,,the ,,assyrian ,,and ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,,by ,,charles ,,gordon ,,cumming ,,ams ,,press1 ,,inc4 ,,new ,,york1 ,n4,y4 #ajjjc #aiff ,copyright #aicd ,columbia ,university ,press ,reprinted with the permission of the original publisher ,manufactured in the ,united ,states of ,america ,,gratefully ,,dedicated ,,to ,,richard ,j4 ,h4 ,,gottheil ,,note ,professor ,cumming has chosen a most interesting subject upon which to write a comparison of 8,the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew ,hymns of ,praise40 ,he has spent a number of years developing his theme1 and has produced a book which ,i commend heartily to the attention of scholars who are interested in this field4 ,of course1 we do not possess all the hymns written by the ,assyrian poets1 nor have we all those produced by the old ,hebrew songsters4 ,but we certainly have sufficient to make it possible for us to form a just idea of their character and of their beauty4 ,richard ,gottheil ,,foreword ,it was the author's original intention to add to this book a translation of all the important ,assyrian hymns2 for a bringing together of hymns now scattered through many books and periodicals would be a very real service to ,old ,testament scholarship4 ,such a task however calls for the knowledge and skill of the thoroughly competent ,assyriologist4 ,it is hoped that the list of texts and translations appended to this book may make it easier for any interested reader to locate and carry further the study of any particular hymn4 ,in the case of the ,hebrew psalms some slight confusion may be spared the reader if he recognizes that the numbering of the verses is that of the ,hebrew text1 which differs slightly in certain psalms from that of the ,english translations4 ,charles ,gordon ,cumming ,bangor ,theological ,seminary ,bangor1 ,maine ,december1 #aicc ,,contents ,,the ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,i4 ,hebrew ,psalms ,which ,are ,not ,hymns #c ,,ii4 ,hebrew ,sanctuary ,hymns of ,praise #ah ,,iii4 ,hebrew ,eschatological ,hymns #cb ,,iv4 ,hebrew ,nature ,hymns #ci ,v4 ,hebrew ,hymns in ,praise of ,sacred ,institutions #dd ,,the ,,assyrian ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,,vi4 ,assyrian ,hymnal ,introductions to ,prayers #ec ,,vii4 ,assyrian ,antiphonal ,hymns #gb ,,viii4 ,assyrian ,self-,laudations of the ,gods #hc ,a ,,comparison ,,of ,,the ,,assyrian ,,and ,,the ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,,ix4 ,the ,literary ,form of the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew ,hymns #ie ,x4 ,the ,supreme ,god among the ,gods #ajj ,,xi4 ,the ,supreme ,god in ,his ,dwelling ,place #ajh ,,xii4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,creator #abj ,,xiii4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,wise1 ,powerful1 ,merciful #acj ,,xiv4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,king and ,judge #adf ,,xv4 ,conclusion #aed ,,bibliography ,texts and ,translations of ,assyrian ,hymns #afa ,selected ,bibliography #afi ,indexes #aga ,division ,i ,,the ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,chapter ,i ,,hebrew ,,psalms ,,which ,,are ,,not ,,hymns ,the ,book of ,psalms is no longer to be regarded by ,old ,testament scholars as an isolated phenomenon4 ,similar religious poetry is found not only in the narrative and prophetic portions of the ,old ,testament1 in the ,apocrypha1 and the ,new ,testament1 but also in the literatures of ,egypt1 ,babylonia1 ,persia1 ,india1 and ,greece4 ,indeed1 wherever religion really develops beyond the primitive stage1 it expresses itself in poetry and we get something comparable to the ,hebrew psalms4 ,one primary fact1 then1 to be considered in the study of the ,old ,testament psalms is that they are only the surviving fragments of the religious poetry of a race2 and that they have been preserved partly by reason of the literary merit that made it difficult for them to be forgotten1 and partly by reason of the fact that they happened to be included in the song books of the sanctuaries4 ,one must accordingly bear constantly in mind the larger literature of which they were a part1 and employ to a legitimate degree the imagination1 in order to rightly comprehend the life out of which the psalms have come1 and to see in any true perspective the significance of the surviving psalms4 ,furthermore1 it is now to be clearly recognized that the careful philological study of words and sentences1 and the further effort to determine the date and authorship of the psalms1 while always indispensable1 are yet inadequate methods of procedure4 ,it is true that again and again fixing with philological accuracy the meaning of a word or clause is the clue to the understanding of a psalm1 yet to arrive at any just appreciation of the psalms it is absolutely necessary to classify them scientifically on the basis of their similarities and dissimilarities1 and so to arrange them in the species or groups into which they naturally fall4 ,it is then possible to compare psalm with psalm within the species1 fixing as nearly as possible the type and noting every variation from the type4 ,in this way the eye of the reader is opened to the originality and literary beauty of particular psalms1 which originality and literary beauty are in turn the expression of the uniqueness and power of the psalmist's spiritual experience4 ,it may also be suggested that another principle of investigation should prove fruitful1 namely1 an attempt to arrange the groups of psalms1 and the individual psalms within the groups1 according to the principle of development from the lower to the higher stages of religious experience4 ,of course opinions may and do differ as to what is highest in religion1 but the student of religion may never cease in his effort to find the line of development and to determine the highest4 ,since then the psalms are almost exclusively religious literature1 and since the supreme motive for studying them is to gain the more complete understanding of religion1 it is necessary to arrange the psalms in ascending order1 so that one can more readily appraise the worth of religion in them1 and determine and properly appreciate that which is most precious4 ,finally1 a further source of enlightenment and a valuable standard of appraisal has been neglected1 unless the ,old ,testament psalms in their respective groups are compared with the psalms of ,egypt1 ,babylonia1 ,persia1 ,india1 and ,greece4 ,many decades have passed since a succession of studies first pointed out striking similarities between the ,hebrew and the ,babylonian so-called penitential psalms4 ,recent commentaries on the psalms such as ,staerks in #aiaa and ,kittels in #aiaf have printed in the appendices a number of ,egyptian and ,babylonian psalms1 but the comparative method has not yet been widely and thoroughly applied4 ,an immense amount of work yet remains to be done in comparative study of the religious poetry of the different literatures4 ,species must be compared with species2 prayer of supplication with prayer of supplication2 prayer of thanksgiving with prayer of thanksgiving2 affirmation of faith with affirmation of faith2 hymn of praise with hymn of praise1 and teaching psalm with teaching psalm4 ,before ,hebrew hymns of praise1 however1 can be properly studied1 the relationship of the hymns to the other groups that make up ,hebrew religious poesy ought to be understood4 ,consideration must first be given1 therefore1 to the different groups of psalms to be found in the ,hebrew ,psalter4 ,psalms of ,lamentation and ,petition ,it has been suggested that the psalms ought to be classified in groups1 and that the groups ought to be arranged in an ascending order1 according to the stage of religious development which they represent4 ,following this principle1 one can quite properly place lowest the ,psalms of ,lamentation and ,petition4 ,the lament in such psalms describes the unhappy plight of the oppressed nation1 the persecuted religious community1 or the afflicted individual4 ,the petition makes earnest appeal to ,yahwe for deliverance4 ,frequently the petition is reinforced by rather nave considerations1 such as are calculated to persuade the ,deity to action4 ,surely ,yahwe ought to be concerned for the glory of his name6 ,why should the unbelievers say scoffingly1 8,where is now your ,god80 ,again what profit is there to ,yahwe in the death of his followers8 ,assuredly the dead in ,sheol do not praise him4 ,most commonly does the psalmist urge that he has long trusted ,yahwe2 that ,yahwe is his only hope1 and that therefore ,yahwe can not fail him4 ,in addition to the lament and the petition--the two most characteristic features of this group--one generally finds the vow4 ,if ,god will come to the help of the sufferer1 he will in turn render some specified service to ,yahwe4 ,it may be an animal sacrifice at the sanctuary1 or it may be such a spiritual sacrifice of praise and testimony as will turn sinners to ,yahwe4 ,yet another common feature of this group is the protestation of confidence that ,yahwe will most certainly deliver the suppliant4 ,frequently it is found near the end of the psalm1 and so confident is the sufferer of deliverance that he commonly uses the perfect tense1 as if his salvation were already effected4 ,of the fifty ,psalms of ,lamentation in the ,psalter1 thirteen express the petition of the nation or the religious community for ,yahwe's deliverance4 ,psalms #gi1 #gd1 #dd1 #hj1 #hc1 #fj1 #acg1 and #abi lament the humiliation and suffering endured by the nation at the hands of foreign enemies2 #he and #abf recognize in general terms ,israel's affliction1 and implore ,yahwe's mercy2 while ,psalms #aj and #abc lament the wrongs inflicted upon the pious of the land by the powerful and godless rich4 ,of these ,psalms #acg1 #abi1 #abe1 and #abc are distinctive both for originality and simplicity of expression and for sincerity and intensity of feeling4 ,psalm #acg recalls the wrongs and the insults received at the hands of ,babylonians and ,edomites and calls for vengeance upon those nations4 ,psalm #abi1 in much the same spirit1 remembers ,israel's manifold sufferings at the hands of many foes and petitions vindictively for revenge4 ,on the other hand #abe recalls ,yahwe's goodness in restoring the nation from exile and pleads with confidence for a further manifestation of his favor2 while in #abc the contempt of the rich and the proud causes the pious to look with humble and childlike confidence to the ,god of mercy4 ,undoubtedly greater far than any of the preceding psalms is ,psalm #ij1 which1 transcending the limitations of the nation and the sect1 laments the brevity and troubled nature of human life1 and pleads for some knowledge of the plan of the eternal ,god1 some permanency for human effort1 some small measure of happiness in life's brief day4 ,to this group of national prayers of lamentation and petition ought possibly to be added ,psalm #fg4 ,there is here1 to be sure1 no lament1 but verses #b and #c are a petition for the coming of ,yahwe's salvation to earth1 and verses #d1 #e1 and #f may also be understood as a petition for the establishment of divine government upon earth3 ,may peoples praise ,thee1 ,o ,god2 ,may all peoples praise ,thee4 ,may nations be glad and sing for joy4 ,for thou shalt judge peoples righteously ,and govern nations upon earth4 ,verses #g and #h are then simply a positive expression of confidence that the prayer just uttered is to be answered and ,god's supreme blessing received4 ,the psalm is not then an eschatological hymn of praise1 but rather an eschatological prayer4 ,psalms #bj and #gb have distinctive positions in this group1 since each offers up a petition in behalf of the king4 ,in ,psalm #bj the king had apparently presented his offerings and sacrifices at the sanctuary1 and the priest prays1 in verses #b-f that ,god will remember the king's sacrifices and grant him help in the day of trouble and all his hearts desires4 ,naturally1 in the case of a king1 the chief concern is that he should be victorious over his enemies whenever war should come4 ,in verse #g the priest1 possibly informed by some sign that the sacrifice had indeed been accepted by ,yahwe1 gives positive assurance that the prayer has been answered3 ,now ,i know that ,yahwe will save his anointed4 ,verse #h reaffirms faith in ,yahwe as mightier than horse or chariot1 while verse #i again predicts victory over the enemy4 ,the psalm concludes in verse #aj1 as it began1 with a petition for the king4 ,psalm #gb might be fitted into the coronation service1 being then the prayer offered for a just and successful reign4 ,this would mean translating the successive sentences of the psalm from verse #a to verse #aa and from verse #ae to verse #ag as petitions4 ,thus verse #b would be translated3 ,may he judge thy people with righteousness ,and thy poor with justice4 and other verses correspondingly4 ,this psalm is then in no sense a psalm of lamentation1 but it seems to be a psalm of petition in behalf of the king who is about to begin his reign4 ,the remaining thirty-seven ,psalms of ,lamentation1 or almost one-fourth of the ,psalter1 arise out of the distress of the individual4 ,the most common misfortune is sickness 7,psalms #ac1 #f1 #hh1 #gj1 #ci1 #gg1 and #ajb71 accordingly the petition is that the afflicted one may be saved from death by ,yahwe's merciful power4 ,together with sickness there is usually the bitter complaint against the wicked enemies 7,psalms #c1 #ac1 #gj1 #fd1 #adj1 #g1 #ee1 and #aji74 ,it is of course altogether understandable that men should be alienated from a sick person1 regarding him as justly smitten of ,god and afflicted1 and that such men should in turn be regarded by the sick man as enemies4 ,it is also possible that in some instances1 as in ,psalms #bb and #fi1 it may be a matter of religious persecution4 ,on the other hand the language used in a number of psalms 7#ac1 #gj1 #fd1 #adj1 #g1 #ee1 #eg1 #ei1 and #aji7 rather strongly suggests that the enemies are practicers of black magic1 an art familiar to every land unilluminated by modern scientific knowledge4 ,yet in a considerable number of these psalms it is ,yahwe himself who has sent the affliction4 ,when this is the case the psalmist may do either of two things3 he may acknowledge his misfortune to be just punishment for his sin1 and accordingly petition for forgiveness and deliverance 7,psalms #ch1 #hh1 #ci1 and #ajb72 or he may affirm his innocence and demand deliverance as a matter of justice 7,psalms #bf1 #g1 #ag1 #ei1 and #ga74 ,of all the individual psalms of lamentation1 unquestionably the three finest are #ea1 #db-dc1 and #acj4 ,psalm #ea has but one single clause referring to physical distress6 8that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice10 and is remarkable for its profound consciousness of guilt1 and its strong conviction that cleansing and regeneration and the righteous life can only be achieved by divine mercy and divine redemptive power4 ,as for ,psalms #db-dc1 there is expressed in language of haunting beauty1 both an intense thirst for the presence of ,god1 and the awakening realization of a something of superior worth in man that can only be satisfied by the experience of ,god4 ,this would seem to be the road along which the ,hebrew ultimately arrived at the consciousness of his own supreme worth and immortality4 ,yet possibly the rarest of these psalms both for simplicity of expression and depth of religious insight is #acj4 ,the psalmist1 who 8waits for ,god more than they who watch for the morning0 has an amazingly profound consciousness of sin expressed in the words3 ,if iniquities thou should'st record1 ,o ,yahwe1 ,lord who could stand 444 and likewise a sublime conception of ,god's mercy3 ,but with ,thee is forgiveness ,that ,thou mays't be revered4 ,psalms of ,testimony and ,thanksgiving ,corresponding to the ,psalms of ,lamentation and ,petition are the ,psalms of ,testimony and ,thanksgiving4 ,the afflicted community or individual which has1 in answer to its petition to ,yahwe1 experienced deliverance is obligated to give public expression to its gratitude for ,yahwe's salvation4 ,such psalms may be expected to tell the story of the affliction1 the appeal for divine help1 and the deliverance4 ,furthermore it is altogether natural for any people with a national and a religious consciousness to look back through the years and the centuries and to give thanks for the favors manifested by ,deity to the fathers4 ,originally the first words of such psalms may well have been3 8,give thanks to ,yahwe0 or 8,i will give thanks to ,yahwe40 ,it is best to begin with the individual psalms of thanksgiving1 since the individual experience of affliction and deliverance recurs with little change from age to age1 and the individual psalm of thanksgiving accordingly approximates more nearly than the national the original type4 ,the individual psalms of thanksgiving in the ,psalter are #aaf1 #cj1 #cb1 #ach1 #ff1 #ba1 #ah1 #aah1 and #ajc4 ,psalm #aaf is the testimony of a man who has been sick unto death4 ,in anguish and despair he prayed3 8,o ,yahwe save my life40 ,yahwe heard his prayer1 restored him to health1 and accordingly he is in the temple to pay his vows1 to offer up his sacrifices of thanksgiving and to give his testimony in the presence of all ,yahwe's people4 ,again ,psalm #cj is the testimony of a man who had once been very prosperous1 but who by the loss of ,yahwe's favor had been brought low4 ,near unto death1 he cried unto ,yahwe1 pleading that his death could not profit the ,deity since the dead in ,sheol praise not ,god4 ,yahwe saved his life to the end that he might praise and give thanks to his ,god continually4 ,psalm #cb is in form and content quite similar to the teaching or wisdom psalms4 ,here1 however1 the teaching is based on a personal experience of deliverance from sickness1 and the teaching is itself a testimony of gratitude for recovery4 ,in his distress this psalmist made confession of his sin4 ,yahwe forgave and healed him4 ,jonah #b3c-aj is likewise a psalm of thanksgiving4 ,the afflicted one at the point of death made his prayer and his vow4 ,that prayer came to ,yahwe in his sanctuary and he was saved4 ,accordingly he offered to ,yahwe the sacrifice of thanksgiving4 ,psalms #ach and #ff do not state the nature of the deliverance for which they give thanks1 but the author of #ff follows time honored custom by offering an actual animal sacrifice at the sanctuary in fulfillment of his vow4 ,psalms #ah and #aah express the gratitude of two national leaders for deliverance from great peril4 ,the difficulty of deciding with certainty to which group a number of psalms belong is illustrated by ,psalm #ba4 ,verses #b and #h are addressed to ,yahwe and express the king's devotion to his ,god1 while verses #c-g describe the goodness of ,yahwe to the king4 ,yahwe had bestowed upon him the crown1 had given him length of days1 and had maintained him in security and honor upon his throne4 ,verses #i-ac are addressed to the king1 probably by the priest1 and promise the king complete victory over his enemies4 ,the concluding verse #ad addressed to ,yahwe3 ,be exalted1 ,o ,yahwe in thy strength ,we will sing and praise thy ,power4 ,this verse has the form of a petition1 but its formal language amounts to an ascription of praise4 ,the psalm then does not in the main utter a petition1 nor express faith in ,deity1 but is rather an expression of thanksgiving and may well have been originally used in the celebration of an anniversary of the king's ascension to the throne4 ,the classic individual psalm of thanksgiving in the ,psalter is #ajc4 ,though it is here an individual who calls upon his soul to bless ,yahwe1 yet there is little that is personal about the psalm1 for the psalmist identifies himself with his fellow ,israelites and for that matter with universal humanity4 ,also there is little to distinguish this psalm of thanksgiving from the hymn of praise4 ,the psalmist does not refer in verses #c-e1 nor anywhere else1 to any single individual personal concrete experience of ,jehovah's salvation1 and the psalm is not in that sense a psalm of testimony4 ,yet exhortation to 8forget not all ,his benefits10 the mention at the very outset of the psalm of the healing of diseases2 linking of this healing with the forgiveness of sin as in the psalms of lamentation2 the enumeration of ,yahwe's gracious favors to man2 all these are calculated to call forth gratitude1 and it is actually as a psalm of thanksgiving that the readers of the ,bible have always regarded it4 ,notable in the psalm is the conception of the all but limitless mercy of ,god2 the comparison of ,god's compassion to that of an earthly father's1 the emphasis upon the eternity of ,god in contrast to the frail mortality of man and the fact that ,god's mercy is extended to successive generations of men4 ,the transition to the national psalms of thanksgiving is splendidly made by ,psalm #ajg4 ,this might perhaps be called a liturgical psalm of thanksgiving4 ,verses #a-c are clearly introductory4 ,there is the general call to thanksgiving in verse #a3 ,give thanks unto ,yahwe for he is good1 ,for his mercy endureth forever4 ,then in verses #b and #c the call is directed especially to the representatives of the ,diaspora who by divine mercy have returned from all lands to ,zion4 ,the service of thanksgiving proper falls into four parts4 ,the author has selected the four most wonderful deliverances of which he has knowledge2 the deliverance of travelers hopelessly lost in the great desert2 the deliverance of men who for their rebellion against ,god had been fettered and cast into prison2 the deliverance of the sick who for their iniquities had been brought to the gates of death2 the deliverance of sailors from a terrible storm on the much-dreaded sea4 ,we may suppose that processions representing each of these groups came forward in the temple1 while their stories were being told--possibly by a soloist--after which the chorus summoned them to give thanks1 adding to the refrain a couplet suitable to each group4 ,the psalm concludes with a hymn of praise to the ,god who manifests his power both over nature and over the affairs of men4 ,the ,national ,psalms of ,thanksgiving in the ,psalter are fewer in number than the individual and further removed from the original type4 ,this may be because national escapes from peril are rarer and more difficult to celebrate2 and as they become more remote in time1 the few psalms of thanksgiving that have been written to celebrate those deliverances have less and less interest for the public1 and correspondingly less suitability for public worship1 and so are lost4 ,in the ,psalter we have in addition to ,psalm #ajg1 ,psalms #abd1 #acf1 #aad1 #abd1 and #fe4 ,of these ,psalm #abd is the only one which could be supposed to have been composed to celebrate a recent deliverance4 ,on the one hand the language is general and the figures of speech are familiar1 but on the other hand there is a spontaneity1 simplicity and power of expression that suggest a recent experience of escape from great peril4 ,this is especially true of verse #g4 ,likewise delightful for its originality of literary form is ,psalm #aad4 ,it celebrates in poetic and dramatic language the triumphant crossing of the ,red ,sea and the ,jordan4 ,obviously it is looking back at these events through the media of legend and myth1 and verse #b makes it clear that the poem can not be earlier than the division of the kingdom4 ,nevertheless the author is so thrilled by the stories that have come down to him that his poem possesses amazing spontaneity and power4 ,in contrast with the two preceding poems1 ,psalms #acf and #aje are highly stereotyped4 ,every second line in #acf is the refrain3 8,for his mercy endureth forever0 and the psalm was therefor probably written for public rendition4 ,both psalms deal with the theme so dear to the ,hebrew heart1 ,yahwe's gift to the fathers of the land of ,canaan1 and both retell something of the biblical story of the patriarchs1 the deliverance from ,egypt1 and the conquest4 ,psalm #fe seems to be essentially a psalm of harvest thanksgiving4 ,it accompanies the payment of vows 7verse #b74 ,verses #b-e are introductory1 announcing the presence of the worshipers at the sanctuary4 ,verses #f-i express faith in the ,god of land and sea1 while verses #aj-ad accredit to him the increase of the fields and the flocks4 ,the psalms of testimony and thanksgiving pass over naturally into the hymns of praise1 but as the hymns form the chief object of this study their treatment is postponed until the next chapter4 ,psalms of ,faith ,out of the experience of affliction as expressed in the psalms of lamentation and petition1 and out of the further experience of deliverance as expressed in the psalms of testimony and thanksgiving1 develops a serene faith and confidence over against the perplexities1 the perils1 and the conflicts of life4 ,one characteristic element in the ,psalm of ,lamentation and ,petition is the affirmation of faith in ,yahwe4 ,that affirmation of faith gradually develops until it becomes the entire theme of the psalm4 ,this development can be traced to some extent in the psalms themselves4 ,it is well to begin with ,psalm #i1 for while it expresses predominatingly confidence1 yet it petitions at some length for ,yahwe's help against ,israel's enemies4 ,psalm #bg makes a much stronger affirmation of faith in ,yahwe and a correspondingly briefer petition for divine protection2 while ,psalms #d and #af1 expressing quiet confidence in ,yahwe1 have only the very briefest appeals for his assistance4 ,psalms #aa1 #fb1 #fc1 and #ib still recognize the presence of enemies1 but all are confident that their wicked foes must perish1 while the faithful will experience ,yahwe's blessing4 ,the classic expressions of faith in ,yahwe1 however1 are ,psalms #bc1 #aca1 #aba1 and #ia4 ,psalm #bc3a-d conceives of ,god under the figure of a shepherd1 who gives to his own food1 drink1 guidance1 protection4 ,with the thought of danger in verse #d the psalmist apparently felt the need of a stronger figure of speech to express his perfect security and good fortune1 so in verse #e he conceives of ,god as his host4 ,god is providing for him most generously and he is confident that he will be the happy guest of ,god for the rest of his days4 ,psalm #aca is of rarest beauty in its simplicity4 ,this psalmist is aware that there are problems which he cannot solve by reason1 and which might be permitted to harass his soul4 ,not in presumptuous pride1 but in sincere humility1 he simply trusts ,yahwe1 with a mind as free from protest as that of a weaned child in its mother's arms4 ,psalm #aba and more especially ,psalm #ia seem to be liturgical in character4 ,in ,psalm #aba1 verse #a1 the psalmist recognizes his need of help and that the help must come from ,deity4 ,many of his fellow countrymen had through the centuries uncritically sought help from the gods of the high places4 ,this psalmist asks with intense yearning and earnestness whence his help is to come4 ,in verse #b he answers his own question3 ,my help cometh from the ,lord1 ,maker of heaven and earth4 ,it is perhaps a question whether verses #c-h are a soliloquy1 or whether they are addressed to the psalmist by the priest4 ,in either case the psalmist has the assurance that ,israel's ,god1 who neither slumbers nor sleeps1 will keep him everywhere and at all times1 secure from evil4 ,in ,psalm #ia1 verses #a and #b state the general truth that the man who trusts ,god is happy3 ,blessed is the man1 who dwelleth in the secret place of the most ,high1 ,who abideth under the shadow of the ,almighty1 ,who saith of ,yahwe1 8,my refuge and my fortress1 ,my ,god in whom ,i trust40 ,the verses #c-ac bring to the psalmist the assurance1 presumably from ,god's spokesman1 the priest1 that ,yahwe will keep him under his constant protection1 and that he need fear no peril however great4 ,finally in verses #ad-af the assurance is confirmed by a divine oracle1 the voice of ,god1 promising the psalmist deliverance from every trouble1 long life and honor4 ,among these psalms of faith ought certainly to be included ,psalm #df4 ,although this psalm does not contemplate any present situation in life1 it looks forward with confidence to the turmoil and conflict1 that in the last days will precede ,yahwe's final victory and subsequent reign of righteousness and peace4 ,the psalm is written1 not from an individual but from a national point of view4 ,its motive is sounded forth in the refrain which occurs at verse #h and verse #ab1 and which undoubtedly ought to be inserted after verse #d to divide the psalm into three equal sections3 ,yahwe of ,hosts is with us1 ,a fortress for us is the ,god of ,jacob4 ,it may accordingly be described as a national eschatological psalm of faith4 ,the psalm opens with the strong profession of faith of verse #b3 ,god is for us refuge and strength1 ,in troubles he proves himself help indeed4 ,verses #c and #d introduce us to the dread and terrifying phenomena of the last days2 yet are not the believers in ,yahwe afraid3 ,therefore will we not fear though the earth tremble1 ,and the mountains sink down into the heart of the sea4 ,let its waters roar and rage1 ,let the mountains shake with its violence2 ,yahwe of hosts is with us1 ,a fortress for us is the ,god of ,jacob4 ,the second division1 verses #e-g1 pictures the serenity of the new ,jerusalem already enjoying what the old ,jerusalem lacked1 a river flowing through its midst1 and protected by ,god in this great hour while the hostile nations rage without its walls4 ,finally the third division1 verses #i-aa1 invites us to behold the evidence of the complete and final defeat of the enemies of ,god1 the bows snapped1 the spears broken1 and the chariots burning up in fire4 ,also one is to hear the voice of ,god claiming forevermore his rightful and supreme sovereignty among the nations of the earth4 ,unique among the psalms of confidence is ,psalm #aci4 ,the psalmist marvels1 in verses #a-f1 at ,yahwe's complete knowledge of his earthly life2 in verses #g-ab1 at the omnipresent power of ,deity1 from which there is no escape2 in verses #ad-af1 at the divine wisdom manifested in the creation of the psalmist's body and the complete determining of his life's course1 in verse #ag at the innumerable thoughts and purposes of ,god4 ,verses #ai-bb descend to the commonplace in petitioning for the death of the wicked while the concluding verses #bc-bd ask ,god that his heart be searched for the discovery of wrong and that he be divinely guided in the right way4 ,it is perhaps possible to regard verses #a-ah as an expression of faith in ,yahwe1 introductory to the petitions #ai-bd and so class the poem as a psalm of lamentation and petition1 but the verses #a-ah seem to be relatively so much more important that it seems wiser to regard it as a psalm of faith4 ,teaching or ,wisdom ,psalms ,there is a natural line of development from the psalm of faith to what may perhaps be called teaching or wisdom psalms4 ,the believing psalmist assumes that ,god is in complete control of all the circumstances of life1 and is convinced that ,god will protect him from all evil and give him success4 ,this assumption of faith then becomes for many the all important1 fundamental law of life1 and as such it must needs be taught to youth4 ,thus doubtless originated the wisdom psalms2 of which we have in the ,psalter #a1 #aab1 #cd1 #gh1 #abg1 #abh1 #acc1 #abe1 #gc1 #cg1 #di4 ,psalm #a is a splendid type of the wisdom psalm1 since it begins with the characteristic opening words3 8,blessed is the man10 and then sets forth the qualities of the good man and claims for him success1 while it asserts for the wicked certain condemnation and ruin4 ,psalms #aab and #cd are also characteristic wisdom psalms1 confined however in the artificial limitations of alphabetical acrostics4 ,psalm #gh teaches the same lesson as to the secret of success from history1 recalling how ,yahwe had again and again punished disobedience and rewarded obedience until he finally rejected ,ephraim and accepted ,judah1 and chose ,david to be his servant4 ,if there were in ,israel wise men1 such as the author of ,ecclesiastes1 who taught that all life was vanity1 there were other wise men such as the author of ,psalm #abg who taught that while all human effort without ,god's cooperation was vain1 yet life with ,god's cooperation was certain of happiness4 ,god does give his help to man1 and one of his very best gifts is children4 ,again #abh gives the assurance that he who walks in ,yahwe's ways will enjoy the fruits of his labor1 and in happiness see his children and children's children round about him4 ,psalm #acc pays simple and charming tribute to the joy of human fellowship4 ,the assertion that the righteous always prosper and that the wicked suffer misfortune was inevitably challenged by the sceptics and scorned by the scoffers1 who mocked the believing psalmist in his distress saying3 8,where is now your ,god80 ,it became necessary therefore to deal with this problem on the basis of the facts of life1 and we get accordingly a somewhat different type of wisdom psalm4 ,psalm #abe testifies to the existence of this problem4 ,verses #a and #b1 to be sure1 affirm the security of the righteous4 ,verse #c1 however1 attempts to justify the affirmation of the preceding verses by a rational argument4 ,if the righteous were not certain to prosper in the world1 why should men be righteous8 ,would not the righteous become wicked and the moral foundations of life crumble8 ,the petition in verses #d and #e requesting ,yahwe's favor for the good and his punishment for the wicked1 while properly no part of a teaching psalm1 are further recognition that actually certain of the facts of life contradict the psalmist's theory4 ,nevertheless1 his own conviction is expressed in verse #a3 ,they who trust in ,yahwe are as ,mount ,zion ,which cannot be moved but abideth forever4 ,psalm #gc is the teaching of one who wrestled with this same problem of the theodicy4 ,verse #a is an assertion of his faith3 ,yes ,god is good to ,israel ,to those who are pure of heart4 ,but verses #b-bj tell how nearly the psalmist came to losing that faith as he saw the wicked prosper1 while he himself suffered misfortunes1 and how he recovered his faith with the conviction that the prosperity of the wicked was but temporary and their ultimate doom certain4 ,verses #bc-bh are accordingly an assertion of the psalmist's devotion to ,yahwe as in a psalm of faith1 but the main thesis of the psalm is stated in verse #a1 and so may therefore be best grouped with the wisdom psalms4 ,psalm #cg is composed in stanzas of four lines1 the first letters of the first lines of the stanzas spelling out the alphabet4 ,the author of the psalm is an old man who gives warning against fretting over the prosperity of the wicked1 and who affirms on the basis of his long experience of life1 that1 while the prosperity of the wicked is short-lived1 ,god never forsakes the righteous4 ,the use of the acrostic form may itself be taken as evidence of this psalmist's unquestioning belief in the above dogma4 ,the author of ,psalm #di has no certain promise of prosperity for the righteous1 nor does he threaten the wicked with premature death1 but he does smile at their fatuous confidence1 since death must surely overtake them4 ,therefore he does not let their possession of wealth trouble him because it cannot be taken to ,sheol4 ,on the other hand there seems to be just a suggestion in verse #af that ,god can relieve the pious from the grasp of death3 ,surely ,god will redeem my life from the power of ,sheol ,for he will receive me4 ,chapter ,,ii ,,hebrew ,,sanctuary ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,the hymn of praise is very similar to the psalm of thanksgiving4 ,indeed it is sometimes difficult to decide in which category a psalm belongs1 as in the case of ,psalm #ajc4 ,the fundamental difference is that the psalm of thanksgiving expresses gratitude while the hymn of praise expresses adoration4 ,the psalm of thanksgiving testifies to that which has actually been experienced1 the hymn of praise voices enthusiasm for the wisdom and power and goodness that are in ,god4 ,the psalm of thanksgiving is thus in its nature subjective1 conscious of what the psalmist has experienced1 while the genuine hymn is objective1 forgetting self in adoration of ,deity4 ,the question of the nature of the hymn of praise is involved with the question of its origin4 ,praise did not in the beginning burst forth spontaneously from the human heart4 ,religion arose out of a consciousness of need1 and a feeling that there was a power to meet that need4 ,in ,babylonia1 as in ,india and elsewhere the hymn of praise is often but little more than an introduction to a petition4 ,the singer tells the ,deity that ,he is wise and then asks for wisdom2 or strong and asks for strength1 or rich and asks for material blessings4 ,praise is suspiciously close to flattery and far from disinterested4 ,in ,israel also it is believed that the ,deity desires praise4 ,there is no profit for ,yahwe in the death of the psalmist1 since the dead praise not ,yahwe4 ,but in ,israel praise is not a mere preliminary to a petition4 ,the ,old ,testament psalmist does not praise ,god and then ask for favors4 ,almost no hymns are found in the psalter followed by what can actually be called a petition4 ,the ,hebrew hymn of praise has passed beyond that stage of development4 ,as the expression of faith in ,deity in the psalm of lamentation developed into the independent psalm of faith1 so the words of praise that once introduced the petition for help have developed into the independent hymn of praise4 ,nor is the ,old ,testament hymn of praise just an expression of gratitude for the divine favors received2 with or without anticipation of favors to come4 ,the hymn of praise is not a mere variant of the psalm of gratitude4 ,the hymn of praise has transcended the human experience of need and deliverance and forgets the self in adoration of ,deity4 ,praise is an end in itself1 desired of ,god1 and necessary for the human spirit4 ,the first home of the hymn of praise1 in the light of all that is known of the development of religion1 must undoubtedly have been the sanctuary4 ,this judgment is confirmed by the testimony of the ,old ,testament psalms3 ,praise waiteth for thee1 ,o ,god1 in ,zion4 --,psalm #fe3b4 ,enter into his gates with thanksgiving1 ,and into his courts with praise4 --,psalm #ajj3d4 ,praise him ye servants of ,yahwe1 ,ye who stand in the house of ,yahwe4 --,psalm #ace3a1 #b4 ,sing unto ,yahwe a new song1 ,his praise in the congregation of saints4 --,psalm #adi3a4 ,behold bless ye ,yahwe1 ye servants of ,yahwe1 ,who by night stand in the house of ,yahwe4 --,psalm #acd3a4 ,i will praise ,yahwe with my whole heart1 ,in the assembly of the upright and the congregation4 --,psalm #aaa3a4 ,such pious ,hebrews as the authors of ,psalms #db-dc and #hd longed for the sanctuary because it was preminently the place for worship and praise4 ,typical sanctuary hymns of praise are ,psalms #aej1 #adh1 #adg1 #adf1 #ade1 #aaa1 #ace1 #aag1 #aac1 #cc1 #aae4 ,the external form of the hymn of praise is very simple4 ,it is introduced by the call to praise1 originally addressed by the priesthood of the sanctuary to the worshippers4 ,the characteristic form of the call was3 8,praise ye ,yahwe10 8,hallelujah40 ,so ,miriam called upon her ,hebrew sisters to praise ,yahwe when the victory had been gained at the ,sea of ,reeds over ,pharaoh's forces3 ,praise ye ,yahwe1 for he hath triumphed2 ,horse and rider hath he thrown into the sea4 --,exodus #ae3ba4 ,this call to praise was followed by the body of the hymn setting forth in participial phrases1 adjectival clauses1 or independent sentences the reasons why men should praise ,yahwe4 ,then the hymn was rounded out in good symmetrical form with the same concluding call to praise3--8,hallelujah40 ,while the above is the standard form of the hymn1 a few psalms repeat the call to praise at intervals throughout the psalm1 creating somewhat the impression of a union of little hymns4 ,thus ,psalm #adg is in three parts each introduced by a call to praise4 ,part ,i has the call to praise in verse #a1 and the reasons for praise in verses #b-f4 ,part ,,ii has the call to praise in verse #g and the reasons for praise in verses #h-aa4 ,part ,,iii has the call to praise in verse #ab and the reasons for praise in verses #ac-bj4 ,the whole hymn then concludes with 8,hallelujah40 ,likewise ,psalm #adh is in two parts4 ,part ,i has the call to praise in verses #a-e;a1 and the reasons for praise in verse #e;b and verse #f4 ,part ,,ii has the call to praise in verses #g-ac;a1 and the reasons for praise in verses #ac;bc and #ad;abc4 ,again there is a concluding 8,hallelujah40 ,it is worth observing that in general the ,old ,testament hymn of praise speaks of ,yahwe in the third person4 ,human being calls upon human being to praise ,yahwe1 and human being tells human being why ,yahwe is worthy to be praised4 ,hymns which thus use the third person exclusively are ,psalms #aej1 #adi1 #adh1 #adg1 #adf1 #acd1 #aag1 #aac1 #aaa1 #ajj1 #ih1 #if1 #ie1 #dg1 #bi1 #bd1 #ai3b-e;b2 #ai3e;c-#g4 ,yahwe is addressed in the second person in the following verses3 ,psalm #ace3ac2 ,psalm #ig3i2 ,psalm #ii3c1 #h2 ,psalm #aae3a1 #b2 ,psalm #ic3b1 #c1 #e4 ,the second and third persons are used in about equal degree in ,psalm #fh1 #ade1 #aid1 while ,psalms #h1 #hd1 #fg use the second person exclusively4 ,now the use of the second person is of course characteristic of prayer4 ,the fact therefore that in the standard ,hebrew hymn of praise the third person is used1 because ,hebrew is calling upon his fellow ,hebrew to ,praise ,yahwe1 testifies rather powerfully to the social and democratic character of worship in ,israel4 ,taking up now the three divisions of the ,hebrew hymn in order1 it is to be noticed that the call to praise has undergone certain changes in the wording4 ,while in the great majority of the hymns the call to praise is 8,hallelujah0 in ,psalm #acd the call is3 8,bless ye ,yahwe02 and in ,psalm #ajj all the land is bidden3 8,shout to ,yahwe02 and in ,psalm #cc the righteous are called upon to3 8,rejoice in ,yahwe40 ,most impressive perhaps of all the calls to praise is that of ,psalm #bi1 where the summons is addressed to the residents of heaven3 ,ascribe to ,yahwe1 ye gods1 ,ascribe to ,yahwe glory and strength4 ,again1 when it is an individual who sings his hymn of praise1 he must either address deity in the first person1 as in ,psalm #ade3a3 ,i will extol thee1 my ,god1 ,o ,king2 ,and ,i will bless thy name for ever and ever2 or he must call upon himself to praise ,yahwe as in ,psalm #adf3a3 ,praise ,yahwe1 ,o my soul4 ,still further variation from the standard form is found1 when the call to praise takes the form of a petition to ,yahwe1 a petition however which is really an ascription of glory to him4 ,this occurs very beautifully in ,psalm #aae3a3 ,not unto us1 ,o ,lord1 not unto us1 ,but unto thy name give glory4 ,so also in ,psalms #fg and #fh1 the petitions of the opening verses are really that ,god will glorify his own name1 and the petitions merge altogether naturally into the calls to praise that follow4 ,the calls to praise in the various hymns1 however they vary1 yet bear eloquent testimony to the enthusiasm which animated the ,hebrew hymns4 ,they were sung not only to the accompaniment of many musical instruments1 but also with dancing4 ,the singing was not limited to sanctuary choirs1 but was participated in by the entire concourse of people4 ,the call to praise goes out to those in the sanctuary ,psalm #aej3a2 to priests1 ,levites1 ,israelites1 proselytes ,psalm #ace3ai;ff2 to ,jerusalem ,psalm #adg3ab2 to all nations ,psalm #aag2 to everything that hath breath ,psalm #aej3f2 to all things animate and inanimate in heaven and earth ,psalm #adh4 ,the reasons given in the body of the hymns why men should praise ,yahwe naturally vary somewhat4 ,however one predominant reason is that ,god in wisdom and power created the entire physical universe as it was visible to the ancient ,hebrew2 the firmament with sun1 moon and stars1 and the waters above the firmament2 the earth and everything upon the earth1 and the waters beneath the earth4 ,it is ,yahwe who causeth the winds to blow1 and the lightnings to flash1 and hail and snow and rain to fall upon the earth2 it is ,yahwe who causeth all vegetation to grow1 and giveth increase to the flock1 and sustaineth life in everything that breatheth4 7,psalms #adh3e-f2 #adg3d1 #h1 #ae-ah2 #adf3f2 #ace3f1 #g2 #aae3ae2 #ajd3b-cb2 #fh3aj1 and #bi3c-aj47 ,a second almost equally prominent reason for praising ,yahwe is for his wisdom1 might1 and goodness revealed in his dealings with ,israel4 ,he had chosen the race for his own1 had redeemed it from the power of ,egypt1 had revealed unto it his will in laws1 statutes and commandments1 had led it safely through the great desert1 and had given it possession of the land of ,canaan4 7,psalms #adh3ad2 #adg3b1ac1bj2 #ace3d1i-ab2 #cc3ab47 ,it is noteworthy that little attention is given to the return from exile1 partly1 perhaps1 because it may have been easier to see the hand of ,god in remote history1 and partly because the return from ,babylon and the subsequent history were not themes to create hymnal enthusiasm4 ,on the other hand ,israel did1 as it will appear1 look toward the future for ,yahwe's final and most glorious participation in human affairs4 ,a third potent reason for praising ,yahwe is because of his merciful help extended to the weak and lowly on the earth1 the widow1 the orphan and the stranger1 the oppressed and the troubled4 ,especially is he to be praised1 because he saves the righteous and destroys the wicked4 7,psalms #adg3c2 #adf3g-i2 #ade3ad1 #ah-bj2 #aac3f-i2 #ajc3ac2 #cc3ah-bj2 #fh3f47 ,again the psalmist praises ,yahwe for what he is in himself4 ,his greatness is unsearchable4 ,he is high above all ,gods4 ,his understanding is infinite4 ,he is gracious and full of compassion4 ,he is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works4 ,he is good1 his mercy is everlasting and his faithfulness is extended to generation after generation4 ,his name is holy and to be revered4 7,psalms #aej3b2 #adg3e2 #adf3g-i2 #ace3c1 #e2 #aac3d2 #aaa3d1 #i2 #ajj3e47 ,yet another reason for praising ,yahwe is that he stands in such contrast to the gold and silver idols of the nations1 which are the work of men's hands1 and powerless to see or hear or help4 7,psalms #ace3ae-ag2 #aae3d-h47 ,likewise ,yahwe is an infinitely more reliable and potent source of help than the mortal human prince who goeth so soon to the grave and whose thoughts and plans then perish forever4 7,psalm #adf3c1 #d47 ,as the hymns in praise of ,yahwe quite fittingly begin with ,hallelujah 8,praise ye ,yahwe10 so also the great majority of them come to a conclusion with 8,hallelujah40 7,psalms #aej1 #adi1 #adh1 #adg1 #adf1 #ace1 #aag1 #aae1 #aac1 #ajd47 ,there are a few hymns which have not the ,hallelujah at the close 7,psalms #bi1 #cc1 #aaa1 #ade71 but these are not typical hymns4 ,psalms #bi and #cc do not use 8,hallelujah0 in the opening call to praise1 while #aaa and #ade are individual and alphabetical hymns of praise1 in which 8,hallelujah0 could not well be made an integral part of the hymn4 ,on the other hand a number of hymns have a longer and stronger concluding call to praise than the simple 8,hallelujah03 ,let everything that breatheth praise ,yahwe4 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 --,psalm #aej3f4 ,the praise of ,yahwe shall my mouth speak2 ,and let all flesh bless his holy name ,for ever and ever4 --,psalm #ade3ba4 ,the dead praise not ,yahwe1 ,nor any who go down into silence2 ,but as for us we will praise ,yahwe ,both now and evermore2 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 --,psalm #aae3ag1 #ah4 ,house of ,israel1 bless ye ,yahwe2 ,house of ,aaron1 bless ye ,yahwe2 ,house of ,levi1 bless ye ,yahwe2 ,worshippers of ,yahwe1 bless ye ,yahwe2 ,blessed by ,yahwe from ,zion who inhabits ,jerusalem2 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 --,psalm #ace3ai-ba4 ,such in general is the sanctuary hymn of praise1 but each of the hymns in this group 7,psalms #aej1 #adh1 #adg1 #ace1 #aac1 #ade1 #aaa1 #adf1 #aae1 #cc1 #aag7 merits or demands at least brief individual mention4 ,of all these ,psalm #aej deserves to be mentioned first because its position at the end of the psalter may be accepted as strong testimony of the great importance attached to praise in the worship of ,israel4 ,the psalm also merits consideration for its own sake because of the clarity and symmetry of its arrangement3 ,call to praise ,yahwe 7verse #a;a72 where praise ,yahwe 7verse #a;bc72 wherefore praise ,yahwe 7verse #b72 wherewith praise ,yahwe 7verses #c1 #d1 #e72 concluding call to praise ,yahwe 7verse #f74 ,psalm #adh is particularly notable for the universality of its call to praise4 ,verses #a-e call upon everybody and everything in the heavens above to praise ,yahwe1 while verses #g-ac call to his praise everything and everybody on the earth beneath including3 ,kings of the earth1 and all people2 ,princes1 and all judges of the earth2 ,both young men and maidens2 ,old men and children4 ,after the tremendous universality of this call to praise1 the brevity of the body of the hymn1 with the reference to ,yahwe's supreme glory on the one hand1 and the reference to his goodness to ,israel on the other hand1 is very effective3 ,let them praise the name of ,yahwe1 ,for his name alone is supreme4 ,his glory is above earth and heaven1 ,and he hath given victory to his people4 ,the praise is he of all his faithful ones1 ,even of the ,israelites1 the people near to him1 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 ,psalm #adg is a splendid example of the union of three little hymns in one composition4 ,the absence of a concluding call to praise is surprising2 it has doubtless been lost in process of transmission4 ,psalm #ace has a number of little variations from the ordinary usage of the hymns4 ,verses #a and #b are a typical call to praise3 ,praise ye ,yahwe2 ,praise ye the name of ,yahwe2 ,praise him1 ye servants of ,yahwe1 ,ye who stand in the house of ,yahwe1 ,in the courts of the house of our ,god4 ,but then verses #c and #d are two little hymns in themselves3 ,praise ,yahwe2 for ,yahwe is good4 ,sing praises unto him1 for he is gracious1 ,for ,yahwe hath chosen ,jacob for himself1 ,and ,israel is his treasure4 ,with verse #e one would expect a renewed call to praise1 as for example3 ,praise ,yahwe for ,yahwe is great1 but instead of the call to praise there is substituted an affirmation of faith3 ,for we know that ,yahwe is great1 ,and our ,lord above all gods4 ,verses #f-ab proceed in normal course reciting the greatness of ,yahwe in creation and in history1 but verse #ac contains its surprise1 for the third person is exchanged for the second and ,yahwe is directly addressed3 ,thy name1 ,o ,yahwe1 endureth for ever1 ,thy remembrance1 ,o ,yahwe1 to all generations4 ,the second person is the natural usage of prayer1 and the subject of verse #ad would have been appropriate for petition3 ,for ,yahwe will deliver his people1 ,and he will show mercy to his servants4 ,possibly this very fact accounts for the use of the second person in verse #ac4 ,the thought of rescue naturally suggests the idea of the idol worship of the oppressors 7verses #ae-ah71 and the contrast between the impotent idols and ,yahwe lends enthusiasm to the mighty concluding call to praise 7verses #ai-ba74 ,in this group of sanctuary hymns1 ,psalm #aac undoubtedly deserves a unique place4 ,the call to praise is distinctive both for its sublimity of conception and the beauty of the language3 ,praise ye ,yahwe2 ,praise1 ye servants of ,yahwe1 ,praise the name of ,yahwe4 ,blessed be the name of ,yahwe ,now and evermore2 ,from the rising of the sun to its going down ,yahwe's name is to be praised4 --,verses #a-c4 ,however the rarest beauty and chiefest charm of this hymn is in the unexpected contrast between the ,yahwe exalted high above all nations and ,yahwe stooping from on high to the poorest and weakest of the earth4 ,there is here a beautiful illustration of the characteristic ,hebrew tendency to make truth concrete1 in the case of the childless wife whom ,yahwe remembers1 and saves from being divorced1 causing her to remain at home the joyful mother of children3 ,high above all nations is ,yahwe2 ,above the heavens his glory4 ,who is like ,yahwe our ,god1 ,who dwelling in high heaven1 ,stoopeth to look upon the earth8 ,he raiseth up poor men from the dust2 ,from the dung hill he lifteth needy men1 ,to seat them beside princes4 ,even with the princes of his people4 ,he causeth the barren woman to live at home ,the mother of children joyful4 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 ,it is safe to say that no greater hymn of praise is to be found in the psalter than ,psalm #ajj4 ,it is great in its originality1 clarity1 and strength4 ,it is addressed to the congregation entering the temple1 and though not sung by the procession might yet be called a processional hymn4 ,it is perhaps a question how wide the application of verse #a is1 whether the call to praise goes out to all the earth and all humanity1 or whether the call is intended simply for all the land of ,palestine4 ,verses #c and #d seem to make it reasonably clear that the call to praise is here meant not for humanity but for the ,jewish people4 ,the psalm is not then an eschatological hymn as the wider application of verse #a might suggest4 ,the hymn falls into two divisions of almost equal lengths1 verses #a-c and verses #d-e4 ,in the first division verses #a and #b constitute the call to praise3 ,shout to ,yahwe all the land3 ,serve ,yahwe with gladness2 ,come in before him with singing4 ,verse #c makes up the body of the hymn in this division1 and it is to be noted that while the actual content of verse #c is characteristic reason for praise1 yet the introduction of 8,know ye0 adds another to the succession of imperatives in this psalm1 increases its strength1 and is reminiscent of the fact that there were requirements for those who would enter ,yahwe's temple as ,psalm #bd3c-e makes clear3 ,know ye that ,yahwe is ,god3 ,it is ,he who hath made us1 and we are ,his people and sheep of his pasture4 ,in the second division verse #d is the call to praise3 ,enter his gates with thanksgiving1 ,his courts with praise2 ,be thankful to him1 bless his name1 and verse #e the body of the hymn3 ,for good is ,yahwe3 unto everlasting his mercy ,and to all generations his faithfulness4 ,there is no further conclusion and assuredly none is needed4 ,psalm #acd is a simple liturgical hymn of a night service in the ,jerusalem temple4 ,some one representing the congregation standing without calls upon the priests in the sanctuary to lift up hands to the ,holy of ,holies and bless ,yahwe 7verses #a-b74 ,the priests from within replying invoke ,yahwe's blessing upon the worshipper4 ,another very beautiful liturgical hymn of praise is ,psalm #bd4 ,verses #a and #b are sung by the congregation approaching the sanctuary1 and are hymnal in character4 ,arrived at the sanctuary the question is asked1 who are worthy to enter ,yahwe's sanctuary 7verse #c71 and the answer is given in verses #d1 #e4 ,these three verses belong to the category of the teaching psalms4 ,in verse #f the congregation announces that it seeks the ,god of ,jacob4 ,however the temple doors are closed and the congregation demands that the gates be lifted up to permit the ,king of ,glory to enter1 verse #g4 ,verse #h brings the challenge from within the temple3 8,who is this king of glory80 and the answer is returned by the company without3 8,yahwe strong and mighty1 ,yahwe mighty in battle40 ,again the demand is made that the temple gates be lifted up 7verse #i71 but again the challenge comes from within3 8,who is this king of glory80 ,and now the company returns the age-old title of the king1 8,yahwe of hosts1 he is the king of glory10 and we are to understand that the gates did lift up1 and that the mighty ,god passed in4 ,it is clear that this liturgical hymn is made up of what were once independent literary units4 ,this is sufficiently obvious from the fact that in verse #f the worshipping company are seeking the deity's presence1 as indeed is presupposed by verses #c-e1 while in verses #g-aj the company is seeking entrance for ,yahwe himself into the temple or more probably into the city4 ,the whole constitutes a noble liturgical hymn of praise4 ,psalms #aaa and #ade have little claim to recognition other than that they are alphabetical psalms1 the twenty-two lines of #aaa beginning with the twenty-two successive letters of the ,hebrew alphabet1 while the first lines of the twenty-two couplets of ,psalm #ade likewise begin with the twenty-two successive letters of the alphabet4 ,psalm #adf opens in the characteristic style of an individual hymn of praise3 ,praise ye ,yahwe3 ,praise ,yahwe1 ,o my soul2 ,while ,i live ,i will praise ,yahwe2 ,i will sing praises unto my ,god1 while ,i exist4 ,then1 however1 there are three verses in the manner of wisdom literature1 although introduced by verse #c in the hortatory style of the prophet3 ,trust ye not in princes1 ,nor in man in whom is no help3 ,his breath goeth out1 he returneth to his ground2 ,in that day his thoughts perish4 ,happy is he who has ,jacob's ,god for his help1 ,whose hope is in ,yahwe his ,god1 ,maker of heaven and earth4 ,verses #f-i give the standard reasons why men should praise ,yahwe1 and verse #aj closes the hymn with that hopeful outlook for the future so significant1 and so characteristic of the ,hebrew religion and the ,hebrew hymn of praise3 ,yahwe shall reign forever1 ,thy ,god1 ,o ,zion1 unto all generations4 ,praise ye ,yahwe4 ,psalm #aae varies so widely from the standard hymn of praise that it is just a question whether it belongs with the hymns1 or with the psalms of petition4 ,as previously pointed out1 the introductory call to praise here takes on the form of a petition1 fortified moreover as in prayers of petition with reasons why ,yahwe should answer it4 ,not to us1 ,yahwe1 not to us1 ,but to thy name give glory1 ,for thy mercy's sake1 for thy truth's sake4 ,why should the nations say1 ,where is their ,god8 --,verses #a1 #b4 ,what would ordinarily be the body of the first division of the hymn begins with verse #c and runs on to verse #h contrasting the ,god who is in the heavens and who has power to do whatever he wills with the impotent and useless idols of the nations 7verses #c-h74 ,a new section clearly begins with verse #i4 ,in a hymn proper verses #i-aa would constitute a renewed call to praise1 but here they are a summons to ,israelites1 priests1 proselytes to trust ,yahwe3 ,israel1 trust in ,yahwe3 ,their help and their shield is he4 ,house of ,aaron1 trust in ,yahwe2 ,their help and their shield is he4 ,worshippers of ,yahwe1 trust in ,yahwe2 ,their help and their shield is he4 ,there follows in verses #ab-ad not reasons why ,yahwe should be trusted1 corresponding to the manner in which the body of a hymn gives reasons why ,yahwe should be praised1 but rather a strong affirmation of confidence1 which again is a common feature of the prayer of petition4 ,yahwe remembers us and will bless1 ,he will bless the house of ,israel4 ,he will bless the house of ,aaron4 ,he will bless the worshippers of ,yahwe1 ,the small with the great1 ,yahwe will increase you1 ,you and your children4 ,blessed are ye of ,yahwe1 ,maker of heaven and earth4 ,finally where in verses #af-ah would ordinarily be expected a renewed call to praise1 we have here something that resembles the vow of a prayer of petition1 although it is hymnal to the extent that it promises to praise ,yahwe for evermore4 ,it ought also to be observed that the psalm has a number of features that indicate it to be liturgical in character4 ,verses #a-h1 it may be supposed1 were sung by the congregation made up of ,israelites1 and proselytes1 led by priests and ,levites4 ,then verses #i-aa constitute an antiphonal response to their petition1 one choir singing3 8,o ,israel1 trust in ,yahwe10 while the second choir responded3 8,he is their help and their shield40 ,the whole congregation that first sang verses #a-h now sings verses #ab-ac1 and in reply to their affirmation of faith1 the temple choir gives the comforting assurance of ,yahwe's favor in verses #ad-ae4 ,then the congregation sings the hymnal vow of verses #af-ah4 ,it remains accordingly a question whether we have in ,psalm #aae a liturgical hymn of praise1 or a liturgical psalm of petition in which the hymnal spirit and form has a prominent place4 ,psalm #cc is also difficult of classification4 ,verses #a-c are a typical hymnal call to praise and verses #d-g give customary reasons for praising ,yahwe4 ,then verse #h issues a renewed call to worship ,yahwe and verses #i-aa again give customary reasons for so doing4 ,but when we arrive at verse #ab we have the characteristic introduction to a wisdom psalm3 ,happy the nation whose ,god is ,yahwe1 ,the people he hath chosen for his inheritance4 and there follow in verses #ac-ai the sententious utterances1 characteristic of the wisdom literature1 teaching that neither men nor nations are saved by physical might1 but only by the mercy of ,yahwe extended to those who fear him4 ,not inappropriately there follows1 in verses #bj and #ba1 an affirmation of faith in ,yahwe1 which is followed in turn by the brief petition3 ,let thy mercy1 ,o ,yahwe1 be upon us1 ,according as we have trusted in thee4 ,the first half of the psalm1 verses #a-aa is a hymn of praise2 the second half1 verses #ab-bb1 despite the petition at the close is perhaps best called a wisdom psalm4 ,in the very short ,psalm #aag the call to praise goes out in verse #a to 8all nations0 and to 8all peoples40 ,it is a question however whether the mercy of ,yahwe in verse #b is extended to all peoples or limited to the ,hebrews4 ,in any case this little hymn of praise forms a suitable transition to the special group of eschatological hymns of praise4 ,chapter ,,iii ,,hebrew ,,eschatological ,,hymns ,the sanctuary hymns of praise which we have been studying have for1 the most part1 the backward look through ,israel's history to the creation of the world4 ,a few of them also have in small degree the forward look calling for ,yahwe's praise because of what he will yet accomplish in the world2 and certainly many of the hymns are characterized by an enthusiasm for ,yahwe's greatness that asserts or presupposes his supremacy in the universe4 ,nevertheless it is right to gather together a special group of hymns which look forward more definitely and concretely to the actual triumphant consummation of ,yahwe's plan1 and the achievement of ,israel's glorious destiny4 ,these hymns are sung in contemplation of ,yahwe's great final victory4 ,he has at long last appeared to judge the world2 his mightiest enemies have suffered complete and final defeat4 ,he has taken his rightful position upon his throne1 and all nations acknowledge his authority4 ,the physical world will now yield its abundant increase1 and the divine reign of peace and righteousness will begin4 ,such hymns1 fittingly called eschatological1 are ,psalms #if1 #ih1 #adi1 #dg1 #ii1 #ig1 #ic1 #hb4 ,one not inconspicuous difference in these eschatological hymns is in the call to praise4 ,many eschatological hymns indeed seem to have been introduced simply by the triumphant shout3 8,yahwe is king40 7,psalms #ii1 #ig1 #ic47 ,the announcement of the momentous fact1 that at last ,israel's ,god has actually ascended his throne to take to himself power and sovereignty over the earth1 does of itself inspire hymnal enthusiasm4 ,quite probably the abruptness of the announcement corresponds to the suddenness and unexpectedness of the event itself4 ,however hymns beginning with the shout3 8,yahwe is king0 sometimes follow up that announcement with a summons to praise ,yahwe4 ,indeed the very fact that ,yahwe has become king is reason why men and nations should be called upon to praise him4 ,so while ,psalm #ic1 beginning with 8,yahwe is king10 has no further call to praise1 ,psalm #ig does complete the great announcement with a brief call to praise3 ,yahwe is king1 let the earth rejoice2 ,let the many shores be glad4 ,and ,psalm #ii follows up the announcement not with one but with repeated calls to worship ,yahwe 7verses #a1 #c1 #e1 #i74 ,another group of eschatological hymns 7,psalms #if1 #ih1 #adi7 begins indeed with a call to praise1 but feels the utter inadequacy of the old songs4 ,the amazingly new world situation demands a new song4 ,consequently they start with3 ,sing to ,yahwe a new song4 ,they may later make explicit announcement that ,yahwe has become king as in ,psalm #if3aj3 ,say among the nations1 ,yahwe is king1 or that fact may be made implicitly understood by the general context of the hymn4 ,shout before the king ,yahwe4 --,psalm #ih3f4 ,let ,zion's sons rejoice in their king4 --,psalm #adi3b4 ,undoubtedly there were also in ,israel eschatological hymns1 which issued the great call to praise in varied and impressive ways1 following up the call to praise with the momentous announcement of ,yahwe's assumption of world government4 ,of such hymns ,psalm #dg is a representative4 ,it calls the peoples to the praise of ,yahwe in verse #b and announces the great fact of his newly accepted kingship in verse #c3 ,all ye peoples1 clap your hands1 ,shout to ,god with the voice of triumph1 ,for ,yahwe most high is to be feared1 ,a great king is he over all the earth4 ,it was observed in the study of the sanctuary hymns that certain of them 7#adg1 #adh7 repeated the call to praise at intervals throughout the hymn1 creating somewhat the impression of a union of little hymns in one4 ,this phenomenon seems to be particularly conspicuous in the eschatological hymns4 ,thus ,psalm #if may be divided into three hymns3 ,i1 verses #a-f2 ,,ii1 verses #g-aj2 ,,iii1 verses #aa-ac4 ,so also ,psalm #ih divides into3 ,i1 verses #a-c2 ,,ii1 verses #d-f;a2 ,,iii1 verses #f;b-#i4 ,likewise ,psalm #ii3 ,i1 verses #a-d2 ,,ii1 verses #e-h2 ,,iii1 verse #i4 ,psalm #dg breaks into two parts3 ,i1 verses #a-e2 ,,ii1 verses #f-i2 and ,psalm #adi likewise3 ,i1 verses #a-d2 ,,ii1 verses #e-i4 ,in all these hymns the repeated calls to praise represent growing momentum and power of hymnal enthusiasm for ,yahwe1 the great king4 ,turning from the introductions to the conclusions of the eschatological hymns we find that ,psalm #adi is the only one of those found in the psalter that does actually end with1 8,hallelujah40 ,others1 however 7,psalms #ig1 #ii1 #if1 #ih71 do end with the hymnal note of praise and all conclude with the note of triumph4 ,in ,psalm #adi it is ,israel's national triumph3 ,to execute vengeance upon the nations1 ,punishments upon the peoples1 ,to bind their kings with chains1 ,and their nobles with fetters of iron1 ,to execute upon them the ,judgment written1 ,an honor is it for all ,his faithful ones4 --,verses #g-i4 ,in ,psalm #dg it is ,yahwe's great political triumph3 ,for to ,god belong the shields of the earth2 ,he is greatly exalted4 ,psalms #if and #ih close with the joyous anticipation that the reign of ,justice is at hand3 444 ,for he has come to judge the earth2 ,he will judge the world with righteousness1 ,and the peoples with equity4 ,it is interesting that three other psalms conclude with the thought of the holiness of ,yahwe and ,yahwe's house3 ,exalt ,yahwe our ,god1 ,and worship at his holy hill1 ,for holy is ,yahwe our ,god4 --,psalm #ii3i4 ,rejoice ye righteous in ,yahwe1 ,and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness4 --,psalm #ig3ab4 ,thy testimonies are very sure3 ,holiness becometh thy house1 ,o ,yahwe1 forever4 --,psalm #ic3e4 ,in the study of the standard hymns of praise it was observed that ,deity is regularly spoken of in the third person1 while in only a very few instances the second person1 the usage of prayer1 is employed4 ,of the eschatological hymns we have examined there are four in which the second person occurs1 ,psalms #ig1 #ii1 #ic1 and #hb4 ,psalm #ig is a hymn in three sections4 ,the first section1 verses #a-f1 makes the announcement of ,yahwe's appearance on earth and the third person is used4 ,the second section1 verses #g-i1 speaks of ,yahwe's supremacy over the gods1 and where the psalmist is speaking of the joy of ,jerusalem and ,judah's towns over ,yahwe's victory he uses the second person4 ,but the third section1 treating of ,yahwe's deliverance of the righteous again uses the third person4 ,it is difficult to account for the use of the second person in the second section of this hymn1 unless it is that the very thought of ,judah's joy over ,yahwe's triumph brought ,yahwe nearer to the consciousness of the psalmist1 and so put the psalmist into the attitude of mind of a suppliant toward ,yahwe1 with the consequent use of the second person1 as in prayer4 ,psalm #ii seems to be a hymn of four sections4 ,the first section consists of verses #a1 #b1 #c1 containing six lines ending with the refrain3 8,holy is he40 ,the second section consists of verses #d and #e containing also six lines and ending likewise with the refrain3 8,holy is he40 ,there is furthermore a natural line of division at the end of verse #g1 and if we can suppose that the refrain was here inadvertently omitted1 we should again have six lines ending with the same refrain4 ,this leaves us in verses #h and #i a fourth section of six lines ending in the refrain slightly expanded3 8,for holy is ,yahwe our ,god40 ,moreover the hymn is divided into two main divisions of twelve lines each1 each ending with a little hymn of three lines1 which is substantially the same3 ,exalt ye ,yahwe our ,god1 ,and worship at his footstool1 ,holy is he4 --,verses #e1 #i4 ,again there is in this hymn the same difficulty in accounting for the use of the second person as in ,psalm #ig1 and again the same explanation is to be offered4 ,in verse #c;a1 to be sure1 there may be a mistake in the text1 for it is scarcely felicitous to have the second person in verse #c;a and the third person in verse #c;b4 ,in verses #d and #h however1 the very subject matter is that which would ordinarily be followed by petitions1 and which would bring about the attitude of the mind in prayer1 and the consequent direct address to ,god3 ,thou has restored equity2 ,thou has executed justice and righteousness in ,jacob4 ,yahwe1 our ,god1 thou didst answer them3 ,a forgiving god wast thou to them1 ,and one avenging their wrongs4 ,again ,psalm #ic may be divided into four sections1 though not all four of equal length4 ,verse #a1 of three lines1 makes the great announcement in the third person that ,yahwe is king4 ,verses #b and #c1 of four lines1 are addressed to ,yahwe in the second person and inform him that his throne is from everlasting1 but that mighty foes are in rebellion against him4 ,then verse #d1 of three lines1 makes the reassuring announcement in the third person that ,yahwe is mightier than the foes4 ,verse #e addresses ,yahwe in the second person1 expressing confidence that his divine authority will endure1 and his house retain forever its sanctity4 ,it seems not improbable that the verses employing the third person1 and the verses employing the second persons were sung by different choirs1 and that we have in this psalm a liturgical eschatological hymn4 ,the actual content of the eschatological hymns has to some extent been shadowed forth in this discussion4 ,the one great fact in the hymns is the triumphant intervention of ,yahwe in the affairs of the world4 ,his appearance on the earth is accompanied by the most spectacular physical phenomena4 ,the heavens declare his glory and the earth trembles4 ,while clouds and darkness surround his person1 his lightnings illuminate the world2 the hills melt like wax beneath his feet1 and a fire goeth before him and destroyeth his enemies 7,psalm #ig3b-f2 ,psalm #ii3a74 ,the appearance of ,yahwe on the earth is followed by his complete and final victory4 ,turbulent and mighty as the waves of the great ocean1 all his enemies are speedily vanquished4 ,his right hand and his holy arm achieve for him the victory1 and all the ends of the earth witness the salvation achieved by ,god 7,psalm #ih3a2 ,psalm #ic3c1 #d74 ,in virtue of this great victory ,yahwe is now to be feared above all gods2 indeed he is recognized as the one and only god4 ,all those who had served graven images and boasted of their idols are put to shame4 ,yahwe reigns from his temple in ,jerusalem1 and the peoples of the earth bring their offerings into his courts1 as they worship him1 ascribing to him all glory and strength 7,psalm #if3c1 #d1 #g1 #h2 ,psalm #ig3g74 ,yahwe's sovereignty extends into the political realm4 ,he who is great in ,zion is high above all peoples4 ,he is the great king over all the earth4 ,his sovereignty means the extention of his favor to ,israel1 the rescue of his faithful servants from the might of wicked oppressors1 and the elevation of the ,hebrew race to power3 ,he subdueth peoples under us1 ,and nations under our feet4 ,indeed according to ,psalm #adi it means the most complete and vindictive vengeance of ,israel upon the nations 7verses #f-i74 ,however1 in hymns broader and more generous of conception it means the establishment of a reign of righteousness and peace over all the earth1 for which not only the peoples but the physical world itself will rejoice4 ,the world is to be established so that it can not be moved4 ,the earth will give her increase4 ,yahwe will bless his people and the very ends of the earth will fear him 7,psalms #if3ac2 #ih3i1 #fg2 #hb74 ,unique in the group of eschatological hymns is ,psalm #hb4 ,it has no call to praise1 no summons to the ,israelites1 nor to the nations1 nor to the physical universe1 to rejoice at ,god's appearing2 it does not even announce that ,god has become king4 ,what it does is to single out from all the momentous events of ,god's final victory on earth one scene1 but the description of that one scene is of itself such as to kindle hymnal enthusiasm and to give the psalm the atmosphere and character of a hymn4 ,god takes his place as judge in the council of the gods 7verse #a74 ,he arraigns the gods for their protection of the wicked1 and exhorts them to do justice to the poor and the fatherless1 and to rescue them from their oppressors4 ,he realizes1 however 7verse #e71 that appeal to these judges is hopeless4 ,they are without understanding and in darkness1 while the very moral foundations of the world tremble4 ,therefore ,god pronounces final judgment upon the judges4 ,they had been given the status of gods but now they are to die like men 7verses #f1 #g74 ,this pronouncement1 implying as it does that ,god will now himself give justice to the earth1 calls forth the petition of verse #h3 ,arise ,o ,god1 judge the earth1 ,for thou shalt inherit all nations4 ,despite this anticipatory petition at the close1 ,psalm #hb is essentially a positive announcement of ,god's triumph1 and calling forth as it does hymnal enthusiasm1 is itself essentially a hymn4 ,similarly ,psalm #b must be assigned to the group of eschatological hymns4 ,here again there is no call to praise1 no summoning of the nations to welcome ,god's appearing1 no proclamation that ,yahwe has become king over all the earth4 ,like ,psalm #hb this psalm also selects and describes a single situation out of the many that go to make up ,yahwe's final establishment of his kingdom upon earth4 ,it is presupposed in the psalm that ,yahwe has already proclaimed his sovereignty over the earth and established his own anointed king upon the throne of the world in ,jerusalem4 ,but 7verses #a-c7 the nations of the world are plotting rebellion against ,yahwe and against his anointed king4 ,their rebellion 7verses #d-f7 simply provokes ,yahwe to derisive laughter4 ,over against their impotence he simply reaffirms his inflexible decision3 ,as for me ,i have set my king ,upon my holy hill of ,zion4 ,then the king takes up the word 7verses #g-i7 and announces the divine decree4 ,yahwe had formally adopted him as son1 and had given to him the kingdoms of the earth with power over them to break them in pieces4 ,the king has spoken4 ,another voice makes the practical application 7verses #aj-ab7 and warns the kings and the rulers of the earth to make their humble peace with ,yahwe1 and with his anointed1 before his wrath is fully aroused4 ,chapter ,,iv ,,hebrew ,,nature ,,hymns ,the abode of the hymns already discussed was the sanctuary and their place was in sanctuary worship1 but there is a group of hymns1 the real background of which was ,nature's great out of doors4 ,these hymns include ,psalms #bi2 #ai3a-e;b2 #ai3e;c-#g2 #ajd2 and #h4 ,of these ,psalm #bi resembles most closely in its literary form the standard hymns4 ,it has the call to praise1 the body of the hymn setting forth the greatness of ,yahwe2 and it has a conclusion1 though the conclusion is not a renewed summons to exalt the deity4 ,the hymn as a whole expresses the reaction of the psalmist to a thunder and lightning storm4 ,he watches it rise in the ,lebanon mountains in the ,north1 and follows it with his eye and ear and imagination until it loses itself in the desert of ,kadesh4 ,he observes the forked lightning 7verse #g7 but is vastly more impressed by the thunder to which he attributes the destructive power of the storm4 ,the significant fact is that the storm does not create in the psalmist fear1 but moves him to adoration of his great ,god1 and to renewed faith and confidence4 ,the introductory call to praise 7verses #a-b7 summons the gods above to worship ,yahwe and to ascribe to him glory and strength4 ,the body of the hymn celebrates the thunder1 8,the ,voice of ,yahwe10 somewhat as ,psalm #ai3h-aj celebrates3 8,the ,law of ,yahwe40 ,verse #i;c3 8,but in his temple every one saith ,glory0 forms a transition to the conclusion in verses #i-aj1 which remembers that the ,god of the thunder storm was also the ,god of the flood1 the eternal king1 who because of his eternal existence and his great power can give strength and peace to his people4 ,psalm #ai contains two short nature hymns or more probably two fragments of hymns4 ,the first ,psalm #ai3a-e;b seems to be a hymn of the night4 ,it does not call upon the heavens to praise ,god1 as the typical hymn would do1 but simply announces that the heavens do declare ,god's glory4 ,this they do without language or words or sounds over all the earth1 ceaselessly declaring his glory from day to day1 from night to night1 from age to age4 ,psalm #ai3e;c-#g has no introductory nor concluding call to praise1 and the few lines that we have1 effective though they are1 are probably only a fraction of the body of the original hymn4 ,moreover the original was undoubtedly a hymn to ,shamash the ,assyrian ,sun ,god4 ,the ,assyrians watched with reverent eye the ,sun ,god's glorious journey across the heavens4 ,they knew also of his wearisome return in the underworld from ,west to ,east1 and they were glad to think of the bride and the repast awaiting him in his tent on the edge of the heavenly ocean4 ,the ,hebrew like the ,assyrian had great admiration for the illuminating rays and the fervent heat of the sun1 but he would go no further than to compare the sun to a bridegroom1 and a strong man4 ,it does seem strange that the psalmist has retained in verse #d;c the sun's tent3 8,for the sun he hath set a tent in the sea10 but even so it is ,yahwe who has placed the tent there1 even as it is ,yahwe who has placed the sun in the heavens4 ,the ,hebrew who used this fragment of a poem saw ,god's glory revealed in the progress of the sun across the sky by day1 even as he saw that glory revealed in the star studded heavens by night4 ,psalm #ajd differs from the standard ,hebrew hymns of praise in two respects4 ,it is addressed in considerable part directly to ,deity in the second person1 while the standard ,hebrew hymn regularly uses the third person4 ,also it has a petition at its close1 which the standard hymn has not4 ,in these two respects ,psalm #ajd resembles a prayer4 ,however the petition is very brief1 formal1 almost incidental2 it can scarcely be said to grow out of the psalm1 and certainly the hymnal portion 7verses #a-cd7 can not be regarded as introductory to it4 ,psalm #ajd is also remarkable among ,hebrew hymns for its length1 as a hymn devoted exclusively to the activity of ,god in nature4 ,of the other nature hymns in the ,psalter1 ,psalm #ai3a-e;b and ,psalm #ai3e;c-#g are mere fragments1 and ,psalms #h and #bi are relatively short1 but ,psalm #ajd contains seventy-nine lines of which the first seventy-one are dominated by the theme3 ,how manifold are thy works1 ,o ,yahwe6 ,all of them in wisdom thou hast made4 --,verse #bd4 ,as it stands in the text ,psalm #ajd has a hymnal introduction and conclusion4 ,the brief introduction may indeed be a liturgical addition4 ,in it the psalmist calls upon himself to praise ,yahwe3 8,bless my soul ,yahwe40 ,the conclusion is longer and expresses the psalmist's life long devotion to his ,god3 ,i will sing to ,yahwe while ,i live2 ,i will sing praises to my ,god so long as ,i exist4 ,may my meditation be pleasing to him2 ,as for me ,i rejoice in ,yahwe4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,bless my soul ,yahwe ,praise ye ,yahwe4 ,verses #cc1 #cd1 #ce;cd4 ,again it may be noted that the petition in verse #ce;ab3 8,let sinners be consumed1 out of the earth1 and let the wicked be no more10 has no real organic connection with the hymn1 and certainly the concluding 8,hallelujah0 may well be an addition4 ,the analysis of the body of the hymn is clear4 ,verses #a-d praise the ,god of heaven2 verses #e-i1 the ,god of creation2 verses #aj-ah1 the ,god of the earth1 the domestic animals1 and man2 verses #ai-ba1 the ,god of the night2 verses #bb-bd1 the ,god of the day2 verses #be-bf1 the ,god of the sea2 verses #bg-cj1 the ,god who giveth life to everything that liveth4 ,the body of the hymn then culminates in the pious wish that ,yahwe's glory may endure forever and that the mighty ,god may rejoice in his works1 even he who causes the earthquake and the volcanic eruption4 ,here also comes the petition1 but a petition has really no place in a genuine ,hebrew hymn of praise4 ,it is clear that ,psalm #ajd is predominatingly and essentially a hymn of praise4 ,yet it has in its use of the second person2 in the presence of the petition2 and perhaps also in its length1 since it is a nature hymn1 features that seem unhebraic4 ,it is perhaps also significant that its close resemblance to the famous ,egyptian hymn of ,pharaoh ,iknaton has often been observed4 ,we have1 it would seem1 in ,psalm #ajd a very probable example of the influence of foreign literature1 ,egyptian1 ,assyrian1 or both4 ,psalm #h might be considered an impressionistic soliloquy of the starry night1 were it not dominated by the thought of ,god1 and addressed directly to ,god4 ,it begins with an exclamation for the psalmist is overwhelmingly impressed with the realization of the glory of ,god3 ,yahwe our ,god1 ,how sublime is thy name in all the earth1 ,thou who hast placed thy glory upon the heavens4 --,verse #b4 ,yet how strange that the great ,god of the universe should have revealed himself to the weak children of ,israel4 ,it is assuredly the knowledge of ,god as the creator of the heavens that is to overcome arrogant rebellion against ,god1 such rebellion as actually prevails in the psalmist's world4 ,may it not be true that the great ,god hath chosen through the testimony of the humble to confound the mighty3 ,out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has established strength ,to bring to silence the enemy and the rebel4 ,but how marvelous this condescension of ,god to stoop to man in his weakness1 and then what a marvelous place ,god has given man in the universe6 ,the psalmist feels first the insignificance of man3 ,as ,i look at thy heavens1 the fine workmanship of thy fingers1 ,the moon and the stars which thou hast shaped1 ,what is man that thou should'st remember him8 ,even the son of man that thou should'st care for him8 --,verses #d-e4 ,then1 however1 he pays tribute to the place that ,god has given man3 ,yet thou hast made him but a little lower than ,god1 ,and crownest him with glory and honor1 ,thou causest him to rule over the works of thy hands2 ,everything hast thou placed beneath his feet1 ,sheep and oxen all of them1 ,and also the beasts of the field1 ,the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea1 ,that which passeth on the paths of the sea4 --,verses #f-i4 ,and now in recognition both of the glory of ,god revealed in the heavens and also of the goodness of ,god to man1 the psalmist again exclaims out of the fullness of his heart3 ,yahwe our lord1 ,how sublime is thy name in all the earth4 ,psalm #h takes a unique position among the ,old ,testament hymns of praise4 ,it is addressed altogether in the second person to ,yahwe1 and to that extent takes on the form and nature of a prayer4 ,but it has no suggestion of a petition1 nor does it make any definite effort to express gratitude4 ,it has something of the reflective attitude1 as it seems to ponder over man's place in the universe1 but it is assuredly not a teaching nor a wisdom psalm4 ,it has been maintained by some scholars that the first two and last two lines were meant to be sung by a chorus1 while the body of the hymn is a solo4 ,however1 it is more natural to suppose that in the use of the plural1 8,yahwe our ,lord10 the psalmist is simply recognizing himself as one of the many followers of ,yahwe1 rather than that a choir is singing4 ,the truth is that the psalm is intensely individualistic and dominated from beginning to end by the feeling of adoration for ,yahwe1 the ,hebrews' ,god and only ,god1 whose name is glorious in all the earth4 ,it is a hymn of praise1 but one that stands apart because of the originality and beauty of its literary form1 and the sincerity and profundity of the spiritual experience that inspired it4 ,chapter ,v ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,,in ,,praise ,,of ,,sacred ,,institutions ,but there were in ,hebrew religious poesie not only hymns in praise of deity1 but also hymns in praise of sacred institutions4 ,especially prominent were hymns in praise of the sanctuary4 ,naturally however1 only those that were written in praise of the temple in ,jerusalem1 or could be so interpreted had a chance for survival1 and of those we have in the ,psalter only #hd1 #abb1 #dh1 and #hg4 ,it is best to begin with ,psalm #hd1 for it represents a transition stage between the psalm of lamentation and petition and the hymn of praise4 ,in great part ,psalm #hd is addressed in the second person to deity1 and it actually has1 in verses #i1 #aj1 a petition for ,yahwe's favor4 ,the request in these verses is not explicit1 yet the context1 especially verses #c and #aa1 makes it clear that our psalmist1 like the author of ,psalms #db-dc1 earnestly desires the privilege of worshipping in the temple4 ,moreover the petition of verses #i1 #aj is reinforced by a profession of devotion in verses #aa-ac that corresponds to the affirmation of faith1 so characteristic a feature of the prayer of supplication4 ,in so far this psalm is also itself a psalm of lamentation and supplication4 ,on the other hand verses #b-h are essentially an expression of devotion to the temple3 ,how lovely is thy dwelling1 ,o ,yahwe of hosts6 ,longeth1 yea fainteth my soul ,for the courts of ,yahwe2 ,my heart and my flesh cry out unto the living ,god4 --,verses #b-c4 ,he envies the birds which nest in the temple 7verse #d71 the priests who are continually in the sanctuary praising ,god1 and the men who1 by ,god's favor1 are privileged to pilgrimage to ,jerusalem1 to pass from rampart to rampart1 and to behold ,god in ,zion4 ,psalm #hd therefore deserves to be grouped with the hymns in praise of the temple4 ,as ,psalm #hd has kinship with the psalms of lamentation and supplication1 so ,psalm #abb has a certain kinship with the psalms of faith4 ,in the latter the psalmist has a joyous confidence in ,yahwe1 in this psalm he has great joy in the temple and the holy city4 ,verses #a and #b affirm his joy in the temple1 and his positive intention of attending in company with others the great festivals3 ,i am glad whenever they say unto me1 ,let us go to the house of ,yahwe4 ,our feet shall assuredly stand ,within thy gates ,o ,jerusalem4 ,then follows1 in verses #c-e1 his praise of ,jerusalem the city of ,david3 ,jerusalem that is built ,as a city compact and solid1 ,whither go up ,yahwe's tribes4 ,a law is it for ,israel to give thanks to ,yahwe's name1 ,for there abide the thrones of justice1 ,the thrones of the house of ,david4 ,having thus praised the city1 the psalmist exhorts others to pray for it3 ,pray for the peace of ,jerusalem1 ,may thy dwellings prosper1 ,may peace be within thy walls1 ,prosperity in thy palaces4 --,verses #f1 #g4 ,the psalm then closes with his personal protestation of devotion to the city3 ,for the sake of my brethren and companions ,i will say3 8,peace be in ,thee40 ,for the sake of the house of ,yahwe our ,god ,i will seek thy good4 --,verses #h-i4 ,it has been said above that this psalm has some similarity to the psalms of faith4 ,it is possible that it also1 in verses #f-i1 reflects the influence of prophetic style4 ,but1 since the spirit that animates it is one of enthusiasm for the holy city1 it is best classed among the hymns of praise4 ,psalm #dh is also1 in a sense1 a transition hymn1 for it praises1 not ,god alone1 but both ,god and the city in which he dwells4 ,verse #b praises ,yahwe1 and verse #c the city3 ,great is ,yahwe and to be praised exceedingly ,in the city of our ,god on his holy mountain4 ,beautiful for situation1 the joy of all the earth1 ,is ,mount ,zion1 on the ,northern slope1 ,the city of the great ,king4 ,then verses #d-h record the city's chief glory1 that ,yahwe has been in its midst1 its mighty defender against its foes3 ,god is known in her palaces as a defense3 ,for lo1 kings assembled2 ,they invaded her together2 ,they saw1 so they marveled2 ,they were troubled1 they fled4 ,fear seized them there1 ,as pain seizes a woman in travail1 ,while thou didst shatter them1 ,as an east wind the great merchantmen4 ,our psalmist and his associates are obviously pilgrims to ,jerusalem4 ,they had previously heard of such events as the deliverance of ,jerusalem from ,sennacherib2 they have now seen with their own eyes the sacred sites which testify to such deliverances4 ,they have meditated on ,yahwe's goodness in the holy temple1 and are certain of his universal fame4 ,therefore1 they can bid ,zion and the towns of ,judah rejoice in their ,god3 ,as we have heard1 so have we seen ,in the city of ,yahwe of hosts1 in the city of our ,god4 ,god will establish it forever4 ,we have thought ,o ,god of thy loving kindness ,in the midst of thy temple4 ,as thy name ,o ,god1 ,so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth4 ,victories fill thy right hand4 ,let ,mount ,zion rejoice1 ,let the towns of ,judah be glad ,because of thy deliverances4 ,it is evident that the closing verses 7#ac-ae7 must have been spoken in ,jerusalem1 and it is perhaps equally clear that they must have been spoken1 not by the pilgrims to residents of ,jerusalem1 but rather by residents of ,jerusalem1 probably the temple choir to the pilgrims1 exhorting them to make their final procession around the city1 that they may know it and be able to tell the story of the city to the oncoming generation1 and so inspire in them reverence and loyalty for the ,god of their fathers3 ,walk about ,zion and go round her3 ,count up her towers2 ,give heed to her ramparts2 ,consider her palaces1 ,that you may tell it to the coming generation1 ,for this ,god is our ,god forever and ever2 ,he will be our guide even unto death4 ,but if verses #i-ab were spoken by the pilgrims1 and verses #ac-ae by the temple choir1 then it is probable that likewise verses #b-d were spoken by the pilgrims1 and verses #e-h by the temple choir4 ,thus ,psalm #dh may be considered a liturgical hymn of praise1 rendered in the temple on one of the great religious festivals that brought the pilgrims of the diaspora to the holy city4 ,psalm #hg is a hymn devoted entirely to the praise of the temple and the holy city4 ,unfortunately the text is in disorder4 ,probably verse #e;b should be brought back to verse #a1 and then the introductory verses #a-c would read3 ,its foundation is in the holy mountains1 ,and the ,most ,high doth sustain her4 ,yahwe loveth the gates of ,zion ,more than all the dwellings of ,jacob4 ,glorious things he speaketh concerning thee1 ,o city of ,god4 ,the rest of the psalm is exceedingly difficult4 ,verse #c leads us to expect a divine pronouncement regarding ,zion's future glory4 ,in that day ,egypt and ,babylon1 ,philistia and ,tyre1 together with far distant ,ethiopia1 will recognize it as a distinction to be a ,hebrew4 ,verses #d and #e perhaps read3 ,i will cause ,egypt and ,babylon to remember thy children1 ,behold ,philistia and ,tyre with ,ethiopia1 ,they shall say of ,zion1 8,this one and that one was born in her40 ,then the psalmist informs us 7verses #f1 #g7 that ,yahwe himself will count up the scattered ,jews of the diaspora1 and they in turn in that great day will be proudly mindful of the mother city3 ,yahwe will count them in the midst of the peoples ,this one and that one was born there2 ,and princes as common people will say ,we shall all make our home in thee4 ,two psalms1 #aai and #ai3h-ae1 are in praise of the ,jewish law4 ,since ,psalm #aai is an alphabetical psalm1 each successive eight lines beginning with the twenty-two successive letters of the ,hebrew alphabet1 its one hundred seventy-six lines are necessarily a very mechanical and mediocre production4 ,psalm #ai3h-ae1 on the other hand1 is a much finer piece of craftsmanship4 ,the first six lines 7verses #h-aj7 which are strikingly uniform in style1 draw attention to six complementary virtues of the law4 ,then four lines 7verses #aa-ab7 express in general terms the joy that is to be found in knowledge of the law and the practical benefit to be derived from obedience to it4 ,verses #ac and #ad present his humble petition that he be delivered from violating the law unwittingly or presumptuously1 while verse #ae dedicates the hymn so carefully written1 not to any princely patron but to ,yahwe1 his strength and redeemer4 ,another little group of hymns deals with the king1 who as the anointed of ,yahwe was also a sacred institution4 ,from a modern standpoint however ,psalm #de is purely secular in character1 celebrating as it does the king's wedding day4 ,verse #b is introductory in which the author announces himself as a clever poet4 ,verses #c-aj are in characteristically extravagant praise of the king4 ,verses #aa-af are devoted to the bride1 while verse #ag makes tactful and appropriate reference to the princes yet to be born4 ,verse #ah concluding the poem1 makes the navely modest promise that the pen of the poet will guarantee immortal fame to the king4 ,psalm #aja is likewise secular1 for it is evidently a king's proclamation4 ,as such it may have been used in the coronation service in the temple1 and so preserved in the sanctuary song book4 ,quite naturally1 as is always to be expected1 the king promises to walk uprightly in his own private life1 to choose wise counsellors1 to turn a deaf ear to slanderers1 to give protection to honest men1 and to suppress the wicked4 ,psalm #gb might likewise be fitted into the coronation service1 being then the prayer offered for a just and successful reign4 ,this would mean translating the successive sentences of the psalm from verse #a to verse #aa and from verse #ae to verse #ag as petitions4 ,thus verse #b would be translated3 ,may he judge thy people with righteousness ,and thy poor with justice1 and the other verses correspondingly1 and the psalm would accordingly be classed as a prayer of supplication4 ,on the other hand if the successive sentences1 with the necessary exception of verse #a are to be regarded as predictions of a glorious reign1 then the psalm is to be regarded as a hymn in praise of the ,messiah1 or possibly of an ordinary king who has just ascended the throne4 ,psalm #aaj and ,psalm #b are clearly hymns in praise of the king4 ,psalm #aaj brings to the king in verse #a the oracle of ,yahwe3 ,oracle of ,yahwe to my lord1 sit on my right hand ,until ,i make thy enemies my footstool4 ,then in verses #b-g the priest supplements this oracle with his assurance of ,yahwe's effective support1 and the king's great triumph over all his enemies4 ,the imagery describing ,yahwe's activity belongs to eschatology1 and we undoubtedly have here an eschatological hymn in praise of the king4 ,psalm #b is likewise an eschatological hymn1 dealing with that same feature of the last days as ,psalm #aaj1 and the last futile rebellion of the nations against the will of ,yahwe and ,yahwe's king4 ,in verses #a-c some one1 perhaps a layman1 asks why the nations are so foolish as to rebel against ,yahwe3 ,why do the nations rage1 ,and the peoples plan a mad thing8 ,the kings of the earth take their stand1 ,and princes plot together ,against ,yahwe and against his anointed3 8,let us break their bands ,and cast from us their cords40 ,then in verses #d-e a priest1 one who knows the plan of ,god1 gives answer3 ,he that sitteth in the heavens laugheth2 ,the lord is scornful of them4 ,presently he will speak to them in his anger1 ,and terrify them in his rage3 8,i1 on my part1 have set my king ,upon ,zion1 my holy hill40 ,and now it is for the king himself to add a final authoritative word concerning ,yahwe's plan1 for to the king himself ,yahwe had actually spoken3 ,i will declare the decree2 ,yahwe said to me3 8,you are my son20 ,i this day have adopted you4 ,ask me1 and ,i will make the nations your inheritance1 ,and the entire earth your possession4 ,you can beat them with an iron rod2 ,you can break them in pieces like a potter's vessel4 ,yahwe's decree1 bestowing such power over the nations upon ,israel's king1 having thus been made known1 it only remained to advise the nations to make humble submission to ,yahwe and to ,yahwe's representative upon the throne in ,zion3 ,and now1 ,o kings1 be prudent2 ,take warning1 ye judges of the earth4 ,worship ,yahwe with reverence1 ,submit to him with trembling4 ,do homage to the son1 lest he be angry and ye perish1 ,for his anger is quickly kindled4 ,happy are all who secure his protection4 ,here again1 as in ,psalm #aaj1 because of the prominence of the king in this dramatic setting forth of one of the important features of the last days1 ,psalm #b must be classed as an eschatological hymn in praise of the king4 ,division ,,ii ,,assyrian ,,hymns ,,of ,,praise ,chapter ,,vi ,,assyrian ,,hymnal ,,introductions ,,to ,,prayers ,as in the case of the ,hebrew hymns of praise1 so also it is right to attempt to see the ,assyrian hymns in relation to the whole body of ,assyrian religious poetry4 ,assyrian communities and ,assyrian individuals inevitably had their afflictions1 and like their kinsmen the ,hebrews they called out unto deity in their distresses in prayers of lamentation and supplication4 ,they experienced also on various occasions what they believed to be deliverances out of their troubles1 and when they could attribute those deliverances to the aid of deity1 they felt gratitude and expressed their gratitude by sacrifices and thanksgiving to the gods4 ,furthermore the ,assyrians felt adoration for deity1 trusted in deity1 reflected upon the will of deity and the secret of the prosperous life1 and like their kinsmen the ,hebrews they strove to express their ideas and their emotions in poetry4 ,accordingly we have in ,assyrian religious poetry much that corresponds to what is found in the ,old ,testament psalter4 ,however1 one striking difference between ,hebrew and ,assyrian religious poetry confronts us at the very outset4 ,the ,hebrew poetry is concerned with the one god ,yahwe1 while ,assyrian poetry has to do with many gods1 ,shamash1 ,sin1 ,nebo1 ,ninib1 ,nergal1 ,adad1 ,nusku1 ,bel1 ,marduk1 and others4 ,this might seem to make it very difficult1 if not impossible1 to form any unified conception of ,assyrian religion1 or to make any satisfactory comparison between the psalms of ,assyrian and ,israel4 ,but from the beginning there were many points of similarity between the ,assyrian gods of the various city states1 who frequently bore1 to be sure1 different names1 but who represented or were associated with the same objects or forces in nature4 ,furthermore the growth of political unity in ,mesopotamia was accompanied there1 as it has been elsewhere1 by a growth in religious unity4 ,as one city gained authority over other cities1 its god not only acquired greater prestige1 but he also extended his authority in greater or lesser measure over the conquered cities and over the gods of those cities4 ,moreover he tended to take to himself the chief prerogatives and attributes of the conquered deities4 ,with the growth and organization of empire there developed1 in the exaltation of one god to a supreme place1 a tendency toward monotheism2 and with the inevitable interchange of religious ideas a gradually increasing similarity in the attributes and prerogatives of the chief gods4 ,especially is it to be recognized that hymnal enthusiasm tends to blot out for the time the consciousness of other deities1 and to exalt in wisdom and power and goodness the deity which is being worshipped1 so that for the moment the attitude of the worshipper may be practically that of a monotheist4 ,accordingly the many names for deity have relatively little significance2 they offer no serious obstacle to the student who would compare the religious ideas and experiences of ,mesopotamia with the religious ideas and experiences of ,israel4 ,here again1 however1 it must be borne in mind that the literature of ,assyria which has survived is only a small fraction of that which once existed1 and what we now have owes its survival in part1 to be sure to merit1 but in part also to mere chance4 ,nevertheless sufficient literature exists to justify two general observations4 ,the first is this1 that the closest correspondence between ,assyrian and ,hebrew religious poetry is to be found in the psalms of lamentation and supplication1 which represent and express only the lowest level of religious experience in the ,hebrew psalms4 ,the second general observation is that while ,hebrew religious poetry develops1 and clearly differentiates into independent literary species1 the ,assyrian religious poetry does not achieve so full a development1 nor so clear a differentiation4 ,the one explanation of this fact would seem to be that ,assyrian religion did not go so far in emancipating itself from superstition and formalism1 and in achieving a lofty conception of deity and a profound religious experience4 ,certain it is that ,assyria did not develop to the same degree as did ,israel the independent prayer of thanksgiving1 the independent psalm of faith1 the independent wisdom psalm1 nor the independent hymn of praise4 ,the number of ,assyrian hymns copied1 transliterated1 and translated by ,assyriologists1 is between sixty and seventy4 ,the number can not be definitely fixed1 since many texts are but mere fragments because of the breaking and marring of the clay tablets4 ,the fact that so many hymnal compositions are incomplete necessarily makes the task of interpreting the individual hymns and of arriving at well founded general conclusions much more difficult4 ,the sixty odd hymns1 it may be of interest now to note1 are distributed among the ,assyrian deities as follows3 ,marduk #ad1 ,nergal #h1 ,shamash #g1 ,ninib #g1 ,ishtar #f1 ,sin #e1 ,adad and ,nusku #c each1 ,nebo1 ,bel1 and ,belit two each1 ,enlil1 ,asshur1 ,sarpanitum1 ,damkina one each4 ,perhaps the most important general fact about the ,assyrian hymns is that the great majority of them are addressed directly to the deity in the second person1 which is the usage of prayer4 ,moreover a very large proportion of these can not be called independent literary compositions1 since they are followed by1 and are introductory to1 prayers1 or magical ceremonies1 or the offering of sacrifices4 ,in some cases the prayer is much longer than the hymn1 while in others the prayer shrinks to a very brief petition1 couched in general terms4 ,this has occasioned much confusion of terminology1 some calling a poem a hymn1 others naming it a prayer4 ,it is necessary therefore at this point to attempt to distinguish clearly between the hymn and the prayer4 ,the purpose of the hymn is to praise the deity and the emotion behind the hymn is enthusiasm for the great and glorious god2 for his power1 for his wisdom1 for his great achievements4 ,the genuine hymn1 accordingly1 is objective rather than subjective4 ,the prayer1 on the other hand1 is concerned with the relationship of worshipper and deity4 ,the worshipper is in trouble and looks to the deity for forgiveness1 or prosperous and turns to the deity with gratitude4 ,the prayer is accordingly subjective rather than objective4 ,in the hymn1 the deity is prominent2 in the prayer the worshipper4 ,prayers are most naturally addressed to the deity in the second person1 while the hymn1 in which the worshipper recedes into the background and the thought is of ,god alone1 would more naturally employ the third person4 ,since then these ,assyrian hymns are in the second person1 which is the usage of prayer1 and since the vast majority of these hymns are actually followed by prayers1 it is best to begin with the hymns which are clearly only hymnal introductions to prayers1 and then to pass by way of those1 in which the petition is secondary and unimportant1 to that which approaches the genuine independent hymn4 ,it seems at least possible that the ,assyrian hymn is an evolution from the hymnal introduction of the prayers4 ,beginning then with class ,i of ,assyrian hymns1 the hymnal introductions to prayers1 it is to be further observed1 that these prayers are temple prayers4 ,marduk ,no4 #i has fourteen lines of directions for the performance of certain ceremonies1 after which the priest is instructed to take the hand of the sick man and repeat the psalm1 of which lines #ag to #dd are the hymnal portion1 and #de to #id the prayer proper4 ,so also ,marduk ,no4 #ab states in lines #a to #e of the text that the ,urugallu priest is to arise in the first hour of the night on the second day of ,nisan1 wash in river water1 put on a linen garment1 and repeat the psalm2 of which lines #f to #bh are hymnal1 #bi to #cb petition the favor of the deity for the city ,babylon and the temple ,esagila4 ,in a hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #aa1 the connecting link between the hymnal portion and the petition is3 8,i1 the ,urugallu priest of ,ekur1 would speak the favorable word40 ,a hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #c is followed by an enumeration of the sacrifices for the goddess and of presents for the temple servants4 ,above all1 the hymns are in such a uniform and formal style1 and the gods are so frequently addressed as lords of such and such temples that one is compelled to look to the temple as the birthplace and home of many of these ,assyrian hymns4 ,it is altogether natural that there should be a hymnal introduction to the temple prayer4 ,the ,assyrian god in his temple is as the king in his palace4 ,he must not be approached abruptly or brusquely4 ,indeed the ,assyrian gods are kings1 queens1 princes4 ,consequently the formal court style is used in addressing them4 ,it is not used rigidly in all hymns1 but it is the norm from which it is advisable to take our departure4 ,an example of this formal court style is ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,o lord mighty and exalted1 first born of ,nunammir1 ,prince of the ,annunaki1 lord of the battle1 ,offspring of ,kutushar1 the mighty queen1 ,o ,nergal1 strong one of the gods1 darling of ,ninnenna4 ,thou treadest in the high heavens1 lofty is thy place4 ,thou art great in ,hades1 there is none like thee ,with ,ea1 in the multitude of the gods1 is thy council preminent4 ,with ,sin in the heavens thou see'st through everything4 ,given thee has ,bel1 thy father the black headed race1 all living creatures1 ,the living creatures of the field he has entrusted to thy hand4 ,assyrian hymns of class ,i can be divided into two portions1 the first portion1 the invocation1 the second portion1 the ascription of praise4 ,it is especially the invocation in which the court style is seen4 ,every member at the court of a monarchy has an official title1 be that member king1 queen1 prince or noble4 ,that title consists first of all in the lineage or genealogy by virtue of which he has his rank4 ,so it is with the ,assyrian deity4 ,thus the hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #a begins3 ,o lord1 first born of ,marduk1 ,o ,nebo lofty offspring of ,sarpanitum4 ,a hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a3 ,o strong son1 first born of ,bel1 ,great perfect son of ,isara4 ,a hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a3 ,o lord1 mighty and exalted1 first born of ,nunammir1 ,prince of the ,annunaki1 lord of the battle4 ,offspring of ,kutushar1 the mighty queen1 ,ninnenna1 ,o ,nergal1 strong one of the gods1 darling of ,ninnenna4 ,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g3 ,o mighty1 powerful1 strong one of ,eridu1 ,o noble1 exalted1 first-born of ,ea4 ,just as the king's title includes mention of the provinces and countries over which he holds sway1 so the god is to be addressed as lord of those cities and temples1 in which he is recognized and honored4 ,nebo is3 ,lord of ,ezida1 protection of ,borsippa4#a ,marduk is3 ,marduk1 the mighty1 who causeth ,itura to rejoice2#b ,lord of ,isagila1 help of ,babylon1 lover of ,ezida4 ,sin is3 ,father ,nannar1 lord of ,ur1 chief of the gods1#c ,father ,nannar1 lord of ,egissirgal1 chief of the gods4 ,nusku is3 ,god of ,nippur1 leader and counsellor of the gods4#d ,the sway of the gods was extended however far beyond their temples and temple cities4 ,marduk is not merely 8,king of ,ezida1 lord of ,emachtila10 he is 8,marduk1 lord of the lands10 and 8,marduk1 king of heaven and earth40#e ,so also ,ishtar is 8,ishtar1 queen of all peoples1 directress of mankind02#f while ,shamash is3 ,shamash1 king of heaven and earth1#g ,ruler of things above and below4 ,it would be expected that the gods would have official duties at the heavenly court1 and that these offices would be included in their titles4 ,opposed to this1 however1 must have been the tendency of the worshippers to exalt their own special deity to a supreme position2 and this would tend to bring with it the elimination of all titles that would suggest a subordinate position1 and they would be inclined at the same time to attribute to their own deity those offices1 for which other deities were famed4 ,nebo however is addressed as ,nebo1 bearer of the tablets of destiny of the gods1 director of ,esagila4#h ,nusku is3 ,protector of the sacrificial gifts of all the ,igigi1#i ,messenger of ,anu1 who brings ,bel's commands to fulfilment4 ,founder of the cities1 renewer of the sanctuaries1#aj a title quite appropriate for an earthly king but seemingly rather incongruous when applied to a god4 ,it is ,nusku1 leader and counsellor of the great gods1#aa ,ninib is ,ninib1 mighty god1 warrior1 prince of the ,annunaki1 commander of the ,igigi4#ab ,it may be said here that we probably owe to the court style the ever recurring adjectives3 8strong10 8mighty10 8powerful10 8perfect10 8unique10 8glorious10 8noble10 8exalted10 and such nouns as 8ruler10 8governor10 8judge10 8lord10 8prince10 8king10 which have been transferred from the earthly sovereigns to the gods they worshipped4 ,here too it may be pointed out that it is altogether in harmony with court style that the god's prowess as a warrior1 or wisdom as a counsellor1 or ethical virtues as a ruler should be expressed in his titles1 even as such qualities have been expressed in the titles of earthly kings4 ,not all hymns1 however1 of class ,i are1 strictly speaking1 temple hymns4 ,the ,assyrian deities were not limited to their temples and the cities over which their sway extended4 ,they were also identified with natural forces and the heavenly bodies1 the sun1 the moon and the stars4 ,the ,babylonians and ,assyrians were impressed by the glory of the rising and the setting sun1 the beauty of the waxing and waning moon2 by the brilliancy of the evening star and the planets and by the grandeur of the thunder-storm4 ,certain phenomena also had their deep significance4 ,an eclipse of the moon might well bode disaster for king and court and land4 ,the rising of the sun was the auspicious moment for the banishing of all the demons and all the powers of darkness4 ,accordingly we have a group of hymns which do not belong so much to the temple as to the great out-of-doors4 ,in other words they are nature hymns4 ,they have such invocations as the following3 ,o lord1 chief of the gods1 who alone is exalted on earth and in heaven4#ac or thus3 ,o ,sin1 ,o ,nannar1 mighty one1#ad ,sin who art unique1 thou that brightenest ,that giveth light unto the nations1 or this3 ,sarpanitum1 shining star1 dwelling in ,endul1#ae ,strongest of the goddesses1 whose clothing is the light2 ,who crossest the heavens1 who passest over the earth1 ,sarpanitum whose station is lofty4 or this3 ,lord1 illuminator of the darkness1 opener of the face of heaven#af or this3 ,to ,nusku mighty lord 7lofty7 judge1#ag ,shining ,light1 illuminator of the night1 god 444 ,the following first lines of a hymn are neither invocation nor ascription1 yet how naturally does an appeal made to the sun-god for freeing of the king from the ban resting upon him1 at the moment of the scattering of darkness before the rising sun1 begin with such an hymnal introduction1 as this3 ,o ,shamash1 when out of the great mountain thou comest forth1#ah ,out of the great mountain1 the mountain of the springs1 thou comest forth1 ,when out of the mountain1 the place of destinies1 thou comest forth1 ,where heaven and earth meet together out of the heaven's foundations1-- ,so far we have been dealing with the first portion of the hymnal introduction1 namely the invocation4 ,we have seen that the court style would prescribe that the god be addressed by his proper title1 which includes his lineage and his sovereignty over temple and city1 or his exalted place in nature1 or both4 ,naturally however when the sway of the god extended far beyond temple and city to all lands1 to heaven and earth1 it was not so necessary to salute the god as lord of city and temple4 ,and similarly when the god was exalted to a supreme position among the gods1 the matter of pedigree became secondary4 ,perhaps this explains the shortening of the invocation in certain hymns to a single line3 7,holy7 ,ishtar1 heroine among goddesses1#ai ,thy seat 444 in the midst of the bright heavens1 or even to a single word ,lord1 warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding thro' thyself1#bj ,ninib1 warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding thro' thyself1 ,shamash1 when out of the great mountain thou comest forth#ba ,shamash1 from the foundation of the heavens thou shinest forth#bb ,on the other hand1 it was easy to expand indefinitely the invocation from its natural length of four to six lines1 until the invocation became itself hymnal praise of the god4 ,so with ,sin ,no4 #e where the hymnal invocation to ,sin covers #bc lines4 ,following the invocation in the hymnal introductions of ,assyrian prayers is the ascription of praise1 just as modern prayers frequently begin with the elements of invocation and ascription4 ,the ascription of praise may be quite similar in content1 but while the invocation assumes certain attributes of the deity as already recognized and known by everyone and as having become official titles of the deity1 the ascription definitely assigns virtues or attributes to the deity4 ,the invocation consists of phrases and adjectival clauses3 it makes no statement4 ,it is simply an extended nominative of address4 ,the ascription consists of independent sentences1 asserting certain attributes of the deity4 ,it is altogether natural that the humble worshipper1 approaching the god1 should assign to that god greatness and wisdom and authority and might1 for this not only pleases the god1 but also tends to awaken sympathy for the helpless and suffering suppliant1 and reminds the deity of his responsibility for the worshippers4 ,more particularly it is also to be expected that the worshipper assigns those special virtues or powers to the deity1 to which he is about to make his appeal4 ,man posits in ,god that which corresponds to his own need4 ,accordingly1 correspondence between the ascriptions and the petitions show the unity of the whole composition and indicate that it is a prayer4 ,frequently the suppliant is a sick person1 and so naturally reference is made to the power of the deity to heal3 ,shamash1 to give life to the dead1 to loosen the captive is in thy hand4#bc ,where thou dost regard1 the dead live1 the sick arise1 ,the afflicted is saved from his affliction1 beholding thy face4#bd ,the cause of his misfortune1 the ,babylonian seeks not in natural causes1 but in the displeasures of the deity1 and this displeasure may be due to sin4 ,to ,ninib he prays3 ,free me from sin1 remit the transgression1#be ,take the shame away1 remove the sin and this petition is made to the god of whom he says in the ascription3 ,from him who sin possesses thou dost remove the sin1#bf ,the man with whom his god is angry thou art quick to favor4 ,if1 however1 the worshipper feels that he has been unjustly treated1 then he appeals to the justice of ,god3 ,the law of all men thou directest4 ,eternally just in ,heaven art thou4 ,the just wisdom of the lands art thou4 ,the pious man thou knowest1 the evil man thou knowest#bg ,shamash honors the head of the just man2 ,shamash rends the evil man like a thong2 ,shamash1 the support of ,anu and ,bel1 art thou2 ,shamash1 lofty judge of heaven and earth art thou4 ,here follows the plea for the healing of the king4 ,as healing of sickness was a magical performance1 magical powers are attributed to the gods1 in the hymnal introduction4 ,thus3 ,heaven and earth are thine2 ,the space of heaven and earth is thine2#bh ,the magic of life is thine2 ,the spittle of life is thine2 ,the pure incantation of the ocean is thine4 ,in a ,nusku magical text ,no4 #c ,nusku is addressed as3 ,mighty in battle1 whose attack is powerful1 ,nusku1 who burns up and conquers the fire and there follows in the petition3 ,burn the sorcerer and the sorceress2 ,may the life of my sorcerer and my sorceress be destroyed4 ,in ,sin ,no4 #d the suppliant is one with whom his god and goddess were angry1 upon whom destruction and ruin had come1 whose heart was darkened and soul troubled4 ,it is appropriate that he should say to his god1 ,the fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up2 ,a judgment of right and justice thou judgest4 ,the fallen one whom thou seizest thou raisest up2 ,a judgment of right and justice thou judgest4 ,he who has sin thou forgivest quickly the sin2 ,him against whom his god is angry thou regardest with favor4 ,in ,marduk ,no4 #ab the petition3 ,to thy city ,babylon show favor corresponds to the ascription3 ,bel1 thy dwelling is ,babylon1 ,borsippa thy crown4 ,it has been seen in the case of the invocations that they vary in length from a single word to twenty-three lines1 and it is fairly obvious that the increasing length of the invocation gives it more and more of hymnal character4 ,there is a similar variation in the length of the ascriptions4 ,there are some of a single line3 ,thy name is altogether good in the mouth of the people4#bi ,thy name is 7spread7 in the mouth of men1 ,o protecting ,god1#cj ,among all gods thy deity is praised4 ,in other hymnal introductions the ascription is three1 six1 eight1 eleven1 and more lines in length4 ,as the ascription increases in length1 and as the lament and petition of the prayer likewise diminish in length1 and as the ascription of praise changes in character1 no longer corresponding to the petitions of the suppliant1 we get the evolution of the hymn4 ,in the well-known prayer to ,ishtar 7,no4 #g71 the hymnal introduction consists of thirty-seven lines4 ,in it occur such rhetorical questions as3 ,where is thy name not heard1 where not thy decrees8 ,where are thy images not made1 where are thy temples not founded8 ,where art thou not great1 where art thou not exalted8 ,anu1 ,enlil and ,ea have exalted thee2 among the gods have they increased thy dominion4 ,yet the last lines of this same hymn are particularly suitable to a prayer of lamentation and petition3 ,where thou dost regard1 the dead live1 the sick arise2 ,the afflicted is saved from his affliction1 beholding thy face and this same hymn to ,ishtar opens with the words3 ,i pray unto thee1 lady of ladies1 goddess of goddesses1 ,furthermore1 in the hymnal portion is imbedded a lament of four lines1 with the refrain3 ,how long wilt thou tarry8 ,therefore this psalm1 although containing hymnal material of exceptional beauty1 is a single composition1 a prayer with a hymnal introduction4 ,on the other hand1 ,marduk ,no4 #d has sixteen lines extolling the exploits of the war god1 when the text breaks off4 ,the breaking of the text makes a decision difficult1 but as there is no indication in any of the ascriptions of praise that a prayer is to follow1 one would be inclined to pronounce it a fragment of a hymn rather than of a prayer4 ,marduk ,no4 #a is actually followed by a prayer of an individual1 but since the hymnal portion consists of thirty-eight lines describing in large measure mythical feats of the god1 one is almost justified in regarding this hymnal portion as an independent hymn4 ,on the border line between prayer and hymn is ,sarpanitum ,no4 #a4 ,the petition is a very general one1 asking favor for the worshipper1 the king and the sons of ,babylon3 ,to the servant who graciously calls upon thy name1 be gracious2 ,for the king who fears thee determine a good fate2 ,to the sons of ,babylon give generously4 ,it would seem that this petition might be little more than a pious conclusion1 or even a postscript to the hymn4 ,if this be true1 then the main purpose of the psalm is that of praise1 and one must class it among the hymns1 remembering however that it is an evolution from the hymnal introduction of the prayer4 ,very similar is the case of ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,in this psalm are twenty-three lines of invocation1 fifteen lines of ascription1 and eleven lines of petition4 ,moreover the portion which we have called ascription opens with a couplet of question and answer3 ,who is exalted in heaven1 thou alone art exalted2 ,who is exalted on earth1 thou alone art exalted4 ,this couplet is followed by eight lines in praise of the word of ,sin1 expressed however in the second person1 not the third4 ,unfortunately1 the translation of four of the remaining lines is so uncertain that no conclusion can be drawn from them as to the nature of the whole psalm4 ,however1 the petition at the close is a general one in behalf of temple and city1 and the calling upon the various gods of the pantheon to placate ,sin is a recognition of the supreme place of that deity4 ,here again then1 as in the case of the hymn to ,sarpanitum1 we have a hymn1 standing at the end of the line of development of the hymnal introductions4 ,we have left of the hymns of ,class ,i1 two hymns which have no petition at the close4 ,the first of these1 however1 the hymn to ,enlil1 may be regarded as introductory to the offering of sacrifices4 ,nevertheless it is practically an independent hymn and sung1 as the conclusion shows1 by a congregation3 ,father ,enlil1 with song majestically we come4 ,the hymn to ,shamash 7,no4 #g7 is unique among the ,assyrian hymns1 because of its length1 being four hundred and twenty-four lines4 ,the style is uniform throughout4 ,in the beginning of the poem line four is a repetition of line two1 and line three simply adds the name ,shamash to line one4 ,as in other hymns so here the god's name is held back from the first line in order that it may be inserted with greater emphasis in the second line4 ,here too there are repeated invocations to the god1 that is we have an invocation and ascription of praise1 then a second invocation and ascription of praise4 ,throughout the poem nearly every line is complete by itself and there is no strophic arrangement4 ,nor are there rhetorical questions1 nor questions and answers1 to relieve the monotony4 ,portions of it read like wisdom literature3 ,he who receives not a bribe1 who has regard for the weak1 ,shall be well pleasing to ,shamash1 he shall prolong his life1 ,the judge1 the arbitrer who gives righteous judgment1 ,shall complete a palace1 a princely abode for his dwelling place4 ,he who gives money at usury1 what does he profit8 ,he cheats himself of gain1 he empties his purse4 ,these two features1 the great length of the hymn and the presence of these wisdom passages would seem to indicate a late and somewhat blas development of the hymn4 ,not great enthusiasm for the deity1 but sober reflection and the pious wish to say everything possible about the deity controlled the writer4 ,the complete absence of any magical element1 whether of ceremonies or prayers1 shows that there must have been a considerable hymnal literature of which unfortunately we are not in possession4 ,we have seen that the great majority of ,assyrian hymns are addressed in the second person to deity1 which is the usage of prayer2 that the temple is the home of these hymns but that a few of them might be called ,nature hymns2 that they may be divided into two portions1 the invocation and the ascription of praise2 that they are written in the court style1 employing the honorific titles of royalty and nobility2 that with very few exceptions they are followed by petitions for divine help1 and that the ascriptions of praise are frequently so worded as to be little else than introductory to such petitions2 that1 as the hymnal portion is lengthened1 and as the lament and petition are shortened until they disappear entirely1 we have the evolution of the hymn2 that it begins with something approaching flattery of the god1 as introductory to the appeal for aid1 and develops into a genuine expression of adoration for deity4 ,the invocation of the ,assyrian hymn corresponds in a loose way to the call to praise of the ,hebrew hymn1 and the ,ascription of praise corresponds much more closely to the body of the ,hebrew hymn4 ,it exalts the deity as being great in the midst of the gods1 as bearing a glorious name1 as possessor of temples and cities1 and as ruler over wide areas1 as the creator and preserver of the physical universe1 and as being himself wise1 and powerful1 and merciful1 a king and judge among gods and men4 ,closer attention will be given to the content of the ,assyrian hymn when comparing that content with the content of the ,hebrew hymns of praise4 ,it ought to be observed that in many instances the ,assyrian hymnal introduction to prayer is clearly attested to be the vehicle of individual rather than congregational worship4 ,in certain hymns we have examples of god addressing god in hymnal language1 and in connection with other hymns there are directions for the priest to repeat himself both hymnal introduction and the petition which follows it4 ,moreover in the petition which follows the hymnal introduction a space is frequently left for the insertion of the name of the suppliant4 ,still more important is the fact that in the hymnal introductions themselves the first personal pronoun frequently occurs3 ,i pray unto thee1 lady of ladies1 goddess of goddesses4#ca ,i reverence thy name1 ,marduk1 powerful one of the gods1#cb ,regent of heaven and earth4 ,lord1 leader of the ,igigi1 ,i am obedient to thy word4#cc ,strong one1 glorious one1 begotten of ,nunammir ,who art clothed with sublimity1 powerful one ,i will praise thy name4#cd ,on the other hand there is but one example of the actual use of the first person plural in the hymnal introductions3 ,father ,enlil with song majestically we come1 ,the presents of the ground are offered to thee as sacrifice4#ce ,it is not contended that the hymnal introductions are strongly individual in character1 showing the marks of individual originality and genius2 on the contrary they are on the whole rather stereotyped and monotonous in their sameness3 neither is it urged that the god of these hymnal introductions seems to be in any very marked way the god of the individual human being1 but that the hymnal prayer does provide a way for the individual to approach deity in the sanctuary1 and that worship was accordingly individual as well as social4 ,for very many of the ,assyrian ,hymnal ,introductions there is no clear and certain way of determining whether the hymn is congregational or individual1 although the general character of the titles and attributes ascribed to deity suggests in many instances the social rather than the individual hymn4 ,however we do have two examples of the processional hymn4 ,above we quoted the first two lines of a twenty-five line ,sumerian processional hymn to ,enlil4 ,in this case the worshippers are advancing into the sanctuary bringing with them their sacrificial gifts3 ,o lord of ,sumer figs to thy dwelling we bring4 ,we have another splendid example of a processional hymn in the hymn to ,marduk1 ,no4 #ac4 ,it is a hymn of thirty-seven lines1 of which the first thirty lines welcome the god to his temple1 while the last seven lines implore his favor for the cities of ,nippur and ,sippar and especially for ,babylon and his temple ,esagila3 ,thy city ,nippur cast not away let her cry to thee3 ,o lord peace4 ,sippar cast not away let her cry to thee3 ,o lord peace4 ,babylon the city of thy peace cast not away let her cry to thee3 ,o lord peace4 ,look graciously upon thy house look graciously upon thy city let them cry to thee3 ,o lord peace4 ,this hymn was sung while the great god1 ,marduk was being conducted in triumphant procession to his temple3 ,return lord1 on thine entrance into thy house1 may thy house rejoice in thee4 ,in the first thirty lines this pious wish is repeated with a succession of titles for the deity4 ,then not only the city1 but the great ,gods one by one greet ,marduk1 wishing him on his entrance into his house peace4 ,but processional hymns were also sung when the god was carried forth from the temple3 ,arise1 come out1 ,o ,bel the king expects thee4 ,arise1 come out1 our ,belit the king expects thee4 ,bel comes out from ,babylon the lands bow before him4 ,sarpanitum comes out fragrant incense is burned4 ,tashmitum comes out frankincense full of cypresses is burned4 ,it has been mentioned that a common motif for praise was the possession of sanctuaries4 ,it is of interest that out of such hymnal lines as the following developed the independent hymn in praise of the sanctuary3 ,thy house ,izida is a house incomparable2#cf ,thy city ,borsippa is a city incomparable4 ,in ,ekur1 the house of festivals1 is thy name exalted4#cg ,in ,ekur1 the temple of holiness1 exalted are his decrees4#ch ,in ,marduk ,no4 #g and ,bel ,no4 #a we have two fragments of hymns which apparently were devoted entirely to the praise of the sanctuary1 as these two hymns are not addressed in the second person to deity1 the discussion of them is postponed for a later section4 ,it is also of interest that hymnal lines in praise of the divine word tended to develop into the independent hymn in praise of the word4 ,such lines are3 ,thy word1 when it extends to the sea the sea is frightened2#ci ,thy word1 when it extends to the marsh the marsh laments4 ,thy word1 when it is proclaimed in heaven1 the ,igigi prostrate themselves4#dj ,thy word1 when it is proclaimed on earth1 the ,annunaki kiss the ground4 ,thy word1 when it sounds on high like a stormwind1 makes food and drink to abound4 ,thy word1 when it sounds over the earth1 vegetation springs up4 ,thy word1 it makes fat stall and stable1 it multiplies living creatures4 ,thy word1 it causes truth and righteousness to arise so that men speak the truth4 ,thy word1 it is like the distant heaven1 the hidden underworld1 which no man can see4 ,thy word1 who can know it1 who can compare 7anything7 with it4 ,before concluding this chapter on ,assyrian hymnal introductions to prayers1 it is well to give one complete example of such a hymn1 the home of which was the sanctuary3 ,strong son1 first born of ,bel1#da ,great perfect offspring of ,isara1 ,who art clothed with might1 who art full of fury1 ,storm god1 whose onslaught is irresistible1 ,mighty is thy place among the great gods1 ,in ,ekur1 the house of festivals1 is thy head exalted4 ,bel thy father has granted thee ,that the law of all the gods thy hand should hold2 ,thou renderest the judgment of mankind2 ,thou leadest him that is without a leader1 the man that is in need2 ,thou graspest the hand of the weak1 thou raisest up him that is bowed down2 ,the body of the man that to the lower world has been brought down thou dost restore4 ,from him who sin possesses the sin thou dost remove2 ,the man with whom his guardian god is angry1 thou art quick to favor4 ,ninib1 prince among the gods1 a warrior art thou4 ,there follows a petition for the forgiveness of sins4 ,the following hymn1 which belongs not so much to the sanctuary as to ,nature1 is of peculiar interest because of the light it throws upon ,psalm #ai3dj-f4 ,here indeed the ,sun god not only runs his course but is in very truth a bridegroom1 and has his tent1 and1 refreshed by the banquet he has enjoyed1 is strong to run his race3 ,shamash1 at thy entrance into the midst of heaven1#db ,may the door of the pure heaven greet thee1 ,may the gate of heaven bless thee2 ,may justice1 thy beloved messenger1 direct thy way2 ,in ,ebarra the seat of thy sovereignty1 let thy sublimity shine1 ,may ,ea1 thy beloved wife1 come before thee with joy1 ,may thy heart be at rest1 ,may for thy divinity a banquet be prepared4 ,shamash1 warrior hero1 be praised4 ,lord of ,ebarra1 may thy course be guided aright1 ,walk the straight path1 go upon the course permanently fixed for you4 ,shamash1 judge of the world1 determiner of its decisions art thou4 ,the following delightful fragment of a hymn to ,shamash seems to belong even more to ,nature's out of doors than the preceding hymn3 ,beginning of tablet broken4 ,lord1 illuminator of the darkness1 opener of the face of heaven#dc ,merciful ,god1 who raisest up the lowly1 who protectest the weak1 ,for thy light wait the great gods ,the ,annunaki all of them gaze upon thy face ,the mortals all together as a single individual thou leadest4 ,expectant with raised head they look for the light of the sun2 ,when thou appearest they exult and rejoice2 ,thou art their light unto the ends of the distant heaven4 ,of the wide earth the object of attention art thou2 ,there gaze upon thee with joy numerous peoples4 ,text breaks off4 ,corresponding to this hymn to the ,sun ,god1 the following hymn to the ,moon ,god1 ,sin1 is likewise very beautiful3 ,o ,sin1 ,o ,nannar1 mighty one1#dd ,sin who art unique1 thou that brightenest1 ,that givest light unto the nations1 ,that unto the human race art favorable1 ,bright is thy light in heaven1 ,brilliant is thy flame like the fire god4 ,thy brightness fills the broad earth2 ,the mortals rejoice1 they grow strong who see thee4 ,o ,anu of the heavens whose purpose no man understands1 ,overwhelming is thy light like ,shamash thy first born2 ,before thy face the great gods bow down1 the fate of the world is determined by thee4 ,chapter ,,vii ,,assyrian ,,antiphonal ,,hymns ,there is also among the ,assyrian hymns addressed in the second person to deity a group of hymns1 which are distinguished by refrains1 frequent repetitions of a phrase or clause1 or marked parallelisms of lines4 ,it is1 however1 in most cases very difficult to know whether the hymn is actually antiphonal or not4 ,nergal ,no4 #d is a hymn fragment of ten lines4 ,for the first eight lines1 the second half of each line is the refrain3 8,destroyer of the hostile land10 while the first half of each line gives a separate title of the god4 ,thus3 ,warrior raging flood 4441 destroyer of the hostile land2 ,warrior1 lord of the underworld1 destroyer of the hostile land2 ,god that comest forth from ,shitlam1 destroyer of the hostile land2 ,great steer1 mighty lord1 destroyer of the hostile land4 ,one would be inclined to suggest that a priest chanted the first half line and a choir the refrain4 ,the difficulty is that elsewhere we have such refrains where an individual is the speaker4 ,in a hymn to ,ramman 7,no4 #c7 ,enlil thus addressed his son ,ramman3 ,thou1 ,o my son1 thou storm with all seeing eyes1 ,thou storm god with vision from on high2 ,ramman1 thou storm1 ,thou storm god with vision from on high2 ,thou storm who like the seven demons flieth1 ,thou storm god with vision from on high4 ,storm1 may thy sonorous voice give forth its utterance1 ,thou storm god with vision from on high4 ,the lightning thy messenger send forth1 ,thou storm god with vision from on high4 ,the next five lines1 still continuing the message of ,enlil to his son1 has the refrain3 8,who can strive with thee40 ,my son1 go forth1 go up1 who that cometh can strive with thee8 ,if the foe do harm1 the father is over thee1 who can strive with thee8 ,with the small hail stones thou art skillful1 who can strive with thee8 ,with the great hail stones thou art skillful1 who can strive with thee8 ,let thy small and great stones be upon him1 who can strive with thee8 ,since these two refrains are both in a passage spoken by an individual1 it must be concluded that in this hymn at any rate the refrain is used1 not for antiphonal rendering1 but for impressiveness1 perhaps for magical power4 ,in the light of the above fact1 it is altogether possible that the refrain occurring eight times in the invocation to ,sin 7,sin ,no4 #e7 may have been recited by the priest1 and not by the choir in antiphonal response to the priest4 ,the refrain differs from the preceding examples in that the titles of deities which lend variety to the lines are imbedded in the middle of the refrain3 ,father ,nannar1 lord ,anshar1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 lord great ,anu1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 lord ,sin1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 lord of ,ur1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 lord of ,egishirgal1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 lord of the tiara1 brilliant one1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 whose rule is perfect1 chief of the gods2 ,father ,nannar1 who dost go forth in the robe of majesty1 chief of the gods4 ,a fragment of a hymn to ,nebo 7,nebo ,no4 #b7 has in a passage of five lines yet a different use of the refrain4 ,the refrain which makes up the second half of each line is varied in three lines by the introduction of a new word from the first half line3 ,o lord1 thy might is a might incomparable2 ,o ,nebo1 thy might is a might incomparable2 ,thy house ,ezida is a house incomparable2 ,thy city ,borsippa is a city incomparable2 ,thy district of ,babylon is a district incomparable4 ,the carrying forward in the refrain of the important word of the first half line does suggest very forcibly that an individual chanted the first half line1 and a choir the second half line4 ,the same arrangement would hold for the couplet that follows the above lines1 the second line of the couplet being a response to the first4 ,thy weapon is a dragon from whose mouth no poison flows2 ,thy weapon is a dragon from whose mouth no blood sprays4 ,but mere arrangement in couplets and close parallelisms seems insufficient to prove the presence of responses1 for in a hymn to ,nebo 7,nebo ,no4 #d7 it is ,nusku who speaks1 though the couplet would suggest a response3 ,lord1 warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding through thyself1 ,ninib1 warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding through thyself4 ,likewise the priest1 we are informed1 speaks in the following couplet3 ,bel1 to whom in his strength there is no equal1 ,bel1 gracious king1 lord of the lands4 7,marduk ,no4 #ab47 ,so also the hymnal introduction of the two following couplets is to the prayer of an individual3 ,thou treadest in the high heavens1 lofty is thy place2 ,thou art great in ,hades there is none like thee4 ,with ,ea in the multitude of the gods is thy counsel preminent ,with ,sin in the heavens thou see'st through everything4 7,nergal ,no4 #a47 ,there are two long hymns to ,nergal 7,nergal ,no4 #e and ,no4 #f7 in which the antiphonal response seems to be a certainty4 ,in ,nergal ,no4 #e the response1 coming in the second line1 consists of the words3 8,god ,nergal0 followed by an additional word or phrase borrowed from the preceding line4 ,warrior whose terribleness 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,warrior2 ,prince of the shining face and flaming mouth 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,prince of the ,shining ,face2 ,legitimate son1 favorite of ,bel1 ,great ,guardian 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,legitimate ,son2 ,chief of the great gods ,clothed in grandeur and splendor 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,chief2 ,mighty one over the ,annunaki ,whose splendor is terrifying 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,mighty ,one ,lord of the raised head1 ,lofty one1 favorite of ,ekur 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,lord of the ,raised ,head ,high one of the great gods ,whose judgment and decision 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,high ,one ,lofty giant ,who spittest out poison 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,lofty ,giant ,of gigantic size with terrible limbs1 raging demons to right and left of him1 ,god ,nergal1 of ,gigantic ,size ,of tremendous power1 whose blow is effective1 crouches a demon at his side1 ,god ,nergal1 of ,tremendous ,power2 ,great sword god1 at the noise of whose feet the barred house opens1 ,god ,nergal1 ,great ,sword ,god ,lord who goeth about by night1 to whom bolted doors open of themselves1 ,god ,nergal1 ,lord ,who ,goeth by ,night2 ,warrior his whip cracks and men cry3 8,the noise of his weapon0 ,god ,nergal1 ,warrior ,his ,whip ,cracks2 ,perfect one1 whose strength is overwhelming 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,perfect ,one2 ,combatter of the enemy of ,ekur1 the foe of ,duranki thou combattest1 ,god ,nergal1 ,combatter of the ,enemy2 ,frightful one1 raging fire god 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,frightful ,one2 ,storm flood which overwhelms the disobedient land 444 ,god ,nergal1 ,storm ,flood which ,overwhelms4 ,tablet breaks off4 ,since the second line of each of the twenty-five couplets above begins with the words3 8,god ,nergal0 and1 then adds the first word or phrase of the preceding line1 it may be called a refrain with variations4 ,moreover it would seem probable that a priest chanted the longer first line1 and a choir the second line in response4 ,nergal ,no4 #f opens with an introductory couplet3 ,flood watering the harvest knows any one thy name8 ,powerful one1 flood watering the harvest knows any one thy name8 ,this usage of repeating the first line and adding a word to it1 suggests that the second line was repeated with greater emphasis1 and possibly by a choir in response to a priest4 ,after this introductory couplet there follow eleven couplets with a double refrain1 made up of the first half lines of each couplet4 ,thus3 ,powerful one1 mighty one1 lord of the kingdom of the dead1 ,most mighty one1 divine scion of ,shitlam2 ,powerful one1 great strong steer1 ,most mighty one1 lord of ,gushidi2 ,powerful one1 ruler1 divine prince of ,erech1 ,most mighty one1 lord of ,kutha4 ,for the eleven such couplets one is inclined to surmise a choir chanting the refrains1 and a priest announcing the titles of the deity4 ,this seems more probable than that one choir repeated the first line and a second choir the second line4 ,after two ordinary couplets1 marked only by fairly close parallelism1 there follows a triplet in praise of the incomparable god3 ,lord who is like thee who rivals thee8 ,most mighty one who is like thee who rivals thee8 ,nergal who is like thee who rivals thee8 ,with the change of the invocation from 8,lord0 to 8,most mighty one0 to 8,nergal0 the lines undoubtedly grow in intensity until the name ,nergal1 which is held back until the third line1 would be thundered forth in that third line with the greatest enthusiasm4 ,here again it seems highly probable that a choir chanted the refrain3 8,who is like unto thee1 who rivals thee80 ,the second part of this hymn consists of eighteen lines in couplets and triplets in praise of the word of ,nergal4 ,the ease with which the second half line follows from the first half line suggests that here the priest chanted the first half line1 and a choir the second half line4 ,in this same class of ,antiphonal hymns belong two hymns with a veritable din of repetitions4 ,the first is ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,it opens with the formal invocation3 ,thou whose glory in the sacred boat of heaven is self created1 ,father ,nannar lord of ,ur1 ,father ,nannar lord of ,ekissirgal1 ,father ,nannar lord of the new moon4 ,lord ,nannar first born son of ,enlil4 ,it is easy to suppose that a priest chanted the entire first line1 and that a choir chanted the first half lines of the next four lines while the priest supplied in the second half lines the titles of the deity4 ,there follows what might be regarded as an imitation of the huzzas of a crowd welcoming a sovereign4 ,here it is welcoming the ascent of the moon god in the heavens3 ,when thou ascendest1 when thou ascendest1 ,when before thy father before ,bel thou art glorious1 ,father ,nannar when thou art glorious1 when thou pursuest thy way1 ,when in the boat that in the heavens ascendest thou art glorious1 ,father ,nannar when unto ,esaguz thou mountest1 ,father ,nannar when like skiff upon the floods thou ascendest1 ,when thou ascendest1 when thou ascendest1 thou when thou ascendest1 ,in thy rising and in thy completion of thy course1 yea in thine ascension4 ,after one further couplet the long subordinate clause ends1 and the principal statement is made3 8,hail thou that in the majesty of a king daily rises40 ,in the above1 the clause3 8when thou ascendest0 is repeated nine times and may well have been shouted by the choir or concourse of worshippers4 ,nergal ,no4 #g is a hymn with an even greater complexity of repetitions1 and is somewhat suggestive of the repetitions characteristic of the ,hindu hymns sung to the accompaniment of the rattling ,indian drums4 ,the first fourteen lines are3 ,nergal's heroism ,i will praise 7,i will sing7 ,when with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,when ,shitlam's scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,shitlam's scion who alone is a warrior1 7,when with a shout7 the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,when with rejoicing the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,the great steer the strong one who alone is a warrior1 ,when with rejoicing the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,when with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 an ox bound in the yoke1 ,when ,shitlam's scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 his creative implement 444 ,when with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 whose reed is in process of growth1 ,when the great steer the strong one the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 his raven is black1 ,when with a shout the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 ,when ,shitlam's scion the house of the hostile land the lord attacked1 his raven is white4 ,gap in text4 ,as to the rendering of this first part of ,nergal ,no4 #g1 the first line 8,nergal's heroism1 ,i will praise1 ,i will sing0 makes it certain that an individual1 probably a priest or a choir leader1 sang the first line1 and highly probable that he recited the beginnings of each line1 and the new additions to the lines1 leaving to the choir to recite the refrain4 ,the main purpose of the hymn1 as announced in the opening line1 was to narrate the heroic exploits of the gods in war against the enemy4 ,the narration was sung by the leader1 and the repetitions1 giving clarity and emphasis1 and possibly magical power1 were evidently sung by the choir4 ,the second portion of the hymn1 as it is continued beyond the gap in the inscription until the tablet breaks off1 differs from the first part1 in that it largely lacks the repetitions1 and in that it does not employ the third person of the verb1 but is addressed directly to deity4 ,it belongs accordingly among the hymnal introductions4 ,finally there is now appended to this chapter the discussion of three hymns1 which might perhaps be better called dramatic rather than antiphonal compositions4 ,the first hymn is ,ishtar ,no4 #f1 and it has three distinct parts4 ,part ,i is addressed by the worshipper to the deity1 and consists of eleven lines4 ,in lines #a-g the worshipper attempts to set forth clearly certain prominent characteristics of the deity he is seeking3 ,light of heaven1 which flames like fire over the earth thou art2 ,goddess when over the earth thou standest ,one who as the earth stands firm thou art2 ,unto thee the way of truth pays homage2 ,when thou enterest a man's house1 ,a leopard gone forth to seize the lamb thou art2 ,a lion which strides over the plains thou art4 ,and having thus stated her attributes1 the worshipper goes on to summon the goddess by her names3 ,storming ,virgin ,ornament of heaven1 ,virgin ,ishtar ,ornament of heaven1 ,thou who art adorned with the brilliancy of sparkling stones ,ornament of heaven1 ,sister of ,shamash ,ornament of heaven4 ,part ,,ii is the reply of the deity to the worshipper1 announcing first in a strophe of four lines her appearance and the purpose thereof3 ,to give omens ,i rise ,i arise in perfection2 ,beside my father to give omens ,i rise ,i arise in perfection2 ,beside my brother ,shamash to give omens ,i rise ,i arise in perfection2 ,in the bright heavens to give omens ,i rise ,i arise in perfection4 ,in the next strophe of four lines she expresses her gratification over her praise1 possibly in allusion to the hymnal lines just sung by her worshipper or worshippers3 ,in joy over my praise1 in joy over my praise ,in joy a goddess ,i walk proudly4 ,ishtar goddess of the evening ,i am ,ishtar goddess of the evening ,i am4 ,part ,,ii concludes in a strophe of seven lines1 each line setting forth a great feat of ,ishtar's1 and ending with the clause3 8that is my glory40 ,here again it is shown that the presence of a refrain is no certain proof of antiphonal rendering1 since the repetition is in the mouth of the individual ,ishtar4 ,part ,,iii is the petition4 ,the hymn to ,ramman 7,adad ,no4 #c7 is also a composition in three parts4 ,part ,i1 lines #a-ad is a hymn of praise addressed in the second person directly to ,ramman1 of which the first ten lines are in praise of the name of ,ramman4 ,the lines are in three divisions1 and the first six lines end with the refrain3 8,bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god40 ,ramman the glorious1 bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god2 ,lord ,ramman1 bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god2 ,ramman heaven's child bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god2 ,lord of ,karkar1 bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god2 ,ramman1 lord of plenty1 bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god2 ,companion of ,lord ,ea bull mighty and glorious1 is thy name exalted ,god4 ,the next three lines introduce variety into the second division1 while the tenth line is uniform with the first six1 save for a change of wording in the first division3 ,father ,ramman lord that rideth the storm is thy name exalted ,god2 ,father ,ramman that rideth the great storm is thy name exalted ,god2 ,father ,ramman that rideth the great lion is thy name exalted ,god2 ,ramman lion of heaven bull mighty and glorious is thy name exalted ,god4 ,the last four lines of ,part ,i pass over from the praise of the name of ,ramman to praise of the activity of the god of the storm3 ,thy name doth dominate the land2 ,thy majesty covers the land like a garment2 ,at thy thunder the great mountain father ,mullil is shaken2 ,at thy rumbling the great mother ,ninlil trembles4 ,part ,,ii of this hymn1 lines #ae-bf1 is made up of ,enid's summons to his son ,ramman to go up with sonorous voice1 with lightning1 and with small and great hail stones against the hostile land4 ,this section has already been discussed earlier in this chapter4 ,part ,,iii is in reality a brief conclusion to the hymn4 ,it relates in four lines that ,ramman obeyed the summons of ,enlil3 ,ramman gave ear to the words which his father spoke to him2 ,the father ,ramman went out of the house storm of sonorous voice2 ,out of the house1 out of the city went he up1 the youthful lion2 ,out of the city took his way the storm of sonorous voice4 ,the third hymnal composition of this group1 the so-called litany to ,asshur1 is in two parts4 ,part ,i is a long hymn addressed by an individual1 possibly ,asshurbanipal1 to ,asshur1 of which the chief distinguishing characteristic is the oft repeated vow of the individual to praise the deity4 ,nineteen of the twenty-two lines of ,part ,i are as follows3 ,mighty lord of the gods1 all knowing one2 ,powerful stately lord of the gods1 determiner of fates2 ,asshur mighty lord1 all knowing one2 ,powerful stately lord of the gods1 determiner of fates2 ,asshur almighty one1 lord of the gods1 lord of the lands2 ,his greatness 7,i will praise71 his sublimity proclaim2 ,the memory of ,asshur ,i will glorify1 his name ,i will magnify2 ,the sublimity of him who dwells at ,ekharraggalkurra ,i will proclaim2 ,his might ,i will praise1 to his will ,i will submit2 ,he who dwells at ,ascharra1 ,asshur determiner of fates2 ,to reveal 7his glory7 to the inhabitants of the land ,that later generations may learn of his fame ,i will for ever praise his lordship ,mighty one with broad understanding potentate of the gods2 ,mighty creator of the heavens1 builder of the mountains2 ,mighty creator of the gods1 begetter of the goddesses2 ,of great heart and deep understanding ,o glorious one1 whose name arouses fear2 ,o ,asshur1 whose decrees reach into the distance4 ,the promise of the poet here to make the fame of ,asshur known to later generations corresponds to the promise of the author of ,psalm #de for the fame of the reigning ,hebrew king4 ,in ,part ,,ii of this litany to ,asshur1 first ,anu1 ,bel1 and ,ea1 the lords of the gods proclaim ,asshurbanipal as ruler of ,assyria1 promising him many years of sovereignty1 lines #a-f2 and then ,asshur appoints him to lordship over lands and men1 lines #g-h4 ,the concluding couplet1 lines #i-aj is suggestive of the close relationship between the fame of the king1 and the fame of the patron god of the kingdom4 ,through the mouth let it be proclaimed continually let the ear hear it1 ,that ,i ,asshur have named you to lordship over lands and men4 ,may the memory of ,asshur be praised1 his divinity be exalted1 ,so that the exaltation of ,asshur1 the lord of lords1 may be known4 ,common to these three compositions and of great interest to the ,old ,testament student is the appearance and message of the deity1 since there are parallels to this in the ,old ,testament4 ,especially close is the parallel to the decree of ,yahwe in ,psalm #b1 and the oracle of ,yahwe in ,psalm #aaj4 ,chapter ,,viii ,,assyrian ,,self-,,laudations ,,of ,,the ,,gods ,in addition to the hymnal introductions to prayers1 and the antiphonal hymns1 there was in ,assyrian poesie a distinct and notable group of hymns in which the gods praise themselves4 ,it is of course presupposed in the hymnal introductions that the gods desire and welcome the praise of men4 ,the gods do praise one another4 ,enlil praised ,ramman in the hymn to ,ramman ,no4 #b which was discussed in the last chapter4 ,also ,nusku praises ,ninib in ,ninib ,no4 #d3 ,nusku the lofty messenger of ,bel in ,ekur met him1 ,unto ,lord ,ninib greeting he spoke3 ,lord warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding through thyself1 ,ninib warlike art thou1 perfect in understanding through thyself4 ,thy dazzling brilliancy covers ,bel's house as a garment4 ,thy wagon1 because of its thundering noise1 ,at its going shakes heaven and earth2 ,at the raising of thy hand darkness stretches itself out4 ,the ,annunaki1 the great gods are terrified4 ,since the gods thus welcome the praise of gods and men1 there is no reason why the ,assyrian god should not appear to proclaim his greatness and to challenge the admiration of gods and men4 ,in the hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f1 which was studied in the preceding chapter1 the goddess in response to the opening hymn of praise announced her appearance to give omens1 and proclaimed in hymnal lines her own glory4 ,but there are other hymns sung by the gods in their own praise4 ,ninib ,no4 #e is a fragment of a hymn1 fourteen lines in length1 sung by ,ninib in his own honor4 ,some of the lines are3 ,king who by day shines like ,anu ,i am3 ,he whom ,anu in her sovereign power hath chosen ,i am4 ,the warrior1 who at the command of ,ea into the terrible battle goes1 ,i am4 ,he whose sovereignty shines to the borders of heaven and earth ,i am2 ,the mighty one among the gods1 robed in brilliancy ,i am4 ,similarly ,ninib ,no4 #f is another hymnal fragment of fourteen lines in which the deity praises himself4 ,some of the lines exalting his prowess are3 ,against my terrible brilliancy which like ,anu is mighty who raises himself8 ,storm god with fifty mouths my divine weapons ,i carry2 ,a warrior who destroys mountains1 merciless storm ,i carry2 ,a weapon like a corpse-eating dragon ,i carry2 ,mountain destroyer1 the heavy weapon of ,anu ,i carry4 ,more impressive is a hymn of some fifty lines1 though the tablet is broken off1 sung by ,belit in her own honor4 ,the theme of the hymn is the supremacy of ,belit4 ,thus she announces herself3 ,am ,i not the daughter of ,bel8 ,am ,i not supreme8 ,i am the warrior4 ,am ,i not the goddess8 ,the warlike daughter of ,bel ,i am4 ,the high placed daughter of ,bel ,i am4 ,her power is irresistible3 ,the waters which ,i stir up do not become clear2 ,the fire which ,i kindle does not go out2 ,the house of heaven1 the house of earth unto my hand he has entrusted2 ,the city which ,i plunder is not restored2 ,the utterance of my exalted command destroys the land of the foe4 ,belit is supreme in heaven and in earth3 ,at the lifting of my hand the heavens stand still1 and the lofty powers of heaven supplicate me4 ,i am supreme1 the hand of him who contends with me shall not stand against my hand4 ,my mighty pace fills the earth ,i am supreme1 the foot of him who contends with me shall not stand against my foot4 ,who is there before me8 ,who is there behind me8 ,from the lifting up of mine eyes who can escape8 ,from the rush of my onslaught who can flee8 ,yet this warlike goddess is apparently not without some tenderness3 ,the exalted daughter of ,bel ,i am1 ,the noble heroine of my father ,sin ,i am1 ,i am supreme1 the legitimate wife of ,ea ,i am1 ,him who is bowed down ,i lift up1 the aged one ,i lift up4 ,similar in its theme is a hymn to ,ishtar 7,no4 #d71 for it begins thus3 ,who is equal to me me8 ,who is comparable to me me8 ,goddess ,i am ,i am mistress2 ,small and great ,i uproot1 ,i lay low4 ,she is like ,belit a goddess of war3 ,in the midst of the battle when ,i take my place1 ,the heart of battle1 the arm of valiant courage1 the strength of heroism ,i am4 ,behind the battle when ,i approach1 ,a conquering power which fiercely attacks ,i am4 ,she is the goddess of the evening star1 and of the earth's vegetation1 the goddess of fertility3 ,in the heavens in the evening when ,i take my place1 ,the lady who fills the firmament of heaven ,i am4 ,through my appearance fear is established in the heavens2 ,through my radiance the fishes are affrighted in the deep4 ,in the heavens ,i take my place1 and send rain2 ,in the earth ,i take my place1 and cause the vegetation to spring forth4 ,who is equal to me me8 ,who is equal to me me8 ,there are three strophes in praise of the name of the goddess1 beginning with the announcement of the seven names of the deity1 after this fashion3 ,my first name is ,i am ,ishtar ,my second name is ,lady of the lands ,my third name is ,the lofty one who causes the heavens to tremble1 the earth to quake2 ,my fourth name is ,flaming fire4 ,the last and twenty-third strophe is almost identical with the first strophe1 in obedience to the same instinct or artistic principle1 which causes the ,hebrew hymn of praise to return in its conclusion to the opening call to praise3 ,who is equal to me me8 ,who is comparable to me me8 ,i am ,ishtar ,i ,small and great ,i uproot1 ,i lay low4 ,rather effective is the single line in response to the hymn of the goddess3 ,resplendent goddess1 art thou not an overwhelming flood8 ,is this line a pious gloss1 the comment of a devout reader of the hymn1 or is it an integral part of the hymnal composition8 ,if the latter1 then this hymn would belong in the same group with hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f1 ,ramman ,no4 #b1 and the litany to ,asshur4 ,there is a second hymn to ,ishtar 7,no4 #e71 of which the first lines are broken off1 and which is followed by a priest's short prayer1 but which is spoken altogether by ,ishtar in her own praise4 ,at the beginning we have a strophe of nine lines1 four couplets1 and an additional line4 ,the first half line of each couplet continues the same1 8,she who in the days of long ago10 and the first half line of the second line of each couplet remains just the name3 8,ishtar40 ,the second half lines of each couplet are almost identical1 and the second half of each couplet differs from the second half of the preceding couplet only by the changing of a single word4 ,if the hymn were not in the first person1 and thus put into the mouth of ,ishtar herself1 one would say that the first line of the couplet was recited by a priest1 and that the second line was shouted by a choir in response3 ,she who in the days of long ago in the earth was magnified am ,i ,ishtar who in the earth is magnified am ,i ,she who in the days of long ago in all lands was magnified am ,i ,ishtar who in all lands is magnified am ,i ,she who in the days of long ago in the sanctuary was magnified am ,i ,ishtar who in the sanctuary is magnified am ,i ,she who in the days of long ago in all sanctuaries was magnified am ,i ,ishtar who in all sanctuaries is magnified am ,i ,she who in the days of long ago in the holy sanctuaries is magnified am ,i4 ,there follows a strophe of six lines1 of which the first half lines give different titles of ,ishtar1 and the second half lines have the refrain1 8in the temple of my riches am ,i40 ,then after three broken lines this hymnal composition closes with a brief petition of four lines repeated by the priest in behalf of the temple4 ,the five hymns1 just reviewed1 are all in the nature of a self-introduction of the gods and goddesses as powerful1 incomparable beings4 ,this is what one would expect4 ,there is among gods as among kings a great deal of rivalry about prestige4 ,the ,god must sound abroad his own glory4 ,beyond that1 however1 is the fact that in every religion a god must be1 to a large extent1 an unknown deity4 ,his self-manifestations can be only occasional1 and never clearly apprehended by man1 so that when the god appears1 man must necessarily ask3 8,who art thou80 and the deity must reply1 as did ,ninib and ,belit and ,ishtar3 8,i am 4440 ,these self-introductions of deity inevitably recall to the mind of the ,old ,testament student ,yahwe's introduction of himself to ,moses in ,exodus #c3f2 and again the self-introduction of ,yahwe that precedes the promulgation of the ,ten ,commandments in ,exodus #bj3b4 ,especially are they1 however1 suggestive of the repeated self-announcements of deity1 that occur in almost every chapter of ,isaiah #dj-ee4 ,here also we have again and again the rhetorical question1 and the emphasis upon the power1 the wisdom1 the fame1 and the incomparable status of ,yahwe4 ,just a few of these hymnal lines are here quoted3 ,who raised up from the ,east the man who is ever victorious8 ,who delivers to him the nations1 and makes him rule over kings8 ,who hath indeed done this1 ,he who calls the generations from the beginning2 ,i ,yahwe am the first1 and ,i am the last1 ,i am he4 --,isaiah #da3 #b1 #d4 ,i am ,yahwe1 that is my name2 ,i yield my glory to no one1 nor my praise to idols4 --,isaiah #db3h4 ,i1 ,i am ,yahwe besides me there is no saviour2 ,i have foretold and ,i have saved2 ,i and no foreign god among you1 thereto are ye my witnesses4 --,isaiah #dc3aa;f4 ,i am ,yahwe and there is none else1 besides me there is no god4 ,i form the light and create darkness ,i make peace and cause calamity ,i ,yahwe do all things4 --,isaiah #de3e1 #g4 ,these and a great many similar lines have a good deal of the phraseology and the atmosphere of the ,assyrian hymns of ,belit and ,ishtar1 and in so far support the ,babylonian origin of ,isaiah #dj-de1 but there is in the ,assyrian hymns no such clear relationship of the deity to history as is characteristic of the ,hebrew hymns in ,isaiah #dj-de4 ,there remains of ,assyrian hymns still to be recognized a small and distinct group in which deity is praised by man in the third person4 ,one of these1 ,nergal ,no4 #g1 has been included among the ,antiphonal hymns and already studied4 ,that portion1 which is in the third person is simply narrative1 with many repetitions1 telling of ,nergal's heroic attack upon the hostile land4 ,it is mythological and epic material adapted to hymnal purposes4 ,similarly the hymn to ,ramman ,no4 #b was included among the ,antiphonal hymns1 beginning as it does with fourteen lines spoken by man in praise of ,ramman1 and continuing with ,enlil's charge to ,ramman in the next twelve lines4 ,however1 this hymn comes to its conclusion in the next four and last lines with the use of the third person1 telling how ,ramman obeyed the bidding of his father ,enlil3 ,ramman gave heed to the words which his father spoke to him2 ,father ,ramman went out of the house1 the storm of sonorous voice1 ,out of the house1 out of the city he went up1 the youthful lion1 ,out of the city he took his way1 the storm of thunderous voice4 ,beside this can be placed the fragment of eight lines1 ,ramman ,no4 #a4 ,heaven and earth quake before ,ramman's anger4 ,the gods flee to the heights and to the depths before the mighty god of the tempest4 ,this hymn invites comparison with ,psalm #bi1 the ,hebrew hymn in praise of the 8,voice of ,yahwe03 ,the lord in his fury1 the heavens quake before him2 ,ramman in his fury1 the earth trembles2 ,the great mountains break to pieces before him4 ,before his anger1 before his fury1 ,before his roaring1 before his thunder2 ,the gods of heaven to heaven ascend2 ,the gods of earth to earth retire2 ,to the heights of heaven they penetrate2 ,into the depths of the earth they enter4 ,in ,marduk ,no4 #d1 following the hymnal invocation of six lines addressed in the second person to the deity1 there is a section of fifteen lines making up the rest of the hymn1 and extolling the greatness of ,marduk1 especially his might in war4 ,when he attacks1 the heavens above and the earth beneath are troubled2 the gods flee2 his weapons flash forth and destroy mountains4 ,however the hymn is not a narrative of any event4 ,though the language is of a myth1 yet the poem is not in its nature an epic4 ,it is recited not to inspire interest1 but to arouse enthusiasm for the deity4 ,it is thus1 along with ,ramman ,no4 #a1 more hymnal in character than the narrative portions in ,nergal ,no4 #g and ,ramman ,no4 #b3 ,the direction of conflict and battle is in the hands of ,marduk1 the leader of the gods2 ,at whose wrath the heaven quakes2 ,at whose wrath the deep is troubled2 ,at the point of whose weapon the gods turn back2 ,whose furious attack no one ventures to oppose2 ,the mighty lord1 to whom there is no rival in the assembly of the gods4 ,in the bright firmament of heaven1 his course is powerful2 ,in ,ekur1 the temple of holiness1 exalted are his decrees4 ,in the storm wind his weapons blaze forth2 ,with his flame steep mountains are destroyed4 ,he overwhelms the expanse of the billowy ocean4 ,son of ,esara is his name1 warrior of the gods his title4 ,from the depths is he lord of the gods and men4 ,before his terrible bow the heavens tremble1 ,who the lofty house of death's shadow overthrows and destroys4 ,in the chapter on ,assyrian ,hymnal ,introductions1 it was observed that in ,sin ,no4 #c and ,sin ,no4 #e there were hymnal lines in praise of the divine word1 addressed directly to deity in the second person3 ,thy word1 when it sounds over the earth1 vegetation springs up4 ,in ,marduk ,no4 #e there are five hymnal lines in praise of the word of deity1 in four of which the third person is used1 although one would hesitate to say that the hymn ceases to be addressed to deity1 or that the change of person is here particularly significant3 ,thy word is a lofty net which over heaven and earth thou spreadest out4 ,unto the sea it turns1 the sea it takes fright4 ,unto the marsh it turns1 the marsh laments4 ,to the flood of ,euphrates it turns1 ,the word of ,marduk stirs up the bottom ,lord1 thou art lofty1 who equals thee8 ,in the hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #g there is a large hymnal passage in praise of the word of deity4 ,it begins apparently with the last line on the obverse side of the tablet1 in which the second person of the direct address to deity is used3 ,thy word is a lofty net ,which stretches out over heaven and earth4 ,unfortunately the first lines on the reverse side of the tablet are lost1 but the lines which remain are all in the third person1 and unlike the preceding hymn deity is not being directly addressed4 ,we have here then the hymnal form which is characteristic of the ,hebrew hymn of praise4 ,it is however somewhat difficult to account for this use of the third person4 ,possibly it is because the word when once spoken has its independent existence1 and cannot be recalled1 but goes forth to exert its harmful or helpful influence4 ,consequently in thinking of the effects to be accomplished by ,nergal's word one can completely forget ,nergal1 since the word has left the god behind and goes on its own way1 whither soever it was directed4 ,it is to be noted that the effects of the word mentioned in this hymn are all harmful4 ,there is no record of any magical ceremony or magical use of the word following the hymn1 although the language of the hymn would almost seem to be introductory to such a use of the mighty word of ,nergal4 ,possibly then it can be conjectured that we have actually here a genuine hymn in praise of the aweful word of deity4 ,the hymn as preserved is as follows3 ,thy word is a lofty net which stretches out over heaven and earth 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,his word goes to the seer1 the seer takes fright2 ,his word goes to the enchanter1 the enchanter takes fright4 ,his word is announced to an afflicted man1 that man laments2 ,his word is announced to an afflicted woman1 that woman laments4 ,his word when it goes softly ruins the land2 ,his word when it goes powerfully destroys the houses4 ,his word is as a closed vessel its innermost thoughts who can learn8 ,his word is as a covered net in which he snares4 ,his word within is not understood1 without it tramples down2 ,his word without is not understood1 within it tramples down2 ,his word makes the people sick1 the people it makes weak4 ,his word when it goes on high the land makes sick2 ,his word when it goes below destroys the land4 ,warrior ,nergal1 below he commands below he tramples underfoot ,his word when there are five in a house drives out five2 ,warrior ,nergal when there are ten in a house drives out ten4 ,the word of the lord when it hastens on high ,i am troubled2 ,the word of the lord because of its destructiveness ,i sit and lament4 ,at his word on high the heavens become dark1 mighty is his word4 ,it has also been observed in the chapter on ,hymnal ,introductions1 that in ,nebo ,no4 #a there was a couplet1 and in ,ninib ,no4 #a there was a hymnal line1 both in praise of the sanctuary1 and both addressed in the second person to deity4 ,furthermore there is in the hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #d1 reproduced above in this chapter a line in praise of the temple in ,ekur3 ,in ,ekur1 the house of festivals1 is thy name exalted4 ,beyond this we have1 however two hymnal fragments1 which so far as they remain to us1 are devoted to the praise of sanctuaries4 ,the first of these is ,marduk ,no4 #g3 444 day when he named ,babylon faithfully by its name1 ,the lord of the crown built at the door of the ocean the house which he loved4 ,the land with exultation and joy he filled2 ,its head like the heavens he made high2 ,a house at the door of the ocean endowed with grandeur and glory for the honor of his godhead is suitable4 444 ,nebo and ,sarpanitum a glittering sanctuary inhabit2 444 he caused to inhabit a dwelling of luxury4 ,tablet breaks off4 ,the second fragment1 hymn to ,bel1 ,no4 #a1 consists only of five lines1 which unfortunately are not altogether intelligible4 ,apparently the sanctuary of ,enlil is compared first to a mountain1 whose peak reaches to the heavens1 and then to a majestic wild ox stretched out in the mountains1 whose horns glitter in the rays of the sun4 ,these hymnal fragments recall the ,old ,testament psalms in praise of ,zion1 and perhaps especially ,psalm #dh3b3 ,beautiful for situation1 the joy of all the earth ,is ,mount ,zion1 on the northern slope ,the city of the great ,king4 ,the above small group of hymns are the only hymns or hymnal passages in which the third person is exclusively used4 ,as has been seen1 the great majority of ,assyrian hymns employ the second person and are really only hymnal introductions to prayers4 ,a small but notable group is made up of the self-laudations of the gods4 ,on the other hand the vast majority of ,hebrew hymns speak of ,yahwe in the third person in their praise of him1 and their praise is disinterested2 it is not introductory to a petition4 ,it is likewise significant that where ,yahwe speaks in hymnal praise of himself in ,isaiah #dj-de1 it is to convince despairing1 doubting ,israel of his intention and power to save ,israel1 and to use ,israel in the fulfillment of his eternal purpose4 ,here again one might say that while the ,assyrian deities haughtily and arrogantly proclaim their own greatness1 seeking thereby only their own glory1 ,yahwe's praise of himself is almost altogether disinterested1 since his concern is to achieve salvation of ,israel and the world4 ,in the ,hebrew sense of the word then1 the genuine hymn is only beginning to emerge in ,assyrian poetry4 ,division ,,iii ,a ,,comparison ,,of ,,the ,,assyrian ,,and ,,the ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,literary ,,form ,,of ,,the ,,assyrian ,,and ,,the ,,hebrew ,,hymns ,the comparison of the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew hymns ought naturally to begin with the consideration of their literary form4 ,this brings us to the first and most obvious distinctive mark of poetry in both literatures1 the relatively uniform length of the lines in each poem4 ,wherever a line lengthens out unduly it is clear that there is a lapse into prose4 ,a second phenomenon that meets the eye frequently in the ,assyrian poems and even more often in the ,hebrew psalms1 is the falling of the line into two divisions3 ,he who accepts no bribe1 who takes the side of the weak1 ,is well pleasing to ,shamash1 prolongs his life4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,shining ,fire ,god1 who surveys the tops of the mountains ,mighty ,fire ,god1 illuminator of the darkness4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #a4 ,who leadest the rivers in the midst of the mountains1 ,who openest the springs in the midst of the hills4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,what is man1 that thou should'st remember him8 ,even the son of man1 that thou should'st care for him8 --,psalm #h3e4 ,the law of ,yahwe is perfect1 converting the soul3 ,the testimony of ,yahwe is sure1 making wise the simple2 ,the statutes of ,yahwe are right1 rejoicing the heart4 --,psalm #ai3h4 ,mouths to them1 but they speak not2 ,eyes to them1 but they see not4 --,psalm #aae3e4 ,occasionally the lines in both ,assyrian and ,hebrew psalms fall into three divisions3 ,when thou ascendest1 when thou ascendest1 when thou ascendest --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,in heaven thou art lofty1 on earth thou art king1 clever adviser of the gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,father ,ramman1 ,lord that rideth the storm1 is thy name exalted ,god4 --,hymn to ,ramman ,no4 #c4 ,yahwe our ,lord1 how glorious thy name1 in all the earth6 --,psalm #h3b4 ,god will bless us1 and shall fear him all the ends of the earth4 --,psalm #fg3h4 ,who is this king of glory8 ,yahwe strong and mighty1 ,yahwe mighty in battle4 --,psalm #bd3h4 ,however the most conspicuous feature of both ,assyrian and ,hebrew poetry is the occurrence of two parallel lines in the distich or couplet4 ,parallelism may also occur between the parts of the line1 and hence it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two half lines and the couplet1 and between the line of three divisions and the tristich4 ,in the ,assyrian hymns1 as in the ,hebrew hymns1 the most common form of parallelism is the synonymous1 the second line practically repeating the thought of the first line3 ,thou treadest in the high heavens1 lofty is thy place3 ,thou art great in the lower world1 there is none like thee4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,the living creatures1 all of them thou shepherdest2 ,thou art the protector of those1 which are above and below4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,more to be desired than gold1 than much fine gold1 ,and sweeter than honey1 yea than honey from the comb4 --,psalm #ai3aa4 ,yahwe has made known his salvation1 before the nations he has revealed his righteousness ,he has remembered his mercy to ,jacob1 and his loyalty to the house of ,israel4 --,psalm #ih3b4 ,very common in the ,assyrian hymns1 but not so frequent in the ,hebrew hymns is tautological parallelism1 where the second line repeats the thought of the first line in almost the same words4 ,the frequency of this form in the ,assyrian hymns is most certainly in part due to the magical potency attached to the repetition of significant lines4 ,o ,lord1 who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 ,mighty one1 who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,when thou callest inside1 the people within thou killest2 ,when thou callest outside1 the people outside thou killest4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #g4 ,sing praises to ,god1 sing praises3 ,sing praises unto our king1 sing praises4 --,psalm #dg3g4 ,let peoples thank thee ,o ,god2 ,let peoples all of them thank thee4 --,psalm #fg3d4 ,the synthetical parallelism1 in which the second line continues the thought of the first line is relatively common in both ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns3 ,bel1 thy father1 has granted thee1 ,that the law of all the gods thy hand should hold4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,from all countries1 so many as speak with the tongue1 ,thou knowest their plans1 their walk thou observest4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,the mountains rose1 the valleys fell ,unto the place1 thou hadst appointed for them4 --,psalm #ajd3h4 ,sing to ,yahwe a new song1 for wonders he hath done2 ,hath helped him his right hand and his holy arm4 --,psalm #ih3a4 ,it is one indication of the superior literary quality of the ,hebrew hymns that antithetical parallelism1 in which the thought of the second line is opposed to that of the first line1 occurs quite frequently in the ,hebrew hymns1 and almost not at all in the ,assyrian hymns3 ,i said1 ye are gods1 and sons of the ,most ,high all of you2 ,but ye shall die like men1 and fall like one of the demons4 --,psalm #hb3f;f4 ,the dead do not praise ,yahwe1 nor any who go down into silence1 ,but we will bless ,yahwe from henceforth and forever4 --,psalm #aae3aga;f4 ,shamash honors the head of the just man2 ,shamash rends the evil man like a thong4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #a4 ,beyond the couplet1 strophes of three1 four1 five1 six1 and more lines are common in the ,assyrian hymns1 even as in the ,hebrew ,psalter4 ,perhaps the fact that interests the ,old ,testament student most in the strophic arrangement is that the number of lines in the strophes in the same hymn is by no means always uniform4 ,accordingly if one may draw a conclusion from ,assyrian usage for the ,old ,testament1 the effort often so zealously made to restore by elimination of lines a uniform strophic arrangement1 is a grievous error4 ,variety rather than uniformity was often the end sought4 ,another characteristic feature of both ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns is the occasional appearance of the refrain4 ,this refrain does not however appear artistically at the end of the strophe1 as in ,psalm #ii where the refrain1 8,holy is ,he10 is to be found at the end of verses #b1 #e1 #i1 and probably ought to be inserted at the end of verse #g4 ,rather the refrain usually forms the second half of the individual lines for a succession of three1 five1 seven1 ten1 or more lines4 ,the same hymn may employ a variety of refrains4 ,the hymn to ,ramman ,no4 #c has for the last two thirds of the first six lines3 --,mighty ,bull and glorious is thy name exalted ,god-- ,then for three lines it repeats only the last third of the refrain3 --is thy name exalted ,god-- returning to the full refrain however for the tenth line4 ,then lines #af to #bj have for the last third of the line the refrain3 --thou storm with elevated vision-- while lines #ba to #be have for the last third of the line the refrain3 --who can stand with thee8-- ,in general this use of the refrain in the ,assyrian hymns would seem to correspond to what we have in ,psalm #aae3i-aa3 ,o ,israel1 trust in ,yahwe2 their help and their shield is ,he4 ,o house of ,aaron1 trust in ,yahwe2 their help and their shield is ,he4 ,ye fearers of ,yahwe1 trust in ,yahwe2 their help and their shield is ,he4 ,in a number of instances the refrain of the ,assyrian hymn occurs in the first third or half of the line1 and the occurrence of the double refrain is also frequent3 ,she who in the days of long ago in the earth was magnified am ,i2 ,ishtar who in the earth is magnified am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,no such skill in the use of the double refrain is shown1 however1 as in ,psalm #ajg4 ,yet another feature common to ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymn is the prominence of the rhetorical question3 ,o ,lord who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 ,mighty ,one who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,who is equal to me1 me8 ,who is comparable to me1 me8 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,who is like ,yahwe our ,god1 in heaven or on earth ,who has placed his throne on high1 who stoops to regard the earth8 --,psalm #aac3e;f4 ,how many are thy works1 ,o ,yahwe8 all of them in wisdom thou hast made4 --,psalm #ajd3bd4 ,it has already been pointed out in a previous chapter1 that the use of the refrain in the ,assyrian hymns1 as in the case of the ,hebrew hymns1 indicates antiphonal responses between priest and choir1 and choir and choir4 ,likewise the hymns of both literatures have been seen to take on more decided liturgical character with the introduction of the divine pronouncement through the priest as in the ,litany to ,asshur and the second ,psalm4 ,both literatures have the sanctuary hymn1 and the processional and the recessional hymn4 ,the most significant difference between the ,assyrian hymn and the ,hebrew hymn would seem to be that the former is usually addressed in the second person to deity1 and is accordingly of the nature of prayer1 while the ,hebrew hymn is the response to the summons to praise deity1 is expressed in the third person1 and is more genuinely hymnal in character4 ,chapter ,x ,,the ,,supreme ,,god ,,among ,,the ,,gods ,having compared the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns1 with reference to their external form1 and the circumstances under which they were sung1 it is now proper to examine more closely the actual contents of the hymns4 ,the subject of all genuine hymns is ,god4 ,it is an argument for the common nature of the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns that practically all the hymnal phrases can be classified under the following heads3 #a4 ,the supreme ,god among the gods4 #b4 ,the glory of ,his name4 #c4 ,the supreme ,god a heaven's god4 #d4 ,the supreme ,god in his sanctuary4 #e4 ,the supreme ,god as creator4 #f4 ,the supreme ,god as ,god of nature4 #g4 ,the supreme ,god as wise4 #h4 ,the supreme ,god as powerful4 #i4 ,the supreme ,god as merciful4 #aj4 ,the supreme ,god as king4 #aa4 ,the supreme ,god as judge4 ,this classification enables us to study at one and the same time the phraseology and the content of the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns4 ,it may be said at the outset1 that there are practically no specific cases where literary dependence can be demonstrated1 but1 what is more important1 there is a very striking similarity of phraseology1 implying similar religious ideas4 ,this phraseology of the ,assyrian hymns has its value for the interpretation of the ,hebrew hymns1 and their content1 and a like value for the study of the ,hebrew religion4 ,in comparing the phraseology of the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew hymns1 the most obvious difference is that the ,assyrian hymns are addressed to many different deities1 each with its own proper name1 ,shamash1 ,sin1 ,marduk1 ,ninib1 and many others4 ,the existence of the other gods is implied in some ,hebrew hymns1 but the ,hebrew hymnist never concedes to them an individual independent existence1 much less a name4 ,furthermore1 one meets everywhere in the ,assyrian hymns the distinction of sex4 ,there are husbands and wives1 sons and daughters1 among the gods3 ,strong1 lofty one1 highest of the goddesses2 ,o ,damkina1 ,queen of all the gods1 ,strong wife of ,ea1 valiant art thou4 --,hymn to ,sarpanitum4 ,am ,i not the daughter of ,bel8 --,hymn to ,belit4 ,o strong son4 ,first born of ,bel2 ,great perfect offspring of ,isara4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,o lord1 first born of ,marduk1 ,o ruler1 lofty offspring of ,sarpanitum4 --,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #a4 ,the father who begot thee ,ea thou excellest4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,sister of ,shamash1 ,ornament of heaven --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,sin1 bright brilliant god1 ,ninnar1 first born of ,ekur1 son of ,bel4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #b4 ,first born of ,ea4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,lord1 mighty and exalted1 first born of ,nunnammir1 ,offspring of ,kutushar the mighty queen4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,one would expect that the god to whom the hymn is addressed would be regarded as the supreme ,god1 but in some hymns his subordinate relationship to other gods is recognized3 ,shamash1 the support of ,anu and ,bel art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #a4 ,he whom ,anu in his lofty power hath chosen ,i am4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #c4 ,mighty art thou among the gods1 ,ea has made thee splendid2 7,through the proclamation7 of the oracle has ,bel made thee great4 ,o ,nebo1 bearer of the tables of destiny of the gods1 ,messenger of ,anu1 who brings ,bel's commands to fulfillment4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,the ,assyrian refers altogether naturally to his deity as a god among gods1 and frequently ascribes to him only a relative degree of strength and power3 ,a mighty one among the gods art thou4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,o ,marduk1 powerful one of the gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,great one1 ruler of the gods1 ,marduk mighty one4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,thou art great among the gods1 mighty is thy command4 --,hymn to ,damkina4 ,it is only when the ,assyrian hymn applies to its deity the superlative degree1 that it touches common ground with the ,hebrew hymn4 ,for both ,assyrian and ,hebrew worshippers praise their deity as the incomparable god4 ,such passages from ,assyrian hymns are3 ,o mighty ,god1 to whom there is no rival in the assembly of the great gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,marduk1 among all gods thou excellest4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #f4 7,prince7 of heaven and earth who hath not his equal4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g4 ,bel to whom in his strength there is no opponent4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ab4 ,among the goddesses is none like unto her4 --,hymn to ,sarpanitum4 ,king of kings1 exalted one1 whose decrees none can oppose1 ,no god is like unto thy divinity4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,and some ,hebrew hymns recognize the existence of the gods in asserting the absolute superiority of ,yahwe3 ,for ,i know that ,yahwe is great1 ,even our ,lord than all gods4 --,psalm #ace3e4 ,for a great ,god is ,yahwe1 ,and a great ,king over all gods4 --,psalm #ie3c4 ,for great is ,yahwe1 and to be praised exceedingly2 ,terrible is ,he above all gods4 --,psalm #if3d4 ,also the existence of many gods is implied in the rhetorical questions common to the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns4 ,assyrian3 ,o lord who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee2 ,mighty one1 who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee2 ,lord ,nannar who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,identical in form is the question addressed to ,nergal3 ,o lord who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee2 ,most mighty one1 who is like unto thee1 who can be compared to thee2 ,nergal who is like thee1 who can be compared to thee8 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,ishtar herself asks the question3 ,who is equal to me1 me2 ,who is comparable to me1 me8 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,the question is followed by the answer in the following examples3 ,who is exalted in heaven1 ,thou alone art exalted2 ,who is exalted on earth1 ,thou alone art exalted4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,what god in heaven or earth can be compared to thee1 ,thou art high over all of them ,among the gods superior is thy counsel4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,biblical examples of such rhetorical questions are3 ,for who in the skies can be compared unto ,yahwe1 ,who is like ,yahwe among the gods8 --,psalm #hi3g4 ,yahwe god of hosts who is like thee8 ,strong art thou ,yahwe and thy faithfulness is round about thee4 --,psalm #hi3i4 ,who is like ,yahwe our ,god1 in heaven or in earth1 ,who sittest on high1 who peereth into the depths8 --,psalm #aac3e;f4 ,moreover there is1 for ,assyrian1 as for ,hebrew1 the council of the gods1 in which one god is the supreme judge4 ,o mighty god to whom there is no rival in the assembly of the great gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,then come the great gods for trial before thee4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #c4 ,yahwe takes his stand in the council of gods3 ,in the midst of gods he judgeth4 --,psalm #hb3a4 ,a ,god very terrible in the council of the holy ones1 ,and to be feared above all them that are round about ,him4 --,psalm #hi3h4 ,furthermore1 both in ,assyrian and ,biblical hymns1 the gods themselves do homage to the highest god3 ,o ,sin1 at thy appearance the gods assemble2 ,kings1 all of them1 prostrate themselves4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,there bow before thee the ,igigi1 the ,annunaki1 the gods1 the goddesses4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,worship him all ye gods4 --,psalm #ig3g4 ,ascribe unto ,yahwe ,ye sons of ,god1 ,ascribe unto ,yahwe ,glory and strength4 --,psalm #bi3a4 ,yahwe1 who is thus worshipped by the gods1 can appropriately be called 8,god of gods and ,lord of lords03 ,o give thanks unto the ,god of gods4 --,psalm #acf3b4 ,o give thanks unto the ,lord of lords4 --,psalm #acf3c4 ,the ,assyrian hymn passes beyond the point where the deity is exalted above other gods3 ,whose great glory through ,bel the regent of heaven1 ,is exceedingly high over all gods1 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 to the point where the god alone is exalted3 ,o lord chief of the gods1 who alone is exalted on earth and in heaven2 ,who is exalted in heaven1 thou alone art exalted2 ,who is exalted on earth1 thou alone art exalted4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,likewise the ,hebrew hymn speaks of the exaltation of ,yahwe and passes beyond the point where ,yahwe is high above all gods4 ,for thou art high over all the earth1 ,thou art gone up exceedingly above all gods4 --,psalm #ig3i4 ,high over all nations is ,yahwe2 ,over the heavens his glory4 --,psalm #aac3d4 to the point where ,yahwe alone is exalted in the earth3 ,be still and know that ,i am ,god3 ,i will be exalted in the earth2 ,i will be exalted among the nations4 --,psalm #df3aa4 ,it was said above that certain ,hebrew hymnal passages recognize the existence of other gods4 ,it might have been pointed out there that one of those passages1 ,for great is ,yahwe and to be praised exceedingly2 ,terrible is he above all gods --,psalm #if3d4 is followed by3 ,for all the gods of the peoples are idols2 ,but ,yahwe made the heavens --,psalm #if3e4 and ,psalm #ace3e3 ,for ,i know that ,yahwe is great1 ,even our ,lord than all gods is followed by #ace3ae3 ,the idols of the nations are silver and gold1 ,the work of men's hands4 ,yet this may not be an outright denial of the existence of all gods1 nor an interesting example of the retention of phraseology which the religion had outgrown4 ,the ,israel of most of the hymns was very much a nation among the nations4 ,with feeling1 at once intensely national and intensely religious1 ,israel poured its contempt upon idolatry1 and declared that the nations had no god4 ,on earth ,yahwe is the supreme ,god1 and in heaven in the heavenly court he reigns supreme1 and the gods who are there1 serve him and enhance his glory4 ,the ,glory of ,his ,name ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns are alike1 in that both exalt the name of deity4 ,for both the name of the god is great and glorious and to be feared4 ,it is known in all the earth and is not to be forgotten4 ,there seems to have been an element of mystery1 possibly due to magic1 attached to the name of the ,assyrian deity4 ,flood watering the harvest1 knows anyone thy name4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,and in this connection it is well to notice that ,ishtar announces herself by several names3 ,my first name is ,i am ,ishtar ,my second name is ,lady of the countries4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,great and terrible is the name of the ,assyrian and ,hebrew deity4 ,the lord ,ninib ,i am1 at the naming of my name may be prostrated the lofty powers4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #e4 ,exceeding great is thy name1 ,marduk mighty one4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,asshur1 glorious one1 whose name arouses fear1 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,let them praise thy name great and terrible4 --,psalm #ii3c4 ,known in ,judah is ,god1 in ,israel great is his name4 --,psalm #gf3b4 ,lord whose name is glorious1 recorder of the world4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,not to us4 ,not to us1 but to thy name give glory4 --,psalm #aae3a4 ,thy name is altogether good in the mouths of the peoples4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ac4 ,thy name is spread abroad1 in the mouths of men1 ,o protecting god4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #a4 ,whose name is brilliant in all the earth1 that is my glory4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,as thy name1 ,o ,god1 so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth4 --,psalm #dh3aa4 ,yahwe1 our ,lord1 how majestic is thy name in all the earth4 --,psalm #h3b4 ,not only universal1 but also eternal1 is the fame of ,assyrian and ,hebrew deity3 ,therefore may the fame of ,asshur not be forgotten1 may men remember ,essharra4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,yahwe thy name is forever1 ,yahwe thy remembrance to generation and generation4 --,psalm #ace3ac4 ,it may be significant also1 that1 while the name of the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew deity is great and glorious and terrible1 universally known and never to be forgotten1 it is said only of the ,hebrew deity1 that his name is holy3 ,for in ,him doth our heart rejoice1 ,for in ,his ,holy ,name do we trust4 --,psalm #cc3ba4 ,bless my soul ,yahwe1 and all that is within me ,his ,holy name4 --,psalm #ajc3a4 ,while both ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns exalt the name of the deity1 there is no passage in any ,assyrian hymn1 revealing such enthusiasm on the part of an individual1 for the name of the god as ,psalm #ade3a;b3 ,i will exalt thee1 my god1 ,o king1 ,and ,i will bless thy name for ever ,every day will ,i bless thee1 ,and ,i will praise thy name for ever and aye1 ,nor is there any passage in an ,assyrian hymn calling upon universal nature1 sun1 moon and stars1 mountains1 and hills1 rain and snow1 all living creatures1 all men and women1 old and young1 kings and nations1 to praise the name of ,god1 as ,psalm #adh3ac3 ,let them praise the name of ,yahwe ,for his name alone is exalted4 ,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,supreme ,,god ,,in ,,his ,,dwelling ,,place ,the ,assyrians are known to readers of the ,old ,testament as worshippers of the hosts of heaven1 and while their hymns represent them as adoring also the ,atmospheric ,gods1 and furthermore finding ,deity not only in the heights above1 but also in the depths beneath1 nevertheless their reverent gaze was most frequently turned skyward4 ,their gods were mainly gods of heaven1 and were associated1 at times almost to the point of identification1 with the heavenly bodies4 ,thus the ,god ,shamash bears the name of ,sun1 and is unmistakably and very closely associated with the solar orb3 ,the mighty mountains has thy glory covered2 ,thy brilliancy fills and overwhelms the countries2 ,thou marchest regularly across the heavens4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,likewise ,nusku is a solar deity3 ,strong fire god who surveys the tops of the mountains1 ,mighty fire god1 illuminator of the darkness4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #a4 ,also ,marduk3 ,lofty in form1 ,marduk1 shining sun god1 bright torch1 ,who by his rising illumines the 7darkness71 makes brilliant 7 74 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,the moon has its very worthy representative among the gods in the person of the great ,god ,sin3 ,thou that brightenest the night1 ,that givest light to all nations1 ,bright is thy light in heaven2 ,thy brightness fills the whole earth4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #a4 ,thou that from the base of heaven to the height of heaven dost march in glory2 ,opening the door of heaven1 and granting light to all men4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,the evening star1 the star which shines preminent in the heavens is represented by two glorious goddesses1 ,ishtar and ,sarpanitum3 ,light of heaven which flames like fire over the earth art thou4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f4 ,in the heavens in the evening when ,i take my stand1 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,she that flameth in the horizon of heaven4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f4 ,who art adorned with the brilliancy of sparkling stones1 ornament of heaven4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f4 ,ishtar who opens the bolt of the pure heavens1 that is my glory4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #f4 ,sarpanitum1 shining star1 dwelling in ,endul1 ,who crossest the heavens1 who passest over the earth1 ,sarpanitum1 whose station is lofty1 ,brilliant is my lady1 lofty and high4 --,hymn to ,sarpanitum4 ,just as ,shamash1 ,sin1 and ,ishtar are so closely associated with sun1 moon1 and evening star1 so ,ramman1 in the two hymns written in his honor1 is almost identified with the thunderstorm4 ,yahwe is not identified1 nor closely associated1 in the ,hebrew hymns1 with any of the heavenly bodies1 not even with the sun1 but he1 like the ,assyrian deities1 dwells in heaven1 and his glory1 as is theirs1 is that of the stars4 ,of ,yahwe it might have been said1 as of ,nergal and ,ishtar3 ,thou treadest in the high heavens1 lofty is thy place4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,thy seat is in the high heavens1 in the midst of the bright heavens1 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #b4 ,but our ,god is in the heavens1 ,everything that he pleaseth1 he doeth4 --,psalm #aae3c4 ,the heavens are ,yahwe's heavens4 --,psalm #aae3af4 ,yahwe is in his holy temple2 ,yahwe1 in the heavens is his throne4 --,psalm #aa3d4 ,yahwe was not identified with sun1 moon or stars4 ,no more was he identified with the thunderstorm4 ',tis true1 in ,psalm #bi the thunder is described as the voice of ,yahwe1 but while the tempest rages below1 ,yahwe sits exalted in heaven1 the mighty ,god1 who gives strength to his people1 and blesses them with peace4 ,it is the glory of the ,hebrew religion1 that its ,god has been released from all identification with nature's forces and is lord in his universe4 ,so he controls also the winds3 ,who bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries4 --,psalm #ace3g4 ,to him that rideth in the ancient heavens4 --,psalm #fh3cd4 ,who maketh clouds his chariot1 ,who walketh upon the wings of the wind4 --,psalm #ajd3c4 ,as gods of heaven1 both the ,assyrian deities and ,yahwe are revered as lofty1 exalted beings4 ,marduk is addressed as the one 8who alone art lofty40 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,in heaven thou art lofty1 on earth thou art king1 clever adviser of the gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,to ,ninib it is said3 ,in ,ekur1 the house of festivals1 is thy head exalted ,ninib1 king1 son of ,bel1 who himself is exalted4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,and for ,asshur the wish is expressed3 ,may the memory of ,asshur be praised1 his divinity be exalted1 ,so that the exaltation of ,asshur1 the lord of lords1 the warrior1 may shine4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,similarly ,yahwe is exalted3 ,but thou art high for ever1 ,o ,yahwe4 --,psalm #ib3i4 ,that they may know that thou alone art ,yahwe ,the most high over all the earth4 --,psalm #hc3ai4 ,yahwe's exaltation above the earth brings with it also exaltation over all nations3 ,yahwe in ,zion is great1 ,and ,high is ,he above all nations4 --,psalm #ii3b4 ,high over all nations is ,yahwe2 ,over the heaven is his glory4 --,psalm #aac3d4 ,so also ,marduk's exaltation has its significance for men3 ,high art thou in heaven3 ,all people thou see'st4 ,great art thou upon earth3 ,their omens thou see'st4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,yahwe's exaltation seems to be not only above the earth1 but he is also highly exalted in the heavens3 ,his majesty is above earth and heaven4 --,psalm #adh3ac4 ,thou whose majesty is placed above the heavens4 --,psalm #h3b4 ,before the exalted heavens' ,god1 the ,assyrian worshipper is reverent3 ,o lord thy divinity is full of awe ,like the far off heaven and the broad ocean4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 and as ,heaven's ,god1 ,yahwe is to be praised3 ,praise ,yahwe from the ,heavens2 ,praise ,him in the heights4 --,psalm #adh3a4 ,the ,assyrian religion1 in contrast to the ,hebrew religion1 finds ,god in the lower world1 and glorifies the deity of the lower world3 ,thou art great in ,hades1 there is none like thee4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,warrior1 lord of the under world4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #d4 ,she1 who is goddess of heaven and earth is also goddess of the deep3 ,lady of ,egurra1 ruler of the deep1 ,who inhabitest the deep1 lady of heaven and earth4 --,hymn to ,damkina4 ,the ,hebrew hymns have only the negative statements regarding ,yahwe's prestige in the lower world3 ,the dead praise not ,yahwe1 ,neither any that go down to silence --,psalm #aae3ag4 and the assertion of ,psalm #aci3h that ,yahwe the omnipresent is present also in ,sheol4 ,the ,supreme ,god in ,his ,sanctuary ,although the ,assyrian deities and ,yahwe are gods of heaven1 yet they take up their abode in earthly sanctuaries3 ,who hast taken up his exalted habitation among living creatures --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,for ,yahwe hath chosen ,zion1 ,he hath desired it for his habitation4 --,psalm #acb3ac4 ,in ,salem also is his tabernacle ,and his dwelling place in ,zion --,psalm #gf3c4 ,bel thy dwelling is ,babylon1 ,borsippa is thy crown4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ab4 ,lord of ,izida1 shadow of ,borsippa1 director of ,isagila4 --,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #a4 ,virgin4 ,virgin in the temple of my riches am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,the sanctuary itself is venerated by ,assyrian and ,hebrew3 ,thy house ,ezida is a house incomparable4 --,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #b4 ,how lovely are thy tabernacles ,o ,yahwe of hosts4 --,psalm #hd3b4 ,honor and majesty are before ,him2 ,strength and beauty are in his sanctuary4 --,psalm #if3f4 ,there is nothing in the ,hebrew hymns to indicate that ,yahwe has more than one sanctuary4 ,this is due of course to the fact that the ,hebrew hymns are preserved in a collection1 whose editors recognized only ,jerusalem as a legitimate place of worship4 ,on the other hand the ,assyrian gods have usually several sanctuaries3 ,the sovereign of sanctuaries all of them4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ac4 ,ishtar1 who in all sanctuaries was magnified am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,it is curious that the god should be addressed as the founder of cities and sanctuaries3 ,founder of the cities1 renewer of the sanctuaries4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,founder of sanctuaries1 proclaimer of their names4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,apparently the ,assyrian sanctuaries were thought to be as old as the world itself1 for the erection and naming of the sanctuaries is mentioned in connection with the creation of the earth3 ,creator of the land1 founder of sanctuaries1 proclaimer of their names4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #g4 ,but of ,yahwe it is said3 ,doth build up ,jerusalem ,yahwe2 ,the dispersed of ,israel he gathereth together4 --,psalm #adg3b4 ,it is not forgotten in the ,assyrian hymns1 that the deity gives joy to city and temple3 ,o ,marduk the mighty who causest ,itura to rejoice4 ,lord of ,isagila1 help of ,babylon1 lover of ,izida4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #h4 ,the processional hymn to ,marduk opens with the line3 ,o lord on thine entrance into thy house may thy house rejoice in thee4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ac4 ,hebrew temple worship must also have been joyful1 when the worshippers obeyed the exhortation1 ,psalm #ajj3b3 8,serve ,yahwe with gladness02 when they praised him 8with trumpet sound10 8with psaltery and harp10 8with timbrel and dance10 8with stringed instruments0 and 8pipe0 8with loud cymbals0 and 8high sounding cymbals10 ,psalm #aej4 ,distinctive of the ,hebrew hymns is1 as we would expect1 the great prominence given to the praise of ,yahwe in the temple3 ,praise1 ,o ,jerusalem1 ,yahwe2 ,praise thy ,god1 ,o ,zion4 --,psalm #adg3ab4 ,blessed be ,yahwe from ,zion1 ,who dwelleth at ,jerusalem4 --,psalm #ace3ba4 ,not only do ,assyrian and ,hebrew deity dwell in earthly sanctuaries1 but their sanctuaries seem to have been alike situated on holy mountains3 ,great and to be praised exceedingly ,is the city of our ,god4 ,his holy mountain1 beautiful of situation1 ,is the joy of the whole earth4 ,mount ,zion1 on the sides of the ,north1 ,is the city of a great ,king4 --,psalm #dh3b;f4 ,another reference to the holy mountain is found in ,psalm #hg3a ,its foundation is in the holy mountains4 ,to be compared with the last two selections is the couplet from a hymn to ,bel3 ,great mountain of ,enlil ,imkharkag whose peak reaches to heaven1 ,whose foundation is laid in the glittering deep4 ,this couplet describes a temple of ,bel which resembles a mountain4 ,the name ,great ,mountain was also applied to ,bel himself4 ,possibly the line of development was thus4 ,the god dwells in the holy mountain4 ,for that reason1 the temple is built to resemble a mountain1 and the name mountain passes over from the temple to the deity4 ,at any rate1 it is interesting to note that ,yahwe also dwells in the holy mountain and was likewise called rock3 ,rock of our salvation4 --,psalm #ie3a4 ,he only is my rock and my salvation1 ,my tower1 ,i shall not be greatly moved4 --,psalm #fb3c4 ,it is natural to pass from the sanctuary to the physical representation of the deity4 ,this in the ,assyrian hymns is frequently crass3 ,prince of shining face and flaming mouth raging fire god4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #e4 ,of gigantic size with terrible limbs1 ,raging demons to right and left of him4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #e4 ,mighty in form1 lofty in stature1 and powerful for the exercise of his lordship4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,in a number of passages1 the god takes the still crasser form of an animal4 ,in ,sin ,no4 #e1 line #ai1 it is the form of a horse3 ,o hastening steed1 sturdy one1 whose knees do not grow weary1 ,who dost open the road for the gods1 thy brothers4 ,in other passages1 it is a bull or steer3 ,o strong young bull with huge horns1 perfect in limbs1 with beard of lapis-lazuli color1 full of glory and perfection4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,great steer mighty lord1 destroyer of the hostile land4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #d4 ,powerful one great strong steer4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,thou who bearest horns who art clothed with glory4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #h4 ,a crouching ox art thou1 bull that dost institute destruction4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,warrior who as a steer stands firm at one's side1 ,warrior who resembles a wild ox with great horns4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #e4 ,in the hymns proper1 there is no such crass representation of ,yahwe1 but it is well to recall that ,yahwe was not only represented by bull images at ,bethel and ,dan1 but is referred to as the 8,bull of ,jacob40 ,how he sware unto ,yahwe1 ,and vowed to the ,bull of ,jacob4 --,psalm #acb3b4 ,it is a stage higher in refinement1 when the god is not represented as a naked demon1 nor as a powerful animal1 however majestic in its strength1 but as a clothed being4 ,such a representation of the deity we have both in the ,assyrian and the ,hebrew hymns3 ,father ,nannar who dost go forth in the robe of majesty chief of the gods4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,robed in splendor1 clothed in terror4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #b4 ,chief of the great gods1 clothed in grandeur and splendor4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #e4 ,who art clothed with terror1 who art full of glory4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,the mighty one among the gods with brilliancy clothed am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #c4 ,strongest of the goddesses whose clothing is the light4 --,hymn to ,sarpanitum4 ,from out of such imagery as that cited in so many passages has come these two chaste references to ,yahwe as clothed3 ,yahwe is ,king3 he is clothed with majesty ,clothed is ,yahwe he hath girded himself with strength4 --,psalm #ic3a4 ,my ,god thou art exceeding great1 ,with honor and majesty thou art clothed1 ,who coverest thyself with light as with a garment4 --,psalm #ajd3a4 ,there is but one instance in the ,assyrian ,hymns1 when the beauty of the god is the delight of the worshipper4 ,this is somewhat akin to the feeling of the mystic3 ,fruit which hath created itself1 of lofty form beautiful to look upon1 in whose being one cannot sufficiently state oneself4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,there are no parallels to this among the biblical hymns but there are parallels among other psalms3 ,that ,i may dwell in the house of ,yahwe ,all the days of my life ,to behold the beauty of ,yahwe4 --,psalm #bg3d4 ,as for me ,i shall behold thy face in righteousness2 ,i shall be satisfied1 when ,i awake1 with 7beholding7 thy form4 --,psalm #ag3ae4 ,so have ,i looked upon thee in the sanctuary ,to see thy power and thy glory4 --,psalm #fc3c4 ,homage was paid to the ,assyrian deities by the bringing of offerings to their temples1 and this fact of the offering of sacrifices1 finds a place in the hymns3 ,father ,enlil with song majestically we come3 ,the presents of the ground are offered to thee as gifts of sacrifice ,o lord of ,sumer figs to thy dwelling we bring2 ,to give life to the ground thou dost exist4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,a special distinction of ,marduk's is that3 ,among all gods who dwell in sanctuaries1 sacrifice of every kind is brought into his sanctuary4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g4 ,the sacrifice1 and especially the offering of wine1 would favorably affect the disposition of the god3 ,on the festal day when he takes his seat in joy1 ,when on equality with ,anu and ,bel sesame wine made him genial4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #d4 ,on the other hand1 the favorable disposition of the deity is manifested by his acceptance of the offering1 and the proof of the magnanimity of the god finds its due place in the hymn3 ,thou eatest1 drinkest their pure wine1 noble beer from the cask ,when they pour the noble beer for thee1 thou acceptest it4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,it is curious that1 just as the gods for whom the temples were built1 were addressed as the builders of the temples1 so the gods to whom sacrifices were offered1 were addressed as those who maintained the offering of sacrifices4 ,doubtless the sacrifices of the temples had come to be regarded as in themselves absolutely essential to the established order1 and the gods1 as the givers of the earth's products1 became thus the patrons of the sacrifices4 ,thou givest the bread of sacrifice1 the daily sacrifices4 --,marduk ,no4 ,,ii1 col4 ,,iii3#a4b4 ,protector of the offerings for the gods1 renewer of the temple cities4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,who dost build dwellings and establishest offerings4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #g4 ,protector of the sacrificial gifts of all the ,igigi4 --,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,nusku as the fire god is particularly essential to the offering of sacrifices3 ,without thee is no banquet held in the temple2 ,without thee the gods smell no incense4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,the bestower of incense who burns the freewill offering for the gods4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #b4 ,it is surely very significant that all this is absent from the ,hebrew hymns4 ,there is but one single reference to a sacrifice4 ,give to ,yahwe the glory due to his name2 ,bring an offering and come into ,his courts4 --,psalm #if3h4 ,what the ,hebrews in their hymns bring to ,yahwe is an offering of praise for3 ,his praise endureth forever4 --,psalm #aaa3aj4 and the individual devoutly says3 ,i will praise ,yahwe while ,i live2 ,i will sing praises to my ,god while ,i have my being4 --,psalm #adf3b4 and a temple congregation says3 ,but we will bless ,yahwe ,from now and for evermore4 --,psalm #aae3ah4 ,sacrifice had its place1 and on that great day of ,yahwe's final triumph1 the kindreds of the peoples are called upon to bring an offering 7,psalm #if3h71 but this seems to be only incidental to their acknowledgment in ,yahwe's temple of his universal lordship4 ,i am assuming that the glory and strength of ,psalm #if3g3 ,give to ,yahwe ye kindreds of the peoples2 ,give to ,yahwe glory and strength are to be understood in the spiritual rather than the material sense1 as elsewhere the hymns only call for spiritual homage to ,yahwe3 ,worship ,yahwe in holy garments2 ,tremble before ,him all the earth4 --,psalm #if3i4 ,come let us worship and bow down2 ,let us kneel before ,yahwe our maker4 --,psalm #ie3f4 ,exalt ye ,yahwe our ,god1 ,and worship at his footstool4 --,psalm #ii3e4 ,the praise of ,yahwe my mouth shall speak1 ,and all flesh shall bless his holy name4 --,psalm #ade3ba4 ,the ,hebrew hymn does not praise ,yahwe as the one who establishes sacrifice1 nor as the ,god who accepts sacrifice4 ,although sacrifices continued to be offered in the temple1 the hymn1 as a hymn1 transcends all formalism4 ,the hymn is the expression of enthusiasm for ,yahwe1 the exalted and great ,god whom all the earth is to acknowledge1 and conversely1 it may perhaps be said that only such a magnificent conception of deity as the ,hebrews had could produce such hymns4 ,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,supreme ,,god ,,as ,,creator ,the ordinary person is very likely to limit the thought of ,god as creator to the monotheistic religions4 ,however the religious imagination is by no means controlled by logical reasoning4 ,the problem of creation1 in some form or other1 has its fascination even for the primitive mind1 and the conception of ,god as creator is not foreign to the religious thinking of polytheistic religions4 ,accordingly1 although the ,assyrian deities never completely succeeded in emancipating themselves from close association with heavenly bodies and atmospheric forces1 yet some of them did win for themselves the significant title of creator3 ,o ,lord of heaven who created the earth4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #d4 ,creator of the land1 founder of sanctuaries1 proclaimer of names4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #g4 ,creator of the totality of heaven and earth1 art thou ,o ,shamash4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,creator of the upper universe1 builder of the mountains1 ,creator of the gods1 begetter of the goddesses4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,in the preceding couplet one might expect instead of 8builder of the mountains10 8builder of the earth10 but the second line would seem to suggest that the mountains were the abodes of the gods1 and therefore the creation of mountains and gods is associated together4 ,the following couplet1 while not affirming explicitly the act of creation by deity1 seems nevertheless to presuppose it3 ,heaven and earth are thine2 ,the space of heaven and earth is thine4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #f4 ,turning to the ,hebrew hymns1 there is a great variety of passages1 in which ,yahwe is referred to as creator3 ,let all the earth fear ,yahwe2 ,let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him1 ,for he spake and it was done1 ,he commanded and it stood fast4 --,psalm #cc3h;f4 ,to him that spread forth the earth above the waters4 --,psalm #acf3f4 ,to him that by understanding made the heavens4 --,psalm #acf3e4 ,to him that made great lights1 ,the sun to rule by day1 ,the moon and stars to rule by night4 --,psalm #acf3g-i4 ,when ,i behold thy heavens1 ,the work of thy fingers1 ,the moon and the stars1 ,which thou hast ordained4 --,psalm #h3d4 ,by the word of ,yahwe were the heavens made1 ,and by the breath of his mouth all their host4 --,psalm #cc3f4 ,the sun1 moon and stars1 the highest heaven and the waters above the heavens are called upon to praise ,yahwe their creator3 ,let them praise the name of ,yahwe1 ,for he commanded1 and they were created4 --,psalm #adh3e4 ,he is also the creator of the sea3 ,he gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap2 ,he layeth up the deeps in storehouses4 --,psalm #cc3g4 ,here may be inserted the only reference in an ,assyrian hymn to the creation of the sea3 ,thou didst bind the wide sea4 ,beside this should be placed the somewhat similar statement in ,psalm #ajd3i3 ,thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over1 ,that they turn not again to cover the earth4 ,once ,yahwe is praised as the creator of the sea and the land3 ,the sea is his and he made it1 ,and his hand formed the dry land4 --,psalm #ie3e4 ,twice ,yahwe is referred to as 8maker of heaven and earth03 ,yahwe bless thee out of ,zion1 ,maker of ,heaven and ,earth4 --,psalm #acd3c4 ,blessed are ye of ,yahwe1 ,maker of heaven and earth4 --,psalm #aae3ae4 ,in ,psalm #cc3f-i1 the creation of the heavens1 the sea1 the earth are referred to in order and ,psalm #ajd3b-i treats of the creation of the heavens1 the earth and the sea1 singling out that which is especially marvelous in the creation of each4 ,as for the heavens1 it is that the beams of heaven's chambers are laid upon the waters of the heavenly ocean4 ,as for the earth1 it is that its foundations are so surely fixed that it is immovable2 and as for the sea1 it is that its unruly waters should be imprisoned within their bounds and restrained from overflowing the earth4 ,the ,assyrian deity is also credited with the creation of gods and goddesses3 ,creator of the gods1 begetter of the goddesses4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,this creation is probably to be understood in the physical sense1 for which there are many parallels in polytheistic religions1 but no parallel in the ,hebrew hymns4 ,on the other hand the phraseology of the following passages3 ,king and rulers thou namest1 ,since to create gods and kings rests with thee4 --,hymn to ,bel ,no4 #c4 ,through the mouth may it be proclaimed2 ,without interruption may the ear hear it1 ,that ,i ,asshur have named you to lordship ,over land and men --,hymn to ,asshur4 is entirely similar to ,hebrew usage4 ,here the creation of ,god and ,king is equivalent to nomination or appointment4 ,similarly ,yahwe appoints a king over ,zion3 ,yet ,i have set my king ,upon my holy hill of ,zion4 ,i will tell of the decree3 ,yahwe said to me ,thou art my son2 ,this day have ,i begotten thee4 --,psalm #b3f;f4 and in ,psalm #hb3f1 although it is not said that ,yahwe creates or begets the gods1 yet it seems to be his fiat1 his decree that calls them into being3 ,i said1 gods shall ye be ,and sons of the ,most ,high all of you4 ,it is also his decree that destroys them3 ,nevertheless as men shall ye die1 ,and as one of the princes shall ye fall4 ,it is a question of secondary importance whether the ,elohim is here to be interpreted as actually gods1 or judges4 ,in either case1 there is the similarity in ,assyrian and ,hebrew usage4 ,finally the creation of mankind is ascribed to the ,assyrian deity1 and by this is apparently meant the creation of the entire human family3 ,at thy command created was mankind4 --,hymn to ,bel ,no4 #c4 ,the creator of all mankind4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ad4 ,heroine ,ishtar1 creator of mankind4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #c4 ,the ,hebrew hymnists also believed that ,yahwe created mankind1 and they marvelled at the perfection of man's body3 ,for ,i am fearfully and wonderfully made4 --,psalm #aci3ad4 ,they marvelled also at his supreme place in the universe3 ,for thou hast caused him to lack little of the gods2 ,with glory and honor thou hast crowned him4 --,psalm #h3f4 ,it is significant1 however1 that ,hebrew hymnal enthusiasm is not so much stirred by the thought of ,yahwe as the creator of mankind1 as it is by the thought of him as the creator of the ,hebrew nation3 ,let ,israel rejoice in its maker1 ,let the sons of ,zion be joyful in their ,king4 --,psalm #adi3b4 ,come1 let us worship and bow down1 ,let us kneel before ,yahwe our maker1 ,for he is our god1 and we are ,his people and the sheep of his pasture4 --,psalm #ie3f;f4 ,this conviction1 that ,yahwe was the creator of their nation1 was in no small degree both cause and result of the powerful national and religious enthusiasm of the ,hebrews1 and of that mighty religious experience1 which finds so full and so free expression in the ,hebrew hymns4 ,the ,supreme ,god as the ,god of ,nature ,the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymnal literature which praise the deity as the creator of the world1 are also concerned with the deity as the god of nature4 ,one prominent function of both ,assyrian and ,hebrew deity was to maintain the food supply4 ,assyrian and ,hebrew ,god1 give the increase of the soil3 ,enlil1 who makest to abound pure oil and milk3 ,father ,enlil1 keeper of the plants of the garden2 ,keeper of the grain fields are thou4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,lord of the lands1 king of heaven and earth1 who heaps up abundance1 ,lord of the living things1 merciful one1 increaser of the wheat4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,who maketh peace in the borders ,who filleth thee with the purest of the wheat4 --,psalm #adg3ad4 ,who causeth grass to sprout for the cattle1 ,and herbs for the service of man1 ,to bring forth food from the earth1 ,and wine to make glad the heart of man4 --,psalm #ajd3ad4 ,thou distributest the food of cultivation to all habitations --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,the ,assyrian deity of the hymnist also provides food for the gods1 probably through the sacrifices1 which in turn were dependent upon the crops3 ,thou suppliest the food of god and goddess1 ,the creator among them art thou4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #i4 ,yahwe provides food not only for man but also for the beasts3 ,who giveth to the beast its food1 ,to the young ravens which cry4 --,psalm #adg3i4 ,the young lions roar after their prey1 ,and seek from ,god their food4 --,psalm #ajd3ba4 ,it may be remarked that these verses reveal a close bond of sympathy between the ,hebrew ,god and the lower animals4 ,this finds fullest expression in ,psalm #ajd where the brooks in the mountains afford drink for the wild beasts1 and the birds and the cedars of ,lebanon avail for birds' nests1 the high mountains for the wild goats and the rocks for the conies4 ,while the ,assyrian hymns do not happen to speak of the god as providing food for the animals1 yet there is one hymnal passage which reveals regard for the lower animals and perhaps also suggests a bond of sympathy between deity and the lower animals3 ,the creeping beast1 the four footed one1 ,for thy great light their eyes are directed to thee4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,the fertility of the soil is directly due to the act of the deity in sending rain3 ,in the heavens ,i take my place and send rain2 ,in the earth ,i take my place and cause the verdure to spring forth4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,thou causest to rain the abundant rains1 mighty floods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,the ,hebrew poet remarks that the rain comes from the clouds1 and he has also observed that lightning is followed by rain4 ,it is ,yahwe3 ,who covereth the heavens with clouds2 ,who prepareth for the earth rain2 ,who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains4 --,psalm #adg3h4 ,who bringeth up vapors from the ends of the earth2 ,lightnings for rain he maketh4 --,psalm #ace3g4 ,he watereth the mountains from his chambers4 --,psalm #ajd3ac4 ,likewise the fertility occasioned by the rivers and streams is due1 in the first place1 to the deities which have opened the springs1 and guided the streams down into the plains3 ,who guidest the rivers in the midst of the mountains1 ,who openest the springs in the midst of the hills4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,thou maintainest abundance without end1 the dried up spring thou openest4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,director of the river courses1 opener of the springs4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,marduk1 lord of abundance of riches1 who pours down fullness1 ,lord of the mountain streams and waters1 ruler of the mountains1 ,opener of the fountains and springs1 guide of the rivers1 ,bestower of corn and grain1 creator of wheat and barley1 renewer of the green herb4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #i4 ,gushea who gives the growth of plants1 ,without thee is no river opened1 no river shut off4 ,thou who grantest life1 without thee is no canal opened1 ,no canal shut off from which numerous people drink2 ,without thee is no sacrificial portion1 no portion of food4 --,hymn to ,ishtar4 ,yahwe also can open the spring3 ,who turnest the rock into a pool of water1 ,the flint into a fountain of water --,psalm #aad3h4 and ,yahwe is also the guide of the streams3 ,who sendest forth springs into the valleys1 ,between the mountains they run4 --,psalm #ajd3aj4 ,in addition to sending rain from heaven and causing streams to irrigate the plains1 the ,assyrian deity also sows the seed3 ,over the land thou goest scattering seed4 --,ninib ,no4 #e4 ,the work of the deities in nature as elsewhere need not always be done immediately1 but can be accomplished by the spoken word4 ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns alike exalt the power of the divine word4 ,the voice that speaks the word is a voice of thunder4 ,to him that rideth in the ancient heavens1 ,he uttereth his voice1 a voice of strength4 --,psalm #fh3cd4 ,as the sound of ,adad's thunder thy voice is awe inspiring4 --,marduk ,,ii col4 ,,iii4 ,the word of ,god is irresistible3 ,counsellor1 favorite of ,ea1 whose word cannot be withstood1 ,to whose powerful word the great ,igigi give heed4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,thy word is proclaimed in heaven1 and the ,igigi prostrate themselves3 ,thy word is proclaimed on earth1 and the ,annunaki kiss the ground4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,the word once spoken is not to be recalled4 ,it is unalterable4 ,it goes on to do that work which the deity hath pleased3 ,the exalted hero1 whose word is unalterable4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ad4 ,perfect in judgment1 whose word is not altered3 ,determiner of destinies1 whose word is not altered4 --,hymn to ,bel4 ,ninib1 whose command is not altered4 --,ninib #d3cb4 ,the word of the deity has its mysterious independent existence3 ,thy word is like the distant heaven and the concealed earth1 which no man can see ,thy word who can know it1 who can compare with it8 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,the word exerts its power in nature3 ,thy word sounds on high like a storm wind and food and drink do abound2 ,the word makes fat stall and stable and multiplies living creatures4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,more wonderful still1 the word has ethical power3 ,thy word causest truth and righteousness to arise1 ,that men may speak the truth4 --,hymn to ,sin line #bf4 ,the word also exerts its destructive power in nature3 ,thy word when it extends to the sea the very sea is frightened2 ,thy word when it extends to the marsh1 the marsh laments4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,thy word is a lofty net which over heaven and earth thou spreadest out3 ,unto the sea it turns1 the sea takes fright3 ,unto the marsh it turns1 the marsh laments3 ,to the flood of ,euphrates it turns2 ,the word of ,marduk stirs up the bottom4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,the word may bring disaster to people and to lands3 ,his word is brought to an enchanter1 that enchanter takes fright2 ,his word is brought to a seer1 that seer takes fright2 ,his word is brought to a sorrowful man1 that man laments2 ,his word is brought to a sorrowful woman1 that woman laments2 ,his word when it goes softly1 ruins the land2 ,his word when it goes powerfully1 destroys the houses2 ,his word makes people sick1 it makes the people weak2 ,his word when it goes on high1 makes the land sick2 ,his word when it goes below1 devastates the land2 ,his word when there are five in a house1 drives out five2 ,his word when there are ten in a house1 drives out ten4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,the utterance of my exalted command destroys the land of the foe4 --,hymn to ,belit4 ,likewise the word of ,yahwe has in the biblical hymns its independent existence4 ,this is apparent in ,psalm #bi1 although in this instance it is the thunder1 as the voice of the deity1 to which the devastation in nature is attributed4 ,yahwe's word exerts its power in nature2 causing the snow and ice to form1 and again causing them to disappear3 ,he sendeth his command to earth2 ,swiftly runneth his word4 --,psalm #adg3ae4 ,he sendeth his word and melteth them2 ,he causeth his wind to blow and the water flows4 --,psalm #adg3ah4 ,fire and hail1 snow and vapor1 ,storm wind fulfilling his word4 --,psalm #adh3h4 ,for the ,hebrew1 the power of ,yahwe's word is manifested supremely in the creation of the world3 ,over the mountains stood the waters3 ,at thy rebuke they fled2 ,at the voice of the thunder they hasted away4 --,psalm #ajd3g4 ,by the word of ,yahwe were the heavens made1 ,and by the breath of his mouth their host4 --,psalm #cc3f4 ,for he spake1 and it was done2 ,he commanded1 and it stood fast4 --,psalm #cc3i4 ,for he commanded and they were created4 --,psalm #adh3e4 ,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,supreme ,,god ,,as ,,wise1 ,,powerful1 ,,merciful ,from the works of ,god in creation and nature1 the hymnist passes readily and naturally to the thought of ,god's wisdom4 ,the ,assyrian hymns in many passages extol the wisdom of ,god1 but wisdom1 as one might expect in a polytheistic religion is attributed to the deities in varying degree4 ,some passages almost seem to appraise the god's intellectual capacity3 ,of clever mind exceeding wise to whose plans nothing is comparable4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,of big heart and deep understanding4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,o lord1 ,bel1 thou prince1 who art mighty in understanding4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #aj4 ,powerful one1 of open mind1 director of gods and men4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #i4 ,very similar to this in the juxtaposition of power and wisdom is ,psalm #adg3e3 ,great is our ,lord and mighty in power2 ,to his understanding there is no measurement4 ,the knowledge of the god is due in part to the fact that from his place of vantage in heaven he is able to observe all things3 ,lady of heaven1 the lands1 and the seas1 ,all living beings of the earth thou beholdest4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #a4 ,as for those who speak with the tongue in all countries1 ,thou knowest their plans1 their walk thou observest1 ,shamash1 wise one1 lofty one1 thine own counsellor art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,very similarly it is said of ,yahwe3 ,from ,heaven looketh ,yahwe3 ,he beholdeth all the sons of men2 ,from his dwelling place he regardeth ,all the inhabitants of the earth4 ,he hath formed of all of them their hearts1 ,he that considereth all their deeds4 --,psalm #cc3ac-ae4 ,but the knowledge of some ,assyrian deities is deeper than that1 for the gods read the omens and so learn the fates of men and nations for the years to come3 ,with ,sin in the heavens thou seest through everything4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,who looks through all signs1 introduces omens4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #b4 ,the god apart from whom in the deep the lot of man is not determined --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,while the gods1 in some passages1 are thought of as simply reading the signs1 in others1 they actually have in their hands the determination of destinies3 ,bel thy father has granted thee1 ,that the law of all the gods thy hand should hold2 ,thou renderest the judgment of mankind4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,who gave the fates of the great gods into thy hand2 ,who commanded the kissing of thy feet1 and appointed for thee homage4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,nos4 #a1 #aj4 ,o lord1 who determines the decision of heaven and earth1 ,whose command is not set aside4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,perfect in judgment1 whose word is not altered2 ,determiner of destinies1 whose word is not altered4 --,hymn to ,bel4 ,powerful1 stately lord of gods1 determiner of fates1 ,thou who fixest the law of the deep1 impartest to the gods sacrifice and presents4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,who dost call to lordship1 dost bestow the sceptre2 ,determinest destinies for far off days4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,asshur1 powerful stately lord of the gods1 determiner of fates4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,yahwe is also the determiner of destiny1 but he is a rational power behind events4 ,it is the plan of his own heart that he carries into effect3 ,yahwe bringeth to nought the counsel of the nations2 ,he maketh of no effect the plans of peoples4 --,psalm #cc3aj4 ,the counsel of ,yahwe for ever shall stand2 ,the plans of his heart for all generations4 --,psalm #cc3aa4 ,he cutteth off the spirit of princes2 ,terrible is he to the kings of the earth4 --,psalm #gf3ac4 ,since the events of earth are influenced so largely by the earthly sovereign1 it is altogether natural that the deity's determination of destinies should have special application to the case of the king4 ,this makes it easier to understand how the ,hebrews looked to ,yahwe to set upon the throne of ,zion an ideal king4 7,psalms #b1 #aaj1 and #gb47 ,however magical the ,assyrian conception of the determination of fate1 the ,assyrian deities are in some passages hailed as omniscient3 ,o lord that knowest fate1 who of thyself art glorious in ,sumer1 ,father ,enlil1 lord of unerring word1 ,father ,enlil1 whose omniscience is self-created1 ,thou possest all wisdom1 perfect in power4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,mighty lord of the gods1 all knowing one4 --,hymn to ,asshur4 ,of open mind1 knower of the word1 knower of everything4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,the wisdom of the gods is so deep that it cannot be easily fathomed and understood3 ,o ,anu of the heavens1 whose purpose no man knows1 ,whose command is not altered and whose purpose no god knows4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,o mighty leader whose deep inner being no god understands4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,with these passages may be compared3 ,how great are thy works1 ,yahwe2 ,exceeding deep are thy purposes4 --,psalm #ib3f4 ,it is especially in the works of ,yahwe that the ,hebrew finds ,his wisdom revealed3 ,how many are thy works1 ,yahwe1 ,all of them in wisdom hast thou done4 --,psalm #ajd3bd4 ,the gods thus possessed of wisdom and knowledge are counsellors3 ,shamash1 wise one1 lofty one1 thine own counsellor art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,with ,ea in the multitude of the gods is thy counsel preminent4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,lord1 leader and counsellor of the great gods4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #a4 ,judge of the world1 leader 444 powerful one1 ,thou impartest counsel1 lord of the gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,among the gods superior is thy counsel4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,reading these words1 one hears again the voice of the great prophet of the ,babylonian exile4 ,he seems to scoff at this feature of polytheism1 just as elsewhere he scoffs at idolatry3 ,who hath directed the spirit of ,yahwe1 ,and as a counsellor hath taught him1 ,with whom took he counsel1 and who instructed him1 ,and taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding8 --,isaiah #dj3ac4 ,counsel is given to gods and men by means of oracles3 ,before thy face the great gods bow down1 the fate of the world is set before thee1 ,the great gods beseech thee1 and thou givest counsel2 ,they take their stand all of them1 they petition at thy feet2 ,o ,sin1 glorious one of ,ekur1 they beseech thee1 ,and thou givest the oracle of the gods4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #a4 ,to give omens do ,i arise1 do ,i arise in perfection1 ,beside my father ,sin to give omens do ,i arise in perfection1 ,beside my brother ,shamash to give omens do ,i arise in perfection4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,if one seeks advice1 demands a suitable decision1 so toward ,marduk is his attention4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,kindly is thy thoughtfulness1 thou impartest careful counsel4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,one must remark here the complete absence from the biblical hymns of any reference to ,yahwe as the giver of oracles4 ,when one remembers how frequently1 in the historical narratives1 resort is had to the deity for disclosure of the future1 its absence from the hymns seems significant4 ,the hymns are curiously silent about ,yahwe as the counsellor of men1 although testimony is given in the non-hymnal psalms to the attainment of spiritual insight in the temple4 ,for the author of ,psalm #ai3h-ae1 wisdom and knowledge are stored up in the law4 ,there may have been a certain reaction against seeking guidance of the deity because of ,assyrian magical practises1 but the fact is that the hymns are less concerned with ,god's plans for the individual than they are with his eternal plan for his people4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,powerful ,the wise ,god is also the powerful ,god4 ,the ,assyrian deities1 as well as ,yahwe1 are preminently war gods4 ,this fact is established by the astonishingly large number of references to their war activities4 ,i will first cite examples to establish the fact that they are warriors3 ,o ,shamash1 warrior hero1 be praised4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #d4 ,destroyer of the enemy who in the midst of combat1 amid the clash of weapons and confusion of battle1 art fearless4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,mighty in battle whose attack is powerful4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,beside my father in battle ,i take my place2 ,beside ,bel in combat and battle ,i stand4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,lord great warrior1 endued with strength1 ,inhabiting ,imila casting down the foe4 --,hymn to ,bel ,no4 #b4 ,am ,i not supreme ,i am the warrior4 --,hymn to ,belit4 ,the warrior who at the decision of ,ea into the terrible battle goes am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #c4 ,warrior raging flood1 destroyer of the hostile land4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #d4 ,there are very many references to ,yahwe as warrior4 ,his warlike titles are given in ,psalm #bd3 ,yahwe1 strong and mighty1 ,yahwe1 mighty in battle4 --,psalm #bd3h4 ,yahwe of hosts1 ,he is the king of glory4 --,psalm #bd3aj4 ,the ,assyrian deity may be the commander of an army3 ,terrible one to plunder the enemy's land he assembles his army1 ,ninib mighty god1 warrior1 prince of the ,annunaki1 commander of the ,igigi --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #ba4 ,yahwe also has his army3 ,the chariots of ,god are myriads ,against his enemies4 --,psalm #fh3ah4 ,yahwe's momentous title is3 ,yahwe of hosts4 --,psalm #bd3aj4 ,due homage is paid to the strength and prowess of the deity3 ,before his might1 the gods in his city humbly prostrate themselves4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #e4 ,bel1 filled with power1 ,with terrible brilliancy adorned1 destructive storm1 furnished with frightfulness4 --,hymn to ,bel ,no4 #a4 ,first-born of ,ea1 who in heaven and upon earth art overpowering --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g4 ,i will praise his power1 reverence his strength4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #d4 ,of tremendous power1 whose blow is visible1 crouches an evil demon at his side4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #e4 ,powerful one ,most mighty one4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,likewise ,yahwe is1 to repeat again the words of ,psalm #bd3 ,yahwe strong and mighty ,yahwe might in battle4 ,ascribe ye strength unto ,god2 ,his excellency is over ,israel1 ,and his strength is in the skies4 ,terrible art thou1 ,o ,god from the sanctuary4 --,psalm #fh3ce4 ,yahwe's strength is in his arm3 ,hath wrought salvation for him his right hand ,and his holy arm4 --,psalm #ih3a4 ,to thee is an arm with strength2 ,strong is thy hand1 and high thy right hand4 --,psalm #hi3ad4 ,the attack of the war god is as the onrush of a terrible electric storm3 ,in the face of the battle when ,i take my place1 ,a storm whose power is exalted am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #d4 ,ninib1 thy terrible shadow stretches over the land4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #d4 ,in the storm wind his weapons blaze forth4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,a thundering storm over the world regions breaking1 ,a raging storm laying waste heaven and earth4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #c4 ,heaven and earth are shaken4 ,the mountains are ablaze with flame4 ,the ocean depths are stirred up3 ,the heavens ,i cause to quake1 the earth to shake that is my glory4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,at whose battle heaven quakes4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,before the ,lord tremble1 ,o earth1 ,before the ,god of ,jacob4 --,psalm #aad3g4 ,the earth shook1 also the heavens dropped rain before ,god4 --,psalm #fh3i4 ,with his flame steep mountains are destroyed4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,the mountains ,i overwhelm altogether4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,the weapon which destroys the high mountains chosen for royal lordship am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #c4 ,the mountains skipped like rams1 ,the hills like lambs4 --,psalm #aad3c4 ,who looketh on the earth and it trembleth2 ,he toucheth the mountains and they smoke4 --,psalm #ajd3cb4 ,his lightnings lightened the earth2 ,the earth saw1 and trembled2 ,the mountains melted like wax before ,yahwe1 ,before the ,lord of all the earth4 --,psalm #ig3d;f4 ,the sea also is affected by the attack of the war god3 ,at whose wrath the deep is troubled4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,he overwhelmeth the expanse of the billowy ocean4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #e4 ,one can compare with this3 ,the sea saw and fled2 ,the ,jordan turned backward4 --,psalm #aad3c4 ,the attack of the war god is of course irresistible and his enemies suffer defeat4 ,the great ,marduk not even the gods can oppose3 ,at the point of whose weapon the gods turn back1 ,whose furious attack no one ventures to oppose1 ,storm flood1 weapon against which no resistance is possible4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ad4 ,who establishest defeat1 who bringeth about victory1 ,king of the battle1 wise one1 powerful one1 merciless1 ,who destroyest all enemies4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #b4 ,hero1 whose snare casts down the foe4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #d4 ,lance unresisting which destroys all enemies4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #b4 ,similarly ,yahwe is irresistible3 ,terrible art thou1 and who shall stand before thee1 ,before the strength of thy anger8 --,psalm #gf3h4 ,let ,god arise1 let his enemies be scattered1 ,and let those who hate him flee before him4 --,psalm #fh3b4 ,for ,yahwe most high is terrible1 ,a great king over all the earth4 ,he will trample nations beneath us1 ,and peoples beneath our feet4 --,psalm #dg3c;f4 ,i would soon subdue their enemies ,and turn my hand against their adversaries4 --,psalm #ha3ae4 ,in the hymns a good deal of attention is paid to the weapon of the god4 ,it may be a 8bow03 ,before his terrible bow the heavens stand fast4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #d4 ,and this may mean that on the production of his terrible weapon1 the enemy surrenders and the storm ceases1 just as when ,yahwe hangs up his bow after the conflict of the thunderstorm1 one knows that the rain is over1 and that there will be no flood4 ,or the weapon may be a lance3 ,lance unresting which destroys all enemies --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #b4 or more terrible still a dragon3 ,thy weapon is a dragon1 from whose mouth no poison flows2 ,the weapon is a dragon1 from whose mouth no blood springs4 --,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #b4 ,yahwe certainly wields an effective weapon3 ,but ,god will smite through the head of his enemies ,the hairy head of such a one as goeth on in his wickedness4 --,psalm #fh3bb4 ,thou hast broken ,rahab in pieces as one that is slain2 ,thou hast scattered thy enemies with the arm of thy strength4 --,psalm #hi3aa4 ,both ,assyrian and ,hebrew war god use fire as a weapon3 ,nusku who burns up and overpowers the foe4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #c4 ,a fire goeth before him and burneth his enemies round about4 --,psalm #ig3c4 ,the ,assyrian hymns emphasize the impossibility of escape from the sight and power of the god3 ,thy glance who avoids it1 ,thy attack who escapes it8 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,thou gazest upon all inhabited places2 ,the evil doer thou destroyest quickly4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,bel who through his glance casts down the mighty ,bel1 with thine eyes thou seest everything2 ,over the wide heavens goes out thy mind4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ab4 ,when thou liftest up thine eyes1 who can escape8 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #f4 ,who is there before me1 who is there behind me1 ,from the lifting up of mine eyes who can escape1 ,from the rush of my onslaught who can flee8 --,hymn to ,belit4 ,there is an incomparably finer conception of god's omnipresence and omniscience in ,psalm #aci3g-ab3 ,whither shall ,i go from thy ,spirit8 ,or whither shall ,i flee from thy presence8 ,if ,i ascend up unto heaven thou art there2 ,if ,i make my bed in ,sheol behold thou art there2 ,if ,i take the wings of the morning1 ,and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea1 ,even there shall thy hand lead me1 ,and thy right hand hold me4 ,if ,i say3 ,surely the darkness shall overwhelm me1 ,and the light about me shall be night1 ,even the darkness hideth not from thee1 ,but the night shineth as the day4 ,the darkness and the light are both alike to thee4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,merciful ,the wise and powerful ,god is also the merciful one1 for mercy is an attribute of the ,assyrian deities as of ,yahwe3 ,lord of all creatures1 merciful unto the lands art thou1 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #a4 ,merciful one among the gods4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g4 ,marduk the merciful1 whose turning i4e4 mercy is near4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #d4 ,merciful and gracious is ,yahwe2 ,slow to anger and plenteous in mercy4 --,psalm #ajc3h4 ,gracious and merciful is ,yahwe1 ,slow to anger and great in mercy1 ,good is ,yahwe to all1 ,and his mercy is over all his works4 --,psalm #ade3h;f4 ,but thou1 ,lord art a god1 merciful and gracious1 ,slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and truth4 --,psalm #hf3ae4 ,the divine mercy is extended to the unfortunate1 the oppressed the weak and the aged1 the bowed down and the fallen1 the obedient and those who fear the deity3 ,he has established the god-fearers1 to the oppressed he has brought deliverance2 ,he has granted favors to the obedient1 brought salvation to the just4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #b4 ,the fallen one thou seizest and raisest up1 ,a judgment of right and justice thou judgest4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,yahwe executeth righteous acts1 ,and judgments for all oppressed4 --,psalm #ajc3f4 ,who keepeth truth for ever1 ,who executeth judgment for the oppressed4 --,psalm #adf3f4 ,thou liftest up the weak1 thou increasest the small2 ,thou raisest up the powerless1 thou protectest the weak4 ,marduk1 unto the fallen thou grantest mercy2 ,stands under thy protection the weakling 444 thou commandest his raising up4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ab4 ,merciful god1 who raisest up the lowly1 ,who protectest the weak4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #e4 ,him who is bowed down ,i lift up2 ,the aged one ,i lift up4 --,hymn to ,belit4 ,yahwe upholdeth all who fall2 ,he raiseth up all who are bowed down4 --,psalm #ade3ad4 ,assyrian usage supports the view that the poor and the needy of the psalms1 and the barren woman of ,psalm #aac are not to be interpreted as the ,jewish nation1 but as individuals4 ,yahwe1 says the ,psalmist1 is the incomparable ,god1 in that from his glorious seat in the heavens he bendeth low to help the needy upon the earth1 ,he raiseth from the dust the poor2 ,from the dunghill he lifteth up the needy1 ,to cause him to sit with princes1 ,even with the princes of his people2 ,he maketh the barren woman to remain at home1 ,as a mother of children1 joyous4 --,psalm #aac3g;ff4 ,the ,hebrew hymn is1 if anything more concrete than the ,assyrian1 in that it mentions not only the barren wife as above 7one thinks of ,sarah1 ,rachel1 ,hannah71 but also the widow and the orphan and the sojourner1 as special objects of the deity's compassion4 ,yahwe loveth the righteous3 ,yahwe protecteth the sojourners2 ,the fatherless and the widow he upholdeth2 ,but the way of the wicked he perverteth4 --,psalm #adf3i4 ,a father of the fatherless1 and a judge of the widow1 ,is ,god in his holy habitation4 --,psalm #fh3f4 ,yahwe's mercy1 as was that of the ,assyrian deity1 is extended in a special degree to those who keep his covenant and obey his commandments3 ,but the mercy of ,yahwe is everlasting1 ,and his righteousness to children's children1 ,to those who faithfully keep his covenant1 ,and remember his precepts to do them4 --,psalm #ajc3ag-ah4 ,marvellously tender is the quality of that mercy extended to the exiles returning to ,jerusalem3 ,yahwe buildeth up ,jerusalem3 ,the dispersed of ,israel he gathers together3 ,he healeth the broken in heart1 ,and bindeth up their wounds4 --,psalm #adg3b;f4 ,there are many phrases in the ,assyrian hymns to express the compassion of the deity for the sick and his power to heal4 ,two forms of expression are particularly interesting4 ,the sick man is spoken of as one who is bound1 his cure as the loosing of a captive2 and a person extremely sick is spoken of as already dead1 so that his cure is equivalent to the bringing of the dead back to life3 ,marduk ,son of the abyss1 whose holy formula bestows life2 ,marduk1 great magician of the gods who maketh alive the dead2 ,terrible storm1 which driveth away the great demons2 ,lord of magic1 before whom devils and demons of sickness hide themselves2 ,lord1 who drives out sickness1 destroys the mountains2 ,prince of the world regions1 guardian of life2 ,who maketh alive the dead1 sole ruler of heaven and earth4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ag4 ,merciful one among the gods ,merciful one who loves the awakening of the dead4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #g4 ,shamash1 to give life to the dead1 to loosen the captive is in thy hand4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,thou leadest him that is without a leader1 the man that is in need3 ,thou graspeth the hand of the weak2 ,thou raisest up him that is bowed down2 ,the body of the man that has been brought to the lower world thou dost restore4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,shining lord1 who doeth good to the land1 who through his word ,the evil sickness seized1 to its place banished it2 ,merciful one1 giver of life1 restorer of the dead to life1 ,who supporteth truth and justice1 who destroyeth the evil4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #b4 ,although the ,hebrews in sickness prayed unto ,yahwe and were cured ,psalms #hf3ac1 #af2 #ca2 #ch1 yet there are few ascriptions of praise to ,yahwe as the healer of disease4 ,this may be because the cure of sickness was apt to be so largely a matter of magic3 ,yahwe looseth the bound3 ,yahwe openeth the eyes of the blind2 ,yahwe raiseth up them that are bowed down4 --,psalm #adf3g;f4 ,who forgiveth all thine iniquities3 ,who healeth all thy diseases2 ,who satisfieth thy desire with good things1 ,so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle4 --,psalm #ajc3c1 #e4 ,in both the ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns there are a few references to the deity as preserving life3 ,preserver of life1 prince of ,emachtila1 renewer of life4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ac4 ,darling of ,ea1 giver of life2 ,prince of ,babylon1 protector of life4 --,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #a4 ,who holdeth our soul in life1 ,and suffereth not our feet to be moved4 --,psalm #ff3i4 ,the next two passages refer to ,yahwe's protection in time of famine and war3 ,behold1 the eye of ,yahwe is unto those who fear him1 ,to those who wait for his loving kindness1 ,to deliver from death their soul1 ,and to keep them alive in famine4 --,psalm #cc3ah;f4 ,god is to us a god of deliverance1 ,and to ,yahwe our lord belongeth escape from death4 --,psalm #fh3ba4 ,there are in the ,assyrian hymns a number of examples of the god's mercy in forgiving sin3 ,he who has sin1 thou forgivest quickly the sin2 ,he against whom his god guardian is angry1 thou turnest to him with favor4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,he who has sinned thou sparest4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #af4 ,for him who possesses sin the sin thou dost remove2 ,the man with whom his guardian god is angry thou art quick to favor4 ,just as there were few references in the biblical hymns to ,yahwe as healing sickness1 so there are astonishingly few references to him as forgiving sin4 ,in fact there are but two1 and they are both found in an individual hymn3 ,who forgiveth all thy iniquities1 ,who healeth all thy diseases4 --,psalm #ajc3c4 ,as far as the ,east is from the ,west1 ,so far hath he removed our transgressions from us4 --,psalm #ajc3ab4 ,the mercy of the ,god is sometimes attested by the titles which he bears4 ,both in the ,assyrian and the biblical hymns1 the deity is called ,shepherd4 ,in the ,assyrian hymns1 the god is shepherd not only of the ,assyrians1 but of all peoples and of all living things3 ,father ,enlil1 shepherd of the dark headed people4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,shepherdess of all lands of the world1 ,which are submissive to thee1 which remember to worship thee4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #c4 ,the people of the countries all of them thou protectest2 ,what ,ea the king1 the prince has created of all thou art protector1 ,thou shepherdest all created life together4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #g4 ,given thee has ,bel thy father the blackheaded race1 all living creatures2 ,the cattle of the field1 the living creatures he has entrusted to thy hand4 --,hymn to ,nergal ,no4 #a4 ,humanity1 the black headed peoples1 ,the living souls as many as are in the land1 ,the four world regions entire1 ,the divine beings of all heaven and earth1 as many as there are1 ,to thee is their attention turned3 ,thou art their god1 thou art their guardian god2 ,it is thou who grantest them life2 ,it is thou who preserveth them unhurt4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,the ,hebrew ,god is ,shepherd of ,israel1 his own peculiar people4 ,for ,he is our ,god1 and we are ,the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand4 --,psalm #ie3g4 ,know that ,yahwe1 ,he is ,god3 ,he made us1 and we are ,his1 ,his people1 and the sheep of his pasture4 --,psalm #ajj3c4 ,the ,assyrian deity is frequently addressed in the hymns as father4 ,probably it originally meant father of the gods in a physical sense4 ,in some instances it may have meant no more than the supreme god3 ,father ,nannar1 lord ,anshar1 chief of the gods4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,father ,enlil--lord of lands4 --,hymn to ,enlil4 ,the title of ,father is also assigned to the deity as creator of men and all living things3 ,father1 begetter of gods and men1 ,who dost build dwellings and establishest offerings4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,father1 begetter of all things1 ,who lookest upon all living things4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,with the same significance the deity is addressed in the following couplet3 ,mother womb begetter of all things ,who has taken up his exalted habitation among living creatures4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,religious meaning is put into the term in the following two examples3 ,o merciful gracious father1 ,who hath taken into his care the life of the whole world4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,thou art lord1 as ,father and mother among men art thou4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #i4 ,yahwe is elsewhere in the ,old ,testament the father of the ,hebrew nation 7,hosea71 and the father of the ,messiah 7,psalm #b71 but in the hymns he is not actually called father1 though his compassion is likened to that of a father for his children4 ,like as a father pitieth his children1 ,so ,yahwe pitieth those who fear him4 ,for ,he1 indeed1 knoweth our frame2 ,he remembereth that we are dust4 --,psalm #ajc3ac;f4 ,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,supreme ,,god ,,as ,,king ,,and ,,judge ,the final significance and supreme importance of deity for ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymnists is perhaps best summed up in the words3 8,king0 and 8,judge40 ,to be sure the person in sickness of any kind could and did have recourse to the god who had wisdom and power to work deliverance4 ,but1 even as the life of the ,assyrian and ,hebrew peoples revolved around the earthly king upon his throne1 so they sought for authority and leadership1 protection and prosperity1 in a heavenly king1 whose right it was to reign in heaven and on earth4 ,it is not strange then that many ,assyrian hymns do homage to the deity as1 8,king of heaven and earth03 ,shamash king of heaven and earth governor of things above and below4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,lord of the lands1 king of heaven and earth1 who heaps up abundance4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #c4 ,marduk king of heaven and earth4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #f4 ,marduk regent of heaven and earth4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,he whose sovereignty glitters to the borders of heaven and earth am ,i4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #c4 ,here may be placed the corresponding title of the goddess3 ,queen of heaven above and below let it be spoken4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #e4 ,there are three references to the throne3 ,thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #b4 ,when he sits upon the great throne of the holy chamber1 ,on the festal day when he takes his seat in joy1 raising himself in brilliancy4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #d4 ,amid shouts of joy as king ascendest thou4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,twice the sceptre is referred to3 ,a sceptre for remote days has ,bel finished for thy hand4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,marduk holds in his hand the sceptre4 --,hymn to ,marduk4 ,while the god's throne is in heaven1 it is his sovereignty over the earth which the hymnist has especially in mind3 ,in powerful sovereignty thou rulest the lands1 ,thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #b4 ,bel1 gracious king1 lord of the lands4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ab4 ,ninib1 king1 whose father made submissive to him distant lands4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #g4 ,the 8king of heaven and earth0 is at the same time3 ,king of ,babylon1 lord of ,esagila1 ,king of ,ezida1 lord of ,emachtila4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #f4 ,kingship may be entrusted to the particular deity by the supreme god3 ,a sceptre for remote days has ,bel furnished for thy hand4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 ,on the other hand1 a certain measure of independence of the supreme god seems to be assigned in the same two hymns to the two deities3 ,ninib ,king son of ,bel1 who of himself is exalted4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #g4 ,thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #b4 ,there are two statements related to the quality of the kingly rule3 ,father ,nannar1 whose kingship is perfect4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 ,king of kings1 exalted1 whose decrees none rival4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #e4 8,king of kings0 occurs only here in the ,assyrian hymns4 ,it is a title that would come naturally into use1 where city kings were compelled to pay homage to royal founders of empires4 ,turning to the biblical hymns1 it is noteworthy that1 while ,yahwe is spoken of several times as the 8,maker of heaven and earth10 he is no where called 8,king of heaven and earth40 ,this would be such an appropriate title for ,yahwe that its absence tends to indicate that there was little verbal borrowing of ,hebrew hymnists from the ,assyrian4 ,reference is made however in the biblical hymns to ,yahwe's throne3 ,yahwe hath established his throne in the heavens1 ,and his kingdom ruleth over all4 --,psalm #ajc3ai4 which is quite similar to the following passage from ,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #b3 ,in powerful sovereignty thou rulest the lands1 ,thou placest on the glittering heavens thy throne4 ,in both cases the throne 7#a7 is in the heavens1 7#b7 is established by deity himself1 7#c7 is the seat from which wide sovereignty is exerted over the earth4 ,god reigneth over the nations1 ,he sitteth upon his holy throne4 --,psalm #dg3i4 ,one is tempted to translate this3 8,he sitteth upon the throne of his sanctuary10 which is parallel to the following passage from ,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #g3 ,when he sits upon the great throne of the holy chamber4 ,this translation is supported by ,psalm #aej3a3 8,praise ,god in his sanctuary40 ,there are two references to the throne in the biblical hymns3 ,established is thy throne of old4 --,psalm #ic3b4 ,righteousness and justice are the establishment of his throne4 --,psalm #ig3b4 ,in both ,assyrian and ,hebrew hymns1 the ascension to the throne is referred to as a joyous occasion3 ,amid shouts of joy as king ascendest thou2 ,a sceptre for remote days has ,bel furnished for thy hand4 --,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #g4 ,god is gone up with a shout1 ,yahwe with the sound of a trumpet4 --,psalm #dg3f4 ,there is no reference to the sceptre as in ,yahwe's hand1 in the biblical hymns1 although the sceptre is in the hands of the ,messiah4 7,psalm #b7 ,as in the ,assyrian hymns1 emphasis is placed upon ,yahwe's sovereignty over the earth3 ,for ,yahwe most high is terrible ,a great king over all the earth4 --,psalm #dg3c4 ,for ,god is the king of all the earth4 --,psalm #dg3h4 ,god reigneth over the nations4 --,psalm #dg3i4 ,say among the nations1 ,yahwe is king4 --,psalm #if3aj4 ,yahwe is king2 let the earth rejoice4 --,psalm #ig3a4 ,yahwe reigneth1 let the people tremble2 ,he sitteth above the cherubims1 let the earth be moved4 --,psalm #ii3a4 ,there can be no question of ,yahwe's subordination to any other ,god or accepting sovereignty from any other deity3 ,for a great ,god is ,yahwe and a great king over all gods4 --,psalm #ie3c4 ,sin has been given by ,bel3 8a sceptre for remote days10 but3 ,yahwe will be king forever1 ,thy ,god1 ,o ,zion1 unto all generations4 --,psalm #adf3aj4 ,thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom1 ,and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations4 --,psalm #ade3ac4 ,not only will ,yahwe reign forever1 but ,yahwe has been reigning from the beginning3 ,established is thy throne of old4 --,psalm #ic3b4 ,yahwe sat at the flood1 ,yea ,yahwe sitteth as king forever4 --,psalm #bi3aj4 ,it is perhaps important for ,old ,testament scholarship to bear in mind that the conception of the deity as king is so very old1 and that it is present in the biblical hymns which can not be classed as eschatological4 ,it is in ,psalm #ajc that one finds the words3 ,yahwe in the heavens hath established his throne1 ,and his kingdom ruleth over all and in ,psalm #ie which can not be called eschatological1 we have3 ,for a great ,god is ,yahwe1 ,and a great king over all gods --,psalm #ie3c4 while in ,psalm #dh3c1 ,jerusalem is the3 8,city of the great king40 ,while therefore 8,yahwe is ,king0 is actually the opening line of several eschatological hymns1 and while those hymns exult in the complete triumph of ,yahwe yet it is only the completeness of the triumph that distinguishes in the matter of kingship the eschatological hymns from the others4 ,the ,supreme ,god as ,judge ,kingship also implied ,judgeship1 the latter word having particular application to the rendering of judicial decisions or the achievement of justice for the oppressed4 ,the actual word judge occurs occasionally in the ,assyrian hymns as a title of the deity3 ,shamash1 lofty ,judge of heaven and earth art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #a4 ,judge of heaven and earth2 shining one of the world regions4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #b4 ,judgeship in the ,assyrian hymns implies authority4 ,the deity as judge determines the course of events in the world3 ,shamash1 judge of the world1 director of decisions art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #d4 ,shamash the lofty decider1 the judge of heaven and earth art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #c4 ,judge of all1 who closest the door before the darkness1 ,who makes the decisions for men in their settlements4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #b4 ,bel thy father has granted thee1 ,that the law of all the gods thy hand should hold1 ,thou renderest the judgment of mankind4 --,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 ,the judgeship of the ,assyrian god has also ethical content3 ,eternally just in heaven art thou4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #a4 ,judge incorruptible1 governor of mankind4 --,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 ,consequently the god intervenes in earthly affairs to overthrow wickedness and establish righteousness3 ,just judge1 who surveys the hearts of man who like the 444 ,makes right and justice to shine1 who against the evil 444 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #ab4 ,nusku1 mighty warrior god1 who burns up the evil doer1 ,who introduces law and insight1 administrator4 --,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #b4 ,the wicked and the violent man thou correctest1 proclaimest their condemnation4 --,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #c4 ,yahwe also exercised judgeship4 ,the idea of kingship surely involves that of judgeship with it4 ,and as king it is said of ,yahwe3 ,righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne4 --,psalm #ig3b4 ,a strong one has become king1 ,he loveth justice4 --,psalm #ii3d4 ,yahwe overthrows wickedness and establishes righteousness3 ,thou dost establish equity1 ,thou executest justice and righteousness in ,jacob4 --,psalm #ii3d4 ,psalm #aa says of ,yahwe as king3 ,yahwe trieth the righteous1 ,but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth4 ,upon the wicked he will rain snares2 ,fire and brimstone and burning wind ,shall be the portion of their cup4 --,psalm #aa3e-f4 ,for ,god is the judge ,this one he putteth down1 and this one he raiseth up4 --,psalm #ge3h4 ,and men shall say1 ,truly there is a reward for the righteous2 ,verily there is a ,god1 who judgeth in the earth4 --,psalm #eh3ab4 ,yahwe's act of judgment1 therefore1 is equivalent to the deliverance of his own people3 ,yahwe will judge his people1 ,and upon his servants he will have mercy4 --,psalm #ace3ad4 ,yahwe is thus continually judge of his people1 but the supreme manifestation of his justice will be seen in the eschatological judgment3 ,he shall judge the world with righteousness1 ,and the peoples with his truth4 --,psalm #if3ac4 ,he shall judge the world with righteousness1 ,and the peoples with equity4 --,psalm #ih3i4 ,arise ,o ,god1 judge the earth1 ,for thou shalt inherit all the nations4 --,psalm #hb3h4 ,the rendering of justice by the ,assyrian deity is contemplated by his worshippers with joy3 ,let ,babylon rejoice in thee1 let ,esagila exult in thee1 ,thou judgest with justice1 and formest decisions4 --,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #a4 ,as ,yahwe's final act of judgment is so comprehensive and momentous1 the joy of ,yahwe's people is immeasurably greater than the enthusiasm of military victory4 ,it is interesting to recall that one of the earliest1 if not the earliest of all the ,hebrew hymns1 that sung by ,miriam and the ,hebrew women1 celebrated a victory3 ,sing ye to ,yahwe1 for he hath triumphed gloriously1 ,the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea4 --,exodus #ae3ba4 ,it is the same strong national spirit that flames forth in confidence of the great final victory in ,psalm #fh3b1 #d3 ,let ,god arise1 let his enemies be scattered2 ,let them that hate him flee before him1 ,but let the righteous be glad2 ,let them exult before ,god1 ,and let them rejoice with gladness4 ,while ,yahwe's victory has primary significance for ,israel3 ,let ,israel rejoice in its maker1 ,let the sons of ,zion be joyful in their king4 --,psalm #adi3b4 ,yet the whole earth will rejoice when ,yahwe cometh to judge the earth3 ,let the heavens be glad1 and let the earth rejoice2 ,let the sea roar and its fulness2 ,let the field exult1 and all that is therein2 ,then all the trees of the field shall sing for joy2 ,before ,yahwe1 for he cometh2 ,for he cometh to judge the earth2 ,he will judge the world with righteousness1 ,and the peoples with his truth4 --,psalm #if3aa-ac4 ,yahwe is king2 let the earth rejoice2 ,let the multitude of isles be glad4 --,psalm #ig3a4 ,shout to ,yahwe all the earth2 ,break forth and sing for joy1 yea sing praises4 --,psalm #ih3d4 ,it is important to bear in mind that the conception of ,god as judge1 even as the conception of ,god as king1 is very old1 and that ,yahwe appears as king and judge in hymns that are not eschatological4 ,it is only when religious faith extends ,yahwe's kingship and judgeship to the whole world1 and conceives of ,yahwe as triumphantly transforming the world in accordance with justice and truth1 that the conception of ,yahwe as ,judge becomes eschatological4 ,chapter ,,xv ,,conclusion ,it is now universally recognized by scholars that the ,hebrew nation came late upon the stage of history1 and that when the ,hebrew ,bedouin passed over out of the desert into the land of ,canaan1 they entered a land that had already experienced millenniums of civilization4 ,in successive decades and centuries the ,hebrew conquerors took over not only the land with its walled cities and its cultivated fields1 but they took over also the land's sanctuaries1 and in large measure its religious and moral ideas4 ,one civilization among others that exerted very great influence for many centuries over ,canaan came from the ,tigris ,euphrates valley4 ,it brought to ,canaan its language1 its literary forms1 its myths and legends1 its legal statutes2 it brought also in some degree the knowledge of its gods1 and the hymns and prayers with which those gods were worshipped4 ,the ,hebrews were inevitably directly and indirectly influenced by ,assyrian culture and religion4 ,it is of some importance to recognize1 although the fact is by no means surprising1 that the situations in life out of which the hymnal literatures grew were quite similar in ,assyria and in ,israel4 ,both peoples had a certain number of hymns1 which can best be characterized as ,nature hymns2 but both peoples had also hymns which belong very clearly to the sanctuary4 ,some of these are processional hymns3 the procession bringing the god to his sanctuary as in ,psalm #bd and ,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #ac2 or the procession entering the sanctuary to bring gifts to the god as in ,psalm #ie and the ,hymn to ,enlil2 or the procession passing out from the sanctuary in solemn procession through the sacred city as in ,psalm #dh and a number of the ,assyrian hymns4 ,the great majority of hymns1 however in both literatures1 just as one would expect1 offer praise to the deity in the sanctuary4 ,not only is the background of the hymns relatively similar in both civilizations1 but the principal features of ,hebrew poetry1 the rhythm1 the uniform length of lines1 parallelism1 arrangement in strophes1 the rhetorical question1 the refrain1 the antiphonal responses1 the introduction into the hymn of the divine oracle1 all belong to the literature of the older civilization4 ,israel did not invent1 but rather found already in existence1 its literary forms4 ,moreover ,israel undoubtedly found in the older civilization much of its hymnal phraseology and many of its basic religious ideas4 ,the conception of ,god as creator of heaven and earth did not first emerge with ,israelitic monotheism1 but is expressed in more than one ,assyrian hymn4 ,the thought of ,god as king1 and as exerting authority above and below1 did not wait for the establishment of the ,israelitic monarchy under ,saul1 ,david1 and ,solomon1 but was familiar to the ,assyrian hymnist4 ,certainly the thought of the ,god of heaven1 as making his earthy dwelling in a sacred sanctuary on holy ground1 is many centuries older than ,solomon's temple4 ,finally the conception of ,god as wise1 powerful1 righteous1 and merciful found frequent expression in the ,assyrian hymns long before the ,hebrews attributed those attributes to ,yahwe4 ,however1 this certainly does not mean that the ,hebrews were merely passive recipients of ,assyrian ,culture4 ,they did obviously take over certain literary forms and devices1 but they created a new and distinct type of hymn1 which begins and ends with the exhortation to praise ,yahwe4 ,what is even more important ,hebrew genius has employed such simplicity1 variety1 beauty1 and power of expression as to create such masterpieces of literature as ,psalms #h2 #bd2 #bi2 #dg2 #fg2 #ajj2 #if and #aej4 ,again1 ,israel did undoubtedly take over1 as has been indicated1 certain basic conceptions of ,god1 but ,hebrew religious genius purified and exalted those conceptions4 ,the ,assyrian could conceive of one god as supreme among the gods2 the ,hebrew came to think of ,yahwe as the only ,god1 the altogether ,spiritual ,being1 freed from the contamination of polytheism4 ,the ,assyrian exalted his god to the high heavens2 the ,hebrew emancipated ,yahwe from any possibility of identification with sun1 moon1 or star1 or any natural force4 ,the ,assyrian attributed to his god great power to bless or curse2 the ,hebrew attributed power to ,yahwe1 but dissociated him from all magical practise4 ,the ,assyrian does indeed ascribe to his god righteousness and mercy1 but the ,hebrew makes righteousness and mercy the essential attributes of ,yahwe4 ,in a word the hymnists of ,israel at their highest and best reflect the influence of the prophets1 to which there was nothing comparable in ,assyria4 ,one very important fact to be recognized is the emergence or development of the genuine hymn in ,israel4 ,it has been suggested that the great majority of so called ,assyrian hymns are really only hymnal introductions to prayers or ceremonies2 and furthermore that there may well be a line of development from the hymnal introduction to the independent hymn4 ,there are two examples of hymnal introductions in the ,old ,testament ,psalter1 ,psalms #hi and #add2 and there is some justification for selecting ,psalms #ajd and #h as hymns which represent the completion of the process of development4 ,praise has thus attained to a much greater place in the ,hebrew religion than in the religion of ,assyria4 ,praise is no longer subordinate to any other goal2 it has become an end in itself1 profitable to man1 and pleasing to ,god4 ,the ,hebrew religion carries the hymn to its highest pitch of development in the eschatological hymn1 which is sung in anticipation of ,yahwe's complete and final triumph upon earth4 ,the eschatological hymn owes its origin to the strong national spirit of the ,hebrews1 the strength of their conviction that a moral order exists in the world1 and their faith in ,yahwe as the wise and good1 and powerful ,god who will bring justice and righteousness to triumph in the earth4 ,there was in ,assyria also1 as we have seen1 the thought of god as exalted king1 but the ,assyrians never attained to the conception of a god establishing complete and final ethical sovereignty over the earth4 ,the study of the ,assyrian psalms has value for the ,old ,testament student in widening his field of knowledge1 and thus saving him from the danger of setting up false standards4 ,it is enlightening for him to observe in the ,assyrian hymns the very frequent fact of irregularity1 in the length of lines1 in the number of lines in the strophe1 in the type of parallelism employed4 ,this suggests that often it may be variety and not uniformity that the poet is seeking1 and that extreme caution ought to be observed in altering the ,hebrew text1 to make it conform to a ,western conception of order and regularity4 ,one is impressed also by the prominence of the individual in the ,assyrian hymn1 and in the ,assyrian cult1 and is thus warned against the highly artificial assumption that the individual of the ,hebrew psalms is a personification of the ,hebrew nation4 ,the individual may well have played a much larger part in the early religion of ,israel than has been commonly supposed4 ,the study of the ,assyrian hymns will have value at various other points4 ,the consideration of the place of the refrains1 the antiphonal renderings1 the divine oracles will help us to understand the use of the hymn in the ,hebrew cult4 ,acquaintance with the ,assyrian hymnal phraseology will undoubtedly be of assistance in the interpretation and clearer understanding of many phrases in the ,hebrew hymns4 ,the ,assyrian hymns make however their indispensable contribution in that practically all the religious ideas of the ,hebrew hymns exist in cruder form in the ,assyrian hymns4 ,they help us to reconstruct the polytheistic background of the ,hebrew religion4 ,they leave us with a clearer perception that ,yahwe was primarily a god of heaven1 and with a fuller knowledge of just what that means4 ,they help us to understand the prominence given to the attributes of ,yahwe as a mighty god of war4 ,they prove the antiquity of the conception of ,god as king and judge1 shepherd and father4 ,they reflect crude and crass ideas of the divine wisdom1 power1 and mercy4 ,against the background of the ,assyrian hymns one gains a juster appreciation of the developed ,hebrew doctrine of ,god1 the omnipresent1 the omniscient1 the omnipotent1 whose eternal plan is to be fulfilled1 who will cause truth and righteousness to prevail in the earth1 who is to be universally and eternally adored4 ,,bibliography ,,texts ,,and ,,translations ,,of ,,assyrian ,,hymns ,hymns to ,shamash #a4 ,rawlinson1 ,cuneiform ,inscriptions of ,western ,asia1 ,,iv3 #b1 #bh ,no4 #a2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,die ,religion ,babyloniens und ,assyriens1 ,i1 #dbf2 and by ,fossey1 ,la ,magie ,assyrienne1 ,no4 #cj4 ,it is a hymn of fourteen lines1 introducing a petition to ,shamash for the healing of the king4 ,the first two lines of the obverse and reverse sides of the tablet are missing4 #b4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bj ,no4 #b1 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dbg4 ,there remain only the first five lines of a hymn1 introducing a prayer to ,shamash at the rising of the sun4 #c4 ,r4 ,v1 #ej2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dbh2 by ,zimmern1 ,babylonische ,hymnen und ,gebete in ,auswahl1 ,der ,alte ,orient1 #aije1 page #ae2 and by ,fossey1 ,la ,magie ,assyrienne1 ,no4 #db4 ,it is a hymn of eleven lines1 introducing a petition to ,shamash for the freeing of the king from the ban resting upon him1 the prayer being offered at sunrise4 #d4 ,abel-,winckler1 ,keilschrifttexte1 pages #ei to #fj2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dbi4 ,it is a hymn of twelve lines addressed to ,shamash at sunset1 wishing the ,god a safe return and glad welcome to his home from ,ea his wife4 #e4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #ai ,no4 #b2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dbi2 and by ,zimmern1 ,der ,alte ,orient1 #aije1 page #ae4 ,it is a hymn of ten lines addressed to ,shamash at sunrise4 ,after this hymnal section the poem goes on to describe how the gods inhale the odor of the sacrifice and refresh themselves with the 8food of heaven40 ,this suggests that the rising of the sun was the signal for the offering of sacrifice and the praise of ,shamash1 even as it was also the favorable moment for the banning of the powers of darkness which troubled men4 7,see ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dcj47 #f4 ,craig1 ,assyrian and ,babylonian ,religious ,texts1 ,,ii1 #c2 also ,gray1 ,the ,shamash ,religious ,texts1 ,,iv2 translated by ,jastrow ,,ii1 #gb2 by ,zimmern1 ,der ,alte ,orient1 #aije1 page #ae2 by ,martin1 ,textes religieux ,assyriens et ,babyloniens1 pages #ad-bf4 ,it is a hymn of six lines1 followed by a prayer1 in which an individual petitions for release from the ban occasioning his sickness4 #g4 ,gray1 ,the ,shamash ,religious ,texts1 pages #i-bc2 translated by ,gray2 also by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dcb4 ,it is a hymn1 complete in four columns of four hundred and twenty lines1 and is entirely free from any reference to incantation4 ,hymns to ,sin #a4 ,published and translated by ,perry1 ,hymnen und ,gebete an ,sin 7,leipz4 ,sem4 ,studien1 #aijg72 by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic and ,sorcery 7,london #ahif72 by ,combe1 ,histoire du ,culte de ,sin 7,paris #aijh74 ,it is a hymn of eleven lines introducing a petition of sixteen lines1 in which the king1 on an occasion of an eclipse of the moon1 requests an oracle promising deliverance from the evil which has befallen his palace and land4 ,it is addressed to ,sin in the second person4 #b4 ,published and translated by ,perry and ,combe4 ,it gives the first fourteen lines of a hymnal introduction to prayer1 and then breaks off4 ,it is addressed to ,sin in the second person4 #c4 ,published and translated by ,perry4 ,it is a hymn of twenty-one lines with many repetitions4 ,the last three lines of ,perry ,no4 #c1 form the first four lines of ,perry ,no4 #d1 the two apparently forming one hymn4 ,of ,no4 #d some nineteen lines are preserved1 the last lines of the obverse and reverse being missing and other lines damaged4 ,it is addressed to ,sin in the second person4 #d4 ,published and translated by ,perry1 ,king1 and ,combe4 ,it is a hymn of eleven lines1 introducing a prayer of fourteen lines seeking the favor of ,sin4 ,it is in the second person4 ,the prayer contains the lament and petition of an individual who feels that his god is angry with him and afflicting him4 #e4 ,published by ,rawlinson ,,iv1 #e2 also by ,perry2 and ,combe3 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dcf2 by ,zimmern1 ,der ,alte ,orient1 page ,,ii1 #aije2 by ,perry2 by ,combe2 by ,ungnad in ,gressmann1 ,altorientalische ,texte und ,bilder1 page #hj2 by ,rogers1 ,cuneiform ,parallels to the ,old ,testament1 page #ada4 ,it is a hymn of thirty-nine lines1 introducing a petition nine lines in length for a temple of the god ,sin4 ,it is addressed in the second person to ,sin1 and was probably recited or sung at the full moon festival4 ,hymns to ,nebo #a4 ,published and translated by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #bb2 also translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dde4 ,it contains eight lines of invocation1 followed by the petition at much greater length of an individual1 requesting healing of his disease1 favorable dreams1 and the support of his god4 #b4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bj ,no4 #c2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ddg4 ,it is a fragment1 giving ten lines of a hymn in couplets1 of which the second line largely repeats the preceding line4 ,hymns to ,ninib #a4 ,published and translated by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #b2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ddh4 ,the first fourteen lines are addressed to the god in epithets of praise4 ,in the lines which follow an individual reminds the god of his sacrifice1 and pleads for forgiveness of his sin and the favor of the god4 #b4 ,transliterated and translated by ,jensen1 ,kosmologie der ,babylonier1 pages #dgj-dgb2 also translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ddi4 ,it is an hymnal introduction to prayer1 twelve lines in length4 #c4 ,kouyunjik ,collection1 #bhfd1 #a-bb2 published and translated by ,hrozny1 ,sumerisch-babylonische ,mythen von dem ,gotte ,ninrag in ,mitteilungen der vorderasiatischen ,gesellschaft1 #aijc4 ,it is a hymn addressed in the second person to ,ninib1 of which unfortunately only twelve lines are preserved1 and of these no single line is complete4 ,the hymn is composed in couplets the second line being a response to the first4 #d4 ,k #heca and ,rm #abf2 published and translated by ,hrozny2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dee4 ,here we have an address of the ,god ,nusku to the ,god ,ninib1 of which the first seven lines are epithets of praise1 which are then followed by a petition that the anger of the ,god may abate1 and that he be honored by the great ,god4 #e4 ,k #dhbi2 published and translated by ,hrozny2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dei4 ,it is a hymn of fourteen lines1 in which ,ninib praises his own power4 #f4 ,r4 ,,ii1 #ai ,no4 #b2 published and translated by ,hrozny2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dfj4 ,this is a hymn of thirteen lines in which the ,god ,ninib sings his own praise4 #g4 ,published and translated by ,hrozny2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dfc4 ,this is a hymnal composition of thirty lines in the course of which the god ,sharur addresses ,ninib with hymnal praises4 ,hymns to ,nergal #a4 ,published and translated by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #bg2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dfg2 also by ,bllenrcher1 ,gebete und ,hymnen an ,nergal1 ,no4 #a4 ,the first ten lines constitute a hymnal introduction to the prayer that follows4 ,lines #aa-ac are a lament1 lines #ad-bc a petition1 and line #bd a vow4 #b4 ,published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,gebete und ,hymnen an ,nergal ,no4 #b2 also by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #df2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dga4 ,nine lines of praise are addressed to the god1 when the tablet breaks off4 #c4 ,published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,gebete und ,hymnen an ,nergal ,no4 #c4 ,the beginning and end of the hymn are missing4 ,of the twelve lines remaining no single line is complete4 #d4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bf ,no4 #a2 published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,no4 #d2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dgj4 ,only the first ten lines of this hymn are preserved4 ,for the first eight lines1 the second half line is a refrain4 #e4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bd ,no4 #a2 published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,no4 #e2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dfi4 ,of this hymn thirty-eight lines are preserved and are so arranged in couplets that the first line gives a title or attribute of the deity1 while the second lines begin with the words3 8,god ,nergal0 and repeat the first words of the preceding line4 ,it is thus a hymn with responses1 made probably by priest and choir4 #f4 ,published by ,craig1 ,zeitschrift fr ,assyriologie1 ,x1 #bgf2 ,published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,no4 #f4 ,the hymn is divided into two parts4 ,the first part of some forty lines is addressed directly to the god4 ,of these forty lines there are eleven couplets1 of which the first half lines make a double refrain4 ,the second half of the hymn is in praise of the word of the god4 ,thirteen lines begin with1 8,his word40 ,the entire hymn is antiphonal in character4 #g4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #cj ,no4 #a2 ,haupt1 ,akkadisch-,sumerische ,keilschrifttexte1 ,no4 #bj2 published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,no4 #g2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dgh4 ,the first fourteen lines of the hymn are in narrative style1 praising the attack of ,nergal upon the hostile land4 ,after a gap1 where some lines are missing1 there are twenty-one lines of praise addressed directly to the god in the second person4 #h4 ,k #ihhj2 published and translated by ,bllenrcher1 ,no4 #h2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dgg4 ,it is an individual hymn1 addressed directly to ,nergal1 of which after the twelfth line the tablet breaks off4 ,hymns to ,adad #a4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bh ,no4 #b2 transliterated and translated by ,strong1 ,proceedings of the ,society of ,biblical ,archaeology1 ,,xx1 #afa2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dhb4 ,it is a fragment of nine lines of a hymn praising in the third person of the verb the power of ,adad4 #b4 ,transliterated and translated by ,langdon1 ,sumerian and ,babylonian ,hymns1 pages #bhj-bhc2 also by ,rogers1 ,cuneiform ,parallels1 page #adg2 also by ,ungnad in ,gressmann1 ,altorientalische ,texte1 pages #hc;f4 ,it is characterized by ,langdon1 ,rogers1 and ,ungnad as a hymn4 ,it includes an invocation to the god of ten lines1 a hymn proper of four lines1 an address of ,enlil to ,ramman of ten lines and a narrative section of four lines4 #c4 ,transliterated and translated by ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #ba4 ,it is a fragment of a hymn1 containing nine broken lines4 ,hymns to ,nusku #a4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 ,no4 #c2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dhg4 ,it is a short hymnal introduction of eight lines1 little more than an invocation to the god4 #b4 ,craig1 ,assyrian and ,babylonian ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 plate #ce2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dhg4 ,after nineteen lines the text breaks off4 ,the nineteen lines are of the nature of an invocation4 #c4 ,tallquist1 ,die assyrische ,beschworungsserie1 ,maklu ,,ii1 pages #a-ag2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #big4 ,it is a hymnal introduction of eleven lines1 addressed directly to the god1 and followed by an individual's petition in seven lines for the destruction of those whose witchcraft was afflicting him4 ,hymns to ,bel #a4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bg ,no4 #b2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dhi4 ,only five lines of the hymn are preserved4 ,they seem to praise the great tower of ,bel's temple at ,ekur4 #b4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bg ,no4 #d2 ,haupt1 ,akkadische und sumerische ,keilinschrifttexte1 page #ahc2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dij4 ,eleven lines constitute an invocation to ,bel4 ,the text then breaks off4 #c4 ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #ai2 ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dib4 ,sixteen broken hymnal lines introduce the petition of a king4 ,hymns to ,marduk #a4 ,craig1 ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 plates #bi-ca2 published and translated by ,brnnow1 ,assyrian ,hymns1 in ,zeitschrift fr ,assyriologie1 ,,iv1 #bdf-bdh and ,v1 #eh-ff1 #gg-gh2 translated by ,martin1 ,textes religieux ,assyriens et ,babyloniens1 and by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eac4 ,the hymn consists of thirty-eight lines1 and is followed by the petition that the anger of the god may abate and favor be shown the suppliant4 #b4 ,k #cdei2 ,hehn1 ,hymnen und ,gebete an ,marduk1 in ,beitrage zur ,assyriologie1 ,v1 #bgh-djj4 ,the poem is in three columns4 ,of column ,i1 seven lines out of twenty are preserved entire4 ,of the twenty-one lines of column ,,ii1 twelve are missing1 and no single line is complete4 ,columns ,i and ,,iii are in praise of ,marduk1 while column ,,ii seeks forgiveness of sin and deliverance of a sufferer from trouble4 #c4 ,k #ceje2 ,the first seventeen lines of a hymn are addressed directly to ,marduk4 ,the text then breaks off4 #d4 ,king1 ,tablets of ,creation1 ,i1 #bjd ff2 ,craig1 ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 ,plate #dc2 ,hehn1 ,no4 #e2 ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dif;ff4 ,the first twenty-one lines of a hymn are in praise of ,marduk4 ,the text then breaks off4 ,in the hymnal portion the third person of the verb is used4 #e4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bf ,no4 #d2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dif2 also by ,jeremias in ,roscher's ,lexicon1 ,,ii1 col4 #bcfg2 also by ,hehn1 ,no4 #f4 ,nine lines of a hymn in praise of ,marduk1 the ,god of ,war1 are preserved4 ,the text then breaks off4 #f4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #bi1 ,no4 #a2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eja2 also by ,fossey1 ,la ,magie assyrienne1 pages #cfd-cfi2 also by ,jeremias in ,roscher's ,lexicon1 ,,ii1 col4 #bcee2 also by ,hehn1 ,no4 #g4 ,it is a hymn twenty-nine lines in length1 of definite strophic arrangement1 addressed directly to ,marduk1 and followed by exorcisms of various demons4 #g4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #ah1 ,no4 #a2 translated by ,hehn1 ,no4 #ab4 ,it is a fragment of eight lines1 referring to the founding of ,babylon and the temple of ,marduk4 #h4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #ba1 ,no4 #a2 also ,king1 ,babylonian ,magic1 ,no4 #i2 translated by ,king2 by ,hehn1 ,no4 #ac2 also by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ejj;f4 ,though characterized by ,king and ,jastrow as a prayer1 yet the first nine lines1 constituting the invocation to the god may be regarded as hymnal material4 ,the body of the prayer consists of seventeen lines1 and may well be from a king1 seeking health and the favor and support of his god4 #i4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #eg2 translated by ,king ,no4 #ab2 by ,hehn ,no4 #ad2 by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dii2 by ,lenormant1 ,la ,divination1 page #bab;ff2 by ,sayce1 ,hibbert ,lectures1 pages #ecf;ff4 ,this tablet is concerned with the curing by ,marduk's help of a sick man4 ,the first sixteen lines give directions for the ceremonies to be performed4 ,the priest is instructed to hold the hand of the sick man1 and repeat the prayer1 lines #ag-id4 ,of these lines #ag-dd are hymnal1 serving as an invocation to the prayer4 ,following the prayer there are directions for further ceremonies4 ,the hymn is in the second person addressed directly to the god4 #aj4 ,k #hifa2 ,craig1 ,assyrian and ,babylonian ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 ,pl4 #ei2 translated by ,hehn1 ,no4 #ag2 also by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #dig4 ,an incantation hymn1 of which only twelve lines remain1 is addressed directly to ,marduk as an invocation to prayer4 #aa4 ,craig1 ,assyrian and ,babylonian ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 ,pl4 #a2 translated by ,martin1 ,textes religieux2 also by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eji4 ,of this text the opening lines are missing4 ,ten lines are preserved1 being a prayer in the mouth of the priest1 of which the first five lines supply the element of adoration4 #ab4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #dj1 ,no4 #a transliterated and translated by ,ball1 ,proceedings of the ,society of ,biblical ,archaeology1 ,,xv1 #ea-ed2 translated also by ,hehn1 ,no4 #be2 by ,sayce1 ,hibbert ,lectures1 pages #hj;f2 by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eji4 ,the text comprises thirty-two lines4 ,lines #a to #f state that the priest is to rise in the first hour of the night on the second day of ,nisan1 wash in river water1 put on a linen garment and repeat his prayer4 ,of the prayer1 lines #g to #bh are hymnal2 lines #bi to #cb petition the favor of the god for the city1 ,babylon and the temple1 ,esagila4 #ac4 ,r4 ,,iv3 #b1 #ah ,no4 #b2 ,also published and translated by ,weissbach1 ,babylonische ,miscellen1 pages #cf-da2 translated also by ,ungnad1 page #he2 by ,rogers1 page #acj2 by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ejc4 ,this is a text of thirty-seven lines4 ,a colophon at the end directs that the hymn should be used on the eleventh day of ,nisan1 when ,marduk enters his own sanctuary in the temple ,esagila4 ,it is a processional hymn apparently sung antiphonally1 a priest or choir chanting the first half of the line1 and a choir responding with the refrain4 ,the first thirty-three lines welcome the god to his temple2 the last four lines petition his favor for the city and its temple4 #ad4 ,hehn ,no4 #af2 ,king ,no4 #ah2 ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eac4 ,this is a fragment of which the first lines are missing4 ,a petition for relief from sickness is preceded by hymnal lines praising ,marduk1 and expressing confidence in him4 ,hymn to ,asshur #a4 ,craig1 ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 plates #cb-cd2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ebj4 ,this is called by ,jastrow a ,litany to ,asshur4 ,it begins with a hymn1 twenty-two lines of which are preserved4 ,then in six lines ,anu1 ,bel1 ,ea1 and the great gods proclaim ,asshurbanapal ruler of ,assyria1 and in the last four lines the god ,asshur himself calls ,asshurbanapal to lordship4 ,hymns to ,ishtar #a4 ,king ,no4 #a2 duplicate1 ,no4 #e2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ebi4 ,it is only a fragment of five lines of praise addressed directly to ,ishtar4 #b4 ,king ,no4 #cb2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ebi4 ,it is a fragment of ten lines of praise1 addressed directly to ,ishtar4 #c4 ,craig1 ,religious ,texts1 ,i1 plates #ae-ag2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ece4 ,eighteen lines of praise are followed by an enumeration of the sacrifices1 foods for the temple servants1 and of gifts of gold1 as well as by directions for the purification of the sick1 who wish to be healed by ,ishtar4 #d4 ,reisner1 ,sumerisch-babylonische ,hymnen1 ,no4 #ef2 transliterated and translated by ,hussey1 ,no4 #a4 ,the tablet was according to the colophon ninety-five lines in length1 but only fifteen strophes of four lines each are in good preservation4 ,it is a hymn sung by ,ishtar in praise of herself4 #e4 ,reisner ,no4 #ec2 translated by ,hussey1 ,no4 #e2 by ,langdon1 ,sumerian and ,babylonian ,psalms1 page #aib2 by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ecj4 ,this hymn opens with three strophes of four1 three1 and four lines respectively in praise of the goddess4 ,then in strophes of five1 four1 and seven lines ,ishtar appears singing her own praise4 ,there follows the prayer of thirteen lines petitioning the removal of her anger4 ,hymn to ,sarpanitum #a4 ,craig1 ,i1 plate #a2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ecf4 ,this is a hymn of eleven lines addressed directly to the goddess1 followed by a brief petition for the suppliant1 the king1 and the people of ,babylon4 ,hymn to ,damkina #a4 ,king ,no4 #d2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ecg4 ,the hymn consists of seven lines of invocation to ,damkina1 and is followed by a petition for the averting of evil threatened by an eclipse of the moon4 ,hymns to ,belit #a4 ,haupt1 ,assyrisch-sumerische ,keilinschrifttexte1 pages #abf-aca2 ,prince1 ,the ,hymn to ,belit ,k #ceg1 in the ,journal of the ,american ,oriental ,society1 ,,xxiv1 #ajc-abh2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #ech;f4 ,this is a hymn of some fifty lines sung entirely by ,belit in her own praise4 #b4 ,text and transliteration by ,scheil1 ,zeitschrift fr ,assyriologie1 ,x1 #bia-bih2 also ,scheil1 ,une saison de fouilles a ,sippar1 page #ih and ,tablet ,,ii2 translated by ,jastrow1 ,i1 #eda4 ,the first twelve lines of the hymn are addressed to ,nippur the city of ,bel4 ,the following thirty-eight lines are in praise of ,belit1 and are for the most part addressed directly to her4 ,hymn to ,enlil #a4 ,transliterated and translated by ,langdon1 ,sumerian and ,babylonian ,hymns1 page #bgg4 ,it is a psalm of twenty-five lines4 ,the singers are the bearers of sacrificial gifts to ,enlil4 ,the hymn is addressed directly to the god4 ,a ,,selected ,,bibliography ,balla1 ,e4 ,das ,ich der ,psalmen in ,forschungen zur ,religion und ,literatur des ,alten und ,neuen ,testaments4 #af4 ,heft1 #aiab4 ,barton1 ,g4 ,a4 ,archaeology and the ,bible1 #aiad4 ,bewer1 ,j4 ,a4 ,the ,psalms and the ,song of ,songs1 ,chapter ,,xx in ,the ,literature of ,the ,old ,testament1 #aibf4 ,bllenrcher1 ,j4 ,gebete und ,hymnen an ,nergal4 7,leipziger semitische ,studien1 #aijd47 ,briggs1 ,c4 ,a4 ,the ,book of ,psalms1 ,i4,c4,c4 7#b vols4 #aijf1 #aijg47 ,combe1 ,e4 ,histoire du ,culte de ,sin1 #aijh4 ,craig1 ,j4 ,a4 ,assyrian und ,babylonian ,religious ,texts1 ,i and ,,ii4 7,assyrische ,bibliothek1 herausgegeben von ,delitzsch und ,haupt1 ,,xiii1 #ahie74 ,fossey1 ,c4 ,la ,magie assyrienne1 #aijb4 ,gunkel1 ,h4 ,ausgewhlte ,psalmen1 #aiaa4 ---- ,die ,psalmen4 7,die ,religion in ,geschichte und ,gegenwart1 ,band ,,iv1 #aiac47 ---- ,die ,psalmen1 bersetzt und erklrt1 #aibf4 ---- ,einleitung in die ,psalmen1 #aibh4 ,haupt1 ,p4 ,akkadische und sumerische ,keilschrifttexte4 7,assyrische ,bibliothek1 herausgegeben von ,delitzsch und ,haupt1 ,,xiii1 #ahie47 ,hehn1 ,j4 ,hymnen und ,gebete an ,marduk4 7,beitrage zur ,assyriologie1 #aijf1 ,vol4 ,v47 ,hussey1 ,m4 ,i4 ,some ,sumerian-,babylonian ,hymns of the ,berlin ,collection4 7,american ,journal of ,semitic ,languages and ,literature1 ,january1 #aijg47 ,hrozny1 ,f4 ,myten von dem ,gotte ,ninrag 7,ninib74 7,mitteilungen der vorderasiatischen ,gesellschaft1 #aijc47 ,jastrow1 ,m4 ,die ,religion babyloniens und assyriens1 #aije-ab4 ,jensen1 ,p4 ,texte zur asyrisch-babylonischen ,religion4 ,i ,lieferung1 #aiae4 ,jeremias1 ,a4 ,das ,alte ,testament in ,lichte des alten ,orients1 #aijf4 ,kent1 ,c4 ,f4 ,songs1 ,hymns1 and ,prayers of the ,old ,testament1 #aiad4 ,king1 ,l4 ,w4 ,babylonian ,magic and ,sorcery1 #ahif4 ,kittel1 ,r4 ,kommentar zum ,alten ,testament ,,xiii3 ,die ,psalmen1 #aiad4 ,langdon1 ,s4 ,sumerian and ,babylonian ,psalms1 #aiji4 ,lods1 ,a4 ,les ,idees de ,m4 ,mowinckel4 7,revue de l'histoire des religions1 #aibe1 pp4 #ae-cd47 ,mac,millan1 ,k4 ,d4 ,some ,cuneiform tablets bearing on the ,religion of ,babylonia and ,assyria4 7,beitrage zur ,assyriologie1 ,vol4 ,v4 #ai47 ,martin1 ,f4 ,textes ,religieux ,assyriens et ,babyloniens1 #aijj4 ,mowinckel1 ,s4 ,psalmen ,studien1 ,vols4 ,i-,,vi1 #aiba-bd4 ,nikolsky1 ,n4 ,spuren magischen ,formeln in den ,psalmen1 #aibg4 ,perry1 ,e4 ,g4 ,hymnen und ,gebete an ,sin4 7,leipziger semitische ,studien1 #aijg47 ,peters1 ,j4 ,p4 ,the ,psalms as ,liturgies1 #aibb4 ,pinckert1 ,j4 ,hymnen und ,gebete an ,nebo4 7,leipziger semitische ,studien1 #aijg47 ,radau1 ,h4 ,sumerian ,hymns and ,prayers to ,ninib4 7,the ,babylonian ,expedition of the ,university of ,pennsylvania1 ,series ,a1 ,vol4 ,,xxix1 ,part ,i47 #aiaa4 ---- ,miscellaneous ,sumerian ,texts from the ,temple ,library of ,nippur4 7,hilprecht ,anniversary ,volume1 #aiji47 ,rawlinson1 ,g4 ,cuneiform ,inscriptions of ,western ,asia1 #ahfa-ahhd4 ,rogers1 ,r4 ,the ,religion of ,babylonia and ,assyria1 #aijh4 ---- ,cuneiform ,parallels to the ,old ,testament1 #aiab4 ,sayce1 ,a4 ,h4 ,hibbert ,lectures1 #ahhg4 ,simpson1 ,d4 ,c4 7ed47 ,the ,psalmists1 #aibf4 ,smith1 ,j4 ,m4 ,p4 ,the ,religion of the ,psalms1 #aibb4 ,staerk1 ,w4 ,lyrik4 7,schriften des ,alten ,testaments in ,auswahl1 ,,iii3 #a1 #aiaa47 ,strong1 ,s4 ,a4 ,proceedings1 ,society of ,biblical ,archaeology1 ,vol4 ,,xx3 #afa1 #ahih4 ,ungnad1 ,a4 ,f4 ,e4 ,in ,gressmann1 ,altorientalische ,texte und ,bilder1 #aiji4 ,weber1 ,c4 ,die ,literatur der ,babylonier und ,assyrier1 #aijg4 ,welch1 ,a4 ,c4 ,the ,psalter in ,life1 ,worship1 and ,history1 #aibf4 ,zimmern1 ,h4 ,babylonische ,hymnen und ,gebete in ,auswahl4 7,der alte ,orient1 #aije47 ---- ,babylonische ,hymnen und ,gebete1 ,zweite ,auswahl4 7,der alte ,orient1 #aiaa47 ,,footnotes #a;,hymn to ,nebo ,no4 #a4 #b;,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #h4 #c;,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #c4 #d;,hymn to ,nusku ,no4 #a4 #e;,hymn to ,marduk ,no4 #f4 #f;,hymn to ,ishtar ,no4 #g4 #g;,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #f4 #h,nebo ,no4 #a4 #i,nusku ,no4 #c4 #aj,nusku ,no4 #c4 #aa,nusku ,no4 #a4 #ab,ninib ,no4 #b4 #ac,sin ,no4 #e4 #ad,sin ,no4 #a4 #ae,sarpanitum ,no4 #a4 #af,shamash ,no4 #e4 #ag,nusku ,no4 #b4 #ah,shamash ,no4 #c4 #ai;,ishtar ,no4 #b4 #bj,ninib ,no4 #d4 #ba,shamash ,no4 #c4 #bb,shamash ,no4 #b4 #bc,shamash ,no4 #f4 #bd;,ishtar ,no4 #g4 #be,ninib ,no4 #a4 #bf,ninib ,no4 #a4 #bg,shamash ,no4 #a4 #bh,marduk ,no4 #f4 #bi,marduk ,no4 #h4 #cj,nebo ,no4 #a4 #ca;,ishtar ,no4 #g4 #cb,marduk ,no4 #a4 #cc,marduk ,no4 #b4 #cd,nergal ,no4 #h4 #ce;,enlil ,no4 #a4 #cf,nebo ,no4 #a4 #cg,ninib ,no4 #a4 #ch,marduk ,no4 #d4 #ci,sin ,no4 #c4 #dj,sin ,no4 #e4 #da;,hymn to ,ninib ,no4 #a4 #db;,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #d4 #dc;,hymn to ,shamash ,no4 #e4 #dd;,hymn to ,sin ,no4 #d4 ,,indexes ,,general ,,index ,a ,adad1 #ec1 #ee ,adoration1 #ah1 #ai1 #de1 #ec ,alphabetical psalms1 #ae1 #ag1 #bc1 #bh1 #dh ,anointed1 #ch1 #dh ,antiphonal hymns1 #cj1 #gb-hb1 #ii1 #aeg ,antithetical parallelism1 #ig ,apocrypha1 #c ,ascription of praise1 #eg1 #fa1 #fc1 #fe1 #ff ,asshur1 #ee1 #ha1 #aaj ,b ,babylonia1 #c1 #d1 #f ,bel1 #ee1 #fi1 #ib ,belit1 #ee1 #hd ,blessing1 #ab ,body of hymn1 #ai1 #ba1 #bf ,bull of ,jacob1 #hj ,c ,call to praise1 #ai-ba1 #bd1 #be1 #bf1 #bg1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #cg1 #ci1 #dj1 #he ,choir1 #aa1 #dc1 #df1 #dg1 #gb1 #gc1 #gf1 #gg1 #gh1 #hf1 #ii ,city1 #de1 #df1 #gc ,classification1 #c ,comparative study1 #d1 #ie ,conclusion of hymns1 #aj1 #aa1 #ae1 #bj1 #bc1 #be1 #bg1 #cd1 #ci1 #dj1 #fd1 #ha1 #he1 #hh ,confidence1 #e1 #f1 #ab1 #ae1 #bi ,coronation1 #g1 #dh ,council of the ,gods1 #cg1 #ajc ,couplet1 #gc1 #gd1 #ge1 #gf1 #hf1 #if ,court style1 #ef1 #eg1 #ei1 #fj1 #ff ,creator1 #ba1 #ha1 #abj1 #aba1 #abb1 #abc1 #abi1 #aee ,d ,damkina1 #ee ,date1 #a ,decree1 #hb ,destiny1 #aca1 #acb ,development1 #d1 #e1 #ab1 #ae1 #ah1 #ec1 #ef1 #fe1 #ff1 #fi1 #ib1 #aef ,diaspora1 #aa1 #dg ,divisions of line1 #ie ,e ,egypt1 #c1 #d ,enemies1 #e1 #f1 #g1 #ab1 #ad ,enlil1 #ee1 #fe1 #gb1 #hj ,enthusiasm1 #ah1 #ba1 #bb1 #cb1 #cd1 #ch1 #ed1 #ee1 #ajg1 #aai1 #abc ,eschatological psalms1 #f1 #ad1 #bf1 #ca1 #cb-ch1 #di1 #ej1 #aej1 #aeb ,ethical character of ,assyrian god1 #ei1 #aea ,exalted deity1 #aaj1 #aaa ,f ,faith1 #d1 #g1 #aj1 #ab1 #ac1 #ad1 #ae1 #af1 #ag1 #ah1 #be1 #cj1 #de ,father1 #ade1 #aeg ,fertility1 #bb1 #he1 #abe1 #abf ,forgiveness1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #ee1 #adc ,g ,gloss1 #hf ,goodness1 #bb1 #bd1 #db ,gratitude1 #aj1 #ah1 #ec1 #ee ,groups1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #i1 #ec ,h ,hallelujah1 #ai1 #bj1 #bb1 #bc1 #cd1 #da ,harvest1 #ab ,healing1 #i1 #aj1 #fa1 #fb1 #adb ,heavens1 #db1 #aji1 #aaa1 #abj1 #aeg ,holiness of ,gawe1 #bb1 #cd1 #ajg ,holy mountain1 #aad ,hymn1 #d1 #aa1 #ab1 #ah1 #bj1 #bc1 #bd1 #bg1 #bh1 #bi1 #cj1 #cb1 #da1 #dc1 #dd1 #de1 #ec1 #ef1 #fe1 #ib ,hymnal introductions1 #ah1 #dj1 #ec1 #fj1 #fd1 #fe1 #fg1 #gd1 #gh1 #hc1 #ib1 #aef ,i ,idols1 #bb1 #be1 #bi1 #cg1 #aje ,iknaton1 #da ,individual1 the1 in ,assyrian and ,hebrew religion1 #g1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #ad1 #ba1 #bh1 #dc1 #fg1 #fh1 #gb1 #gh1 #ada1 #aeg ,invocation1 #eg1 #fj1 #fa1 #fe1 #ff1 #gc1 #gf1 #hi ,ishtar1 #ec1 #ee1 #ef1 #eh1 #fc1 #fd1 #gh1 #gi1 #he1 #hf1 #aji ,j ,jerusalem1 #ad1 #ba1 #dd1 #de1 #df1 #ada ,judge1 #cg1 #ajd1 #aej1 #aea1 #aeg ,k ,king1 #f1 #i1 #aj1 #cb1 #cf1 #cg1 #ch1 #dh1 #di1 #ej1 #hb1 #acb1 #adf1 #aee1 #aef1 #aeg ,l ,lament1 #e1 #g1 #h1 #ae1 #dd1 #ec1 #ed1 #fd ,legend1 #aa ,length of line1 #ie ,lightning1 #dj1 #hj ,litany1 #ha1 #hb ,literary dependence1 #aje1 #aee ,liturgical psalms1 #aj1 #ac1 #bg1 #bh1 #cj1 #cf1 #da1 #dg ,lord1 #hj1 #ha1 #hb1 #ajd ,lower world1 #aaa ,m ,magic1 #g1 #ee1 #fb1 #ff1 #gc1 #gh1 #ij1 #if1 #ajf1 #acb1 #acd1 #adb1 #aee ,marduk1 #ec1 #ee1 #ef1 #eg1 #eh1 #fc1 #fd1 #fh1 #fi1 #hi1 #ia1 #ajh1 #aaj1 #aaa ,mercy1 #h1 #aj1 #bb1 #bf1 #aci1 #adj1 #ada1 #adb1 #adc1 #add1 #aee ,monotheism1 #cf1 #ec1 #ed1 #ajb1 #aje1 #abj1 #aee ,moon1 #aji ,mountains1 #aad1 #abj ,n ,name1 #db1 #ge1 #hj1 #ha1 #he1 #ajf1 #ajg ,nationalism1 #e1 #f1 #h1 #aj1 #ad1 #bb1 #aeb ,nature1 #ci1 #ec1 #ei1 #ga1 #ajg1 #aji1 #abd1 #aed ,nebo1 #eg1 #eh1 #gc ,nergal1 #ec1 #ee1 #ef1 #eg1 #gb1 #gd1 #ge1 #gg1 #hh1 #ij ,new song1 #cc ,night1 #ci ,ninib1 #ec1 #ee1 #eg1 #eh1 #gj1 #hc1 #hd1 #aaj ,nusku1 #ec1 #ee1 #eh1 #ei1 #fb1 #hc1 #ajh1 #aah ,o ,oracle1 #ac1 #di1 #hb1 #acc1 #aee1 #aeg ,originality1 #d1 #e1 #aa1 #bf ,p ,parallelism1 #gb1 #gd1 #gf1 #if1 #ig1 #aed ,penitential1 #d ,persecution1 #g ,petition1 #e-h1 #aj1 #ae1 #ba1 #bi1 #ch1 #dj1 #da1 #dd1 #dh1 #fb1 #fc1 #fd1 #hg ,philological study of psalms1 #c ,phraseology1 #hh1 #ajj1 #aee1 #aeg ,pilgrimage1 #dd1 #df1 #dg ,polytheism1 #ec1 #ajj1 #aja1 #ajb1 #ajc1 #abb1 #acc1 #aeg ,power1 #bb1 #hd1 #acj1 #aca1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #acg1 #ach1 #aee ,praise1 #d1 #f1 #aa1 #ah1 #ai1 #bc1 #fe1 #hc1 #aef ,prayer1 #d1 #f1 #g1 #i1 #dj1 #ec1 #ee ,priest1 #f1 #aj1 #ac1 #ba1 #bi1 #cj1 #gb1 #gc1 #gd1 #ge1 #gf1 #gg1 #gh1 #hf ,processional1 #aa1 #bf1 #bg1 #df1 #fh1 #ii1 #aed ,prophetic1 #bh1 #de1 #aef ,proselytes1 #ba1 #bi ,r ,ramman1 #gb1 #gi1 #hj1 #hh1 #aji ,reasons for praise1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bh1 #bi ,refrain1 #ce1 #fd1 #gb1 #gc1 #ge1 #gf1 #gi1 #hj1 #hg1 #ih1 #aed1 #aeg ,repetitions1 #gb1 #gf1 #gg1 #gh1 #hh ,responses1 #gc1 #gd1 #ge1 #hf ,rhetorical questions1 #fc1 #ff1 #hg1 #ii1 #ajc1 #aed ,righteousness1 #aea1 #aeb1 #aee ,s ,sacrifice1 #e1 #f1 #i1 #ec1 #ee1 #ef1 #fe1 #aaf1 #aag1 #aah1 #aai1 #abe ,sanctuary1 #c1 #e1 #f1 #i1 #aa1 #ab1 #ai1 #ba1 #bc1 #be1 #bg1 #cb1 #dd1 #ei1 #fi1 #hf1 #ia1 #ib1 #aab1 #aed ,sarpanitum1 #ee1 #ei1 #fd1 #fe1 #aji ,sceptre1 #adf1 #adi ,second person1 #bj1 #be1 #ce1 #cf1 #dj1 #dc1 #ee1 #fe1 #ff1 #gb1 #hi1 #ij1 #ib ,self-introduction1 #hg1 #ib ,sennacherib1 #df ,shamash1 #dj1 #ec1 #ee1 #eh1 #gj1 #ga1 #ajh ,sheol1 #i1 #ag ,shepherd1 #ac1 #add1 #aeg ,sickness1 #g1 #h1 #i1 #fa1 #adb ,simplicity1 #e1 #h1 #aa1 #ac ,sin1 #ec1 #ee1 #eg1 #ei1 #fc1 #fe1 #ga1 #gc1 #gf1 #ajh ,soliloquy1 #ac1 #da ,solo1 #aa1 #dc ,strophic arrangement1 #fe1 #gi1 #hf1 #ih1 #aed ,supplication1 #d ,supreme ,god1 #ajd1 #aje ,synonymous parallelism1 #if ,synthetical parallelism1 #ig ,t ,tautological parallelism1 #if ,teaching1 #d1 #i1 #ae1 #ag1 #cj ,testimony1 #h1 #i1 #ab1 #ah1 #db ,thanksgiving1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 #ec ,third person1 #bj1 #be1 #ce1 #cf1 #dj1 #ee1 #hi1 #ij1 #ib1 #ii ,throne1 #adf1 #adh ,thunder1 #ci1 #dj1 #hh1 #aji1 #abg1 #abi ,titles1 #eg1 #eh1 #fh1 #gb1 #gc1 #gf1 #hg ,tristich1 #gf1 #if ,type1 #c1 #i ,u ,universalism1 #bd1 #bf1 #ca1 #cg1 #ec1 #ajg ,v ,variation1 #c1 #bd1 #ge ,voice1 #ci1 #hh1 #aaj ,vow1 #e1 #i1 #ab1 #cj1 #ha ,w ,war ,god1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #acg1 #aeg ,wisdom1 #ae1 #bh1 #cj1 #fe1 #ff1 #acj1 #aca1 #acb1 #acd1 #aee ,word1 #fi1 #hi1 #ij1 #ia1 #abg1 #abh1 #abi ,,index ,,of ,,biblical ,,passages ,psalm #a #ae #b #ch1 #di1 #ej1 #hb1 #abc #c #g #d #ab #g #g1 #h #h #bj1 #bb1 #ci1 #da1 #db1 #dg1 #ie1 #if1 #ajf1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #aba1 #abc1 #aee1 #aef #i #ab #aj #e #aa #ab1 #aji1 #aea #ac #g1 #adb #af #ab #ag #h1 #aaf #ah #i #ai #bj1 #ci1 #dj1 #ie1 #if1 #acd #bj #f #ba #i #bb #g #bc #ab #bd #bj1 #bg1 #if1 #ace1 #aed1 #aee #bf #h #bg #ab1 #aaf #bi #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #ci1 #ajd1 #aji1 #abh1 #adi1 #aee #cj #i #ca #adb #cb #i1 #ai #cc #bj1 #bb1 #bc1 #cj1 #ajg1 #aba1 #abb1 #abi1 #aca1 #acb1 #adc #cd #ae #cg #ae1 #af #ch #h1 #adb #ci #h #db #h1 #ai #dc #h1 #ai #dd #e1 #dd #de #dh #df #ad1 #aje #dg #bj1 #cb1 #cd1 #ig1 #ach1 #adh1 #adi1 #aee #dh #de1 #df1 #dg1 #ib1 #ajf1 #aad1 #aej1 #aed #di #ae1 #af #ea #h #ee #g #ef #g #eg #g #eh #aea #ei #g1 #h #fj #e #fb #ab1 #aad #fc #ab1 #aaf #fd #g #fe #aa1 #ab1 #ai #ff #i1 #bj1 #adc #fg #f1 #ba1 #cg1 #if1 #ig1 #aee #fh #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #aaj1 #abg1 #ace1 #acf1 #acg1 #ach1 #ada1 #adc1 #aea #fi #g #gj #g #ga #h #gb #f1 #g1 #dh1 #di #gc #ae1 #af #gd #e #ge #aea #gf #ajf1 #aab1 #acb1 #ach #gh #ae #gi #e #hj #e #ha #ach #hb #cb1 #ce1 #cg1 #ch1 #ig1 #ajd1 #aaj1 #abc1 #aea #hc #e1 #aaj #hd #bj1 #dd1 #aab #he #e #hf #adj1 #adb #hg #dd1 #dg1 #dh1 #aad #hh #h #hi #ajc1 #ajd1 #acf1 #ach1 #aef #ij #f #ia #ac #ib #ab1 #aaj1 #acb #ic #bj1 #cb1 #ce1 #cf1 #aaf1 #adh1 #adi #ie #bj1 #ajb1 #aad1 #aah1 #aba1 #abd1 #add1 #adi1 #aej1 #aed #if #bj1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #cg1 #ajb1 #ajc1 #aje1 #aab1 #aah1 #adi1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aee #ig #bj1 #cb1 #cd1 #ce1 #cf1 #cg1 #ajd1 #acg1 #ach1 #adh1 #adi1 #aea1 #aec #ih #bj1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #cf1 #cg1 #if1 #ig1 #acf1 #aeb1 #aec #ii #bj1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce1 #cf1 #ih1 #ajf1 #aaj1 #aah1 #adi1 #aea #ajj #ai1 #bj1 #bb1 #bf1 #aac1 #add1 #aee #aja #dh #ajb #h #ajc #i1 #aj1 #ah1 #bb1 #ajg1 #adj1 #ada1 #adc1 #add1 #ade1 #adh1 #aej #ajd #bb1 #bc1 #ci1 #dj1 #da1 #ig1 #ii1 #aaj1 #aaf1 #abb1 #abd1 #abe1 #abf1 #abi1 #acc1 #acg1 #aef #aje #ab #ajg #aj #aji #g #aaj #di1 #hb #aaa #ai1 #bj1 #bb1 #bc1 #bh1 #aah #aab #ae #aac #ai1 #bj1 #bb1 #bc1 #be1 #ii1 #ajc1 #aje1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #adj1 #ada #aad #aa1 #abf1 #acf1 #acg #aae #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bi1 #ie1 #ig1 #ih1 #ajf1 #aji1 #aab1 #aah1 #abb #aaf #i1 #adb #aag #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bc1 #ca #aah #i #aai #dh #aba #ac #abb #dd1 #de #abc #e1 #f #abd #aa #abe #e1 #f1 #ae1 #af #abf #e #abg #ae1 #af #abh #ae1 #af #abi #e1 #f #acj #h #aca #ac #acb #aab1 #aae #acc #ae1 #af #acd #ai1 #bj1 #bg1 #abb #ace #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 #ajb1 #aje1 #ajg1 #aaj1 #aad1 #acf1 #aeb #acf #e1 #aa1 #ab1 #ajd1 #aba #acg #e #ach #i #aci #ae1 #aab1 #abc1 #aci #add #aef #ade #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bh1 #ajg1 #aah1 #adj1 #adi #adf #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bh1 #aah1 #adj1 #ada1 #adb1 #adi #adg #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 #aac1 #aad1 #abd1 #abe1 #abf1 #abi1 #acj1 #ada #adh #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 #ajg1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #aba1 #abi #adi #ai1 #bj1 #bc1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #cg1 #abd1 #aec #aej #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 #aac1 #adh1 #aee ,jonah #b #i ,exodus #c3f #hg #bj3b #hg ,isaiah #da3b1 #d #hg #db3h #hg #dc3aa1 #ab #hg #de3e1 #g #hh ,,transcriber',s ,,notes --,a few typographical errors or inconsistent spellings were corrected4 --,an original cover image was produced1 for unrestricted distribution with this ,distributed-,proofreaders e,book4 --,in the text version only1 delimited italicized text within underscores4 --,the original copyright notice is preserved1 although this edition is in the public domain in the country of publication4