Psalm 89
According to MOSCA [Ugarit
and Daniel 7: A Missing Link,” Bib 67: 496-517] Psa 89 shares a common pattern
with the Ugaritic Baal myth and Dan 7, thereby serving as a link between the
two. He observed the following movement in Psa 89 that corresponds to the
Ugaritic Baal myth: (1) revolt and defeat of Yam (vs. 9, 10); (2) the storm god
moves to Zaphon (v. 12); (3) Baal’s enthronement (v. 14); and (4) the
proclamation and his kingship (v. 18) (1986: 509f). MOSCA furthermore indicated
a number of motifs that are shared [341] by Psa 89 and Dan 7 [342]. In a next
step he argued that the link between the Danielic “son of man” and the
Canaanite god Baal is found in Psa 89 in David, who is “invited to play” Baal
in v. 25, a passage with mythological overtones of “sea” and “river”: “I will
set his hands on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.” To support this
role of Daid in Psa 89 MOSCA (ibid. 512f) put forward additional parallels [343]
between Baal and David in Psa 89. [344] Comparing Dan 7 with Psa 89 Mosca noted
the following similarities: (1) references to David and the “son of man” are
both given in the context of a vision (Psa 89:19/Dan 7:13); (2) as David is
essentially passive and receives dominion from Yahweh, [345] so is the Danielic
“son of man” (Dan 7:14); (3) both passages mention the cloud, namely, the “enduring
witness in the clouds” and the “clouds of heavens” (Psa 89:37/Dan 7:13).
In a final section MOSCA argued
that Psa 8:2 reflects the Chaoskampf which links it with Psa 89 provides
with the “son of man” in v. 4, which is also conceived in royal terms, the
source of the Danielic expression “son of man”. As an additional parallel to
Dan 7 MOSCA referred to Psa 8:3: “When I look at your heavens”, i.e., the same
that Daniel was doing in his vision. [346] (Jürg Eggler, Influences and
Traditions Underlying the Vision of Daniel 7:2-14: The Research from the End of
the 19th Century to the Present [Orbis Biblicus et Orentalis 177; Göttingen:
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2000], 96-97)
Notes for the Above
[341] A clear differences is
however observed in the ideological bases: “For Yhwh in the hymn is no storm
god who must integrate himself into a complex. His authority is absolute, and
he rules the heavens (vv. 6-9), the sea (vv. 10-11), and the earth (vv. 12-13)
without rival. He has absorbed into himself the victory (vv. 10-11) and might
(v. 14) of Canaanite Baal, as well as the creative power (vv. 12-13) and authoritative
role in the divine council (vv. 6-8) usually associated with Canaanite El. In
Psalm 89 there is only one divine King” (Mosca 1976: 511).
[342] (1) the raging sea/the
stirred sea (Psa 89:9/Dan 7:2); (2) out of the sea come Rahab and other enemies/four
beasts (Psa 90:10/Dan 7:3); (3) israel’s horn is exalted/the fourth beasts’s
horn exalts itself (Psa 89:17/Dan 7:8); (4) the throne (Psa 89:14a/Dan 7:9,
10); (5) the divine council (Psa 89:507, 14b/Dan 7:10); (6) Rahab is cursed
like a corpse/the fourth beasts is killed and its corpse burnt (Psa 89:10/Dan
7:11); (7) other enemies are scattered/the other beasts remain dominionless
(Psa 89:10/Dan 7:12) (Ibid. 510)
[343] Discontinuity is visible in
the underlying ideology: David is not divine (vv. 19-27); David is not king, מלך,
but only “my servant” (vv. 3, 20); David does not win dominion but is only awarded
with it, while Yahweh is created for the victory (v. 26b) (ibid. 513f).
[344] (1) David is adopted by God,
who becomes “my father” (v. 26) and David “the first-born son” (v. 27)/Baal
refers to El as “my father” and is called “El’s son” (CTA 3.E.2; 43, 47-48);
(2) David’s title “most high” 9v. 27) corresponds to Baal’s epithet “most high”
(‘ly; CTA 16.3.6.8); (3) David’s dominion is eternal (vv. 28, 29, 36,
37) as is Baal’s (CTA 2.4.10); (4) “I will establish your offspring forever”
(Psa 89:4)/”El is king who established him” (CTA 3.E.44=4.4.48; cf. a similar
parallel for Psa 89:23 “No foe shall rise up”; in CTA 3.D.49-50 “No for has
risen up against Baal”; DAHOOD 1968 [Psalms II.51-100 AB 17]: 317)
[345] Cf. n. 343
[346] Cf. also p. 92 with n. 330.
