Psalms

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Psalm 15

1 A psalm of David. Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill?⁠ 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.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.3 V:7 and Psalm 15:1

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Summary

The question about living in God's tent in Psalm 15 draws on the image of a divine home also used for El in the Baal Cycle, making upright conduct a condition for being God's guest.

Passages

KTU 1.3 V:7

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

“I shall trample him like a lamb to the ground; I shall make his gray hair run with blood, the gray hair of his beard with gore, if he does not give a house to Baal like the gods, and a dwelling like the sons of Athirat!” She stamped her feet, and the earth shook. Then she set her face towards El at the source of the rivers, amidst the springs of the two deeps. She rolled back the tent of El, and came to the pavilion of the King, the Father of the Bright One. She came to the territory, the tent of the creator. Bull El her father heard her voice. El replied from within the seven chambers, through the eight façades of the closed rooms: […] Above […] “At the feet of the divine assistants I fall: I am much afraid!

1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 15:1

Hebrew Bible

1 A psalm of David. Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill? 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.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... Moreover, the description of Yahweh’s dwelling-place as a “tent” (’o¯hel) (e.g., Psalms 15:1; 27:6; 91:10; 132:3), called in the Pentateuchal traditions the “tent of meeting” (’ohel moˆ‘e¯d) (Exodus 33:7–11; Numbers 12:5, 10; Deuteronomy 31:14, 15), recalls the tent of El. The tabernacle of Yahweh has qeˇra¯sˇıˆm, usually understood as “boards” (Exodus 26–40); Numbers 3:36; 4:31), whereas the dwelling of El is called qrsˇ, perhaps “tabernacle” or “pa- vilion” (CAT 1.2 III 5; 1.3 V 8; 1.4 IV 24; 1.17 V 49). ...”

Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 142.

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

Psalms150 psalms

Compare KTU 1.3 V:7 and Psalm 15:1

Summary

Passages

KTU 1.3 V:7

Psalm 15:1

References

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