Continuing my stroll through Book IV of the Psalter, Psalm 97 is a fun one. There's lots of interesting imagery, and also lots of repeated vocab and/or synonyms.
The imagery of the heavens and earth is particularly invigorating, as we think about the earth and coastlands rejoicing, about cloud and darkness surrounding Yhwh, about creation being lit up by his lightning, and the earth in response writhing and mountains melting.
The pantheon of gods also feature, as their existence is not so much denied as relativised. Yhwh here is Yhwh Elyon - most high - who is over all the earth, far above other gods (97:9). Worship of their images is shameful, for even those gods worship Yhwh (97:7)!
In terms of the vocabulary of this psalm, we have rejoicing (2x), be glad (3x), worship (1x) and praise (1x). This vocab alone pushes us to think of this psalm as a song. The other area of repeated vocabulary are in terms of the character and actions of Yhwh, with righteous/ness (4x), judgements/s (2x), uprightness (1x), glory (1x) and holiness (1x). Some of these are Yhwh's, others are reflected in his people .
The structure of this psalm is certainly tricky, but I think I've got some idea. If this works, after the heading (Yhwh reigns!), it's a two-part psalm, with both halves in an ABCBA structure.
Heading 1a Yhwh reigns!
A1 1b-c Earth and coast: rejoice!
B1 2 Yhwh's righteousness and judgement
C1 3-5 Yhwh is boss over creation
B1` 6 All have seen his righteousness and glory
A1` 7 Idolaters, be ashamed; gods, worship!
A2 8a-b Zion and Judah: rejoice!
B2 8c Yhwh's judgements
C2 9-10 Yhwh Elyon guards and delivers his people
B2` 11 Light sown to righteousness, gladness to upright heart
A2` You righteous: rejoice!
The two halves tell a similar story regarding the character of Yhwh and how it is reflected and embodied among his people. The focus is however different. In the first section (1b-7), the key idea is "Yhwh is boss over creation" with the ethical implication, "Don't commit idolatry." In the second section (8-12), Yhwh is still sovereign, but this is to do with the hope for his people. So the idea is more, "Yhwh Elyon guards and delivers," with the ethical implication, "Don't love evil."
Although this psalm is very elevated in its subject matter, in the heavens and with the pantheon, the rubber certainly hits the road in both instances. Flee idolatry and flee evil are evergreen commands, just as relevant then as now.
Psalm 97 as an Exodus psalm
Reading various commentators, the majority of focus is on how this psalm is grounded in or responds to Canaanite mythologies. While I don't deny that may be part of it, what I don't see is an attempt to ground the reading of this and similar psalms in the imagery we are already provided in the Scriptures. In particular, the language of v2-5 seem easily linked to Exodus 19:16-19, as Sinai is covered in cloud and smoke and there's fire and trembling mountains, followed by Yhwh's self-revelation in the giving of the Decalogue. So while there may be other things going on, it seems a mistake to so quickly ignore the key moment in Israel's history: a theophany followed by the law.
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