Psalm 93 - Yhwh from and to eternity amidst the waters

The fourth in the "Exodus Psalms" (90-106) is also well described as an enthronement psalm (see Möwinckel's taxonomy), as the kingship of Yhwh is depicted and compared with (in vv3-4) the power of the waters. 

This psalm is rich in repetition, with "Yhwh" being repeated five times, which is fitting as the psalm addresses him addressed from v2-5. Therefore it also addresses Yhwh three times via the suffix and another time with the pronoun.

Furthermore there are other phrases repeated, most notably in v3:

The rivers have lifted up (נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת), Yhwh

the rivers have lifted up (נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת) their voice,

the rivers lift up (יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת) their pounding.

The only change in the three stichs is from the qatal in the first two, to the yiqtol in the second. It seems to be presenting a challenge: how will Yhwh respond to the pounding voice of the rivers? 

A further example of repetition answers this in the next verse, as there is something greater than the roar of the waters, nobler (אַדִּירִים) than the waves of the sea, for noble (אַדִּיר) in his heights is Yhwh. The word "noble" (v4b) is repeated, first as a contrast to "greater" in the first stich, but also anticipating the description of Yhwh in the final word of the final stich of this verse. 

The central verses 3-4 with their water imagery contrast what seems mighty at ground level - the roaring and pounding of waves - with the God of the cosmos who sits above all this in his holy hill - Yhwh is indeed more powerful than the water or any divinities who may be associated with or come from the depths.

This focus on water in the centre suggests an ABBA structure:

A 1-2 Yhwh's eternal rule and power

B 3 The waters against Yhwh

B' 4 Yhwh over the waters

A' 5 Yhwh's eternal statutes

The first verse reuses the verb "clothe" (לבשׁ) to first describe Yhwh's rule (clothed in majesty), and then his power (girded with strength). Because of this, v1c-2 is able to describe the absolute scale of Yhwh's rule and power. It is his power which established the cosmos and ensures it shall never totter (v1c-d), and also that Yhwh's throne is from the establishment of the cosmos, as is Yhwh (2a-b). 

This theme returns in the final verse, for the Yhwh whose rule is eternal has statutes of equal trustworthiness: from and to eternity, which means the house of Yhwh deserves to be clad in holiness for endless days. 

This psalm then describes the Yhwh who is from and to eternity, who is worthy of praise and honour, and, when contrasted with the aquatic powers of this world sits far above them. 

Reading this as an Exodus psalm we are reminded of the mighty waters which Yhwh held back so that his nation could pass through on dry land. They were brought from there to Mount Sinai, where Yhwh sat high above his people, high above the golden calf his people fell to worship, and from where he dictated his statutes to guide and guard his people. 

Seeing What Qohelet Saw - Published

Wipf and Stock have been kind enough to publish my revised Master's Thesis on the structure of Ecclesiastes. (I detailed the process here.) You can even pay them lots of money for your very own copy! Here is the link.

I've enjoyed the process of re-reading it several times and think it still holds up as an argument for my my structure of alternating panels of observation and wisdom based around the verb ראה (to see). Here's a pretty PDF of the structure if you're interested in the big picture. The more detailed one is within the book (well, it sort of is the book).

It was especially nice to see a few friends write endorsements for the book:

“Anyone who reads Ecclesiastes finds it hard to discern a clear structure. Amid the tangle of proposed structures, Fyfe outlines a way forward. He argues cogently for alternating observation and wisdom panes, with ‘to see’ marking out the former. Highly recommended for those interested in Ecclesiastes and the structure of biblical books.”

—Peter Lau, Visiting Lecturer in Old Testament, Sydney Missionary and Bible College

Peter has been published a number of times on the book of Ruth (most notably in the NSBT series), and after teaching in Malaysia for a number of years has recently returned to Sydney. He even preached for me recently!

“Like Qohelet himself, Fyfe reports what he has seen. His acute observation of the Hebrew text exposes the rhythms and artistry of Ecclesiastes. In doing so, he clarifies the meaning of this elusive book. Scholars and preachers should read this study and be stimulated ‘to find words of delight’ in the wisdom of the Preacher.”

—Richard J. Gibson, Principal, Brisbane School of Theology

Richard first nurtured my love of patterns in the Bible, and his work on the structure Romans bears many similarities to my structure of Ecclesiastes.

“Fyfe ventures into the enigma of Qohelet’s thought and seeks to wrest a structure from the murkiness of the ancient sage’s rambling. Fyfe argues for a deliberate pattern of alternating observation and wisdom, such that there may indeed be meaning within the apparent meaningless of Qohelet’s monologue.”

—George Athas, Director of Research, Moore College

George supervised my thesis, and is also about to publish a commentary on Ecclesiastes (in the Story of God commentary series).

In the next couple of weeks the book should come out through the well-known trillion dollar multi-national seller and e-book publisher. I should also be able to purchase some copies at author's rates if you'd like a copy at mate's rates - I can even not sign it for you if you'd like a clean-skin.

Words for God in the Psalms

Going through the psalms at the latter end I've been struck by how regularly Yhwh rather than God (elohim/el) has been used. Here's a quick graph made in Accordance showing Yhwh (yellow) is used more frequently at the beginning and end of the Psalter, while God is used much more in the second fifth of the collection (elohim = dark green; el = blue-green). Just for completion I added in Shaddai and Elyon (in the foreground in red).

It would be interesting to investigate this further, especially as the first book of the psalter is David, but so is the latter part of the second book - perhaps book 1 is David's Yhwh collection and book 2 is David's Elohim collection? It's worth noting the psalms of Korah in book 2 aren't Yhwh psalms, while those in book 3 by Asaph mix it up. And then the exodus collection, the big one (Ps 119), and the psalms of ascent, are all mostly Yhwh psalms.

I know this is all a very broad brush-strokes look, but trying to get the big picture is helpful before zooming in to ask more precise questions.

Psalm 129 - Yhwh cuts the cords of the wicked

I've been working through the Psalms of Ascent (Pss 120-134), which have been received as songs for pilgrimages to Jerusalem describing the perspectives of the pilgrims on their journey.

Psalm 128 was joyous psalm, but this next Psalm 129 takes on a much darker hue. It describes the suffering endured, perhaps by a Jew in exile or the diaspora, and the hope they can have in Yhwh as righteous.

The psalm's structure is ABA, with the key idea coming in the central B section (v4). The first A section describes the suffering experienced (v1-3), while the second A section (v5-8) holds out the hope that is able to be said only because of the central B statement.

Suffering (129:1-3)
The description of the pilgrim's suffering includes a repetition of the summary:

Much have they been hostile to me from my youth—say it, Israel—
much have they been hostile to me from my youth. (1b-2a)

In the centre is an odd interjection "say it, Israel", which is an odd phrase which only occurs two other times in the Bible - although both nearby (Ps 118:2; 124:1). In this case it seems as if it is an encouragement to be real about the suffering, to not hide it or make excuses. The suffering happened, it was real, it hurt. The suffering was so real that it is described as if their back was the ground and the enemy was the plougher.

Upon my back ploughed the ploughmen,
they caused the furrows to be long. (3)

This agricultural imagery will return in the second half as it is turned back upon the oppressors. But for now, in the song, the encouragement is that this is not the end. v2b asserts that they were not able to [conquer] me.  

Truth (129:4)

In the centre is the bedrock upon which suffering must be evaluated and hope can be expressed:

Yhwh is righteous —He severs the cords of the wicked. (4)

The opponents were not named in the first three verses, but here it is clear: the wicked (רשׁעים). But what exactly does Yhwh do to the righteous? He severs their cords (קצץ עבות). This is an odd phrase, and is hard to understand without much context. Obviously it is not good for the wicked, but what does it mean? 

The ESV, CSB, JPS and others leave it as is, while some translations try to suggest it is the cords with which the wicked has bound the godly. It may be implicit in those others, but the NJB for instance has "shattered the yoke of the wicked", while the NIV adds "cut me free from the cords of the wicked," which perhaps gives a certainty that is not there in the Hebrew. The LXX goes all out and reads "cords" as "necks" - "cut the necks of the sinners" (συνέκοψεν αὐχένα ἁμαρτωλῶν).

The word "cords" is in Exodus as a precious thing - the gold chains used in the ephod for instance. In Judges it's referring to ropes used to tie up Samson, and there is a similar meaning in Ezekiel 3-4 and Psalm 2. But Isaiah 5:18 is interesting, and may help us understand another possibility for this verse.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes (עבות) , (Isa 5.18 NIV)

The lexemes for both sin (עון) and wickedness (חטאה) are different to that for the wicked (רשׁעים) in Psalm 129, but the collocation of these ideas and two different phrases for ropes/cords/chains are intriguing. The image here is again an agricultural one, that the wicked drag around carts full of evil, rejecting justice, the law of Yhwh and his Holy One. In response, Isaiah pronounces a series of "woes" upon them, describing their judgement in hellish language (Isa 5:24).

I wonder then, if this is what Yhwh severs in Psalm 129. It is not necessarily the cords binding the righteous, but rather the access of the wicked to their endless stores of evil. Because, again, Yhwh is righteous, and the work of the wicked will not prosper.

Hope  (129:5-8)
The remaining verses of the psalm can be translated either as hopeful: "May this happen," or as certainties: "This will happen." That is, they "may be understood as statements of confidence or as prayers." (Goldingay, BCOTWP, 517-518). Although either are grammatically possible, the grounding in the centre of the psalm in the character of Yhwh means that we can be confident to read them with certainty, even as we hope they come to fruition sooner rather than later.

These verses describe a lovely little image or parable of a house which grows grass—which one might hope to one day harvest. But there is so little there (it is a roof after all!) that the harvester cannot fill their arms; indeed—most of the grass has already withered in the sun. No one would ever say “oh, nice harvest—Yhwh is giving you a great crop this year.” (v8)

It all ends in shame, a point which is highlighted through two near-homophones at the beginning of v5 and the end of v6: יבשׁו (they will be ashamed) and יבשׁ (it withers). That is, the ones who hate Zion (v5b) will be ashamed (v5a) because they will be as useless as a harvest (v7) of roof grass (v6a) which has withered (v6b).

The final verse directs the reader to the centre again:

nor will the passers-by say “the blessings of Yhwh be upon you; we bless you in the name of Yhwh” (v8)

They will receive no blessings from Yhwh, they will be cursed and cut down by Yhwh, their evil deeds will be ended, because Yhwh is righteous. The obvious question then is, "who receives the blessings of Yhwh?" It is those who have remained faithful to the one who is eternally righteous, Yhwh of Zion.