Timeline

Israelite Henotheism

Early Israelite theology often reflects a henotheistic worldview, in which the existence of other gods is not denied, but exclusive worship is demanded for Israel’s own God. Rather than asserting monotheism in a modern sense, texts like Deuteronomy 17:3 prohibit allegiance to foreign gods, not because they are unreal, but because worshiping them violates the covenant.

Timeline

Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7 / Psalm 82:1
1. 2100 BCE
  
  Epic of Gilgamesh XI 7
  
  Ancient Near East, Babylonian
  
  1 Gilgameš spoke to him, to Ūta-napišti the Far-Away. 2 ‘As I look at you, Ūta-napišti, 3 your form is not different, you are just like me, 4 you are not different at all, you are just like me. 5 I was fully intent on doing battle with you, 6 [but] in your presence my hand is held back. 7 How was it you attended the gods’ assembly, and found life?’ 8 Ūta-napišti spoke to him, to Gilgameš: 9 ‘I will disclose to you, Gilgameš, a secret matter, 10 and I will tell you a mystery of the gods.
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 82:1
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment. 2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.
Epic of Gilgamesh XI 119 / Psalm 82:1
1. 2100 BCE
  
  Epic of Gilgamesh XI 119
  
  Ancient Near East, Babylonian
  
  114 Even the gods took fright at the Deluge! 115 They withdrew, they went up to the heaven of Anu. 116 The gods curled up like dogs, lying out in the open. 117 The goddess, screaming like a woman in childbirth, 118 Bēlet-ilī, the sweet-voiced, wailed aloud: 119 “Indeed the past has truly turned to clay, 120 because I spoke evil in the assembly of the gods. 121 How was it I spoke evil in the assembly of the gods, 122 (and) declared a war to destroy my people? 123 It is I that gave birth (to them)! They are my people! 124 (Now) like so many fish they fill the sea.” 125 The gods, the Anunnaki, were weeping with her, 126 wet-faced with sorrow, they were weeping [with her], 127 their lips were parched, being stricken with fever. 128 For six days and (seven) nights,
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 82:1
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment. 2 He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked? (Selah) 3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.
KTU 1.2 IV:8 / 2 Kings 1:3
1. 1350–1185 BCE
  
  KTU 1.2 IV:8
  
  Ancient Near East, Ugaritic
  
  If I see and with Yamm is the sieve of destruction. By Yamm I shall be worm-eaten and thanks to Nahar, devoured by maggots. There, with a sword I shall destroy. I shall knock down his houses. Into the underworld will fall my strength, and into the dust my power. From his mouth his speech barely went forth, from his lips his word, and he gave forth his voice in groaning beneath the throne of Prince Yamm. And Kothar-wa-Hasis spoke: Indeed I say to you, O Prince Baal, I repeat, O Charioteer of the Clouds, now your foe, Baal, now your foe you must smite; now you must destroy your adversary.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  2 Kings 1:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders, “Go, ask Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.” 3 But the angel of the Lord told Elijah the Tishbite, “Get up; go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: ‘You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron. 4 Therefore this is what the Lord has said, “You will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die!”’” So Elijah went on his way. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”
KTU 1.23:52 / Isaiah 14:13
1. 1350–1185 BCE
  
  KTU 1.23:52
  
  Ancient Near East, Ugaritic
  
  from kissing came conception, from embracing, impregnation. He sat and counted five months for growth, ten for the full completion. Both of them crouched and gave birth to Shahar and Shalim. Word was brought to El: The two wives of El have given birth! What have they borne? Shahar and Shalim have been born. Raise up an offering to Shapshu, the Great Lady, and to the stars who have been begotten.
2. 740–450 BCE
  
  Isaiah 14:13
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  11 Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol, as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. You lie on a bed of maggots, with a blanket of worms over you.’ 12 “Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations! 13 You said to yourself, ‘I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. 14 I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!’ 15 But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the Pit.
Genesis 10:5 / Zephaniah 2:11
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Genesis 10:5
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Dodanim. 5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations. 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Zephaniah 2:11
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “be certain that Moab will become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah. They will be overrun by weeds, filled with salt pits, and permanently desolate. Those of my people who are left will plunder their belongings; those who are left in Judah will take possession of their land.” 10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, for they taunted and verbally harassed the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 11 The Lord will terrify them, for he will weaken all the gods of the earth. All the coastlands of the nations⁴⁰ will worship the Lord in their own lands. 12 “You Ethiopians will also die by my sword!” 13 The Lord will attack the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins; it will be as barren as the desert.
Genesis 35:2 / Joshua 24:23
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Genesis 35:2
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Let us go up at once to Bethel. Then I will make an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress and has been with me wherever I went.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Joshua 24:23
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  23 Joshua said, “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.” 25 That day Joshua drew up an agreement for the people, and he established rules and regulations for them in Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s sanctuary.
Exodus 12:12 / Jeremiah 46:25
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Exodus 12:12
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  10 You must leave nothing until morning, but you must burn with fire whatever remains of it until morning. 11 This is how you are to eat it—dressed to travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 “‘I will pass through the land of Egypt in the same night, and I will attack all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of humans and of animals, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, so that when I see the blood I will pass over you, and this plague will not fall on you to destroy you when I attack the land of Egypt. 14 “‘This day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—you will celebrate it perpetually as a lasting ordinance.
2. 500–401 BCE
  
  Jeremiah 46:25
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest. But I, the Lord, affirm that the enemy will cut them down. For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts. They will be too numerous to count. 24 Poor dear Egypt will be put to shame. She will be handed over to the people from the north.’” 25 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him. 26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!” 27 “You descendants of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid; do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from the faraway lands where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure, and no one will terrify them.
Exodus 15:11 / Onkelos Exodus 15:11
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Exodus 15:11
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders? 12 You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
2. 50–500 CE
  
  Onkelos Exodus 15:11
  
  Targum
  
  10 You spoke by Your Memra, the sea covered them, they sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 There is none besides You, God, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders. 12 You lifted up Your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.
Deuteronomy 4:19 / 2 Kings 17:16
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 4:19
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly host—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  2 Kings 17:16
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  15 They rejected his rules, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the laws he had commanded them to obey. They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to the Lord. They copied the practices of the surrounding nations in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command. 16 They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God; they made two metal calves and an Asherah pole, bowed down to all the stars in the sky, and worshiped Baal. 17 They passed their sons and daughters through the fire, and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the Lord and made him angry. 18 So the Lord was furious with Israel and rejected them; only the tribe of Judah was left.
Deuteronomy 4:19 / 2 Kings 21:3
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 4:19
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly host—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  2 Kings 21:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.” 5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky.
Deuteronomy 4:19 / Deuteronomy 32:8
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 4:19
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  17 any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly host—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21 But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you.
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 32:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your Creator? He has made you and established you. 7 Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
Deuteronomy 4:19 / Isaiah 47:13
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 4:19
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  18 anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters under the earth. 19 When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly host—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today.
2. 740–450 BCE
  
  Isaiah 47:13
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  12 Persist in trusting your amulets and your many incantations, which you have faithfully recited since your youth! Maybe you will be successful—maybe you will scare away disaster. 13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. Let them take their stand—the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make monthly predictions—let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 14 Look, they are like straw that the fire burns up; they cannot rescue themselves from the heat of the flames. There are no coals to warm them, no firelight to enjoy.
Deuteronomy 5:7 / Hosea 13:4
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 5:7
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  5 (I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal the Lord’s message to you, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said: 6 “I am the Lord your God—he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery. 7 “You must not have any other gods besides me. 8 “You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. 9 You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me,
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Hosea 13:4
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  2 Even now they persist in sin! They make metal images for themselves, idols that they skillfully fashion from their own silver; all of them are nothing but the work of craftsmen. There is a saying about them: “Those who sacrifice to the calf idol are calf kissers!” 3 Therefore they will disappear like the morning mist, like early morning dew that evaporates, like chaff that is blown away from a threshing floor, like smoke that disappears through an open window. 4 But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Therefore, you must not acknowledge any God but me. Except for me there is no Savior. 5 I cared for you in the wilderness, in the dry desert where no water was. 6 When they were fed, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; as a result, they forgot me!
Deuteronomy 17:3 / Jeremiah 8:2
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 17:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you in one of your villages that the Lord your God is giving you who sins before the Lord your God and breaks his covenant 3 by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun, moon, or any other heavenly bodies that I have not permitted you to worship. 4 When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done in Israel, 5 you must bring to your city gates that man or woman who has done this wicked thing—that very man or woman—and you must stone that person to death.
2. 500–401 BCE
  
  Jeremiah 8:2
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 The Lord says, “When that time comes, the bones of the kings of Judah and its leaders, the bones of the priests and prophets, and of all the other people who lived in Jerusalem will be dug up from their graves. 2 They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon, and the stars. These are things they adored and served, things to which they paid allegiance, from which they sought guidance and worshiped. The bones of these people will never be regathered and reburied. They will be like manure used to fertilize the ground.
Deuteronomy 17:3 / Zephaniah 1:5
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 17:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you in one of your villages that the Lord your God is giving you who sins before the Lord your God and breaks his covenant 3 by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun, moon, or any other heavenly bodies that I have not permitted you to worship. 4 When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done in Israel, 5 you must bring to your city gates that man or woman who has done this wicked thing—that very man or woman—and you must stone that person to death.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Zephaniah 1:5
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  4 “I will attack Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan priests. 5 I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops, those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their ‘king,’ 6 and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”
Deuteronomy 17:3 / LXX Deuteronomy 17:3
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 17:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you in one of your villages that the Lord your God is giving you who sins before the Lord your God and breaks his covenant 3 by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun, moon, or any other heavenly bodies that I have not permitted you to worship. 4 When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done in Israel,
2. 300–201 BCE
  
  LXX Deuteronomy 17:3
  
  Septuagint
  
  2 And if there should be found in any one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who shall do that which is evil before the Lord your God, so as to transgress his covenant, 3 and they should go and serve other gods, and worship them, the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which he did not command, 4 and it be told you, and you shall have inquired diligently, and, look, the thing really took place, this abomination has been done in Israel;
Deuteronomy 32:8 / Torah Shebikhtav, Lech Lecha, Torah Ohr 2
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 32:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your Creator? He has made you and established you. 7 Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
2. 1611–1631 CE
  
  Torah Shebikhtav, Lech Lecha, Torah Ohr 2
  
  Rabbinic
  
  G–d chose us from all the other seventy nations to be our G–d, and chose us to be His people. He gave the other seventy nations their respective languages and countries, all under the supervision of seventy representatives at the Celestial Court. Our tongue, however, is a holy tongue. To us He gave the Holy Land, a land that is supervised by G–d directly and not through one of His agents. This land is situated "opposite" its counterpart in the Heavenly Spheres. We cannot lay a claim to this land except through removal of the foreskin, which represents the קליפה, the symbol of the serpent's pollution, the influence of the סטרא אחרא. If Jews should fail to observe this commandment, G–d forbid, then this would be something shameful for the land, i.e. ערות הארץ, since all students of Kabbalah are aware that the ארץ ישראל in the Heavenly Regions, i.e. the emanations of יסוד ומלכות symbolise the secret of the relationship between Zion and Jerusalem on earth.
Deuteronomy 32:8 / Or HaChaim 32
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 32:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your Creator? He has made you and established you. 7 Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
2. 1718 CE
  
  Or HaChaim 32
  
  Rabbinic
  
  בהנחל עליון גוים, 'When the Supreme One gave nations their inheritance, etc.' This is a reference to the time when G'd assigned 'guardian angels' for the various Gentile nations to represent them at the celestial court. This is an allusion to the fact that G'd considered these nations as inferior so that He did not want to relate to them directly but only by means of an intermediary.
Deuteronomy 32:8 / Micah 4:5
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 32:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your Creator? He has made you and established you. 7 Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Micah 4:5
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  3 He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war. 4 Each will sit under his own grapevine or under his own fig tree without any fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has decreed it. 5 Though all the nations follow their respective gods, we will follow the Lord our God forever. 6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will gather the lame and assemble the outcasts whom I injured. 7 I will transform the lame into the nucleus of a new nation and those far off into a mighty nation. The Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion, from that day forward and forevermore.
Deuteronomy 32:8 / Judges 11:24
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 32:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish, unwise people? Is he not your father, your Creator? He has made you and established you. 7 Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided up humankind, he set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the heavenly assembly. 9 For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession. 10 The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Judges 11:24
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  22 They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west. 23 Since the Lord God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them? 24 You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the Lord our God has driven out before us. 25 Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them? 26 Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for 300 years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time?
Isaiah 5:14 / Habakkuk 2:5
1. 740–450 BCE
  
  Isaiah 5:14
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  12 They have stringed instruments, tambourines, flutes, and wine at their parties. So they do not recognize what the Lord is doing, they do not perceive what he is bringing about. 13 Therefore my people will be deported because of their lack of understanding. Their leaders will have nothing to eat, their masses will have nothing to drink. 14 So Death will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her. 15 Men will be humiliated, they will be brought low; the proud will be brought low. 16 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be exalted when he punishes, the holy God’s authority will be recognized when he judges.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Habakkuk 2:5
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  3 For the message is a witness to what is decreed; it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. Even if the message is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; for it will certainly come to pass—it will not arrive late. 4 Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness. 5 Indeed, wine will betray the proud, restless man! His appetite is as big as Sheol’s; like death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations; he seizes all peoples. 6 “But all these nations will someday taunt him and ridicule him with proverbial sayings: ‘Woe to the one who accumulates what does not belong to him (how long will this go on?)—he who gets rich by extortion!’ 7 Your creditors will suddenly attack; those who terrify you will spring into action, and they will rob you.
Isaiah 24:21 / Psalm 82:6
1. 740–450 BCE
  
  Isaiah 24:21
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  19 The earth is broken in pieces, the earth is ripped to shreds, the earth shakes violently. 20 The earth will stagger around like a drunk; it will sway back and forth like a hut in a windstorm. Its sin will weigh it down, and it will fall and never get up again. 21 At that time the Lord will punish the heavenly forces in the heavens and the earthly kings on the earth. 22 They will be imprisoned in a pit, locked up in a prison, and after staying there for a long time, they will be punished. 23 The full moon will be covered up, the bright sun will be darkened; for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor.
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 82:6
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  4 Rescue the poor and needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked. 5 They neither know nor understand. They stumble around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble. 6 I thought, ‘You are gods; all of you are sons of the Most High.’ 7 Yet you will die like mortals; you will fall like all the other rulers.” 8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth! For you own all the nations.
Isaiah 65:11 / LXX Isaiah 65:11
1. 740–450 BCE
  
  Isaiah 65:11
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  10 Sharon will become a pasture for sheep, and the Valley of Achor a place where cattle graze; they will belong to my people, who seek me. 11 But as for you who abandon the Lord and forget about worshiping at my holy mountain, who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’ and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’— 12 I predestine you to die by the sword, all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block, because I called to you, and you did not respond; I spoke and you did not listen. You did evil before me; you chose to do what displeases me.”
2. 100–1 BCE
  
  LXX Isaiah 65:11
  
  Septuagint
  
  10 And there shall be in the forest folds of flocks, and the valley of Achor shall be for a resting-place of herds for my people, who have sought me. 11 But you are they that have left me, and forget my holy mountain, and prepare a table for the demon, and fill up the drink-offering to Fortune. 12 I will deliver you up to the sword, you shall all fall by slaughter: for I called you, and you did not listen; I spoke, and you refused to hear; and you did evil in my sight, and chose the things in which I did not delight.
Joshua 24:15 / Judges 6:10
1. 600–501 BCE
  
  Joshua 24:15
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  13 I gave you a land in which you had not worked hard; you took up residence in cities you did not build, and you are eating the produce of vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’ 14 “Now obey the Lord and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 If you have no desire to worship the Lord, then choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord.” 16 The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  Judges 6:10
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  8 the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and took you out of that place of slavery. 9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living.” But you have disobeyed me.’” 11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress so he could hide it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!”
Habakkuk 3:5 / Jeremiah 14:12
1. 600–501 BCE
  
  Habakkuk 3:5
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  3 God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor has covered the skies, the earth is full of his glory. 4 His brightness will be as lightning; a two-pronged lightning bolt flashing from his hand. This is the outward display of his power. 5 Plague will go before him; pestilence will march right behind him. 6 He took his battle position and shook the earth; with a mere look he frightened the nations. The ancient mountains disintegrated; the primeval hills were flattened. His are ancient roads. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; the tent curtains of the land of Midian were shaking.
2. 500–401 BCE
  
  Jeremiah 14:12
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  10 Then the Lord spoke about these people. “They truly love to go astray. They cannot keep from running away from me. So I am not pleased with them. I will now call to mind the wrongs they have done and punish them for their sins.” 11 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for good to come to these people! 12 Even if they fast, I will not hear their cries for help. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will kill them through wars, famines, and plagues.” 13 Then I said, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, look! The prophets are telling them that you said, ‘You will not experience war or suffer famine. I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind.
Psalm 24:7 / Psalm 95:3
1. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 24:7
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  7 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter. 8 Who is this majestic king? The Lord who is strong and mighty. The Lord a mighty man in battle. 9 Look up, you gates. Rise up, you eternal doors. Then the majestic king will enter. 10 Who is this majestic king? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He is the majestic king. (Selah)
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 95:3
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout out praises to our Protector who delivers us. 2 Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout out to him in celebration. 3 For the Lord is a great God, a great king who is superior to all gods. 4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
Psalm 29:1 / Psalm 96:7
1. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 29:1
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  1 A psalm of David. Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power. 2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation. Worship the Lord in holy attire. 3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; the majestic God thunders, the Lord appears over the surging water.
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 96:7
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the Lord made the sky. 6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves. Bring an offering and enter his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth.
Psalm 86:8 / Revelation 15:4
1. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 86:8
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry out to you all day long. 4 Make your servant glad, for to you, O Lord, I pray. 5 Certainly, O Lord, you are kind and forgiving, and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you. 6 O Lord, hear my prayer. Pay attention to my plea for mercy. 7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you, for you will answer me. 8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord. Your exploits are incomparable. 9 All the nations, whom you created, will come and worship you, O Lord. They will honor your name. 10 For you are great and do amazing things. You alone are God.
2. 92–96 CE
  
  Revelation 15:4
  
  New Testament
  
  2 Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. 3 They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations! 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name, because you alone are holy? All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous acts have been revealed.” 5 After these things I looked, and the temple (the tent of the testimony) was opened in heaven, 6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean bright linen, wearing wide golden belts around their chests.
Psalm 97:7 / LXX Psalm 96:7
1. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 97:7
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The sky declares his justice, and all the nations see his splendor. 7 All who worship idols are ashamed, those who boast about worthless idols. All the gods bow down before him. 8 Zion hears and rejoices, the towns of Judah are happy, because of your judgments, O Lord. 9 For you, O Lord, are the Most High over the whole earth; you are elevated high above all gods.
2. 100–1 BCE
  
  LXX Psalm 96:7
  
  Septuagint
  
  5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens have declared his righteousness, and all the peoples have seen his glory. 7 Let all that worship carved images be ashamed, who boast of their idols; worship him, all you his angels. 8 Zion heard and rejoiced; and the daughters of Judea exulted, because of your judgments, Lord. 9 For you are Lord most high over all the earth; you are greatly exalted above all gods.