Difference between revisions of "Mizmor 19: Proclaiming God's Glory/2"
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<li><b>"like a might warrior to run his course"</b> – Shamash is often described as a warrior and portrayed as a runner who traverses the heavens and earth.<fn>See <a href="https://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/poems/uthymn.html">The Great Hymn to Shamash</a> as translated by W. G. Lambert in "Babylonian Wisdom Literature" (Oxford, 1960) 127 ff.</fn> </li> | <li><b>"like a might warrior to run his course"</b> – Shamash is often described as a warrior and portrayed as a runner who traverses the heavens and earth.<fn>See <a href="https://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/poems/uthymn.html">The Great Hymn to Shamash</a> as translated by W. G. Lambert in "Babylonian Wisdom Literature" (Oxford, 1960) 127 ff.</fn> </li> | ||
</ul> | </ul> | ||
| − | Sarna assumes that readers would have been familiar with the allusions and  recognize the reference to Shamash, but that the surrounding verses (see points below) would show that Shamash really had no power if his own.</point> | + | <p>Sarna assumes that readers would have been familiar with the allusions and  recognize the reference to Shamash, but that the surrounding verses (see points below) would show that Shamash really had no power if his own.</p></point> |
<point><b>"Like a mighty warrior"</b></point> | <point><b>"Like a mighty warrior"</b></point> | ||
<point><b>Connection between the two halves</b></point> | <point><b>Connection between the two halves</b></point> | ||
Version as of 00:17, 14 May 2024
Mizmor 19: Proclaiming God's Glory
Exegetical Approaches
Hymn in Praise of God
The psalm
Anti Pagan Polemic
The psalm is a tacit polemic against sun-worshippers, emphasizing that the sun is not a deity, but rather subservient to Hashem, the God of truth and justice.
Sources:Prof. N. Sarna1
Ancient Near Eastern Context – In Mesopotamia Shamash was worshiped both as the sun god and the god in charge of justice. The two aspects might have been connected due to the association of light with righteousness and also because people believed that the sun's position high in heaven and its daily travels across the sky enabled it to see all that transpires below, making it capable of judging all.
The heavens proclaim Hashem's praise – The psalm opens by stating that the heavens praise Hashem to make it clear that the heavens, and all therein, are subservient to Hashem. They are not gods to be worshiped, but rather subjects of the only God, Hashem.
"לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂם אֹהֶל בָּהֶם" – The verse states that Hashem makes a tent for the sun, further highlighting that it is under God's control and subject to His desires and demands..
"וְאֵין נִסְתָּר מֵחַמָּתוֹ" – Prof. Sarna understands "חַמָּתוֹ" to mean: "His sun," with the verse stressing that the sun belongs to God.
Allusions to pagan mythology – Prof. Sarna suggests that several of the images in the psalm were chosen to intentionally allude to pagan mythology.
- "like a groom going forth from his chamber"2 – In Mesopotamia, the sun's setting was described as Shamash betaking himself to his chamber, and its rising as him leaving it.3 Moreover, Shamash is described as having a consort, Aya, referred to as his "bride".4
- "like a might warrior to run his course" – Shamash is often described as a warrior and portrayed as a runner who traverses the heavens and earth.5
Sarna assumes that readers would have been familiar with the allusions and recognize the reference to Shamash, but that the surrounding verses (see points below) would show that Shamash really had no power if his own.
"Like a mighty warrior"
Connection between the two halves
