Texts in Conversation
Psalm 96 reuses language from Psalm 29 but changes it to address people instead of other gods. This shift transforms an older Israelite tradition with a divine council praising God into one where all nations worship God, suggests a later adaptation and reflecting the movement away from a polytheistic or henotheistic setting.
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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.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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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.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Tov regards the change of bene elohım, “divine beings,” in Psalm 29:1 to mispehot ammım, “families of the people,” in Psalm 96:7 as another example of such an “anti-polytheistic alteration.” For the literary dependence of Psalm 96 on Psalm 29, see H. L. Ginsberg, “A Strand in the Cord of Hebrew Psalmody” ... Psalm 29 reflects an early expression of Israelite polytheism ..."
Smith, Mark S.
The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts
(pp. 223-224) Oxford University Press, 2001
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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