Psalm 104 Segement 4

The text segment glorifies creation instead of Yahweh. The naming of God happens at the beginning and the ending of the Psalm, but is only mentioned 7 other times in 35 verses of the Psalm. What I understand from this Psalm is the exalting of the order of creation, its symmetry and the majesty of creation. The features of creation are assigned to Yahweh, but the theme of the Psalm is celebration of creation. When an action occurs the credit for the action is “you” indicating Yahweh was the one responsible for the action of the movement. The work of Yahweh is not passive but is active with a great deal of movement. Several authors have stressed the non-human elements of creation. This text segment speaks about the waters, the heavens, the wind, the mountains, the birds and other non-human elements. Some of my research has the idea this can be interpreted to prevent the exploitation of creation. While that might be a good sermon, I don’t see it as pertinent to exegesis. One thing that strikes me is the consistency of the Psalm and the order that comes forth. There is nothing random about the poetry; it is well ordered. One author stated the meter as 3 + 3 but I don’t see that. I find AB to be the meter. The order can be seen in beginning in V10; springs are created to give drink to the animals; by the streams the bird make nests; grass grows for cattle, plants for people; trees are for birds to build nests. There is a purpose for every action. The action is independent of humans. God is providing for the non-human element of creation. “Wrapped in light” from V2 can be found in Isaiah 9:2, “the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.” V3-4 shows the similarity in Gen 1 that the universe is created in a three-tiered system with the seas divided between the heavenly and the early oceans. The beams from V3 and upper chambers are architectural terms suggesting “the mythic background of a created order resulting from the divine warrior’s defeat of the chaotic waters.” Ps. 74: 12-15 and Ps. 93: 3-4. There is a suggestion of a mythical background in this text segment in V6-9 as God is controlling “the deep.” Gen 1:2, darkness covered the face of the deep; Ex 15:8, The deeps congealed in the heart of the sea; Ps 33:7, he put the deeps in storehouses. I think there is more to this

mythical background and the deep, but I haven’t located any additional information.