9:8 he alone spreads out the heavens,
and treads 1 on the waves of the sea; 2
93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, 3
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. 4
104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. 5
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels along on the wings of the wind. 6
1 tn Or “marches forth.”
2 tn The reference is probably to the waves of the sea. This is the reading preserved in NIV and NAB, as well as by J. Crenshaw, “Wÿdorek `al-bamote ‘ares,” CBQ 34 (1972): 39-53. But many see here a reference to Canaanite mythology. The marginal note in the RSV has “the back of the sea dragon.” The view would also see in “sea” the Ugaritic god Yammu.
3 tn Heb “mighty waters.”
4 tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the
5 tn Heb “one who lays the beams on water [in] his upper rooms.” The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 44-45.
6 sn Verse 3 may depict the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option is that the wind is personified as a cherub. See Ps 18:10 and the discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.