Salmos 104
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Salmos 104
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS It is obvious that Psalm 103 and 104 form a theological pair. This is unusual for Psalms. This can be seen as the opening and closing verses are exactly alike ("bless," Piel IMPERATIVE). The significance of this pairing may be in the two general subject matters of these Psalms. Psalm 103 is the covenant love of YHWH as Redeemer Psalm 104 shows God (Elohim) as the Creator, Provider, and Sustainer. The Jews say that Psalm 103 describes YHWH in His covenant mercy and Psalm 104 describes Elohim as Creator. This is a much better explanation of these terms than to see in them the JEDP theory of source criticism that was so popular in the 19 th century. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. D. SPECIAL TOPIC: PENTATEUCH SOURCE CRITICISM This Psalm is very similar to the Egyptian hymn to Aton (ANET 369-371), by Akhenaten IV (1375-1357 B.C.). Although there is a similarity, there are also obvious differences. We know that Wisdom Literature was shared among many cultures in the ANE, and there may be a purposeful borrowing between the Egyptian hymn to the sun god and the Creator Redeemer God in Psalm 103 and 104. For the ANE parallels see The IVP Bible Background Commentary, pp. 548-550 Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 277-278 Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp.239-240 Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the OT: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, pp. 165-199 It is somewhat strange that the conscious creation of God (cf. Phil. 2:10), both the angels and humans, is somewhat de-emphasized in Psalm 104. As a matter of fact, the Hebrew text of Ps. 104:4 seems to refer simply to the elements of nature and not the angelic world. Humanity is alluded to briefly in Ps. 104:14 and 23, but only as a sideline and not as a key point. This Psalm seems to reflect, to a limited degree, Genesis 1. Day 1, Gen. 1:1, the heavens ‒ Ps. 104:1-4 Days 2-3, Gen. 1:6-9, land ‒ Ps. 104:5-9 Day 3, Gen. 1:10-17, food and water ‒ Ps. 104:13-17 Day 4, Gen. 1:14-19, sun and moon ‒ Ps. 104:19-23 Day 5, Gen. 1:20-23, birds and fish ‒ Ps. 104:24-26 Day 6, Gen. 1:24-26, animals and humans ‒ (see C. above) Day 6, Gen. 1:29-31, God's care ‒ Ps. 104:27-30 Day 7, Gen. 2:1-3, the seventh day of rest ‒ Ps. 104:31-34 beyond day 7 (i.e., the Fall of Genesis 3) ‒ Ps. 104:35
Salmos 104:1-4
104:1 "Bless the Lord, O my soul" This is the way that both Psalm 103 and 104 begin and end (i.e., Piel IMPERATIVES). It is a praise to YHWH from the totality of His highest creation (humans, cf. Gen. 1:26-27). SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH ▣ "O Lord my God, You are. . ." Psalm 104:1 has two PERFECTS describing God (lit. "O YHWH my Eloah), followed by seven PARTICIPLES describing His actions. You are very great ‒ BDB 152, KB 178, Qal PERFECT, cf Deut. 3:24; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Chr. 16:25; Ps. 35:27; 40:16; 48:1; 70:4; 86:10; 96:4; 145:3; Mal.1:5 You are clothed ‒ BDB 527, KB 519, Qal PERFECT splendor (BDB 217, Job 40:10; Ps. 96:6) majesty (BDB 214, Ps. 93:1) Psalm 104:2-4 lists His activities in initial creation of the heavenly realm. He covers Himself with light ‒ BDB 741, KB 813, Qal PARTICIPLE, cf. Ps. 36:9; Dan. 2:22; 1 Tim. 6:16; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5 He stretches out the heaven ‒ BDB 639, KB 692, Qal PARTICIPLE, cf. Job 9:8; 37:18; Isa. 40:22; 42:5; 45:12; Jer. 10:12; Zech. 12:1; see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN he lays the beams of His upper chambers ‒ BDB 900, KB 1138, Piel PARTICIPLE He makes the clouds His chariot ‒ BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal PARTICIPLE He walks upon the wings of the wind ‒ BDB 229, KB 246, Piel PARTICIPLE, cf. 2 Sam. 22:11; Ps. 18:10 He makes the wind His messenger ‒ BDB 793, KB 889, Qal PARTICIPLE (i.e., angels, cf. Heb. 1:7) He makes flaming fire His ministers ‒ VERB from #6 assumed flaming fire ‒ BDB 529, KB 521, Qal PARTICIPLE, cf. Ps. 148:8 ministers ‒ BDB 1058, KB 1661, Piel PARTICIPLE 104:2 "Covering Yourself with light" Because elsewhere in the Psalms the allusion is to Genesis 1, one wants to see this as referring to Gen. 1:3-5, but notice it is God Himself who is being described, not a formless and void earth. Light is a recurrent biblical theme of truth, healing, revelation, and goodness. God wears it and speaks it into our world! ▣ "like a tent curtain" This is a common ancient Middle Eastern concept (cf. Isa. 42:5; Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Jer. 10:12; 51:15; Zech. 12:1). In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, heaven is described as a "skin." In the Rig Veda, heaven is described as "stretched out like a hide." This is simply imagery for the vault of the heaven (i.e., the atmosphere of this planet) above the earth. SPECIAL TOPIC: CIRCLE OF THE EARTH (i.e., dome, skin, vault) 104:3a This speaks of pillars sitting on the bedrock of the earth (cf. Ps. 24:2; 104:5; Job 38:4), upon which the heavens (i.e., atmosphere where moisture is stored) rest (cf. Amos 9:6). However, this verse could also refer to pillars founded on the waters of the heavens (i.e., atmosphere, cf. Gen 1:7). The imagery is ambiguous, and not to be taken literally. Please read my commentary on Genesis 1-11 online for the genre of Genesis 1-11 at www.freebiblecommentary.org. At this place in the discussion of YHWH creating His palace/temple above the waters of the atmosphere, I would like to mention a new book by John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: An Ancient Cosmology, which has been so helpful to me in interpreting Genesis 1. He asserts that Genesis 1 is an ANE account of YHWH building His cosmic temple (cf. Heb. 8:2,5; 9:23-24). I think this text also speaks of that. The AB suggests a connection with the VERB (BDB 900, KB 1138) and "storehouse" (p. 34), and translates the line as "who stored with water his upper chambers." Note Job 37:9 as a possible parallel (i.e., "chamber"); also note Job 38:22. ▣ "He makes the clouds His chariot" The Septuagint makes this refer to angelic spirits (i.e., Cherub, Ps. 18:10) and this is followed by Heb. 1:7, but in context the Hebrew language almost demands that these are simply natural elements that God uses and controls for His own purposes (cf. Isa. 19:1). The word "wind," in both Hebrew and Greek, can refer to "wind," "breath," or "spirit." Clouds are the traditional means of the transportation of deity (cf. Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 1:7). The image calls to remembrance the Shekinah cloud of the OT exodus experience (cf. Exod. 13:21,22; 14:19,20,24; 16:10; 19:9,16; 24:15,16,18; 34:5; 40:34-38), which symbolizes God's presence with His people. SPECIAL TOPIC: BREATH, WIND, SPIRIT See SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEKINAH ▣ "He walks upon the wings of the wind" See note online at Psalm 18:10. 104:4 Physical creation (i.e., wind and fire, cf. Ps. 148:8) is YHWH's servant (cf. LXX, quoted in Heb. 1:7, personifies the physical aspects into servants, i.e., Ugaritic mythology). This verse does not, in context, refer to "natural revelation" (cf. Ps. 19:1-6), but YHWH's intimacy with His physical creation, especially this planet. C. S. Lewis called earth, "the touched planet." The UBS Handbook (p. 879) has a good pictorial depiction of the ancient Hebrew imagery of the layers of this planet. heaven above (God's dwelling place) water above the dome firmament (hard dome with windows, cf. Ps. 78:23; Mal. 3:10) atmosphere (clouds, birds) pillars that support the heavens (cf. Ps. 104:3) earth (flat) pillars of the earth in the deep (cf. 1 Sam. 2:8; Ps. 75:3) Sheol under the earth See Contextual Insights B. #4. ▣ "fire" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE
Salmos 104:5-9
104:5-9 In Genesis 1 the only thing that God did not speak into existence was "water." This strophe describes (as does Ps. 104:3) His control of water (cf. Gen. 1:6-8, the waters above; Gen. 1:9-10, the waters below). Job 38:8-11 forms a theological parallel. SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS 104:5 God's created order is secure (cf. 1 Chr. 16:30; Ps. 24:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:19; Heb. 11:10). This same imagery is used of the Coming Messiah (i.e., the Cornerstone, cf. 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6-8). SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CORNERSTONE ▣ "So that it will not totter forever and ever" Although Ps. 102:25-26 speaks of the world passing away (cf. Matt. 5:18; 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10), the earth is also used as a symbol of stability (cf. Ps. 78:69; 93:1; 96:10; Eccl. 1:4). The "heavens and earth" are regularly used as the two permanent witnesses (cf. Deut. 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1). 104:6 This line of poetry asserts that water covered the earth at the beginning of God's spoken creative activity (cf. Gen. 1:2; Ps. 33:6-7; Prov. 3:19-20; 8:24-25,27-28). The Genesis summary account describes how God separated things (dark - light; water - land; salt water - fresh water) and how they were designed, in and of themselves, to continue and develop through time. ▣ "deep" This term is personified in several ANE creation myths to show the chaos of original creation. However, both in Genesis 1 and Psalm 104:6, God is in control of watery chaos (see SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS). It is not a separate, independent entity, but is under the control of God. Although there are some terms in this Psalm which correlate to ancient mythology, the Psalm has removed all of the ancient mythological personalization from these terms (cf. Psalm 74:12-17). See Introduction to Genesis online at www.freebiblecommentary.org. 104:7 "At Your rebuke" The NOUN (BDB 172) refers to an oral command or word. This is used in the OT for three events. initial creation ‒ Ps. 18:13,15; Isa. 50:2 (i.e., Gen. 1:9-10) the dividing of the Red Sea at the exodus ‒ Ps. 78:13; 106:9 theophany of judgment (time unspecified) ‒ Ps. 9:5,11; 9:21; Isa. 17:13 Notice that "thunder" (BDB 947) is parallel (cf. Job 26:14; 37:4-5; Ps. 18:13; 29:3). Thunder is used by John in Revelation to describe the voice of four living creatures, Rev. 6:1 a strong angel, Rev. 10:3-4 the redeemed, Rev. 14:2 great multitude, Rev. 19:6 ▣ "At Your rebuke they fled" This speaks of the power of God's spoken word (cf. Genesis 1; Isa. 55:11; Heb. 1:3). It also shows that at His word, not only do things come into existence, but they were formed and shaped by His word after initial creation. ▣ "At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away" This seems to remind us of the Exodus experience where God's voice is described as thunder at the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai (cf. Exod. 19:10-19). 104:8-9 "To the place which You established for them" These two verses show that God is in control of His creation. There is a set plan which creation follows. This basic worldview is the background of the western, scientific orientation. There is a natural order which can be discerned because of the creative and preserving hand of God in creation. This is not Theism, which says that God created and then left the world alone. This active, biblical personalism asserts that God is involved moment-by-moment in His creation. 104:9 The Bible has many passages about YHWH controlling and permanently limiting the seas and rivers/lakes (cf. Job 38:8-11; Ps. 74:15; Prov. 8:29; Jer. 5:22). Water, with its destructive power, has been tamed (i.e., Isa. 43:2). SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS
Salmos 104:10-13
104:10-17 The third day of creation is magnified in this Psalm. It was the creation and watering of vegetation which will prove to be food for both humans and animals (cf. Job 38:39-41). the wild animals will be discussed in Ps. 104:10-13 the domestic animals in Ps. 104:14 mankind in Ps. 104:14-15 Notice the recurrent use of PARTICIPLES to show divine activity (cf. Ps. 104:2,3,4,10,13,14). The abundance of food shows the fulfillment of Lev. 26:1-13; Deut. 28:1-13; Ps. 1:2-3! This is what creation was meant to be and was before the Fall! This is the imagery of Revelation 21-22 (i.e., heaven as a new Eden).
Salmos 104:14-17
104:14 "vegetation for the labor of man" It is interesting to note that mankind was to labor, both before and after the Fall (cf. Gen. 2:15 and 3:17-19). 104:15 "wine which makes man's heart glad" Wine is seen in a list of the gifts of God. The Bible does not condemn wine but it does condemn the overuse of wine. SPECIAL TOPIC: ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOL ABUSE. ▣ "So that he may make his face glisten with oil" The word "glisten" (BDB 843 II, KB 1007 II) appears only here in the OT. It refers to olive oil, which was used by the ancients as a cosmetic. It was placed on the face and hands in preparation for a festival (cf. Ps. 23:5; 45:7; 92:10; Eccl. 9:8; Luke 7:46). 104:17-18 Although they appear in different stanzas (according to NASB) in the poem, they both seem to describe the types of homes that God has provided for the animals. This Psalm speaks of God's care and provision for His animal creation (cf. Jonah 4:10; Job 39-41). 104:17 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV "fir trees" "on the highest branches" "in their tops" "in the cypress" "leads them" The MT has "in the fir trees" (BDB 141). There are several emendations suggested. ברושׁים ‒ in the fir/cypress/juniper trees בראשׁם ‒ on their top בראשׁים ‒ on their heads The UBS Text Project, p. 378, gives option #2 a "C" rating, meaning the committee could not decide which was original. This would result in a suggested translation of "on the top of the fir trees" (i.e., the highest part of the cedars of Lebanon), cf. v. 16.
Salmos 104:18-23
104:18 "shephanim" NKJV, REB, TEV, JPSOA "rock badgers" NKJV footnote "rock hyrax" (Lev. 11:5) NRSV, NJB, Peshitta "coneys" "the hares" The animals listed in the OT are hard to identify because their names change from country to country they are known by different names even within one culture For a good brief discussion of the plants and animals of the OT, see UBS' Fauna and Flora of the Bible. 104:19 "He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting" This reflects the fourth day of creation and it shows the significant truth that God is in control of the sun and the moon (cf. Gen. 1:14-19), as well as the light and the darkness (cf. Gen. 1:3-5). This is not like the ANE myths of a conquest or contrast between the forces of light and darkness, but shows that God is in control of all of them. This is a very significant statement in light of the Babylonian astral worship ( SPECIAL TOPIC: MOON WORSHIP) and the horoscope myth of our day (cf. Ps. 19:1-6). The lights (i.e., sun, moon) are given in Gen. 1:14 to set worship times (i.e., Sabbath, annual feast days, fasts). They are servants of mankind's worship times. In this context they do not primarily refer to the seasons, unless they are linked to the wet and dry seasons of the ANE (cf. Ps. 104:10-17) the feeding times of different animals (cf. Ps. 104:20-23) God created and controls light and darkness (cf. Ps. 74:16; Amos 5:8). They are not gods or angels which affect human life! They are aspects of an orderly, regular creation with its cycles of activity and rest. 104:20a This line of poetry has two VERBS which are both JUSSIVE in form (but are not translated as JUSSIVE) as past acts of God at creation (cf. Gen. 1:3-4). 104:21-23 Although it seems somewhat unusual at first, these verses are simply a statement that the animals of the forest use the nighttime to gather their food and mankind and other animals use the daytime to gather their food. There seems to be no more theological implication to this than this simple statement of creation sharing the time available to utilize the productivity of the earth.
Salmos 104:24-26
104:24 "In wisdom You have made them all" This may be an allusion to Prov. 8:22-31, where personified "wisdom" is YHWH's agent in creation (cf. Prov. 3:19). ▣ "The earth is full of Your possessions" This refers to the living creatures that have blossomed on the earth, partially water creatures (Ps. 104:25-26). This term "possessions" (BDB 889, KB 1114) is translated in several ways. NASB, NKJV, TEV, NJB, REB ‒ possession NASB margin, NRSV ‒ creatures JPSOA ‒ creations LXX ‒ acquisitions KJV, Peshitta ‒ riches Knox ‒ Your creative power The MT has a SINGULAR, but probably it is a collective NOUN. 104:26 "Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it" God plays with the animals which He created. In Ugaritic literature (i.e., Ras Shamra texts) the high god, El, plays with the sea monster, Loton (Leviathan in Hebrew). There is an obvious connection between the imagery of the OT and the Ugarit (i.e., Canaanite) mythology. I think OT authors used well known concepts, images, stories of the ANE fertility gods to affirm the uniqueness and majesty of YHWH. See SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM. The term "Leviathan" (BDB 531) refers to an ancient, large sea monster, while the term "Behemoth" (BDB 97, Job 40:15) seems to refer to the ancient, large land monster (cf. Ps. 74:13,14; Job 3:8; 41:1; Isa. 27:1). For a full note on Leviathan see Isa. 27:1 online. The Jewish Study Bible (p. 1398) mentions that some scholars see the term "Leviathan" in its literal sense of "the escort" - the dolphins or large fish often found near ships. SPECIAL TOPIC: LEVIATHAN
Salmos 104:27-30
104:27-28 "They wait for You" This shows God's care and providence for all creatures with breath (cf. Gen. 1:29-30; Col. 1:17). 104:29-30 This is simply the fact that the old die (cf. Gen. 3:19; Job 10:9; Ps. 90:3) and young are born to replace them. This is an obvious allusion to mankind being created out of the dust of the earth and God breathing into him the breath of life (cf. Gen. 2:7). However, it is interesting that a human becomes a nephesh (BDB 659) in Gen. 2:7, which means "soul life." This term nephesh is also used to refer to the animals in Genesis (cf. Gen. 1:24; 2:19). SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH ▣ Notice the double use of "spirit" (i.e., "breath," BDB 924, see SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE). the human spirit or life force God's Spirit (or "breath" of Gen. 2:7) In the OT the "Spirit" is a force from God who accomplishes His purposes (i.e., Gen. 1:2), but in the NT the concept becomes personal. SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSONHOOD OF THE SPIRIT)
Salmos 104:31-35
104:31-32 Several English translations see Ps. 104:31-32 as a separate strophe (i.e., NKJV, TEV, NJB, REB). This is a reference to the seventh day of creation. There are two grammatical features in these verses. Ps. 104:31 has two JUSSIVES let the glory of the Lord endure forever ‒ BDB 224, KB 243, Qal JUSSIVE, cf. Ps. 86:12; see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam) let the Lord be glad in His work ‒ BDB 970, KB 1333, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense, cf. Gen. 1:31; see John H. Walton, The Lost World: Genesis One: An Ancient Cosmology Ps. 104:32 starts off with "He who. . ." (PARTICIPLE), as was common at the beginning of this Psalm (see note at Ps. 104:1) 104:32 This language is used of a theophany. Exactly how it fits Genesis 1 is uncertain. It usually relates to a time after the Fall when a sinful world is convulsed by the approach of its holy creator God! 104:33-34 Several English translations see Ps. 104:33-35b as a separate strophe (i.e., NKJV, TEV, NJB, REB). This is because Ps. 104:33 has two COHORTATIVES Ps. 104:34-35b has two Qal IMPERFECTS used in a JUSSIVE sense (and an implied third one, Ps. 104:35b) One will praise God in word, thought, and life or one will be consumed (BDB 1070, KB 1752) and annihilated (lit. "be no more," cf. Job 24:24; Ps. 37:10). There are eternal consequences to choices made in time! The ideal creation of abundance and peace has been shattered by human sin and rebellion (i.e., Genesis 3). What God initially created will be restored (compare Genesis 1-2 with Revelation 21-22). 104:35a-b This Psalm describes Elohim's creation as it was meant to be (cf. Genesis 1-2, i.e., abundant and peaceful) and how it will be again (cf. Revelation 21-22, the new Eden, New Jerusalem). 104:35c-d The conclusion of this Psalm matches the double IMPERATIVE of Psalm 103 (two Piel IMPERATIVES, "bless"). Here Bless ‒ BDB 138, KB 159, Piel IMPERATIVE Praise ‒ BDB 237, KB 248, Piel IMPERATIVE, cf. Ps. 105:45; 106:48 ▣ "Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "soul" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH