Psalm 104



This is a comparison of Akhenaten's Hymn to the Sun and Psalm 104 from the Bible. There are many striking similarities to be found in these works, leading many to believe that one was copied from the other - although which one copied from which depends largely on the individual. Christians and Jews often claim Akhenaten stole his Hymn to the Sun from the Israelites who were enslaved before and/or during his lifetime, while many historians believe the opposite to be true - that the Israelites lifted the hymn and applied it to their tribal god Yahweh.

It is interesting to note that not only is there little or no evidence of the Egyptian enslavement of Israelites, the Psalms were compiled long after the reign of Akhenaten - but more than that, Psalm 104 is the only place in the Bible to compare Yahweh to the sun. To say Yahweh "wears the light as a robe" and "makes the clouds [his] chariot," not to mention making his servants "flames of fire" is quite telling. Other Biblical passages say Yahweh created the sun, but never claim he is the sun. Furthermore, the Bible also states in Psalm 18:11 His[Yahweh's] covering he made the darkness, his pavilion dark waters and dense cloud. Yahweh is commonly depicted as hiding within the darkness, unseen - to show him as the sun itself is unusual indeed!

Regardless of your personal opinion, here are the most commonly compared parts. The Biblical translation I've chosen to use is the New Jerusalem Bible, one that I happen to prefer.


Hymn to the Aten Psalm 104

Your dawning is beautiful in the horizon of the sky,
O living Aten, Beginning of life!
When You rise in the Eastern horizon,
You fill every land with Your beauty.
You are beautiful, great, glittering, high above every land,
Your rays, they encompass the lands, even all that You have made. 		1 Bless Yahweh, my soul,
Yahweh, my God, how great you are!
Clothed in majesty and splendour,
2 wearing the light as a robe!
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
3 build your palace on the waters above,
You are Re, and You carry them all away captive;
You bind them by Your love.
Though You are far away, Your rays are upon the earth;
Though You are on high, Your footprints are the day. 		making the clouds your chariot,
gliding on the wings of the wind,
4 appointing the winds your messengers,
flames of fire your servants.
When You set in the western horizon of the sky,
The earth is in darkness like the dead; 		20 You bring on darkness, and night falls,
when all the forest beasts roam around;
They sleep in their chambers,
Their heads are wrapped up,
Their nostrils are stopped,
And none see the other,
While all their things are stolen
Which are under their heads,
And they know it not.
Every lion comes forth from his den,







21young lions roar for their prey,
asking God for their food.
All serpents, they Sting.
Darkness ...
The world is in silence,
He that made them resteth in his horizon.
Bright is the eareh when You risest in the horizon.
When You shinest as Aten by day
You drivest away the darkness.




The sun rises and away they steal,
back to their lairs to lie down,
When You sendest forth Your rays,
The Two Lands are in daily festivity,
Awake and standing upon their feet
When You have raised them up.
Their limbs bathed, they take their clothing,
Their arms uplifted in adoration to Your dawning.
(Then) in all the world they do their work.






23and man goes out to work,
to labour till evening falls.
All cattle rest upon their pasturage,
The trees and the plants flourish,
The birds flutter in their marshes,
Their wings uplifted in adoration to You. 		12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
All the sheep dance upon their feet,
All winged things fly,
They live when You have shone upon them.
The barques sail up-stream and down-stream alike.



26there ships pass to and fro,
and Leviathan whom you made to sport with.
Every highway is open because You dawn.
The fish in the river leap up before You.
You rays are in the midst of the great green sea.
Creator of the germ in woman,
Maker of seed in man,
Giving life to the son in the body of his mother,
Soothing him that he may not weep,
Nurse (even) in the womb,



29Turn away your face
and they panic;
Giver of breath
to animate every one that He makes! 		take back their breath
and they die and revert to dust.

When he comes forth from the body ...
on the day of his birth,


You open his mouth in speech,
You supply his necessities.

27 They all depend upon you,
to feed them when they need it.
28 You provide the food they gather,
your open hand gives them their fill.
they gather it up;
when You open Your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
When the fledgling in the egg chirps in the shell,
You give him breath therein to preserve him alive.
When You have brought him together
To (the point of) bursting it in the egg,
He comes forth from the egg
To chirp with all his might.
He goes about upon his two feet
When he has come forth from there.
How manifold are Your works!
They are hidden from before (us), 		24How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!