From Heaven looketh Yahwe:He beholdeth all the sons of men;From his dwelling place he regardethAll the inhabitants of the earth.He hath formed of all of them their hearts,He that considereth all their deeds.—Psalm 33:13-15.
From Heaven looketh Yahwe:
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
From his dwelling place he regardeth
All the inhabitants of the earth.
He hath formed of all of them their hearts,
He that considereth all their deeds.
—Psalm 33:13-15.
But the knowledge of some Assyrian deities is deeper than that, for the gods read the omens and so learn the fates of men and nations for the years to come:
With Sin in the heavens thou seest through everything.—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
With Sin in the heavens thou seest through everything.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
Who looks through all signs, introduces omens.—Hymn to Nusku No. 2.
Who looks through all signs, introduces omens.
—Hymn to Nusku No. 2.
The god apart from whom in the deep the lot of man is not determined—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
The god apart from whom in the deep the lot of man is not determined
—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
While the gods, in some passages, are thought of as simply reading the signs, in others, they actually have in their hands the determination of destinies:
Bel thy father has granted thee,That the law of all the gods thy hand should hold;Thou renderest the judgment of mankind.—Hymn to Ninib No. 1.
Bel thy father has granted thee,
That the law of all the gods thy hand should hold;
Thou renderest the judgment of mankind.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 1.
Who gave the fates of the great gods into thy hand;Who commanded the kissing of thy feet, and appointed for thee homage.—Hymn to Marduk Nos. 1, 10.
Who gave the fates of the great gods into thy hand;
Who commanded the kissing of thy feet, and appointed for thee homage.
—Hymn to Marduk Nos. 1, 10.
O lord, who determines the decision of heaven and earth,Whose command is not set aside.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
O lord, who determines the decision of heaven and earth,
Whose command is not set aside.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Perfect in judgment, whose word is not altered;Determiner of destinies, whose word is not altered.—Hymn to Bel.
Perfect in judgment, whose word is not altered;
Determiner of destinies, whose word is not altered.
—Hymn to Bel.
Powerful, stately lord of gods, determiner of fates,Thou who fixest the law of the deep, impartest to the gods sacrifice and presents.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Powerful, stately lord of gods, determiner of fates,
Thou who fixest the law of the deep, impartest to the gods sacrifice and presents.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Who dost call to lordship, dost bestow the sceptre;Determinest destinies for far off days.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Who dost call to lordship, dost bestow the sceptre;
Determinest destinies for far off days.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Asshur, powerful stately lord of the gods, determiner of fates.—Hymn to Asshur.
Asshur, powerful stately lord of the gods, determiner of fates.
—Hymn to Asshur.
Yahwe is also the determiner of destiny, but he is a rational power behind events. It is the plan of his own heart that he carries into effect:
Yahwe bringeth to nought the counsel of the nations;He maketh of no effect the plans of peoples.—Psalm 33:10.
Yahwe bringeth to nought the counsel of the nations;
He maketh of no effect the plans of peoples.
—Psalm 33:10.
The counsel of Yahwe for ever shall stand;The plans of his heart for all generations.—Psalm 33:11.
The counsel of Yahwe for ever shall stand;
The plans of his heart for all generations.
—Psalm 33:11.
He cutteth off the spirit of princes;Terrible is he to the kings of the earth.—Psalm 76:13.
He cutteth off the spirit of princes;
Terrible is he to the kings of the earth.
—Psalm 76:13.
Since the events of earth are influenced so largely by the earthly sovereign, it is altogether natural that the deity’s determination of destinies should have special application to the case of the king. This makes it easier to understand how the Hebrews looked to Yahwe to set upon the throne of Zion an ideal king. (Psalms2,110, and72.) However magical the Assyrian conception of the determination of fate, the Assyrian deities are in some passages hailed as omniscient:
O lord that knowest fate, who of thyself art glorious in Sumer,Father Enlil, lord of unerring word,Father Enlil, whose omniscience is self-created,Thou possest all wisdom, perfect in power.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
O lord that knowest fate, who of thyself art glorious in Sumer,
Father Enlil, lord of unerring word,
Father Enlil, whose omniscience is self-created,
Thou possest all wisdom, perfect in power.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Mighty lord of the gods, all knowing one.—Hymn to Asshur.
Mighty lord of the gods, all knowing one.
—Hymn to Asshur.
Of open mind, knower of the word, knower of everything.—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
Of open mind, knower of the word, knower of everything.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
The wisdom of the gods is so deep that it cannot be easily fathomed and understood:
O Anu of the heavens, whose purpose no man knows,Whose command is not altered and whose purpose no god knows.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
O Anu of the heavens, whose purpose no man knows,
Whose command is not altered and whose purpose no god knows.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
O mighty leader whose deep inner being no god understands.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
O mighty leader whose deep inner being no god understands.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
With these passages may be compared:
How great are thy works, Yahwe;Exceeding deep are thy purposes.—Psalm 92:6.
How great are thy works, Yahwe;
Exceeding deep are thy purposes.
—Psalm 92:6.
It is especially in the works of Yahwe that the Hebrew finds His wisdom revealed:
How many are thy works, Yahwe,All of them in wisdom hast thou done.—Psalm 104:24.
How many are thy works, Yahwe,
All of them in wisdom hast thou done.
—Psalm 104:24.
The gods thus possessed of wisdom and knowledge are counsellors:
Shamash, wise one, lofty one, thine own counsellor art thou.—Hymn to Shamash No. 7.
Shamash, wise one, lofty one, thine own counsellor art thou.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 7.
With Ea in the multitude of the gods is thy counsel preëminent.—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
With Ea in the multitude of the gods is thy counsel preëminent.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
Lord, leader and counsellor of the great gods.—Hymn to Nusku No. 1.
Lord, leader and counsellor of the great gods.
—Hymn to Nusku No. 1.
Judge of the world, leader ... powerful one,Thou impartest counsel, lord of the gods.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Judge of the world, leader ... powerful one,
Thou impartest counsel, lord of the gods.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Among the gods superior is thy counsel.—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Among the gods superior is thy counsel.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Reading these words, one hears again the voice of the great prophet of the Babylonian exile. He seems to scoff at this feature of polytheism, just as elsewhere he scoffs at idolatry:
Who hath directed the spirit of Yahwe,And as a counsellor hath taught him,With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,And taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding?—Isaiah 40:13.
Who hath directed the spirit of Yahwe,
And as a counsellor hath taught him,
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,
And taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding?
—Isaiah 40:13.
Counsel is given to gods and men by means of oracles:
Before thy face the great gods bow down, the fate of the world is set before thee,The great gods beseech thee, and thou givest counsel;They take their stand all of them, they petition at thy feet;O Sin, glorious one of Ekur, they beseech thee,And thou givest the oracle of the gods.—Hymn to Sin No. 1.
Before thy face the great gods bow down, the fate of the world is set before thee,
The great gods beseech thee, and thou givest counsel;
They take their stand all of them, they petition at thy feet;
O Sin, glorious one of Ekur, they beseech thee,
And thou givest the oracle of the gods.
—Hymn to Sin No. 1.
To give omens do I arise, do I arise in perfection,Beside my father Sin to give omens do I arise in perfection,Beside my brother Shamash to give omens do I arise in perfection.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
To give omens do I arise, do I arise in perfection,
Beside my father Sin to give omens do I arise in perfection,
Beside my brother Shamash to give omens do I arise in perfection.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
If one seeks advice, demands a suitable decision, so toward Marduk is his attention.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
If one seeks advice, demands a suitable decision, so toward Marduk is his attention.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Kindly is thy thoughtfulness, thou impartest careful counsel.—Hymn to Marduk No. 2.
Kindly is thy thoughtfulness, thou impartest careful counsel.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 2.
One must remark here the complete absence from the biblical hymns of any reference to Yahwe as the giver of oracles. When one remembers how frequently, in the historical narratives, resort is had to the deity for disclosure of the future, its absence from the hymns seems significant. The hymns are curiously silent about Yahwe as the counsellor of men, although testimony is given in the non-hymnal psalms to the attainment of spiritual insight in the temple.
For the author ofPsalm 19:8-15, wisdom and knowledge are stored up in the law. There may have been a certain reaction against seeking guidance of the deity because of Assyrian magical practises, but the fact is that the hymns are less concerned with God’s plans for the individual than they are with his eternal plan for his people.
The wise God is also the powerful God. The Assyrian deities, as well as Yahwe, are preëminently war gods. This fact is established by the astonishingly large number of references to their war activities. I will first cite examples to establish the fact that they are warriors:
O Shamash, warrior hero, be praised.—Hymn to Shamash No. 4.
O Shamash, warrior hero, be praised.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 4.
Destroyer of the enemy who in the midst of combat, amid the clash of weapons and confusion of battle, art fearless.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Destroyer of the enemy who in the midst of combat, amid the clash of weapons and confusion of battle, art fearless.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Mighty in battle whose attack is powerful.—Hymn to Nusku No. 3.
Mighty in battle whose attack is powerful.
—Hymn to Nusku No. 3.
Beside my father in battle I take my place;Beside Bel in combat and battle I stand.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 4.
Beside my father in battle I take my place;
Beside Bel in combat and battle I stand.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 4.
Lord great warrior,endued with strength,Inhabiting Imilacasting down the foe.—Hymn to Bel No. 2.
Lord great warrior,endued with strength,
Inhabiting Imilacasting down the foe.
—Hymn to Bel No. 2.
Am I not supremeI am the warrior.—Hymn to Belit.
Am I not supremeI am the warrior.
—Hymn to Belit.
The warrior who at the decision of Ea into the terrible battle goes am I.—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
The warrior who at the decision of Ea into the terrible battle goes am I.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
Warrior raging flood, destroyer of the hostile land.—Hymn to Nergal No. 4.
Warrior raging flood, destroyer of the hostile land.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 4.
There are very many references to Yahwe as warrior. His warlike titles are given inPsalm 24:
Yahwe,strong and mighty,Yahwe,mighty in battle.—Psalm 24:8.
Yahwe,strong and mighty,
Yahwe,mighty in battle.
—Psalm 24:8.
Yahwe of hosts,He is the king of glory.—Psalm 24:10.
Yahwe of hosts,
He is the king of glory.
—Psalm 24:10.
The Assyrian deity may be the commander of an army:
Terrible one to plunder the enemy’s land he assembles his army,Ninib mighty god, warrior, prince of the Annunaki, commander of the Igigi—Hymn to Ninib No. 21.
Terrible one to plunder the enemy’s land he assembles his army,
Ninib mighty god, warrior, prince of the Annunaki, commander of the Igigi
—Hymn to Ninib No. 21.
Yahwe also has his army:
The chariots of God are myriadsAgainst his enemies.—Psalm 68:18.
The chariots of God are myriads
Against his enemies.
—Psalm 68:18.
Yahwe’s momentous title is:
Yahwe of hosts.—Psalm 24:10.
Yahwe of hosts.
—Psalm 24:10.
Due homage is paid to the strength and prowess of the deity:
Before his might, the gods in his city humbly prostrate themselves.—Hymn to Ninib No. 5.
Before his might, the gods in his city humbly prostrate themselves.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 5.
Bel, filled with power,With terrible brilliancy adorned, destructive storm, furnished with frightfulness.—Hymn to Bel No. 1.
Bel, filled with power,
With terrible brilliancy adorned, destructive storm, furnished with frightfulness.
—Hymn to Bel No. 1.
First-born of Ea, who in heaven and upon earth art overpowering—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
First-born of Ea, who in heaven and upon earth art overpowering
—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
I will praise his power, reverence his strength.—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
I will praise his power, reverence his strength.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
Of tremendous power, whose blow is visible, crouches an evil demon at his side.—Hymn to Nergal No. 5.
Of tremendous power, whose blow is visible, crouches an evil demon at his side.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 5.
Powerful oneMost mighty one.—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
Powerful one
Most mighty one.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
Likewise Yahwe is, to repeat again the words ofPsalm 24:
Yahwestrong and mightyYahwemight in battle.
Yahwestrong and mighty
Yahwemight in battle.
Ascribe ye strength unto God;His excellency is over Israel,And his strength is in the skies.Terrible art thou, O God from the sanctuary.—Psalm 68:35.
Ascribe ye strength unto God;
His excellency is over Israel,
And his strength is in the skies.
Terrible art thou, O God from the sanctuary.
—Psalm 68:35.
Yahwe’s strength is in his arm:
Hath wrought salvation for him his right handAnd his holy arm.—Psalm 98:1.
Hath wrought salvation for him his right hand
And his holy arm.
—Psalm 98:1.
To thee is an arm with strength;Strong is thy hand, and high thy right hand.—Psalm 89:14.
To thee is an arm with strength;
Strong is thy hand, and high thy right hand.
—Psalm 89:14.
The attack of the war god is as the onrush of a terrible electric storm:
In the face of the battle when I take my place,A storm whose power is exalted am I.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 4.
In the face of the battle when I take my place,
A storm whose power is exalted am I.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 4.
Ninib, thy terrible shadow stretches over the land.—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
Ninib, thy terrible shadow stretches over the land.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
In the storm wind his weapons blaze forth.—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
In the storm wind his weapons blaze forth.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
A thundering storm over the world regions breaking,A raging storm laying waste heaven and earth.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 3.
A thundering storm over the world regions breaking,
A raging storm laying waste heaven and earth.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 3.
Heaven and earth are shaken. The mountains are ablaze with flame. The ocean depths are stirred up:
The heavens I cause to quake, the earth to shake that is my glory.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
The heavens I cause to quake, the earth to shake that is my glory.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
At whose battle heaven quakes.—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
At whose battle heaven quakes.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
Before the Lord tremble, O earth,Before the God of Jacob.—Psalm 114:7.
Before the Lord tremble, O earth,
Before the God of Jacob.
—Psalm 114:7.
The earth shook, also the heavens dropped rain before God.—Psalm 68:9.
The earth shook, also the heavens dropped rain before God.
—Psalm 68:9.
With his flame steep mountains are destroyed.—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
With his flame steep mountains are destroyed.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
The mountains I overwhelm altogether.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
The mountains I overwhelm altogether.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
The weapon which destroys the high mountains chosen for royal lordship am I.—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
The weapon which destroys the high mountains chosen for royal lordship am I.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
The mountains skipped like rams,The hills like lambs.—Psalm 114:3.
The mountains skipped like rams,
The hills like lambs.
—Psalm 114:3.
Who looketh on the earth and it trembleth;He toucheth the mountains and they smoke.—Psalm 104:32.
Who looketh on the earth and it trembleth;
He toucheth the mountains and they smoke.
—Psalm 104:32.
His lightnings lightened the earth;The earth saw, and trembled;The mountains melted like wax before Yahwe,Before the Lord of all the earth.—Psalm 97:4f.
His lightnings lightened the earth;
The earth saw, and trembled;
The mountains melted like wax before Yahwe,
Before the Lord of all the earth.
—Psalm 97:4f.
The sea also is affected by the attack of the war god:
At whose wrath the deep is troubled.—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
At whose wrath the deep is troubled.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
He overwhelmeth the expanse of the billowy ocean.—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
He overwhelmeth the expanse of the billowy ocean.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 5.
One can compare with this:
The sea saw and fled;The Jordan turned backward.—Psalm 114:3.
The sea saw and fled;
The Jordan turned backward.
—Psalm 114:3.
The attack of the war god is of course irresistible and his enemies suffer defeat. The great Marduk not even the gods can oppose:
At the point of whose weapon the gods turn back,Whose furious attack no one ventures to oppose,Storm flood, weapon against which no resistance is possible.—Hymn to Marduk No. 14.
At the point of whose weapon the gods turn back,
Whose furious attack no one ventures to oppose,
Storm flood, weapon against which no resistance is possible.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 14.
Who establishest defeat, who bringeth about victory,King of the battle, wise one, powerful one, merciless,Who destroyest all enemies.—Hymn to Nergal No. 2.
Who establishest defeat, who bringeth about victory,
King of the battle, wise one, powerful one, merciless,
Who destroyest all enemies.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 2.
Hero, whose snare casts down the foe.—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
Hero, whose snare casts down the foe.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
Lance unresisting which destroys all enemies.—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
Lance unresisting which destroys all enemies.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
Similarly Yahwe is irresistible:
Terrible art thou, and who shall stand before thee,Before the strength of thy anger?—Psalm 76:8.
Terrible art thou, and who shall stand before thee,
Before the strength of thy anger?
—Psalm 76:8.
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered,And let those who hate him flee before him.—Psalm 68:2.
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate him flee before him.
—Psalm 68:2.
For Yahwe most high is terrible,A great king over all the earth.He will trample nations beneath us,And peoples beneath our feet.—Psalm 47:3f.
For Yahwe most high is terrible,
A great king over all the earth.
He will trample nations beneath us,
And peoples beneath our feet.
—Psalm 47:3f.
I would soon subdue their enemiesAnd turn my hand against their adversaries.—Psalm 81:15.
I would soon subdue their enemies
And turn my hand against their adversaries.
—Psalm 81:15.
In the hymns a good deal of attention is paid to the weapon of the god. It may be a “bow”:
Before his terrible bow the heavens stand fast.—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
Before his terrible bow the heavens stand fast.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
And this may mean that on the production of his terrible weapon, the enemy surrenders and the storm ceases, just as when Yahwe hangs up his bow after the conflict of the thunderstorm, one knows that the rain is over, and that there will be no flood. Or the weapon may be a lance:
Lance unresting which destroys all enemies—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
Lance unresting which destroys all enemies
—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
or more terrible still a dragon:
Thy weapon is a dragon, from whose mouth no poison flows;The weapon is a dragon, from whose mouth no blood springs.—Hymn to Nebo No. 2.
Thy weapon is a dragon, from whose mouth no poison flows;
The weapon is a dragon, from whose mouth no blood springs.
—Hymn to Nebo No. 2.
Yahwe certainly wields an effective weapon:
But God will smite through the head of his enemiesThe hairy head of such a one as goeth on in his wickedness.—Psalm 68:22.
But God will smite through the head of his enemies
The hairy head of such a one as goeth on in his wickedness.
—Psalm 68:22.
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain;Thou hast scattered thy enemies with the arm of thy strength.—Psalm 89:11.
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces as one that is slain;
Thou hast scattered thy enemies with the arm of thy strength.
—Psalm 89:11.
Both Assyrian and Hebrew war god use fire as a weapon:
Nusku who burns up and overpowers the foe.—Hymn to Nusku No. 3.
Nusku who burns up and overpowers the foe.
—Hymn to Nusku No. 3.
A fire goeth before him and burneth his enemies round about.—Psalm 97:3.
A fire goeth before him and burneth his enemies round about.
—Psalm 97:3.
The Assyrian hymns emphasize the impossibility of escape from the sight and power of the god:
Thy glancewho avoids it,Thy attackwho escapes it?—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
Thy glancewho avoids it,
Thy attackwho escapes it?
—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
Thou gazest upon all inhabited places;The evil doer thou destroyest quickly.—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Thou gazest upon all inhabited places;
The evil doer thou destroyest quickly.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Bel who through his glance casts down the mightyBel, with thine eyes thou seest everything;Over the wide heavens goes out thy mind.—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
Bel who through his glance casts down the mighty
Bel, with thine eyes thou seest everything;
Over the wide heavens goes out thy mind.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
When thou liftest up thine eyes, who can escape?—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
When thou liftest up thine eyes, who can escape?
—Hymn to Nergal No. 6.
Who is there before me, who is there behind me,From the lifting up of mine eyes who can escape,From the rush of my onslaught who can flee?—Hymn to Belit.
Who is there before me, who is there behind me,
From the lifting up of mine eyes who can escape,
From the rush of my onslaught who can flee?
—Hymn to Belit.
There is an incomparably finer conception of god’s omnipresence and omniscience inPsalm 139:7-12:
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?If I ascend up unto heaven thou art there;If I make my bed in Sheol behold thou art there;If I take the wings of the morning,And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,Even there shall thy hand lead me,And thy right hand hold me.If I say: Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me,And the light about me shall be night,Even the darkness hideth not from thee,But the night shineth as the day.The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up unto heaven thou art there;
If I make my bed in Sheol behold thou art there;
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there shall thy hand lead me,
And thy right hand hold me.
If I say: Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me,
And the light about me shall be night,
Even the darkness hideth not from thee,
But the night shineth as the day.
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
The wise and powerful God is also the merciful one, for mercy is an attribute of the Assyrian deities as of Yahwe:
Lord of all creatures, merciful unto the lands art thou,—Hymn to Shamash No. 1.
Lord of all creatures, merciful unto the lands art thou,
—Hymn to Shamash No. 1.
Merciful one among the gods.—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
Merciful one among the gods.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
[Marduk] the merciful, whose turning [i.e. mercy] is near.—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
[Marduk] the merciful, whose turning [i.e. mercy] is near.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 4.
Merciful and gracious is Yahwe;Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.—Psalm 103:8.
Merciful and gracious is Yahwe;
Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.
—Psalm 103:8.
Gracious and merciful is Yahwe,Slow to anger and great in mercy,Good is Yahwe to all,And his mercy is over all his works.—Psalm 145:8f.
Gracious and merciful is Yahwe,
Slow to anger and great in mercy,
Good is Yahwe to all,
And his mercy is over all his works.
—Psalm 145:8f.
But thou, Lord art a god, merciful and gracious,Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and truth.—Psalm 86:15.
But thou, Lord art a god, merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and truth.
—Psalm 86:15.
The divine mercy is extended to the unfortunate, the oppressed the weak and the aged, the bowed down and the fallen, the obedient and those who fear the deity:
He has established the god-fearers, to the oppressed he has brought deliverance;He has granted favors to the obedient, brought salvation to the just.—Hymn to Marduk No. 2.
He has established the god-fearers, to the oppressed he has brought deliverance;
He has granted favors to the obedient, brought salvation to the just.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 2.
The fallen one thou seizest and raisest up,A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
The fallen one thou seizest and raisest up,
A judgment of right and justice thou judgest.
—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
Yahwe executeth righteous acts,And judgments for all oppressed.—Psalm 103:6.
Yahwe executeth righteous acts,
And judgments for all oppressed.
—Psalm 103:6.
Who keepeth truth for ever,Who executeth judgment for the oppressed.—Psalm 146:6.
Who keepeth truth for ever,
Who executeth judgment for the oppressed.
—Psalm 146:6.
Thou liftest up the weak, thou increasest the small;Thou raisest up the powerless, thou protectest the weak.Marduk, unto the fallen thou grantest mercy;Stands under thy protection the weakling ... thou commandest his raising up.—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
Thou liftest up the weak, thou increasest the small;
Thou raisest up the powerless, thou protectest the weak.
Marduk, unto the fallen thou grantest mercy;
Stands under thy protection the weakling ... thou commandest his raising up.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
Merciful god, who raisest up the lowly,Who protectest the weak.—Hymn to Shamash No. 5.
Merciful god, who raisest up the lowly,
Who protectest the weak.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 5.
Him who is bowed downI lift up;The aged oneI lift up.—Hymn to Belit.
Him who is bowed downI lift up;
The aged oneI lift up.
—Hymn to Belit.
Yahwe upholdeth all who fall;He raiseth up all who are bowed down.—Psalm 145:14.
Yahwe upholdeth all who fall;
He raiseth up all who are bowed down.
—Psalm 145:14.
Assyrian usage supports the view that the poor and the needy of the psalms, and the barren woman ofPsalm 113are not to be interpretedas the Jewish nation, but as individuals. Yahwe, says the Psalmist, is the incomparable God, in that from his glorious seat in the heavens he bendeth low to help the needy upon the earth,
He raiseth from the dust the poor;From the dunghill he lifteth up the needy,To cause him to sit with princes,Even with the princes of his people;He maketh the barren woman to remain at home,As a mother of children, joyous.—Psalm 113:7ff.
He raiseth from the dust the poor;
From the dunghill he lifteth up the needy,
To cause him to sit with princes,
Even with the princes of his people;
He maketh the barren woman to remain at home,
As a mother of children, joyous.
—Psalm 113:7ff.
The Hebrew hymn is, if anything more concrete than the Assyrian, in that it mentions not only the barren wife as above (one thinks of Sarah, Rachel, Hannah), but also the widow and the orphan and the sojourner, as special objects of the deity’s compassion.
Yahwe loveth the righteous:Yahwe protecteth the sojourners;The fatherless and the widow he upholdeth;But the way of the wicked he perverteth.—Psalm 146:9.
Yahwe loveth the righteous:
Yahwe protecteth the sojourners;
The fatherless and the widow he upholdeth;
But the way of the wicked he perverteth.
—Psalm 146:9.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow,Is God in his holy habitation.—Psalm 68:6.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow,
Is God in his holy habitation.
—Psalm 68:6.
Yahwe’s mercy, as was that of the Assyrian deity, is extended in a special degree to those who keep his covenant and obey his commandments:
But the mercy of Yahwe is everlasting,And his righteousness to children’s children,To those who faithfully keep his covenant,And remember his precepts to do them.—Psalm 103:17-18.
But the mercy of Yahwe is everlasting,
And his righteousness to children’s children,
To those who faithfully keep his covenant,
And remember his precepts to do them.
—Psalm 103:17-18.
Marvellously tender is the quality of that mercy extended to the exiles returning to Jerusalem:
Yahwe buildeth up Jerusalem:The dispersed of Israel he gathers together:He healeth the broken in heart,And bindeth up their wounds.—Psalm 147:2f.
Yahwe buildeth up Jerusalem:
The dispersed of Israel he gathers together:
He healeth the broken in heart,
And bindeth up their wounds.
—Psalm 147:2f.
There are many phrases in the Assyrian hymns to express the compassion of the deity for the sick and his power to heal. Two forms of expression are particularly interesting. The sick man is spoken of as one who is bound, his cure as the loosing of a captive; and a person extremely sick is spoken of as already dead, so that his cure is equivalent to the bringing of the dead back to life:
[Marduk Son of] the abyss, whose holy formula bestows life;[Marduk], great magician of the gods who maketh alive the dead;Terrible storm, which driveth away the great demons;Lord of magic, before whom devils and demons of sickness hide themselves;[Lord], who drives out sickness, destroys the mountains;Prince of the world regions, guardian of life;Who maketh alive the dead, sole ruler of heaven and earth.—Hymn to Marduk No. 17.
[Marduk Son of] the abyss, whose holy formula bestows life;
[Marduk], great magician of the gods who maketh alive the dead;
Terrible storm, which driveth away the great demons;
Lord of magic, before whom devils and demons of sickness hide themselves;
[Lord], who drives out sickness, destroys the mountains;
Prince of the world regions, guardian of life;
Who maketh alive the dead, sole ruler of heaven and earth.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 17.
Merciful one among the godsMerciful one who loves the awakening of the dead.—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
Merciful one among the gods
Merciful one who loves the awakening of the dead.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 7.
Shamash, to give life to the dead, to loosen the captive is in thy hand.—Hymn to Shamash No. 6.
Shamash, to give life to the dead, to loosen the captive is in thy hand.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 6.
Thou leadest him that is without a leader, the man that is in need:Thou graspeth the hand of the weak;Thou raisest up him that is bowed down;The body of the man that has been brought to the lower world thou dost restore.—Hymn to Ninib No. 1.
Thou leadest him that is without a leader, the man that is in need:
Thou graspeth the hand of the weak;
Thou raisest up him that is bowed down;
The body of the man that has been brought to the lower world thou dost restore.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 1.
Shining lord, who doeth good to the land, who through his wordThe evil sickness seized, to its place banished it;Merciful one, giver of life, restorer of the dead to life,Who supporteth truth and justice, who destroyeth the evil.—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
Shining lord, who doeth good to the land, who through his word
The evil sickness seized, to its place banished it;
Merciful one, giver of life, restorer of the dead to life,
Who supporteth truth and justice, who destroyeth the evil.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 2.
Although the Hebrews in sickness prayed unto Yahwe and were cured Psalms86:13, 16;31;38, yet there are few ascriptions of praise to Yahwe as the healer of disease. This may be because the cure of sickness was apt to be so largely a matter of magic:
Yahwe looseth the bound:Yahwe openeth the eyes of the blind;Yahwe raiseth up them that are bowed down.—Psalm 146:7f.
Yahwe looseth the bound:
Yahwe openeth the eyes of the blind;
Yahwe raiseth up them that are bowed down.
—Psalm 146:7f.
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities:Who healeth all thy diseases;Who satisfieth thy desire with good things,So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.—Psalm 103:3, 5.
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities:
Who healeth all thy diseases;
Who satisfieth thy desire with good things,
So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
—Psalm 103:3, 5.
In both the Assyrian and Hebrew hymns there are a few references to the deity as preserving life:
Preserver of life, prince of Emachtila, renewer of life.—Hymn to Marduk No. 13.
Preserver of life, prince of Emachtila, renewer of life.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 13.
Darling of Ea, giver of life;Prince of Babylon, protector of life.—Hymn to Nebo No. 1.
Darling of Ea, giver of life;
Prince of Babylon, protector of life.
—Hymn to Nebo No. 1.
Who holdeth our soul in life,And suffereth not our feet to be moved.—Psalm 66:9.
Who holdeth our soul in life,
And suffereth not our feet to be moved.
—Psalm 66:9.
The next two passages refer to Yahwe’s protection in time of famine and war:
Behold, the eye of Yahwe is unto those who fear him,To those who wait for his loving kindness,To deliver from death their soul,And to keep them alive in famine.—Psalm 33:18f.
Behold, the eye of Yahwe is unto those who fear him,
To those who wait for his loving kindness,
To deliver from death their soul,
And to keep them alive in famine.
—Psalm 33:18f.
God is to us a god of deliverance,And to Yahwe our lord belongeth escape from death.—Psalm 68:21.
God is to us a god of deliverance,
And to Yahwe our lord belongeth escape from death.
—Psalm 68:21.
There are in the Assyrian hymns a number of examples of the god’s mercy in forgiving sin:
He who has sin, thou forgivest quickly the sin;He against whom his god [guardian] is angry, thou turnest to him with favor.—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
He who has sin, thou forgivest quickly the sin;
He against whom his god [guardian] is angry, thou turnest to him with favor.
—Hymn to Sin No. 4.
He who has sinned thou sparest.—Hymn to Marduk No. 16.
He who has sinned thou sparest.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 16.
For him who possesses sin the sin thou dost remove;The man with whom his [guardian] god is angry thou art quick to favor.
For him who possesses sin the sin thou dost remove;
The man with whom his [guardian] god is angry thou art quick to favor.
Just as there were few references in the biblical hymns to Yahwe as healing sickness, so there are astonishingly few references to him as forgiving sin. In fact there are but two, and they are both found in an individual hymn:
Who forgiveth all thy iniquities,Who healeth all thy diseases.—Psalm 103:3.
Who forgiveth all thy iniquities,
Who healeth all thy diseases.
—Psalm 103:3.
As far as the East is from the West,So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.—Psalm 103:12.
As far as the East is from the West,
So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
—Psalm 103:12.
The mercy of the God is sometimes attested by the titles which he bears. Both in the Assyrian and the biblical hymns, the deity is called Shepherd. In the Assyrian hymns, the god is shepherd not only of the Assyrians, but of all peoples and of all living things:
Father Enlil, shepherd of the dark headed people.—Hymn to Enlil.
Father Enlil, shepherd of the dark headed people.
—Hymn to Enlil.
Shepherdess of all lands of the world,Which are submissive to thee, which remember to worship thee.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 3.
Shepherdess of all lands of the world,
Which are submissive to thee, which remember to worship thee.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 3.
The people of the countries all of them thou protectest;What Ea the king, the prince has created of all thou art protector,Thou shepherdest all created life together.—Hymn to Shamash No. 7.
The people of the countries all of them thou protectest;
What Ea the king, the prince has created of all thou art protector,
Thou shepherdest all created life together.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 7.
Given thee has Bel thy father the blackheaded race, all living creatures;The cattle of the field, the living creatures he has entrusted to thy hand.—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
Given thee has Bel thy father the blackheaded race, all living creatures;
The cattle of the field, the living creatures he has entrusted to thy hand.
—Hymn to Nergal No. 1.
Humanity, the black headed peoples,The living souls as many as are in the land,The four world regions entire,The divine beings of all heaven and earth, as many as there are,To thee is their attention turned:Thou art their god, thou art their guardian god;It is thou who grantest them life;It is thou who preserveth them unhurt.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Humanity, the black headed peoples,
The living souls as many as are in the land,
The four world regions entire,
The divine beings of all heaven and earth, as many as there are,
To thee is their attention turned:
Thou art their god, thou art their guardian god;
It is thou who grantest them life;
It is thou who preserveth them unhurt.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
The Hebrew God is Shepherd of Israel, his own peculiar people.
For He is our God, and we areThe people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.—Psalm 95:7.
For He is our God, and we are
The people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
—Psalm 95:7.
Know that Yahwe, He is God:He made us, and we are His,His people, and the sheep of his pasture.—Psalm 100:3.
Know that Yahwe, He is God:
He made us, and we are His,
His people, and the sheep of his pasture.
—Psalm 100:3.
The Assyrian deity is frequently addressed in the hymns as father.Probably it originally meant father of the gods in a physical sense. In some instances it may have meant no more than the supreme god:
Father Nannar, lord Anshar, chief of the gods.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Father Nannar, lord Anshar, chief of the gods.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Father Enlil—lord of lands.—Hymn to Enlil.
Father Enlil—lord of lands.
—Hymn to Enlil.
The title of Father is also assigned to the deity as creator of men and all living things:
Father, begetter of gods and men,Who dost build dwellings and establishest offerings.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Father, begetter of gods and men,
Who dost build dwellings and establishest offerings.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Father, begetter of all things,Who lookest upon all living things.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Father, begetter of all things,
Who lookest upon all living things.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
With the same significance the deity is addressed in the following couplet:
Mother womb begetter of all thingsWho has taken up his exalted habitation among living creatures.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Mother womb begetter of all things
Who has taken up his exalted habitation among living creatures.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Religious meaning is put into the term in the following two examples:
O merciful gracious father,Who hath taken into his care the life of the whole world.—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
O merciful gracious father,
Who hath taken into his care the life of the whole world.
—Hymn to Sin No. 5.
Thou art lord, as Father and mother [among men] art thou.—Hymn to Marduk No. 9.
Thou art lord, as Father and mother [among men] art thou.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 9.
Yahwe is elsewhere in the Old Testament the father of the Hebrew nation (Hosea), and the father of the Messiah (Psalm 2), but in the hymns he is not actually called father, though his compassion is likened to that of a father for his children.
Like as a father pitieth his children,So Yahwe pitieth those who fear him.For He, indeed, knoweth our frame;He remembereth that we are dust.—Psalm 103:13f.
Like as a father pitieth his children,
So Yahwe pitieth those who fear him.
For He, indeed, knoweth our frame;
He remembereth that we are dust.
—Psalm 103:13f.
The final significance and supreme importance of deity for Assyrian and Hebrew hymnists is perhaps best summed up in the words: “King” and “Judge.” To be sure the person in sickness of any kind could and did have recourse to the god who had wisdom and power to work deliverance. But, even as the life of the Assyrian and Hebrew peoples revolved around the earthly king upon his throne, so they sought for authority and leadership, protection and prosperity, in a heavenly king, whose right it was to reign in heaven and on earth. It is not strange then that many Assyrian hymns do homage to the deity as, “King of heaven and earth”:
Shamash king of heaven and earth governor of things above and below.—Hymn to Shamash No. 6.
Shamash king of heaven and earth governor of things above and below.
—Hymn to Shamash No. 6.
Lord of the lands, king of heaven and earth, who heaps up abundance.—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Lord of the lands, king of heaven and earth, who heaps up abundance.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 3.
Marduk king of heaven and earth.—Hymn to Marduk No. 6.
Marduk king of heaven and earth.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 6.
Marduk regent of heaven and earth.—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
Marduk regent of heaven and earth.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 1.
He whose sovereignty glitters to the borders of heaven and earth am I.—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
He whose sovereignty glitters to the borders of heaven and earth am I.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 3.
Here may be placed the corresponding title of the goddess:
Queen of heaven above and below let it be spoken.—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
Queen of heaven above and below let it be spoken.
—Hymn to Ishtar No. 5.
There are three references to the throne:
Thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne.—Hymn to Sin No. 2.
Thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne.
—Hymn to Sin No. 2.
When he sits upon the great throne of the holy chamber,On the festal day when he takes his seat in joy, raising himself in brilliancy.—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
When he sits upon the great throne of the holy chamber,
On the festal day when he takes his seat in joy, raising himself in brilliancy.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 4.
Amid shouts of joy as king ascendest thou.—Hymn to Sin No. 3.
Amid shouts of joy as king ascendest thou.
—Hymn to Sin No. 3.
Twice the sceptre is referred to:
A sceptre for remote days has Bel finished for thy hand.—Hymn to Sin No. 3.
A sceptre for remote days has Bel finished for thy hand.
—Hymn to Sin No. 3.
Marduk holds in his hand the sceptre.—Hymn to Marduk.
Marduk holds in his hand the sceptre.
—Hymn to Marduk.
While the god’s throne is in heaven, it is his sovereignty over the earth which the hymnist has especially in mind:
In powerful sovereignty thou rulest the lands,Thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne.—Hymn to Sin No. 2.
In powerful sovereignty thou rulest the lands,
Thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne.
—Hymn to Sin No. 2.
Bel, gracious king, lord of the lands.—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
Bel, gracious king, lord of the lands.
—Hymn to Marduk No. 12.
Ninib, king, whose father made submissive to him distant lands.—Hymn to Ninib No. 7.
Ninib, king, whose father made submissive to him distant lands.
—Hymn to Ninib No. 7.
The “king of heaven and earth” is at the same time: