‘God as Creator and Sovereign’ : The Intertextual Relationship of Psalm 33 with the Book of Isaiah

Abstract

Psalm 33 is generally known for its anthological style, as it seems to have borrowed words, phrases, and motifs from other biblical texts and combined them in the psalm. Its so-called anthological style has been commonly considered as a random patchwork that was cobbled together. Is Ps 33 simply a random mixture without a lack of originality? Among scholarship, several views on Ps 33 have been suggested, yet a consensus has not been reached. The aim of this paper is to elucidate that Ps 33 is a purposefully constructed hymn that draws upon themes and motifs from other biblical texts. This paper thus attempts to investigate Ps 33, especially in reference to the creation theme, by reading it through the lens of its network of intertextual associations between Ps 33 and Isaiah, in particular Isa 40-55. This paper first deals with the past studies of Ps 33 and then examines the major themes and motifs in Ps 33 through Hebrew poetic analysis, in particular the syntactic and semantic analysis. Based on this poetic analysis, this study explores the network of intertextual connections between Ps 33 and Isaiah in order to acquire a synoptic vision that aids in understanding the creation theme in Ps 33. It would seem that Ps 33 elaborates the creation theme in conjunction with several thematic components in the book of Isaiah (e.g., God’s word, God’s counsel, God’s saving power, the hopeful waiting, and etc.), thereby conveying that God is not only a creator who created the universe, but also a sovereign king who continues to preserve and rule over all creation. In other words, creation in Ps 33 is not restricted to the original creation (creatio prima), but rather is extended to the concept of God’s ongoing activities to rule and preserve creation (creatio continua or gubernatio mundi), thereby bringing it toward new creation (creatio nova) as his ultimate goal. In a summary, this study has demonstrated that by echoing several motifs and themes in Isaiah, in particular Isa 40-55, Ps 33 develops the creation theme in order to comfort God’s people, who were in an exilic or post-exilic community, and encourage them to trust in and wait in hope for the Lord as not only creator, but also sovereign king over all creation.