Psalm 104: A bodily interpretation of 'Yahweh's history'

Johan H. Coetzee

Department of Biblical and Religious Studies. University of Johannesburg

Correspondence

ABSTRACT

Psalm 104 is one of the finest pieces of lyric poetry in the Old Testament, expressing the poet's emotions regarding 'Yahweh's history. ' According to Israelite belief, creation was Yahweh's first act in history, the first fundamental deed setting the stage for Yahweh's involvement with his people. The praise of Yahweh's works and wonders in the creation is often mentioned in the same breath as his acts in the history of his people. In this paper 'Yahweh's history,' as expressed in Psalm 104, is examined from a bodily perspective. Our involvement in and contemplation of this 'history' can only be via the body. It is shown how God-constructs, animal behaviour, and descriptions of nature, as depictions within 'Yahweh's history,' all refer back to and are metaphorised from human bodily experiences. Human involvement in the 'history of Yahweh' appears to be on the same level as the rest of creation in this psalm. This has important ethical implications on all levels of our involvement in that 'history.'

“Full text available only in PDF format”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barclay, O. R. 2006. Design in nature. Science and Christian Belief 18/1, 49-61.         [ Links ]

Berquist, J. L. 2002. Controlling Corporeality. The body and the household in Ancient Israel. New Brunswick, New Jersey, London.         [ Links ]

Brown, William P. 2006. The lion, the wicked, and the wonder of it all: psalm 104 and the playful God. Journal for Preachers 29/3, 15-20.(http://0search.atlaonline.com.ujlink.uj.ac.za:80/pls/ec/ashowpdf?aid=ATLA0001515172) (Accessed 11 March 2008)        [ Links ]

Eilberg-Schwartz, H. 1990. The Savage in Judaism. An Anthropology of Israelite Religion in Ancient Judaism. Bloomington/Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.         [ Links ]

Fretheim, E. T. 2005. God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation. Nashville: Abingdon Press.         [ Links ]

Harrelson, W-J. 1975. On God's care for the earth: Psalm 104. Currents in Theology and Mission 2/1, 19-22. (http://0-search.atlaonline.com.uilink.ui.ac.za:80/pls/ec/ashowpdf?aid=ATLA0000750154) (Accessed 11 March 2008)        [ Links ]

Howard, V-P. 1992. Psalm 104. Interpretation 46/2, 176-180.         [ Links ]

Kraus, H-J. 1986. Theology of the Psalms, tr by Keith Crim. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House.         [ Links ]

Leder, D. 1990. The Absent Body. London/Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.         [ Links ]

Limburg, J. 1994. Down-to-earth theology: Psalm 104 and the environment. Currents in Theology and Mission 21/5, 340-346. (http://0search.atlaonline.com.uilink.ui.ac.za:80/pls/ec/ashowpdf?aid=ATLA0000885601) (Accessed 11 March 2008)        [ Links ]

Malina, B. J. 1993. The New Testament World. Insights form Cultural Anthropology. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox.         [ Links ]

Marietta, D. E. 1977. Religious models and ecological decision making. Zygon 12/2, 151-166.         [ Links ]

Mays, J. L. 2000. "Maker of Heaven and Earth": Creation in the Psalms, in Brown, W. P. & McBride, S. D. (eds), God Who Creates. Essays in Honor of W. Sibley Towner, 75-86. Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.         [ Links ]

Miller, P. D. 2000. The Poetry of Creation: Psalm 104, in Brown, W. P. & McBride, S. D. (eds), God Who Creates. Essays in Honor of W Sibley Towner, 87-103. Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.         [ Links ]

Montejiore, H. 1977. Man and Nature: A Theological Assessment. Zygon 12/3, 199-211.         [ Links ]

Patton Kimberley, C. 2000. 'He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs': Recovering Animal Theology in the Abrahamic Traditions. The Harvard Theological Review 93/4, 401-434.         [ Links ]

Rolston, H. 1996. The Bible and ecology. Interpretation 50/1, 16-23.         [ Links ]

Schroer, S. & Staubli, T. 2001 Body symbolism in the Bible. Tr. by L. M. Maloney. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press.         [ Links ]

Spieckermann, H. 1989. Heilsgegenwart. Eine Theologie der Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.         [ Links ]

Tuan, Yi-Fu 1977. Space and Place. The Perspective of Experience. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.         [ Links ]

Correspondence:
Johan H. Coetzee
Department of Biblical and Religious Studies
University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
E-mail: johanc@uj.ac.za