Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Hi Ted!

I'm a little confused: where do you see the mention of clouds in Ps 29? Or 
are you positing the interchangeability of 'clouds' with 'flood' on the basis 
of Ps 29 being similar to hymns to Baal, who is called Rider of the clouds? 
If you could clarify that, I could perhaps interact a little better.

Yahweh is indeed called the Rider of the clouds elsewhere (eg. Isa 19.1). But 
this is usually his mode of transport, rather than his dwelling place or 
throne. Ps 29 simply sees Yahweh as enthroned on/at/by a celestial sea, and 
this is the same body of water than inundates the earth in the flood 
narrative of Genesis. It's not clouds.

I understand how you're seeing metaphor and reality working in the Job text. 
My main question, though, is what leads you to put the division between 
metaphor and reality where you do. That is, why is the earth hanging in an 
ether reality while the pillars of the sky are not. I'm after clarification 
of your method here so that I can understand why you reach your conclusions.

Cheers!

GEORGE ATHAS
Dean of Research,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia