Texts in Conversation
Psalm 15 praises the person who fulfills his vows, echoing ancient Near Eastern traditions such as the Akkadian Surpu tablets that criticize those who do not follow through with their vows.
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Surpu II
Sumerian and Akkadian Incantations
Ancient Near East
Because of the evil taboo he has eaten, because of the many sins he committed, because of the assembly he divided, because of the tightly united company he dispersed, because of all the contempt for the god and goddess, because he promised in heart and by mouth but did not give, omitted the name of his god in his incense-offering, made the purifications, then complained and withheld it, …, saved something for the gods, but ate it, after he behaved arrogantly, he started to pray, disarranged the altar that had been prepared, made his god and his goddess angry with himself, standing up in the assembly, said inadequate words.
Date: 1200 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Psalm 15:4
Hebrew Bible
2 Whoever lives a blameless life, does what is right, and speaks honestly. 3 He does not slander, or do harm to others, or insult his neighbor. 4 He despises a reprobate, but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. 5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money. He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. The one who lives like this will never be shaken.
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Notes and References
"... the reliability of the spoken word was a general concern to Mesopotamians and Israelites. The sin of hypocrisy, that is, saying one thing and thinking another, rouses the wrath of the gods. Assurbanipal paints with disgust the wicked conduct of Šamaššumukin who “outwardly, with his lips, spoke friendly words, but inwardly in his heart, planned murder.” Similar emotional accents can be heard in the laments of the Old Testament psalmists when they denounce the wicked ways of their would-be friends. Lies and falsehood are abhorred by the LORD and are in conflict with the ethos of the righteous; the Mesopotamian pantheon does not hold innocent the man who says “no” for “yes” or “yes” for “no,” “there is not” when there is or “there is” when there is not. The retracted promise met with a strong disapproval by the gods, particularly on Marduk’s behalf. “If you have promised, give …” was a current counsel, the spirit of which is also reflected in penitential confessions. A similar ideal is pictured in the Psalms, which praise the man who, having sworn to his own disadvantage, does not break his vow (compare Psalm 15:4, Deuteronomy 23:22-24, Ecclesiastes 5:3-5) ..."
Toorn, Karel van der
Sin and Sanction in Israel and Mesopotamia: A Comparative Study
(p. 20) Van Gorcum, 1985
* 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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