The beauty of creation: A reflection on Psalm 104

University of Haifa

Faculty of Humanities

Department of Biblical Theology

The beauty of creation: A Reflection on Psalm 104

Academic Paper in Seminar „Bible – Soul's Journey to Completion“

Dr. Yossef Leibowitz, Fall Semester 2014

submitted by

Verena Wellnitz

ID: 911557429

Phone.: 0507098055

[email protected]

Program: Israel Studies M.A.

25 January 2014

time of submission: 1. Semester

Contents

1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................1

2 The Book of Psalms...............................................................................................................2

2.1 Relevance............................................................................................................................2

2.2 Order and Number.............................................................................................................3

2.3 Authorship...........................................................................................................................5

2.4 Variety of content...............................................................................................................5

3 Analysis Psalm 104................................................................................................................6

3.1 Context................................................................................................................................6

3.2 Form....................................................................................................................................9

4 Commentary...........................................................................................................................9

4.1 Prelude (V.1).......................................................................................................................9

4.2 Strophe 1 (VV. 2 – 4)........................................................................................................10

4.3 Strophe 2 (VV. 5 – 9)........................................................................................................11

4.4 Strophe 3 (VV. 10 – 13)....................................................................................................12

4.5 Strophe 4 (VV. 14 – 18) ...................................................................................................13

4.6 Strophe 5 (VV. 19 – 23)....................................................................................................14

4.7 Strophe 6 (VV. 24 – 26)....................................................................................................15

4.8 Strophe 7 (VV. 27 – 30)....................................................................................................17

4.9 Strophe 8 (VV. 31 – 35a) and Postlude.............................................................................18

5 Relation to Genesis 1 and 2..................................................................................................19

6 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................20

II

1 Introduction

In our modern time, where man has created his own technical and powerful world, many

people are driven by restlessness, having forgotten to pay attention to their body's signals and

listen to their hearts. The first chapters in Genesis tell us, that God created not only the world

with plants, animals and human beings, but also the Sabbath, as a day of rest. We are

supposed to keep the Sabbath, or as Christians the sunday, as it enables our souls to listen to

the mystery behind the world and come to completion, that is to built our lives in a way what

we are meant to be: an image of God.

When asking myself how we can withstand the pressure of our busy environment and what

can help us to focus on our inner life, the Book of Psalms came to my mind. In my childhood

I often read Psalm 23 imaging God as the good shepherd and also Psalm 91 – God as my

refuge and fortress. The latter is also expressed in an old famous hymn by Martin Luther

(„Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott“), describing God as a refuge for believers.

Having recently travelled to and enjoyed the beautiful National Park Ramat Hanadiv,

founded by Baron de Rothschild, I chose Psalm 104 for the present paper. In times where

destruction of environment is a worlwide phenomenon, it is worth reflecting on the beauty of

nature. My research question is, in what way creation is described here and how this psalm is

related to the Creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2.

Therefore, the present study opens up with a short general introduction to the Book of

Psalms and continues with a systematically analysis of both content and strophic structure of

Psalm 104, considering diverse commentaries. This includes an examination, in what way this

psalm is related to the Creation stories in the Tanach. The work will be completed by a final

conclusion.

1

2 The Book of Psalms

2.1 Relevance

The variety of issues in the Book of Psalms is brilliantly expressed by Rabbi Nosson

Scherman et. al.:

“For nearly three thousand years, every situation in a Jew's life has been reflected

in King David's Book of Psalms. [...] Since the day it was composed, the Book of

Psalms has become interwoven with the souls of countless Jews. The psalms are

part of the daily prayers. They are recited at moments of illness and crisis. They

are chanted joyously in times of good fortune and when heartfelt prayers have

been answered. The last verse of the Book proclaims: „Let all souls [...] praise

God, Hallelujah!“ The Sages expound homiletically that the verse also means to

teach: „Praise God for every breath […] that you are privileged to take.“ This

degree of gratitude that sees everything – even as automatic an act as drawing a

breath – as a Divine gift is one of the countless teachings of David. It is the soul

that permeates the entire Book of Psalms.“1

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz hypothesise that the aspirations of the Psalmist reflect also our

needs – reaching out of a world full of insecurity to God for reassurance and hope..2 Due to a

missing response to his pledge, and while experiencing the triumph of evil over good, the

Psalmist had to cope with disencouragement, and struggle to maintain his faith. Hence, the

psalms describe the human condition and support us in dealing with our existential

predicament. Therefore, the authors consider these religious poems as timeless.3

Another argument for the Book's relevance today is the greater familiarity the average Jewish

and Christian reader has with it – more than with other parts of the Bible, due to the

incorporation of Psalms into Jewish and Christian liturgies, so Rozenberg and Zlotowitz. In

1 Tanach - the Torah, Prophets, Writings […], edited by Rabbi Nosson Sherman et al. , Brooklyn 1996: 1437

2 Rozenberg/Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: xii

3 ibid.

2

addtion, life-cycle rites often contain readings from the psalms. The authors also mention the

significance of psalms in the American colonies, where The Bay Psalm Book was the first

book ever printed.4

According to Samuel Terrien, the accent of Jesus was recognized in some of the Psalms by

early Christians5. This argument is considerable and may be issue of following chapters, but

first, the construction of the Book will follow.

2.2 Order and Number

As commonly known, the Book of Psalms – in Hebrew tehillim, 'praises' - is the first one in

the third section, ketuvim, of the Jewish Bible. In the Christian Bible it is located in the Old

Testament between the Book of Job and the Book of Proverbs.

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz point out that the name Psalms was ultimately derived from the

Greek psalmos, describing a song to be accompanied by music, and that its Hebrew

equivalent, mizmor, can be found in the titles of fifty-seven psalms.6 While the traditional

Hebrew text consists of 150 psalms, the Talmud numbers only 147, combining some of them

probably to correspond with the number of weekly read Torah portion, so Rozenberg and

Zlotowitz. The Septuagint version contains 151 psalms, although 150 came to be accepted as

standard by later versions. Further, the authors show, that the Book of Psalms has not been the

only output of Hebrew poetry in ancient Israel, as some can be found in other parts of the

Bible and others appeared in the Dead Sea Scrolls7.

The division of 150 psalms into five books is, according to the authors' referring to


5 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003: xiii


7 Ibid.

3

Midrash, a parallel to the division of the Torah into the Five Books of Moses.8 They believe

the division within the Book to be arbitrary, whithout a special logic. The latter is denied by

Terrien, who reveals the “Growth of the Psalter“:

“The collection of 150 Psalms is divided into five 'books', the first four of which

end with a benediction and a double 'Amen'[...] Possibly, the doxologies that mark

the end of the first four 'books' were added in imitation of several collections of

Sumerian psalms from the twenty-second century B.C.E.

a) Psalms 3 to 41, attributed or dedicated to David (except for Psalms 10 and 33),

generally used for 'God' the tetragrammaton YHWH, 'Yahweh' or 'Lord'. Psalms

1-2 have no superscription. They were perhaps placed at the head of the final

Psalter as a general introduction to the five 'books'.

b) Psalms 42 to 72 are attributed or dedicated to several poets: six of them to the

sons of Korah (Psalms 42;44 to 49), twenty to David (Psalms 51-70), and one to

Solomon (Psalm 72). These poems differ from those of the preceding group, for

they designate the deity as Elohim, 'God'. Perhaps the Yahwehpsalms came from

Judah, and the Elohim-psalms from Israel-Ephraim, as did the Yahwist (J) and

Elohist (E) traditions of the Pentateuch.

c) Psalms 73 to 89 preferably use the name Elohim and include eleven pieces

attributed or dedicated to Asaph (Psalms 73-83), four to the sons of Korah

(Psalms 84-85; 87-88), and even one to David (Psalm 86), although the preceding

book was terminated with the notice, 'End of prayers of David' (Ps 72:20).

d) Psalms 90 to 106 and Psalms 107 to 150 contain two anthologies of prayers and

hymns that are quite disparate and issue from diverse provenances: [...]“9

For a more detailed study of ancient near eastern background and origin of psalms please see

Samuel Terrien .10 The following paragraph asks who created the psalms.

8 Rozenberg/Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: xiii

9 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003: 16 - 17

10 Ibid.: 6ff.

4

2.3 Authorship

Concerning authorship, Rozenberg and Zlotowitz claim, that in contrast to traditional belief

King David was not the author of the Book of Psalms, although many of the psalms wear his

name in their title. Therefore, the Davidic authorship of the entire Book of Psalms cannot be

maintained. This had also already been stated by the Talmud and rabbinic commentators of

the Medieval Period.11 Despite David was described as a composer of hymns of lament (II

Sam. 1:17), modern scholars as well as Medieval Jewish commentators have stated that the

Hebrew leDavid, 'of David', meant something like 'concerning David'. Rozenberg and

Zlotowitz conclude:

“The Psalms, even if not of Davidic authorship, are a genuine literary product of

ancient Israel. They reflect in language, ideas, and social concern, the age of the

great prophets and kings of Israel. While the date of the composition of the

Psalms remains obscure there is a consensus that the final compilation of these

religious poems as of our Book of Psalms, very much in its present form, occured

by 200 B.C.E. And may even go back a century or two earlier.“12

Terrien imagines the psalmists as poets and singers, most of them trained in the complex

techniques of Hebrew prosody.13 This leads us to the variety of contents.

2.4 Variety of content

Terrien points out the“architecture of theocentricity”14. According to him, the homogeneity of

intention is uncovered by the disparate elements. It hints to a grand design that connects the

universe of God to all human beings and personifies aspects of creation. Terrien mentions

them as followed:

• God's Presence and Absence

• The Creator of Nature

• The Sovereign of History

• The Judge of the Enemies

• The Protector of the Poor and the Healer of the Sick

11 Rozenberg/Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: xiii

12 Ibid: xiv

13 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003: 44

14 Ibid.

5

• The Master of Wisdom

• The Lord of Life 15

Rozenberg agrees by pointing out that the vast number of psalms are hymns of praise to God,

wherein the Psalmist expresses both feelings of gratitude and awe. He explains, that the

calling for musical accompaniment or choral singing provided most likely an event of folk

celebration or public worship. Although most of the prayers were individual prayers, Levites

sang them during the Temple worship, thus using a medium that was already existent in

ancient Israel. Similar forms of poetic prayers existed in Egypt, Babylonia and Canaan, as

literary evidence from the Ancient Near East indicates according to Rozenberg.16 The general

introduction to the Book of Psalms will now lead to a deeper investigation on Psalm 104.

3 Analysis Psalm 104

Psalm 104 belongs to the fourth book (see chapter 2.2), and consists of 35 verses. Samson

Raphael Hirsch as well as Rozenberg/Zlotowitz have just chosen the number of the psalm as

headline, while others chose various titles, e.g. “God's creation“17 or “The Lord of the Seven

Wonders“18. The latter may indicate a relation to the Creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2,

which will be investigated in the present paper.

3.1 Context

Like the preceeding Psalm 103 this one begins with the same invocation (“Bless Adonai, O

my soul“) and is a hymn of praise to God. In Jewish tradition it is recited as the Song of the

Day for Rosh Chodesh (the first day of each new moon) and in the winter months on Saturday

afternoon. For an encompassing purview the psalm is once presented as a whole, translated by

Rozenberg and Slotowitz, who have tried to remain loyal to the Hebrew text (p. 645 – 648):

15 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003: 44 ff.

16 Rozenberg/ Zlotowitz: The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: xv

17 Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary, London: 1962: 663, also Cohen, The Psalms, London: 1971: 337


6

PSALM 104

1. Bless Adonai, O my soul,Adonai, my God, You are very great,You are clothed in majesty and splendor.

2. Enwrapped in light as with a garment,Spreading out the heavens like an outstretched curtain.

3. Who lays the beams of His upper abodes in the water,Who makes the clouds His chariot,Who glides on the wings of the wind.

4. Who makes the winds his messengers,A flaming fire His servants.

5. He set the earth's foundation on its pillars,So that it shall never totter.

6. He made the deep cover the earth as a garment,The waters stood above the mountains.

7. At Your roar they fled,At the thunder of Your voice, they quickly receeded.

8. The mountains rose, the valleys sank,To the place You set for them.

9. You set a boundary that they were not to cross,That they not again cover the earth.

10. Who conveys springs into the torrent valleys,To meander between the mountains.

11. To give drink to all the beasts of the field,The wild asses quench their thirst.

12. By them dwell the birds of the sky,Singing among the luxuriant thicket.

13. Who waters the mountains from his upper abode,The earth is sated from the fruit of Your doings.

14. Who makes grass grow for the cattle,And plants to reward man's labor,To bring forth bread from the earth.

15. And wine that brings joy to the heart of man,Glistening the face as from oil,And bread that sustains the heart of mortal man.

16. The trees of Adonai are fully watered,The cedars of Lebanon which He planted.

17. Where birds make their nests,The stork, having its home in the fir trees.

7

18. The high mountains are for the wild goats,The boulders are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19. He created the moon to set the seasons,The sun knows its time for setting.

20. You make darkness and it is night,All beasts of the forest move about therein.

21. The young lions roar for prey,And seek their food from God.

22. When the sun rises, they come together,And lie down in their dens.

23. As man goes out to his work,And labors until the evening.

24. How multiple are your creations, Adonai!You have made them all with wisdom,The earth is full of Your creations.

25. This sea, great and expansive,Therein swarming creatures without count, Things alive, small and great.

26. There ships sail,This Leviathan You formed to amuse with.

27. All of them hope in You,To give them their food on time.

28. You give it to them, they gather it up, You open Your hand, they become well sated.

29. You hide your face, they are terror stricken,You stop their breath, they perish,And revert to their being dust.

30. As soon as You infuse Your breath they come to life,And You renew the face of the earth.

31. May the glory of Adonai endure forever,May Adonai find joy in His creations.

32. Who looks at the earth and it trembles,He touches the mountains and they smoke.

33. I will sing to Adonai while I live,I will sing hymns to my God while I endure.

34. May my uttering be pleasing to Him,I will rejoice in Adonai.

35. Let the sinners vanish from the earth, And the wicked be no more,Bless Adonai, O my soul.Halleluyah.

8

3.2 Form

In this psalm God is described as illuminous and powerful with heaven, earth and waters as

his servants. Thus, he is supreme above all nature. From verse 11 the animals, plants and

“mortal man“ are described as dependent on the almighty, but caring God. The Psalmist closes

his hymn with the decision to praise his creator his whole life long and wishes that the sinners

– who probably disturb this peaceful environment - vanish from the earth.

Samuel Terrien outlines in his commentary the clear form of Psalm 104:

“It contains seven strophes (VV. 1 – 30) in harmony with the seven days of

creation in the Genesis myth (Gen 1:1 – 2:4a). Strophe I assumes a double

function (VV. 2- 4), for it shows, first, the magnificent Yahweh, covered with

light, and, second, the Maker of nature, in seven wonders:

I. sky; II. Earth; III. Water; IV. Vegetation; V. moon and sun; VI. The great sea,

VII. the life-giver.

An eight strophe (VV. 31 – 35) differs from those on the natural wonders, for it

expresses three wishes: (1) the joy of the Lord; (2) the promise to praise him; and

(3) the disappearance of sinners. […] The eight strophes correspond to the eight

acts of creation in the Yahwist myth (Gen 1:1 – 2:4).“19

The following chapter will investigate the psalm according to Terrien's strophical structure

under consideration of different perspectives.

4 Commentary

4.1 Prelude (V.1)

The first verse of Psalm 104 starts with an appeal to the soul of the psalmist to praise God. It

is striking, that right in the beginning, two names for God are mentioned: 'Adonai' and 'my

God'. According to Terrin, the tension between divine transcendence and divine immanence,

between divine proximity and divine distance is expressed through these two names.20 On the

one hand, God is the Creator and maintainer of the universal cosmos, on the other hand He is

19 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003:710

20 Ibid.: 711

9

addressed in prayer as the most intimate and yet holy counterpart.21 God's divine attributes -

“clothed in majesty and splendor“ are metaphysically described as his garments, like in Psalm

93, 1.

4.2 Strophe 1 (VV. 2 – 4)

The image of God enwrapped in light may remind the reader of the Egyptian hymn to the sun

disc by Pharaoh Iknathon. Indeed, modern scholars have drawn comparisons to this hymn of

the fourteenth century B.C.E, Rozenberg and Zlotowitz argue: They have assumed a

dependance by the Psalmist on the Egyptian hymn. 22 Nevertheless, there is a great difference:

While the sun itself is acknowledged as creator god in this hymn, in psalm 104 it is merely

one of God's Creation. Therefore, the commentators conclude that the latter should be seen as

“an original composition by the Hebrew poet.”23

It is striking, that the description of God's Creation in Verse 2 also begins with light –

similar to אור in the Book of Genesis. S. R. Hirsch argues, that the whole psalm depicts יהי

the order of the Creation story:

“Verses 2 – 4 would correspond to אור רקיע and יהי יקוו Verses 5 – 13 to ; יהי

היבשה ותראה ; המים Verses 14 – 17 to ארץ ;תדשא Verses 19 – 20 to יהי

חיה Verses 21 – 22 to ; מאורות נפש הארץ the creation , אדם Verse 23 to ; תוצא

of man.”24

Nevertheless, Hirsch claims that giving a factual account of the Creation is not the purpose of

the psalm, rather to praise the works and order of it, by showing that their existence shapes an

ongoing revelation of God's glory and greatness.25 Terrien supports the argument that God is

described as the continuous Creator, because of the use of participial sentences - -ור א עטה

and שמים וטה .in verse 2 נ Clouds, winds and storms are his “messengers” (V.4), which

shows his superiority above Creation. In the following strophe (V. 5 – 9) the attention of the


22 Rozenberg/ Zlotowitz: The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: 644 f.

23 Ibid.

24 Hirsch, The Psalms. Translation and Commentary, Jerusalem/ New York: 1973: 222

25 Ibid.

10

reader - or listener – is drawn from the uncontrollable mystery of heaven to the earth.26

4.3 Strophe 2 (VV. 5 – 9)

Vers 5 and 6 describe God's construction of the immovable earth on solid pillars. According to

Fohrer et al. the word ום תה can be translated with “primaeval deep”, “primaeval ocean” or

“ocean flood”.27 It is mentioned in Gen. 1: 2, too, where its surface is covered with darkness

and God's Divine Presence hovering upon it. According to Hirsch, ום תה is derived from ום ,ה

“to be in a state of agitated motion” and means “the billows”, “the billowy deep”.28 This can

be seen as a contradiction to the solid foundation of the earth.

Terrien argues, that under the paradox of this declaration lies probably international wisdom.29

The idea, that God created wisdom before the Creation of the World, in order to provide a

plan for all following things, can also be derived from Proverbs 8, 22: “ , שית-- רא ני נ ק וה יה

מאז: ו לי פע מ קדם ו כ ר ד "30 Terrien points out, that “in a sense, such cosmological beliefs

antedate by centuries the discoveries by Copernicus and Galileo.”31

The waters that stood above the mountains – which is for modern men hardly imaginable –

refer to those of primaeval times, when they covered the whole earth, even all the mountains,

claim Rozenberg and Zlotowitz32 It is noticeable that in Vers 7 the waters are personified

which stresses their active threat to the earth. The authors carry out:

“Basing himself on mythological antecedents the Psalmist pictures God as being

in contention with the primeval forces. The Babylonian creation myth, Enuma

Elish (when on high) describes the battle between the gods, Marduk and Tiamat.

Tiamat represented the watery abyss. A rabbinic legend tells that the waters at first

resisted the Divine command; hence the rebuke and thunderous voice.”33


27 Fohrer et. al, Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, London 1973: 298


29 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003:714

30 Tanach - the Torah, Prophets, Writings […], edited by Rabbi Nosson Sherman et al., Brooklyn 1996: 1579


32 Rozenberg/ Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: 650

33 Ibid.

11

Finally, the waters are put into certain boundaries, that God has set for them (V9).

S.R. Hirsch claimes, that in contrast to the immovable earth, all that is upon it develops and

flourishes - and finally passes away, as it is also mentioned in Eccl. 1, 4: , בא ור וד ך ל ה ור ד

עמדת לם ו לע רץ והא .. According to Hirsch, this theme of meditation begins with Vers 5 and

ends with Vers 1834.

4.4 Strophe 3 (VV. 10 – 13)

This section describes God as the master architect, who planned the cosmos carefully and

situated the waters in their proper locations: He conveys springs into the torrent valleys, so

that they can meander between the mountains and give drink to all the beasts of the fields. As

commonly known, water is a symbol for life, not only to survive, but to live. Vers 12 creates

the beautiful picture of singing birds, which after they have drunk, praise their creator.

Another connection to the Creation Story can be found in Vers 13: תיו ו י ל from the upper , מע

abode, God waters the mountains. Genesis 1 describes the storage of water beneath and above

the firmament (Gen 1,7).

The style of prayer turns into the second person, when the Psalmist acknowledges that the

earth is sated from the fruit of God's work. S. R. Hirsch, too, emphasizes that the change in

address may have some significance. He points out that the formation of bodies of water alone

does not make the soil fertile and cites the Sages (Taanith 2 a): “God has retained three keys

in His own hand and has not left them to His laws of nature, [...]these are the key of rain, the

key of the mother's womb and the key of the resurrection of the dead.”35

Hirsch also refers to Gen. 2,5, where it is stated, that rain is a gift of God Himself

according to the needs of mankind and not only the result of a natural process. According to

him, the thought of Verse 13 is therefore: “Thou art the One Who waters the mountains from

His high place, but it is from the direct fruit of Thine own acts that the earth is satisfied.”36

Samuel Terrien argues that this verse may have contributed to the origin of the Feast of the

New Year, due to its autumnal revival of nature.37


35 Ibid: 226

36 Ibid.


12

4.5 Strophe 4 (VV. 14 – 18)

Without transition the Psalmist keeps on describing the wonder of vegetation and adds

another level: Not only lets God grow grass and herbs, it also serves as nourishment for cattle

and man. In this point, the commentators argue differently: While Hirsch carries out, that God

causes grass and herbs to grow for the cattle [emhasis added] “for the service of man”, in

order to enable the cattle to serve man in his fieldwork38, Rozenberg and Zlotowitz as well as

Sherman et al. translate the section in a manner that only ציר ,which is grass or vegetation , ח

is for the cattle and שב herbs or plants, are related to man: “He causes vegetation to sprout , ע

for the animal, and plants through man's labor, [...]”.39 It can be argued that the latter version

is closer to the Hebrew text, since there is a zaqef qaton above the word 'cattle'.

Another difference can be found regarding the plants. Rozenberg and Zlotowitz, following Ibn

Ezra, translate: “Who makes grass grow for the cattle, And plants to reward man's labor, To

bring forth bread from the earth.”40 Thus, the term 'reward man's labor' can be understood to

be the fruitful results of man's labor. Nevertheless, the authors admit that another way of

understanding is, that the Creator provides the means for man to till the soil, but he has to

sweat for it.41

Once more, a connection to the creation story can be found: “You shall eat the herbs of the

field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Gen. 3, 18 – 19). The last part of Vers

14, - , רץ הא מן לחם ציא ו לה , is the source for the blessing over the bread, according to the

authors.42

The ability to produce bread, wine and oil are special human abilities, which animals can't

do. Herein lies the uniqueness of man, having been created as an image of God. According to

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz, wine, oil and bread mentioned in Vers 15 are means of sustenance

and enjoyment, as Human existence “needs to have relief from the daily tedium through those

things that bring joy to the heart”.43

It is worth wile, just to think about this idea and what it means to modern men in the


39 Tanach - the Torah, Prophets, Writings […], edited by Rabbi Nosson Sherman et al. , Brooklyn 1996:1527

40 Rozenberg/Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: 646

41 Ibid. 651

42 Ibid.

43 Ibid. 651/ 652

13

western world: the least of them work the soil nowadays; bread and oil are industrial products.

Can we therefore still feel enjoyment by consuming them? Probably not in the way as people

did in former times after a long week of hard physical labor.

The strophe continues describing God's greatness: Not only did he provide for man and the

animals, but he also watered His trees and planted trees himself, , נטע שר א ון בנ ל זי ר .(V.16) א

They need not be cultivated by human hands and in addition, serve as dwelling places for

birds. Again, God is seen as the master planner, who sees every detail according to his

wisdom.

In the beginning of Vers 17 birds, רים פ צ , are mentioned in general, but then the stork,

is added. Rozenberg and Zlotowitz point out, that the Talmud associated this animal ,חסידה

with the word chesed, kindness, for it performs acts of kindness (Chullin 63A). They carry out

that Greek and Latin writers thought that this bird has a special affection for its young, which

might have led to the popular belief that the stork brings the babies.44

From high trees the imagination of the reader or listener is drawn to the high mountanis,

which also are created by God as a shelter for animals. Terrien summarizes these verses:

“Lebanon made the poet think of Anti-lebanon and its snowy summit, Mount

Hermon, outside of human reach, the home of wild goats and badgers.

Harmony or sound, sight and touch extended the usefulness of plants and

vegetables from the realm of necessity to that of play. Economics are crowned by

aesthetics and hedonic appreciation.”45

4.6 Strophe 5 (VV. 19 – 23)

In this section the concept of time is introduced. As commonly known, God created according

to Genesis 1 the world within six days and he created another day, the Shabbat, for rest.

Further, he created by doing so the week and the concept of linear time.

The Psalmist starts mentioning the moon, which is reasonable as the Hebrew calender

starts the day beginning with the night. Sherman et al. argue, that the moon cycles also

facilitate the lunar calender, upon which the Jewish holidays are based.46

44 Rozenberg/Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms. A new translation and commentary, Jerusalem 1999: 652

45 Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary, Cambridge 2003: 714/ 715

46 Tanach - the Torah, Prophets, Writings […], edited by Rabbi Nosson Sherman et al., Brooklyn 1996: 1526

14

Night and day are seperated and each has its own time and purpose. The poet addresses the

Creator and acknowledges God's creation of the night, the time when the lions hunt for food

and rely on the providing God (V.21). When the sun rises – and it knows the right time -, they

retire to their lairs (V 22), while man gets up and starts working -רב ע .until the evening ,עדי

S.R. Hirsch summarizes, that only one-half of earth's seasons were made for man's dominion,

that God had divided the twenty-four-hour day equally between the animal life of the forest

and mankind.47

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz emphasize the aspect of power, that according to the description

of the Psalmist, every aspect of the world's function is under God's control. The way the

creation moves is not due to societal determination or their own natural mechanism, but has to

be traced back to the source of God's will.48

4.7 Strophe 6 (VV. 24 – 26)

In view of God's great works visible in nature on earth, the Psalmist stands in awe and

adresses God in the second person: , וה-, יה ך שי מע ו ב ר An explicit junction between . מה

creation and wisdom is made (V. 24b), which shows once again that God, the Architect and

Creator acts according to his plan and stands high above his creation, which honours him.

S.R. Hirsch comments:

“Each of Thy works attests to Thy wisdom of which it is a product. , רץ הא לאה מ

נך י נ .ק And because everything that fills the earth is of Thy making, it is Thy

property; all things follow Thee, strive after Thee, and stand ready to serve

Thee”49

From the description of inhabitants of the world the poet turns now to the description of the

sea (V. 25 and 26): a wide and vast ocean with innumerable inhabitants, which man is able to

navigate on - thanks to the unique mental abilities given by God. Nevertheless, Terrien argues

that the text contains a warning of danger: Mediterranean storms sometimes tragically tested




15

the technology and navigating skills and the motif of the Leviathan shows a hidden threat.50

Nevertheless, the term תן י ו ל is translated quite differently: While Hirsch uses the literal

meaning “company” or “crowd” and therefore translates V. 26 “Thou hast made the multitude

of animals [...]”51, Rozenberg and Zlotowitz argue that תן י ו ל was “generally regarded as a

crocodile”, although in Job 40:25 ff. it might as well refer to whales.52 They point out, that the

Leviathan in ancient mythology was a sea monster, that had been defeated by God. Hence, the

Psalmist describes it not as an equal opponent but mearly as a creature, that was utilized by

the Creator as a play thing.53 Lipinsky refers to the theological function of the Leviathan by

stating:

“In summary, we may say that Leviathan is to be thought of as part of a

mythopoetic motif whose original purpose was to glorify the warrior God of

Israel. Although the connection between the seven-headed Sumerian serpent and

the Canaanite Leviathan remains uncertain, the close relationship of the biblical

Leviathan to the Canaanite Leviathan of the Ugaritic texts has been attested

clearly. They spring from the same roots[...]. After the traditions of Leviathan and

other sea monsters became known in Israel, major changes were made in the

traditions themselves: the polytheistic elements of the original myths were

removed [...]and new ideas were introduced, especially later in the postbiblical

period. One innovation was the rejection of Leviathan and other sea monsters as

mythical opponents of Yahweh; they were now thought of simply as creatures

formed by the Creator at the proper time and in their proper place (Ps. 104:26;

[…] The second major innovation was the fact that among the Israelites these

monsters came to symbolize all the powers of evil, while God's victory over them

represents his ultimate victory at the end of days […].The 'beast that ascends from

the bottomless pit' (Rev. 11:7) and the 'beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns

and seven heads' (Rev. 13:1) derive in part from the ancient Leviathan motif.

[...]”54




53 Ibid. 654

54 Lipinsky, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Vol. 7, Grand Rapids 1995: 509

16

However, the term ו- ב שחק ל , to amuse with, can also be translated as “to play therein”.

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz argue that “the meaning would then be that the sea was created for

the Leviathan as a place of play (cf. Metzudat David).”55 As in this Psalm all of God's creation

is described in their beauty and multitude the author of the present paper supports the latter

meaning.

Terrien summarizes the current section:“The benevolence of spring water in Strophe III is

now counterbalanced with the wonder of the sea in Strophe VI.”56

4.8 Strophe 7 (VV. 27 – 30)

לם כ , all, that means in heaven, earth and sea wait for God to supply and sustain them . The

term ו בעת . proper time makes one think of the circle of life in Ecclesiastes 3: there is a proper

time for everything. All creation is dependent on God to keep up its existence. Repeatedly

God's care and the reaction of His creation is described: two times in the positive sense (Verse

28) and two times in the negative sense (Verse 29).

According to Rozenberg and Zlotowitz, the expression ך ני פ תיר תס , you hide your face,

is commonly used as an expression of God's disfavor.57 Here we find the element of the absent

God. In the Creation story God formed man of the dust of the ground and blew the breath of

life in his nostrils. Referring to this, Vers 29 depicts the death of creatures: After God has

withdrawn their breath they return to the dust they have been once taken from.

Fortunately, the strophe ends with a hopeful statement of renewal. S.R. Hirsch comments:

“All the generations of earth are born of dust and subject to decay, but the glory of God's

creation endures forever; and it is by His command 'Let there be...' that new life will one day

come to earth.”58

Rozenberg and Zlotowitz claim, that Verse 30 can be understood in that way that new

generations succeed previous generations in the sense of an ongoing process. They add, that

some traditional commentators, e.g. Radak, interpret the verse as a reference to the

resurrection of the dead.”Those so resurrected will have their souls restored to them.”59






17

At this point, the poet turns his gaze away from mortal man to the greatness and glory of

God.

4.9 Strophe 8 (VV. 31 – 35a) and Postlude

The last strophe begins with a wish: לם ו לע וה יה וד כב יהי , which is often translated with 'May

the glory of Adonai endure forvever'. However, S.R. Hirsch argues that יהי does not

necessarily express a wish.60 It can as well be interpreted as a positive statement such as דן יהי

(Gen. 49:17) or לתנין In this case it would hardly be possible to translate Vers .(Exod. 7:9) יהי

31a as a wish, since it is an undeniable fact that God's glory is indeed eternal. Hirsch explains:

“But whether or not He will have cause to take delight in His creatures is

uncertain, for He Himself, of His own free will, made the attainment of His

purposes on earth dependent upon the voluntary obedience of a creature endowed

with freedom of will and thus with the capacity for straying from the right path.

He made the fulfillment of His aims dependent upon the voluntary obedience of

man. Therefore the thought of Verse 31 would be: 'The glory of the Lord's creation

will endure forever; may He also have cause to take delight in His creatures.' This

simply means, 'May men at last gain true understanding, and, of their own free

will, come to render homage to God by the loyal fulfillment of their duty.' The

foregoing helps us understand what follows.”61

Regarding the thoughts in the introduction of this paper, it can be asked if people today make

efforts to gain true understanding, to listen to the mystery behind the world and to

acknowledge God's greatness. Although man's obedience is voluntary, God could easily force

obedience, if He desired, which is expressed in the next Verse: Only His look causes already

the earth to tremble and a simple touch would let the mountains vanish in smoke. It is striking,

that the term רעד ת ו is not present tense, and therefore not just a consequence of God's look.

Rather it is a past tense form which, according to Hirsch, turns the message of the verse to


61 Ibid.

18

“Even before the Lord has ceased to look, the earth has already begun to tremble.”62

Perceiving God's wonderful ways in governing the world creates in the Psalmist a desire to

praise Him. Therefore he decides to dedicate his praise to God while he is alive, for he is

aware of the fact that the dead cannot praise God anymore. Vers 34 expresses the poet's

enjoyment of the spiritual communion with his creator, although he is fully aware of his

subordinated position. Hirsch expresses this very suitable:

“Even I in my vanishing, mortal insignificance, may still look up, indeed, I may

look up with joy to Him before Whose very beckoning the earth will tremble and

melt away. Even a being of my low position as a mortal has the right to refer to

himself as כי נ ,as 'I' before Him; I may be conscious before Him of my separate ,א

personal identity as an individual. My existence may be of little import, but yet it

does not vanish entirely in the midst of His great kingdom. I am a person,

endowed with a distinct and separate individuality, and I enjoy this privilege

through the goodness of none other than God Himself.”63

Finally, the sinners, חטאים, who create disharmony by their evil deeds, who do not praise and

acknowledge God will cease to exist. The last part, verse 35 b can be seen as a postlude

responding to the prelude. Terrien notes, that “the poet asks his inner self to be

wholeheartedly involved in the Te Deum.”64 In addition to this, the very end of the verse, the

exclamation is an outward proclaim for all to hear about God and his wondrous , הללויה

works.

5 Relation to Genesis 1 and 2

Apart from the in Chapter 3.2 mentioned seven strophes relating to the seven days of creation,

the present psalm refers to the Creation stories in Genesis in many ways – as Hirsch, too,

argued (see Chapter 4.2) - : the order that was introduced by God, e.g. seperation of water

above and below the earth, the bondedness of men towards the soil and his dependance on it


63 Ibid.: 231


19

as well as on God, the multitude and variety of animals in heaven, sea and on the land and the

transitoriness of human life. It has already been shown in the same chapter, that the psalm

goes beyond a factual account of the Creation, in praising God's works and the order of it, as

well as the ongoing revelation of His glory and greatness.

Artur Weiser describes the relation of the nature-hymn Psalm 104 to the story of creation in

the first chapters of Genesis “like that of a coloured picture to the clear lines of a woodcut.“65

In his remarks regarding Date and Theology of Psalm 104 Terrien states, that apart from

slight differences the order of the creative acts is clearly that of the Genesis Yahwist myth.

Thus, it can be concluded that the date of the documents appears approximately the same,

taking into account that “both were related to the origin of the New Year Feast […] Sapiental

and cultic aspects of the psalm and the Genesis myth were probably inspired in blissful

reaction to the military oppression of Judah under the Egyptian and Babylonian invasions

(609 – 587 B.C.E.).”66

6 Conclusion

Putting it in a nutshell, the Creation of the world is described in Psalm 104 much more

explicitely than in Genesis and with a multiperspective view on creatures on earth and above

all the Creator: Nearly all of the elements, Terrien mentioned in his classification of Psalms

(see chapter 2.4) are unified in this single hymn: The 'Creator of Nature', 'Master of Wisdom',

'Lord of Life' as well as 'Judge of the enemies' and the present and absent God can be found.

Nevertheless, hints on Jesus could not be found within the text.

Concerning this meditation, that reveals God's glory through His mighty acts in the world of

His creation, men and women today can join to dedicate their souls in perfect devotion to the

praise of God with all the life that is within them – best by accompanying with an instrument

or walking through a wonderful landscape.

65 Weiser The Psalms: A Commentary, London: 1962: 666


20

Bibliography

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, The Psalms, translation and commentary, Volume II:

Books 3, 4, and 5, trans. by Gertrude Hirschler (Jerusalem/New York: The Samson

Raphael Hirsch Publications Society/ Feldheim Publishers, 1973),

Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, The Psalms, translation with an introduction and commentary,

(London: The Soncino Press 1971)

Martin S. Rozenberg/ Bernard M. Zlotowitz, The Book of Psalms: A new translation and

commentary (Northvale/ Jerusalem: Jason Aronson Inc., 1999)

Samuel Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary (Grand

Rapids/Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003)

Artur Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary, transl. by Herbert Hartwell (London: SCM

Press Ltd., 1962)

Tanach - the Torah, Prophets, Writings: the twenty-four books of the Bible newly translated

and annotated, edited by Rabbi Nosson Scherman et al., Brooklyn: Mesorah

Publications, Ltd.: 1996

Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament, edited by Georg Fohrer, Hans

Werner Hoffmann, Friedrich Huber, Jochen Vollmer, Gunther Wanke, London: SCM

Press Ltd.: 1973, translated from the German Hebräisches und aramäisches Wörterbuch

zum Alten Testament, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter: 1971

E. Lipinski, Art. . לויתו IN: Anderson/ Cazelles/ Freedman/ Talmon/ Wallis(eds.):

Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, Vol. 7, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans

Publishing Co., 1995, [translation of Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament, Bd.

IV, Stuttgart: Kohlhammer GmbH 1982 – 1984], p. 504 - 509

21

22

Documents

The beauty of creation: A reflection on Psalm 104