Psalm 71:19 Who is Like You?

LIKE YOU: ka-mohka from the adverb k’moh (Strong’s 3644).

I’ve been at this blog for a while now (since 2017) and I’ve spoken very little about Hebrew grammar. That will change this week. Hopefully that last sentence didn’t stop you in your tracks and you’re still reading. If you’re like many people, the word grammar makes you shudder, but actually it’s vital to understanding Hebrew text and translations.

For the next two weeks we’re going to take deeper dive into Psalm 71:19, breaking down the grammar and looking at two phrases within the verse. Here is the verse according to the NASB translation:

For Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; God, who is like You?

Translated hyper-literally (which doesn’t usually read well in English) this verse would read:

And Your righteousness, God, as far as the heights. You, who have made great. God, who is like?

The ancient Hebrew language relies on implied (or inferred) grammar. For example, there is no ancient Hebrew word for “is”, it is implied.  So the expectation is to understand the sentence as “God is as far as the heights”. 

The word “great” in this verse  is a plural adjective, but the noun is implied, so you would understand this as “You who have made great makings“ or perhaps easier on the English ear, “great things”.

The word “like” at the end of the verse is rendered as a second person masculine singular preposition, so the “You” is actually built into the Hebrew word with the suffix, ka.  

Taking these things into consideration, we can read the following as a literal (and more soothing to the English ear) translation:

And Your righteousness, God, [is] as far as the heights. You, who have made great [things]. God, who is like [You]?

This is a simple verse, but it packs a punch. It’s, in a way, a preface to YHWH’s character. There are many “gods” but who is like You? Who has righteousness that reaches to Your level?

Who is like You?

This week we’re going to look at the last part of Psalm 71:19: 

God, who is like You? [Elohim, mi ka-mohka  אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים מִ֣י כָמֹֽוךָ]

In the Ancient Near Eastern context, YHWH was represented as the One true God, the God above all gods. It feels strange, for us modern folk, to talk about ancient “gods” as real entities. But that is how they were referred to in the Biblical text. 

Other nations worshipped other gods. The Hebrew people were surrounded by neighbours who worshipped a large assemblage of pagan gods and goddesses, and many of them were named in the Bible: Ba’al (Canaanite), Moloch (Canaanite), Asherah  (Canaanite), Ashtoreth (Canaanite), Chemosh (Moabites), Dagon (Philistines), Tammuz (Assyrian), Adramalech (Assyrian), Nisroch (Assyrian), Astarte (Tyre & Sidon), Hadad (Assyro-Babylonian), Marduk (Babylonian).

The ancient reader experienced those pagan gods as real threats. They were active supernatural forces that were adversaries to YHWH and YHWH’s people. As a result the authors of the Bible repeatedly highlighted that YHWH was THE God amongst all the gods of the nations.

For example, after miraculously escaping Egypt, Moses sang a song of celebration to God:

Exodus 15:11-13 

“Who is like You [mi ka-mohka] among the gods, YHWH? Who is like You [mi ka-mohka], majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? You reached out with Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. In Your faithfulness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; in Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.”

Moses grew up in Egypt, and he was familiar with the huge cast of (approximately 2000) Egyptian gods. Moses, however, was not alone in his sentiment that God was (and is) the chief God amongst a sea of “lower-case” gods:

Psalm 86:8-10

[David:] There is no one like You [eyn ka-mohka] among the gods, Lord, nor are there any works like Yours. All nations whom You have made will come and worship before You, Lord, and they will glorify Your name. For You are great, and you do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

David’s main national opponent was the Philistines. They also had a multi-god religious system. As a result, David continually encouraged the Hebrew people to identify, not as David’s people but, as YHWH’s people:

1 Chronicles 17:20-22

[David:] YHWH, there is none like You [eyn ka-mohka], nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for You a name by great and awesome things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? For You have made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, YHWH, their God.

The prophet Micah was active during the years of the Assyrian invasion. Micah highlighted YHWH’s character as a compassionate and forgiving God… unlike any of the gods of foreign invaders:

Micah 7:18

Who is a God like You [mi el ka-mohka], who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Similarly, Jeremiah was a prophet during the years of Babylonian terror. In a time of such duress, Jeremiah used his literary voice to accentuate YHWH’s dominion: 

Jeremiah 10:6-7

There is none like You, YHWH [mey-eyn ka-mohka YHWH]; You are great, and Your name is great in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You [mey-eyn ka-mohka].

The ancient Hebrew people understood that there was a wide array of supernatural beings that could, potentially, hold power over them. YHWH, was not alone. He had a Divine Council (council of holy ones) and there were antagonist supernatural beings that followed the lead of ha-Satan (THE Adversary). But YHWH was the God of all beings, human and supernatural, good and bad. This was the God who created everything and He loved what He created. This was the true God with whom you should place your allegiance:

Psalm 89:6-8

[Ethan the Ezrahite:] For who in the skies is comparable to YHWH? Who among the sons of gods is like YHWH, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him? YHWH God of armies, who is like You, [YHWH Elohey tsabaoht, ki ka-mohka] mighty Yah? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

The One Unique God! The One Unique You!

What made this God above all gods unique? YHWH was unlike all the gods of the foreign nations. He chose to make a covenant and partner with humans, instead of dominate and control His people:

2 Chronicles 6:14

[Solomon:] “YHWH, God of Israel, there is no god like You [eyn ka-mohka] in heaven or on earth, keeping Your covenant and Your faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.”

YHWH also chose to make humans “in His likeness”, expecting them to reflect His love and goodness towards others:

Psalm 35:9-10

[David:] So my soul shall rejoice in YHWH; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones will say, “YHWH, who is like You [YHWH mi ka-mohka] [יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מֹ֥וךָ], who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, and the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”

Unlike the pagan gods, YHWH championed mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Instead of tearing down the weak and needy, He raised them up:

Psalm 113:4-9

YHWH is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like YHWH [mi ka-YHWH] our God, who is enthroned on high, who looks far down to the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap, to seat them with noblemen, with the noblemen of His people. He has the infertile woman live in the house as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah! (Hallelu-Yah!)

Here’s the beautiful thing. We were created to be YHWH’s image-bearers, which means, who is like us?! Each of us is a unique and cherished human being, made to love others and worship the One who gave us life. YHWH is the One True God, holding dominion over the entire world (celestial and terrestrial). He is worthy of your allegiance and you are worthy of His love!

Next week: On High