“Then Jonah
Went out of the city.
He sat down
East of the city.
He made a booth
For himself there.
He sat under it
In the shade.
He was waiting
To see
What would become
Of the city.”
Jonah then went outside Nineveh on the east side of the city to see what was going to happen. He made a tent or a booth to get some shade from the sun. He sat there awaiting the eventual future of the city of Nineveh.
“On that day,
I will raise up
The booth of David
That is fallen.
I will repair
Its breaches.
I will raise up
Its ruins.
I will rebuild it
As in the days of old.
Thus,
They may possess
The remnant of Edom.
They may possess
All the nations
Who are called
By my name.’
Says Yahweh
Who does this.”
This oracle of Yahweh might be a later addition. However, it asked for the restoration of the Davidic rule. Yahweh wanted the fallen booth or tent of David to be restored, since it needed to be repaired. Yahweh was going to raise up the ruins of that dynasty, so that it would be like the good old days. Then Israel would possess whatever was left over of Edom. Just like at the time of David, the other neighbors of Israel would come under the rule of Israel. Thus, there was an allusion to the other countries who were called by the name of Yahweh. Yahweh had said this, now he was going to do it.
“My dwelling is plucked up.
My dwelling is removed from me
Like a shepherd’s tent.
Like a weaver,
I have rolled up my life.
He cuts me off from the loom.
From day to night,
You bring me to an end.
I cry for help
Until morning.
Like a lion,
He breaks all my bones.
From day to night,
You bring me to an end.
I clamor
Like a swallow,
Like a crane.
I moan
Like a dove.
My eyes are weary
With looking upward.
O Lord!
I am oppressed!
Be my security!
But what can I say?
He has spoken to me.
He himself has done it.
All my sleep has fled.
Because of the bitterness of my soul.”
Second Isaiah has King Hezekiah suffering a lot. He has lost his dwelling so that all he has is a tent, like a shepherd. His life has been rolled up so that he is like a weaver who cannot get to his loom. He suffers both day and night as he cries all night. His bones are broken as if from a lion’s attack. He clamors like a swallow or a crane and moans like a dove. He is weary from looking up. He wanted Yahweh to be his security because he was oppressed. What can he say? Yahweh has told him about what he has done to him. He cannot sleep because of his bitter soul. This king is depressed.
“Bless Yahweh!
O my soul!
Yahweh!
My God!
You are very great!
You are clothed with honor!
You are clothed with majesty!
You are wrapped in light
As with a garment!
You stretch out the heavens
Like a tent!
You set the beams of your chambers
On the waters!
You make the clouds your chariot!
You ride on the wings of the wind!
You make the winds your messengers!
Fire and flame are your ministers!”
Psalm 104 is a hymn to Yahweh as creator that does not have a title. However, it follows the cosmology of creation as in Genesis, chapter 1. This psalm continues with the idea of blessing Yahweh. The psalmist’s soul is to bless the great Yahweh. Yahweh is clothed with garments of honor, majesty, and light. Yahweh had stretched out the heavens like a tent. This was the classic view of creation with the beams set in the waters. The clouds were his chariots so that Yahweh rode on the wings of the winds. The winds and fires were ministering to Yahweh.
“Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
The Most High is your habitation.
No evil shall befall you.
No scourge shall come near your tent.”
Going back to the first verses, due to the fact that Yahweh is your refuge and the Most High your habitation, no evil shall come to you. No scourge will come near to your tent. You are safe because of God.
“Lead me to the rock
That is higher than I.
You are my refuge.
You are a strong tower
Against the enemy.
Let me live in your tent forever!
Let me find refuge
Under the shelter of your wings!”
Selah
David wanted to be led to a high rock. God was his refuge like a strong tower against his enemies. He wanted to live forever in the tent of God. He wanted to find refuge in a shelter under the wings of God. This idea of the wings of God as shelter is quite common. The reference to a tent is probably a reference to the temple which is far away. This section ends with a musical interlude meditative pause, a Selah.
“You love all words that devour.
O deceitful tongue!
But God will break you down forever.
He will snatch you.
He will tear you from your tent.
He will uproot you from the land of the living.”
Selah
This boastful man, probably Saul, loved devouring words since he had a deceitful tongue. However, God would break him down forever. He would be snatched and torn from his tent. He was going to be sent to death, leaving the land of the living. This section also ends with a meditative musical interlude pause, a Selah.
“Now my head is lifted up above.
My enemies are all around me.
I will offer in his tent
Sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing.
I will make melody to Yahweh.”
David’s head was lifted above all his enemies who were all around him. He was going to offer sacrifices in the tent or Temple of Yahweh. He was going to sing and make melody to Yahweh. However, the problem was that only the Levites and priests could make the sacrifices in the Temple. David was not a Levite.
“Job again took up his discourse.
He said.
‘O that I were as in the months of old.
As in the days when God watched over me,
When his lamp shone over my head,
By his light I walked through darkness.
As I was in my prime,
When the friendship of God was upon my tent,
When the Almighty Shaddai was still with me,
When my children were around me,
When my steps were washed with milk,
The rock poured out for me streams of oil!’”
Now it is back to the old complaining Job. Once again this is a solemn discourse, not a mere complaint with his friends. This time he was reminiscing about the “good old days.” God was watching over him as his head had something like a lamp around it. Job was able to walk through darkness because God liked him in his tent. He was in the prime years of his life. The friendship of the almighty Shaddai was still with him. His children were all around him. His steps were washed with milk, while oil gushed out of rocks. In other words, these were metaphors for the fact that he was prosperous and happy.
“It was also in the same document
Writing that the prophet,
Having received an oracle,
Ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him.
He went out to the mountain
Where Moses had gone up.
He had seen the inheritance of God.
Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling.
He brought the tent there
With the ark and the altar of incense.
Then he sealed up the entrance.
Some of those who followed him
Came up intending to mark the way,
But they could not find it.
When Jeremiah learned of it,
He rebuked them and declared.
‘The place shall be unknown
Until God gathers his people together again
Until God shows his mercy.
Then the Lord will disclose these things.
The glory of the Lord
And the cloud will appear.
As they were shown in the case of Moses,
And as Solomon asked
That the place should be specially consecrated.’”
Once again, this letter refers to the Epistle of Jeremiah. However, this reference to Jeremiah is more about not being enticed by the idols of the gods that they will see in captivity. This implies that Jeremiah went to Mount Sinai to get the tent of Moses. He then hid it with the Ark of the Covenant and the altar of incense in some cave that was sealed. No one would know about this cave until the end of time when God would gather all his people. Here then is a hint of eschatology, the end times. People tried to find this cave but were unable to do so. King Solomon also had the Ark of the Covenant passed around. The glory and the cloud are how God appeared to Moses.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 