POETIC DEVICES AND IMPLICATIONS IN PSALM 19: AN EXEGETICAL STUDY (5)

CHAPTER 4

INTERTEXTUAL AND EXTRABIBLICAL STUDY

Intertextual Study

The literary background to the entire psalm should most probably be traced to Gen 1–3, as proposed by Clines. ^[1] Williams states that one can hardly read these lines without hearing “In the beginning God created the heavens” ^[2]

In addition Lawrence asserts that Paul in his exposition of Roman 1:18-20 is an allusion on this Psalm [3] Both conscience and nature clearly reveal God. God does not reap wrath where he has not sown knowledge (compare Ps. 19:1–3). Humankind as a whole neither acknowledges God nor thanks him for his creation and grace. ^[4] Paul quotes these words in Rom 10:18 in making an analogy to the universal proclamation of the gospel.^[5]

Extrabiblical Study

Willmington states that according to Babylonian mythology, as exemplified in the prologue to Hammurabi’s law code, the sun god Shamash grants the code of laws to the king.^[6] In the ancient Middle East the sun was often thought of as a god. In this poem, the sun is but a stunning symbol of the Creator. ^[7] If the first part of the psalm belonged originally to a sun (creation) hymn, it is probably no longer possible to determine its origin, given the commonality of sun/creation hymns in the ancient Near East. ^[8]

However Craigie confirms that attempts to fix the background of Ps 19:2–7 in Near Ancient East such as Babylonian or Ugaritic poetry have proved generally unsuccessful. ^[9] Responding to the notion of the psalm 19 background, Craigie affirms as follows:

“The Babylonian hymns to Shamash, the Egyptian hymns to various sun-gods, even the glorious hymn to Aten, differ in one remarkable respect from Ps 19. In those psalms, nature itself is deified; the gods are praised in nature. Yet in Ps 19, nature is personified, not deified, and personified nature raises the chorus of praise to the only Creator and only deity, the one true God. “[10]

 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The study above shows that psalm 19 is a beauty of poem. The psalmist employs some poetic devices such as parallelism, personification, inclusio, merism, repetition and chiasm to convey his message. Employing such poetic devices is significance, not only to make a beautiful poem but also to help reader to remember and to understand the message of the poem.

Chapter two of this study shows that the psalmist combines the most beautiful poetry with some of the most profound of biblical theology. He portrays two great witnesses to the power and perfection of God; they are his creation and his law.

Employing the most skies impressive regular feature such; sun, stars, and its regular motion to illustrate the universal revelation of God, has intention to describe that the knowledge of God can be found everywhere. The skies and sun is visible everywhere, and it is continuously forever. In addition the psalmist describes that the heat of the sun is felt everywhere and nothing can be hidden from it. All people could never say that they had not heard God’s message. Having been clearly seen, the knowledge of the glory of God is known, so that people are without excuse.

In addition the Psalmist convinces his reader that nothing is more valuable than the law of God. They are perfect and more precious than Gold. By keeping them there is a great reward.

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^[1]Peter C. Craigie, vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 180.

^[2]Donald Williams and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, vol. 13, The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 13 : Psalms 1-72, Formerly The Communicator's Commentary, The Preacher's Commentary series (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1986), 158.

[3] Lawrence O. Richards, The Bible Readers Companion, electronic ed. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996), 354.

^[4]H. L. Willmington, Willmington's Bible Handbook (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997), 666.

^[5]James E. Smith, The Wisdom Literature and Psalms (Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co., 1996), Ps 18.

^[6]James Luther Mays, Publishers Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper's Bible Commentary (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1996, c1988), Ps 19:1.

^[7]The NKJV Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), Ps 19:1-6.

^[8]Peter C. Craigie, vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary : Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 179.

^[9]Ibid.

[10] Ibid, 181.