Psalms

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Psalm 46

1 For the music director, by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; a song. God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 2 For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 3 when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah) 4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, the special, holy dwelling place of the Most High.⁠ 5 God lives within it, it cannot be moved. God rescues it at the break of dawn. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. God gives a shout, the earth dissolves.⁠ 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Selah) 8 Come, Witness the exploits of the Lord, who brings devastation to the earth. 9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth.⁠ He shatters the bow and breaks the spear; he burns the shields with fire.⁠ 10 He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God. I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob is our stronghold! (Selah)

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.3 III:30 and Psalm 46:4

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Summary

Psalm 46 shares Ugarit's picture of a holy mountain dwelling, where Baal's Mount Sapan is called both holy and divine, making God's presence in Jerusalem the reason the city can withstand danger.

Passages

KTU 1.3 III:30

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

“I understand the lightning beyond the heavens’ ken, the thoughts beyond human knowledge, that which the throngs below cannot understand. Come, and I will show it: deep inside my mountain, holy Sapan, in the sacred space on my native peak, in the paradise upon the hill of victory.” Watch! Anat sees the gods. Below, her feet start shaking. All around, her limbs are shivering. Up above, her face sweats. Shudders wrack the bones of every limb; the bones within her spine turn weak. She spoke up and cried out, “Why have Gupan and Ugar come here? What enemy rises up against Baal? What rival faces the Cloud-Rider? Didn’t I crush El’s beloved, Yamm (Ocean)? Didn’t I annihilate Nahar (River), the great god? Didn’t I leash Dragon and bind him in a saddle? I crushed the Sinuous Serpent, Encircler, the seven-headed monster.

1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 46:4

Hebrew Bible

2 For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 3 when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah) 4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, the special, holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God lives within it, it cannot be moved. God rescues it at the break of dawn. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. God gives a shout, the earth dissolves. 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Selah) 8 Come, Witness the exploits of the Lord, who brings devastation to the earth. 9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth. He shatters the bow and breaks the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... By extension, deities’ sanctuaries and their dwellings on mountains partake of holiness. So Baal’s mountain, Mount Sapan, is called “holy” (KTU 1.3 III 30; 1.16 I 7) as well as “divine” (KTU 1.3 III 29). So, too, Yahweh’s dwelling-place is called the “holy mountain” (har qodesh; Psalm 48:2) and “the holy dwelling-place of the Most High” (qedosh mishkene ‘elyon; Psalm 46:5). Divine holiness, as experienced and expressed in cult, is associated with shaking, whether of places of theophany (KTU 1.4 VII; Psalm 114) or people who experience it (KTU 1.4 VII; Isaiah 6:4). ...”

Mark S. Smith, The Priestly Vision of Genesis 1 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010), PDF 326.

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 III:30 and Psalm 46:4

Summary

Passages

KTU 1.3 III:30

Psalm 46:4

References

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