Texts in Conversation
Psalm 78 criticizes speech that appears faithful while hiding false intent. This echoes Mesopotamian texts and traditions such as the Akkadian Surpu tablets, where the unjust person is similarly described with their heart not aligned with their words.
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Surpu II
Sumerian and Akkadian Incantations
Ancient Near East
He ousted a well-to-do young man from his family, scattered a gathered clan, used to stand by the …, His mouth is straight, but his heart is untrue, when his mouth says “yes”, his heart says “no”, altogether he speaks untrue words. He who is …, shakes and trembles of rage, destroys, expels, drives to flight, accuses and convicts, spreads gossip, wrongs, robs and incites to rob, sets his hand to evil his mouth is …, lying, his lips confused and violent, who knows improper things, has learned unseemly things, who has taken his stand with wickedness, transgressed the borderline of right, committed things that are not proper, set his hand to sorcery and witchcraft.
Date: 1200 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Psalm 78:35
Hebrew Bible
35 They remembered that God was their protector and that God Most High was their deliverer. 36 But they deceived him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongues.45 37 Their hearts were far from him,46 and they were unfaithful to his covenant. 38 Yet he is compassionate. He forgives sin and does not destroy. He often holds back his anger and does not stir up his fury. 39 He remembered that they were made of flesh and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.
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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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