Go to Related Reading
About this book

Psalms

About this book
Psalm 110

1 A psalm of David. Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord: “Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”⁠ 2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you.⁠ 4 The Lord makes this promise on oath and will not revoke it: “You are an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.” 5 O Lord, at your right hand he strikes down kings in the day he unleashes his anger.⁠ 6 He executes judgment against the nations. He fills the valleys with corpses; he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield.⁠ 7 From the stream along the road he drinks; then he lifts up his head.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.6 VI:12 and Psalm 110:5

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Psalm 110 shares Baal's defense of his mountain home in the Baal Cycle, linking the defeat of foreign rulers with God's rule from Zion and his support for Israel's king.

Passages

KTU 1.6 VI:12

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Divine Mot ate his seven divine assistants. Divine Mot cried: “Look! It is my brothers whom Baal has given me for my meal, my mother’s sons for my consumption!” He returned to Baal in the recesses of Sapan. He lifted up his voice and cried: “It is my brothers you have given me, Baal, for my meal, my mother’s sons for my consumption!” They glowered at each other like burning coals. Mot was strong; Baal was strong. They gored like wild bulls. Mot was strong; Baal was strong. They bit like serpents. Mot was strong; Baal was strong. They tugged like hunting-dogs. Mot fell. Baal fell on top of him. Shapshu cried to Mot: “Listen, pray, O divine Mot! How can you fight with Valiant Baal?
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 110:5

Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm of David. Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord: “Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord extends your dominion from Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you. 4 The Lord makes this promise on oath and will not revoke it: “You are an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.” 5 O Lord, at your right hand he strikes down kings in the day he unleashes his anger. 6 He executes judgment against the nations. He fills the valleys with corpses; he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... There are many parallels between this Ugaritic passage and a variety of biblical texts. First, the divine battle takes place at the mountain of the deity, a motif found in Psalms 2:1-2; 48:5-8; 110; Joel 4:9-14; Zechariah 12:3-4; 14:2; and elsewhere. In Ugaritic, this motif is not restricted to Anat. Baal also fights his enemies on his mountain (KTU 1.6 VI 12-13; cf. 1.1 V 5, 18). Second, the battle is universal in scope; “peoples” are collectively the enemies of the deity. Many of the biblical passages just cited likewise contain this motif. ...”
Mark S. Smith, The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel, 2nd ed., The Biblical Resource Series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), PDF 115.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

KTU 1.6 VI:12 and Psalm 110:5

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library