. Gunkel, Die Psalmen (HKA T
2.2.4;
Ausgabe,
879; and Crusemann, Studien, 287, n.
2.
Cf. also BHS apparatus, 1183.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 69
ever, Allen has failed to take into account the
nature of the six
participial statements as introduced by 1bc. If one
recognizes the
statement and preparatory metaphor (as discussed
above), there is no
difficulty in taking the text as it stands.
Yahweh's Regal Attire (v 2a). As light was the first creation after
the initial creation of an unformed and unfilled
chaos (Gen 1:1-2), so
the psalmist portrays the creator, first and
foremost, as royally clad in
light. The term hFafA means to "wrap
oneself, enwrap, envelop one-
self.”56
In Ps 104:2a, then, Yahweh is portrayed as almost totally
controlled by or identified as light (cf. Jer 43:12). Hence, this funda-
mental element of the natural world is relegated to
merely being a
part of Yahweh's garb-one may see the first hint of
a polemic against
the common sun worship that surrounded the Hebrews.
The term for garment here, hmAl;Wa, often rendered hlAm;Wa,57 means a
"wrapper" or "mantle," usually referring to
the outer cloak.58 Dahood
notes hmAl;Wa.Ka literally reads ''as
the garment," but observes on the
basis of Pss 55:23; 85:13;
89:48; and 90:16 that the article may serve as
a substitute for the pronominal suffix.59
Hence, with Dahood (contra
KJV and NASB) the line should read in the third
person, "who is
robed with the sun [1] as his garment.”60
This accords well with the
third person configuration of the subsequent lines.
Dahood further calls rOx "an accusative of material-with-which";61
hence the rendering "who is robed with. . . ."
However, to translate
rOx as "sun"
seems rather bold since there is nothing in the context to
demand this translation and the evidence adduced by Dahood for this
translation is less than convincing.62 Habel observes that "light is the
theophanic mode of self
manifestation which both reveals his presence
and veils his holiness.”63
Yahweh's Regal Tent (v 2b). The psalmist next
describes the
abode of the royal creator in terms of a tent
curtain. The term hfAyriy;,
while communicating the panoramic sense involved in
the idea of
heavens, reminds the worshiper of Yahweh's
presence in the taber-
nacle. Hence, the stretching
out of the heavens as a tent not only
56 BDB, 741.
57 Cf. ibid., 971.
58 Ibid.
59 Dahood,
Psalms III, 34.
60 Ibid., 31.
61 Ibid., 34.
62 Ibid. The only text that
could in any way support Dahood's suggestion is Job
31:6
where there is a clear context of moon and sun. Such a context is not present
in
Psalm 104.
63 N. C. Habel, "He Who Stretches out the Heavens," CBQ 34 (1974) 422.
70
THEOLOGICAL
JOURNAL
speaks of Yahweh's creative act but also directs
attention to his
personal abode. Such a phrase serves to portray
Yahweh ''as the
creator who pitches the heavens to be an
overarching tent within
which he appears in luminous splendor.”64
Based on his suggestion that hF,fo should be emended to hV,f;Ta,
Allen
assumes haplography again and emends hF,On to hF,Onh in accor-
dance with BHK,
BHS, and Kraus.65 However,
Allen's' first sugges-
tion was shown to be
questionable; thus to have an anarthrous hF,On
accords well with the anarthrous
hF,fo. Dahood
further observes, "In
‘ofeh and noteh are present fine rhyme and assonance. Hence the
recommendation of BHS to add the article to noteh (hannoteh) may
be declined without qualms.”66
Yahweh’s Regal Chambers (v 3a). The description of
the great
Yahweh,
clothed with honor and majesty, continues by means of
hymnic participles. However,
at this point the participles become
arthrous (forming the basis of
some of Allen's suggestions). Yet
Delitzsch aptly notes the fact that determinate participles
alternating
with anarthrous
participles (cf. Isa 44:24-28) indicate no more
"than
that the former are more predicative and the latter
more attributive.”67
The
imagery portrayed here is that of a celestial palace whose
foundation beams are laid in the waters.
Presumably, based on the
context of "light" (2a),
"heavens" (2b), "clouds" (3b), and "wind" (3c),
the waters are heavenly waters (cf. Amos 9:6). Kidner observes, "The
dizzy height of 'the waters above the firmament,' or
the clouds, is
pictured as but the base of God's abode, and this
insubstantial support
quite sufficient for the ethereal lightness of His
palace."68
The term hr,qAm;ha is apparently a denominative verb coming from
hrAOq meaning
"rafter" or "beam.”69 Both ideas, however, seem to
derive from the verb hrAqA meaning
"encounter, meet, befall.”70 Hence,
the rafter or beam is that which meets or
encounters some kind of
structural support.
Dahood attempts to link the
Hebrew term with a Ugaritic
term
qryt and Akkadian
term qaritu,
both meaning "granary.71 Hence, he
suggests the translation, "Who stored with
water his upper chambers."
This,
he argues, is congruent with the imagery of v 13. Additionally,
64 Ibid.,423.
65 Kraus, Psalmen, 879.
66 Dahood,
Psalms III, 33.
67 Delitzsch, Psalms III, 128.
68 Kidner,
Psalms 73-150, 369; cf. Delitzsch, Psalms III,
128-29 for similar
suggestions.
69 BDB, 900.
70 Ibid., 899.
71 Dahood,
Psalms III, 34.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 71
he adduces Job 37:9 in which hrAqA occurs (normally translated "cold"
from rraqA; cf. KJV and NASB). He translated this text, "Out of the
chamber comes the tempest, and flowing waters[?]
out of the store-
room.”72
While Dahood's
suggestion is plausible, the major argument
against it is that to make this simply a statement
of Yahweh storing
water in the upper chambers would destroy the imagery
describing
Yahweh's
regal chambers and thus the polemic involved. Additionally,
as Habel notes,
"these chambers are constructed 'in' the waters as
might be expected from similar motifs pertaining to
celestial store-
houses or firmaments (Gen 1:6-8; Amos 9:6; Job 38:22).”73
Hence,
the more traditional rendering will be retained.
The term vytAOy.lifE is derived from the
common verb hlAfA, and has
the idea of a roof chamber or upper chamber (cf. Judg
palace placed in the sky. His abode is above the
celestial waters.
Yahweh's Regal Chariot (v 3b). Dahood
argues that the force
of lfa in the phrase HaUr-ypen;Ka-lfa j`l.eham;ha (v 3c) extends to MybifA-Mw.Aha
ObUkr; (v 3b) resulting in the
translation "who sets his chariot upon the
clouds."74 He is attempting to
distinguish between Yahweh being
transported by the clouds and Yahweh driving his
chariot across the
heavens.75 However, the suggestion
is grammatically unprecedented,
and additionally, Baal is called "the Rider of
the Clouds."76 Yahweh
is the true master of the heavens; it is he who
rides the clouds.
Yahweh’s Regal Walk (v 3 c). Again, polemic imagery is being
used here. Yahweh is master of the storm. The
prepositional phrase
HaUr-ypen;K;-lfa clearly speaks of Yahweh as creator and
portrays his
majestic and regal dominion of the atmospheric
elements. The iden-
tical phrase appears in Ps
of the created world. Hence, celestial forces are
subjects of the divine
creator an sovereign.77
Yahweh's Regal Messengers (v 4). The final description
of
Yahweh
has, in contrast to the previous five descriptions, a dual
predicate to the initial participle hW,fo. The predicative phrases are
72 Ibid.
73 Habel,
"He who Stretches out," 423.
74 Dahood,
Psalms III, 34.
75 Cf.
278-99.
76 ANET, 132.
77 Habel,
"He who Stretches out," 422.
72
GRACE
THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
very similar and clearly hW,fo is implied from the
first line to the second.
However, several problems are apparent. First, Fhelo wxe is appar-
ently improperly coordinated
with vytAr;wAm; in terms of number. Dahood
attempts to reconcile this by taking wxe and Fhelo as two separate
nouns coordinated by asyndeton ('fire and flame' [cf.
Joel 2:3]).78
Similarly
HHS suggests an emendation to FhalAvA
wxe.79
Dahood rejects
the insertion of the v; on the basis of meter.80
Probably the best
suggestion comes from Allen and others who suggest
that wxe may
have been considered a collective noun.81
Second, wxe is usually regarded as
a feminine noun, and thus Fhelo
is improperly coordinated with respect to gender. 11QPsa
eliminates
the problem by reading tFhvl.82 However,
since improper coordina-
tion of gender is not all
that infrequent in the Hebrew text,83 it would
seem best to allow the MT to stand.
Finally, the major problem is that of
determining the direct object
of the participle hW,fo. Contextually it seems
clear that tOHUr
and wxe
Fhelo should be direct
objects so that the psalmist would be continuing
to see nature as Yahweh's instrument: "He
makes the winds his
messengers, Flaming fire his ministers" (NASB). However, the LXX
grammatically reverses the sentence: [O poiw?n tou>j a]gge<louj au]tou?
pneu<mata
kai> tou>j leitourgou>j au]tou? puro>j flo>ga.
Additionally,
the author of Hebrews cites the LXX rendition in
Heb 1:7. Kidner
sees no contextual difficulty with this rendering
which has the psalmist
looking beyond the natural order of things to
the heavenly host.84 He
further argues that the normal word order favors
the LXX and notes
that the argument of Heb I :7ff. is
based on this rendering.85
Yet as Allen notes, the LXX rendering is
contextually improb-
able.86 The psalmist is
describing how the sovereign God of the
universe is master of all natural forces and how
he uses them to
enhance his glory or to perform his service.
Hence it would seem best
to render v 4 with NASB. The LXX, therefore, with its tendency to
spiritualize and elevate the
supernatural, took the verse in the alterna-
tive sense, and the author
of Hebrews, in making his point concerning
78 Dahood,
Psalms III, 35.
79 BHS, 1183.
80 Dahood, Psalms III, 35.
81 Allen, Psalms, 26; cf. GKC, 463. Delitzsch
observes that this word has no plural
(Psalms III, 129).
82 Cf. Y. Yadin,
"Another Fragment (E) of the Psalms Scroll from
11
(11QPsaa)," Textus
5 (1966) 1-10.
83 Cf. GKC, 459-67.
84 Kidner,
Psalms 73-150, 369.
85 Ibid., 369, n.
2.
86 Allen, Psalms, 26.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 73
Christ
and the angels to his readers, used a text known to
them. That
Christ
and the apostles used the LXX, even in places where it is at
variance with the MT, is a well known fact.
Apparently, they felt that
they could make their point without compulsion to
correct and clarify
the difference between the Hebrew and Greek texts.
McCullough
observes that the author of Hebrews in particular
may have deliber-
ately used the version known
to the local church to which he was
writing in order to avoid confusion or
opposition.87 Thus, there is no
evidence that would demand an adjustment of the
more natural and
contextual rendering of the MT in favor of the LXX
or its citation in
the NT.
Summary
Ps 104:2-4 describes Yahweh's greatness and
majesty. It is inter-
esting to note that the terms
used in this description (upper waters,
clouds, wind, and flaming fire [lightning])
collectively portray a com-
mon thunderstorm. This
serves both to heighten its polemical value,
and to prepare the worshiper for the description of
the watery cata-
clysm which follows in the
subsequent stanza.
STANZA
1: Yahweh uses the waters of the earth both to destroy
and to sustain the creation (vv 5-13)
As noted in the outline, this stanza may be
divided into two
smaller units, the first discussing the use of
water to destroy the earth
in the past, and the second indicating the use of
water to sustain the
earth in the present. The parameters of this study
necessitate emphasis
upon the first subunit.
The scene changes from the heavens to the earth.
In the prologue
Yahweh
is praised as the sovereign of the heavens which serve as his
celestial tabernacle.88 Even the storm
with its wind, lightning, clouds,
and waters is mastered by him. In this stanza
Yahweh is portrayed as
sovereign of the earth. The connection between the
two is that the
87 John C. McCullough, "The Old
Testament Quotations in Hebrews," NTS
26
(1980) 379. To go into the occurrences and
ramifications of the use of the LXX in the
NT
is beyond the scope of this study. A selected bibliography, particularly for
Hebrews,
is included by
(Amsterdam:
Van Soest, 1961); K. J. Thomas, "Old Testament
Citations in Hebrews,"
NTS (1965) 303-25; G.
Howard, "Hebrews and the Old Testament Quotations," NovT
10:2-3
(1968) 208-16; and James W. Thompson, "Structure and Purpose of the Catena
in Hebrews 1:5-13," CBQ 38 (1976) 352-63.
88 Cf. Habel,
"He who Stretches out," 417-30 for thorough discussion of this
concept.
74
GRACE THEOLOGICAL
JOURNAL
rain and storms portrayed in the prologue provide
the water by which
Yahweh's
activities are performed in the following stanza.
The
Waters of the Earth Once Covered the Earth,
But
Now are Established in Their Place (vv 5-9)
Two movements are observable in this stanza. The
first (v 5) is
introductory, and establishes the
setting for the new scene. The second
(vv 6-9) is descriptive, and elaborates upon Yahweh's use of
the
waters to destroy the earth.
The Earth
is Founded
(v 5). A significant change in verbal aspect
is seen in the term dsayA. Since this is a Qal perfect, it interrupts the
participal chain of vv 2-4. Most
commentators want to repoint the
term to dseyo as supported by LXXA,
LXXL, and the Targums89 and
thus continue the hymnic
participles. However, there is a major shift
of scene from the heavens to the earth. The
psalmist has highlighted
this shift by a break in the verbal pattern. Thus,
there is justification
to retain the pointing of the MT.
The metaphorical expression hAyn,Okm;-lfa
Cr,x,-dsayA (cf. Ps 24:2; Job
38:4-6)
typically has been understood to reflect a primitive cosmol-
ogy, namely, "the
world, like a floating saucer, is anchored 'upon the
seas.'”90 This would seem to be
particularly apparent in Ps 24:2a,
"He
has founded it [the earth] upon the seas." However, this kind of
thinking fails to take into consideration two
factors. First, as Craigie
observes, Yam and Nahar
represented a threat to order in Canaanite
mythology, and Baal's victory over them resulted
in his kingship. The
psalmist here, however, shows that Yahweh is the
creator of the
ordered world.91 This, in turn, is
linked with Yahweh's kingship. It
was Yahweh who was the creator. It was Yahweh who
brought order
out of chaos.
Second, the cosmology known to the psalmist
would be that of
the Genesis account. To go to Ugaritic
or other ancient Near Eastern
materials to derive the basis for the Hebrews'
conception of the
creation and existence of the world, and to
ignore
sources is unwise. Hebrew cosmology includes a
seven day creation by
89 Dahood,
Psalms III, 35; Allen, Psalms, 26; Kraus, Psalmen, 879; and BHS, 1183.
90 Peter C. Craigie, Psalms I-50,
in the Word Biblical Commentary, ed. David A.
Hubbard, et al. (Waco: Word, 1983) 212. Cf. A. R. Johnson, Sacral Kingship in
Ancient Israel (Cardiff: University of
Wales, 1955) 52; L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew
Conception of the World:
A Philological and Literary Study (AnBib 39;
cal Biblical Institute, 1970) 126-30; and T. M.
Ludwig, "The Traditions of Establishing
the Earth in Deutero-Isaiah,"
JBL 92 (1973) 345-57.
91 Craigie, Psalms, 212; cf. also Craigie, "Comparison," 10-21; and
Psalms 2, 720.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 75
divine fiat, a flood destruction of that creation by
an all powerful
God, and a present providential maintenance of the
post-flood world.
This becomes an essential factor in understanding
any apparent
link to Canaanite literature. First, one must
acknowledge that there
may well have been a common pool of imagery used by
various
peoples. Second, even if literary links can be
demonstrated, Canaanite
literature was not the basis or source for Hebrew
thought. Rather, if
it is cited, it is cited for polemical purposes to
exalt Yahweh and his
great acts above any other deity that might vie for
the Hebrews'
allegiance. The ethical monotheism of the Hebrew
people was vastly
different from the surrounding religions, and the
thought of religious
or cosmological. dependence
is extremely difficult to maintain.
Thus, while polemical aspects of this phrase may
be granted, it is
firmly rooted in the Hebrew traditions of a
supernatural creation and
the providential maintenance of the world. Since
the foundations of
the world were laid by divine fiat, the world was
as permanent as the
God
that established it, namely, df,vA MlAOf
FOmTi-lBa (Ps 104:5; cf.
Ps
33:9).
The Earth
Undergoes a Deluge of Water (vv 6-9). A major
element in Hebrew cosmology was the Noahic flood described in
Genesis
6-9. Since the psalm cannot be restricted to the scope of the
creation account in Genesis 1 and 2, it is not
surprising that a
reference to such a catastrophic event would be
found in this psalm.
Hence,
the psalmist proceeds to describe this event.
The waters
cover the earth
(v 6). The masculine pronoun on
Otys.iKi probably refers to the
feminine noun Cr,x,
and may be
explained
either by the phenomenon of attraction (cf. 1 Sam
2:4), or by a
reversion back to a basic masculine form as the
discourse proceeds
(cf.
Exod 11:6; 2 Sam
that the O may be an adaptation of
an original h A regarded as an
archaic h a. Thus, MOhT; is the subject and the
form should be rendered
htAs.;Ki. This results in vv 6a and 6b being synonymously parallel.93
This
latter view is speculative and problematic; in either
case the sense is
clear.
The term MOhT; basically means a large body of water (cf. Pss
77:16;
107:26; Isa 51:10; 63:13; Ezek 26:19; Jonah 2:5). The
attempt to
link MOhT; with Tiamat of the Enuma Elish story is well known,94 but
92 Delitzsch,
Psalms III, 130.
93 Allen, Psalms, 26.
94 Cf. D. W. Thomas, ed., Documents from Old Testament Times (
Nelson,
1958) 19; also H. G. May, "Some Cosmic Connotations of Mayim
Rabbim
'Many
Waters,'" JBL 74 (1955) 9-21;
and L. R. Fischer, "Creation at
Old Testament," VT 15 (1965) 313-24.
76 GRACE THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
has been generally rejected. Linguistically, MOhT; cannot be derived
from Tiamat. The root
merely refers to deep waters and this meaning
was kept in Hebrew but divinized in animistic Akkadian thought and
perhaps also in Ugaritic
thought.95 The psalmist is merely stating that
the earth was covered by a deluge of water, so much
so that the
waters stood "MyrihA-lfa," This latter term
reflects Gen 7:19-20, and any
attempt to relate it to Genesis 1 in order to
avoid the flood account
must be considered rather arbitrary.
There is an interesting interchange of perfect
and imperfect verbs
in this verse as well as throughout the rest of
the stanza. The account
is initiated with the perfect verb Otys.iKi (completed action96) and then
followed by a series of imperfects (incomplete
action97) until v 9
where the perfect verb is re-introduced to terminate
the discourse.
That
there is a literary intent behind this seems clear. The psalmist
sets the scene in motion with waters covering the
earth. He then
heightens the drama by verbs of incomplete action
(imperfects) denot-
ing the
waters as "standing," "fleeing,""hastening
away," etc.
He then
concludes the unit with another perfect verb,
making the statement
that a boundary has been set, thus indicating the
completed and final nature
of this act. Thus, while the worshiper is aware of
the historical setting of the
psalm, he is also allowed to enter into the drama of Yahweh's
activity on earth.
The waters flee from the surface of the earth
(vv 7-8). An
example of synonymous parallelism is observable
in v 7 with both
lines of the verse introduced by a causal Nmi,98 and with j~tarAfEGa parallel
to j~m;fara
lOq and NUsUny; parallel to NUzpeHAye. The term rfaGA simply indicates
"a
check applied. . . through strong admonitions or
actions.”99 To
read the word in the sense of "war cry"100
is too narrow a meaning
for what the parallelism or context of the verse
entails. The construct
phrase j~m;fara
lOq may well be taken as an adjectival phrase101 and
probably is best rendered "thunderous
voice."
A major exegetical problem occurs in v 8. The
question concerns
the subjects of UlfEya and Udr;ye. Is the subject of both verbs MyimA (v 6) so
95 R. Laird Harris, "MhatA," TWOT
2:965-66; also R. Laird Harris, "The Bible and
Cosmology,"
JETS 5 (1963) 11-17; and W. White,
"Tiamat," Zondervan Pictorial
Encyclopedia of the
Bible
5:744-45.
96 Ronald J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax: An Outline (2d ed.;
97 Ibid., 30.
98 Ibid., 55.
99 Harold Stigers,
"rfaGA," TWOT 2:170.
100 A. Caquot, "'rfg,"
TDOT
tion of the Hebrew rfG," VT 19
(1969) 471-79.
101 Cf. Thomas O. Lambdin,
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (
Scribner's, 1971) 69.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 77
that v 8 continues the discussion of the activities
of the flood waters, or are the
subjects MyrihA and tOfqAB;, respectively so that v
8 creates an interlude or
parenthesis describing the means by which the waters
returned to their place?
Sutcliffe has argued for the former possibility.
He says that the
psalmist is describing the ordering of the world
in terms of his own
experience. Thus, when he thinks of places destined
by God for the
waters, he is also reminded of the fact that springs
are found in the
mountains. Thus, even though water naturally flows
downwards, it
nonetheless gushes out high in the mountain regions.102
Sutcliffe trans-
lates the verse, "They
go up to the mountains, they go down to the
valleys to the place thou hast established for
them."103 His major
objection to seeing "mountains" and
"valleys" as subjects is that the
context is describing the activity of waters.104
Clifford, although he also understands
"waters" to be the subject,
effectively answers Sutcliffe's particular
objections. He notes that the
context (vv 8b, 9) is speaking of what confines
the cosmic waters, not
the water supply of Palestine.105 Allen
further observes that the
scenario presented in those verses, in light of
OT thinking, must be
understood to refer to the ocean (cf. Gen 1:9).106
Thus, Allen, who
takes MyimA to be the subject of
these verbs, concludes that the verse is a
reference to the helterskelter
movement of ocean waters as they leave
the mountains (cf. v 7).107
Dahood views the mountains as
celestial mountains and the
valleys as the nether chasms. He observes that MyrihA in v 6 refers to
mountains on earth, but suggests that it may
legitimately be taken as
something different in v 8.108 However, Dahood's whole scenario is
based upon a mythical concept of a three-tiered
universe which is
illegitimate in light of Hebrew
cosmology (see above). Additionally,
Clifford
has demonstrated that Dahood's transfer of scenes
from earth
to heaven is contextually improbable.109
Grammatically, the verse can be taken either
way. MyrihA and tOfqAB;
can be taken as accusatives of place after verbs of
motion,110 or as
subjects following their respective verbs.111
Thus, the argument is
reduced to one of context and interpretation.
l02 Edmund F. Sutcliffe,
"A Note on Psalm CIV 8," VT
2 (1952) 14.
103 Ibid.
104 Ibid.
105 Richard J. Clifford,
"A Note on Psalm 104:5-9," JBL
100 (1981) 88.
106 Allen, Psalms, 27.
l07 Ibid.
l08 Dahood,
Psalms III, 36-37.
109 Clifford, "A Note," 88.
110 GKC, 373, per Allen, Psalms, 27.
111 GKC, 455. Terrien
is incorrect when he states that Udrye is a masculine verb;
therefore, tOfqAB; (feminine plural) must
be its indirect object (S. Terrien, "Creation,
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Fullarton takes the line as
parenthetical.112 He maintains that
v 8a offers an explanatory note as to how the
waters fled to their
established places (vv 7, 8b). He is supported
textually by the LXX,
Vulgate, Peshitta,
and, more recently, RSV, NAB, and NASB.
Thus,
such a rendering is a clear viable alternative.113
As Allen and Clifford have demonstrated,
Sutcliffe's suggestions
create more problems than they solve. However, Allen's
alternative
of flood waters moving over mountaintops and down
into valleys
depends upon necessary grammatical elements not
present in the text
(cf.
"over" and "into" in the NIV) and upon imagery that
violates the
natural order of things (waters moving up and
down mountains).
Hence,
it seems best to read the line in its normal verb-subject syn-
tactical pattern and to recognize it as an
explanatory parenthetical
line. The antecedent of Mh,lA (v 8b) is then taken to
be MyimA.
With this interpretation, the cataclysmic events
of the Noahic
deluge can be understood better. Massive tectonic
activities charac-
terized the latter part of the
flood year with tremendous orogenic
events. Mountain chains were thrust up and deep
valleys and ocean
basins were formed, the latter providing reservoirs
for the massive
amounts of water accumulated on the surface of
the earth during the
flood year. Whether this tremendous orogenic activity occurred in
situ or as a result of the cataclysmic movement of
continental plates114
is not elucidated in this text. However, the
tectonic interpretation is
completely consistent with the descriptions found
in Genesis 6-9
(particularly Gen
this global catastrophe.115
The waters are established in their place (v 9).
The psalmist
now concludes the discussion of the Noahic deluge with a reference to
the covenant with Noah described in Gen 8:20-22 and
this psalmic statement
cannot be a reference to Gen 1:9 (as
maintains116 is evidenced by the
fact that, according to Hebrew cos-
Cultus, and
Faith in the Psalter," Theological
Education 2 [1966] 116-28). The gender
of a perfect 3 pl. verb is common.
112 Fullarton,
"Feeling for Form," 52, n. 8.
113 Cf. also Ludwig, "Traditions of
Establishing the Earth," 351.
114 Such a suggestion has been made by Stuart
Nevins, "Continental Drift, Plate
Tectonics,
and the Bible," Acts and Facts,
Impact Series no. 32, 5 (February 1976) 3;
cr. also David G. Barker, "Biblical Evidences
for Continental Drift," Bible
Science
Newsletter
115 To go into the arguments, evidences and
mechanisms for a global flood is
beyond the scope of this study. The reader is referred
to two basic texts: John C.
Whitcomb,
Jr. and Henry Morris, The Genesis Flood (
Reformed,
1962); and Joseph C. Dillow, The Waters Above: Earth's Pre-Flood Vapor
Canopy (Chicago: Moody, 1981);
as well as the voluminous literature on the subject
particularly produced by the
Institute for Creation Research.
116 Anderson, Psalms 2, 720.
BARKER: THE WATERS OF THE EARTH 79
mology, the waters did return
to. cover the earth. The promise that
such would never occur again was not given in
Genesis 1 but in
Genesis 9.
A significant parallel passage occurs in Isa 54:9 where a similar
reference is made to waters not covering the earth
again. It is notable
that the first reference to this promise is in the
clear context of the
Noahic flood (Gen
does not occupy a prominent place in the written
record of the Hebrew
Scriptures,
it was a matter of general knowledge to the Hebrew people.
The
imagery of flood waters confined permanently within set boun-
daries is taken from the
Genesis 6-9 context.117
It is instructive to observe that the psalmist
emphasizes the per-
manence of the boundary
grammatically in three ways. First, he
returns to the perfect form of the verb. Second,
lUbG; is placed in
emphatic position (TAm;Wa-lUbg;).118 Third,
this verbal clause governs both
parallel relative clauses introduced by lBa and is an emphatic descrip-
tion of permanence. To view
this as description of Gen 1:9 creates
serious theological and historical difficulties.
Summary. The psalmist includes
all of Hebrew cosmology in
his psalm of praise to Yahweh, including the Noahic deluge. The first
unit of the second stanza of the hymn is clearly
marked by a change
in verbal aspect and includes two parts: the
setting of the unit (v 5)
and a description of the destruction of the earth
via a global flood
(vv 6-9).
The text of major concern for this study (vv
6-9) is demon-
strated to be (1) a description
of the flood of earth subsequent to
initial creation (vv 6-7, 8b), (2) a
parenthetical note describing the
tectonic mechanism that moved the waters to their
present place
(v 8a), and (3) a reference to the promise of Genesis 8 and 9
which
assured the boundary of the global seas.
The
Waters of the Earth Now Provide
for All of Yahweh's Creation (vv 10-13)
The psalmist now turns from the destructive role
of the waters in
Yahweh's
providential care of the earth to their constructive role.
Allen
states that the psalmist now "proceeds to describe how water,
the potential enemy of terrestrial life, has been
harnessed to become
117 Johns has argued that the Isaiah
reference finds its strongest parallels with Job
38:4-30
and Prov 8:22-31 (Warren H. Johns, "The Rebuke
of the Waters," Ministry
[May 1983] 26). It is acknowledged that
the imagery of Job 38:10-11 and Prov
point to Gen 1:9. However, a significant difference
lies in that both speak of creative
declarations governing the normative
activity of the seas under Yahweh's providential
hand, and not a decree preventing inundation of
water in future earth history.
118 GKC, 455; Williams, Syntax, 96.
80
GRACE THEOLOGICAL
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its means of sustenance, serving God by serving its
creatures.”119 This
unit may be divided into three movements: first, the
act of Yahweh in
providing water for sustenance (v 10); second, a
specific statement of
grateful recipients of such provision (vv 11-12);
and third, a general
statement of the creation's satisfaction with
Yahweh's care (v 13). The
first and last movements are grammatically
distinguished by the third
masculine singular form of the verbs with their
antecedent as Yahweh,
in contrast to the central movement which
commences with a third
plural form of the verb with its antecedent being the
"springs" of v 10.
CONCLUSION
In light of the purposes and parameters of this
study, several
conclusions may be drawn. First, this psalm is
unique among ancient
Near Eastern hymns in terms of its theology and
cosmology.
Any
apparent links with other ancient Near Eastern
literature are due to a
common pool of imagery for describing a sovereign
deity and the
natural order of things and / or to a polemic
against foreign deities
that would vie for the Hebrews' allegiance.
Second, a structural analysis of the psalm
demonstrates that the
scope of the psalm reaches far beyond the creation
week of Genesis 1.
It
includes the totality of Yahweh's relationship to his world, both as
creator and sustainer.
Third, in light of the broader cosmological
perspective of the
psalm and the similar citation in Isa
54:9, vv 6-9 clearly point to the
Noahic deluge of Genesis 6-9 rather than the creation
account of
Genesis 1. To relegate these verses to the creation
account creates
serious theological and historical problems,
especially in light of the
emphatic statements regarding the finality of the
determination of the
oceanic boundaries. Recognizing that Ps 104:6-9
refers to the Noahic
flood provides an acceptable alternative to the more
traditional
interpretations.
Finally, in spite of the apparent contextual
incongruity, v 8a is
best taken as a parenthetical line descriptive of
the mechanism of the
retreat and settling of the waters behind their
final boundaries. It was
the mountains that went up and the valleys that
went down. This
provides valuable insight into the catastrophic
tectonic activities of
the flood year.
119 Allen, Psalms, 33.
This
material is cited with gracious permission from:
Grace
Theological Seminary
www.grace.edu
Please
report any errors to Ted Hildebrandt at:
thildebrandt@gordon.edu