According to ancient traditions, Psalm 139 is the psalm attributed to Adam, the First Man.
While Psalm 139 is traditionally ascribed to David in its opening verse, certain interpretations, particularly within Jewish mystical and exegetical traditions, connect its profound themes to Adam's original experience and perception of creation.
The Attribution to Adam
The Midrash Shocher Tov, a collection of classical Midrashic texts on the Psalms, specifically states that Psalm 139 was composed by Adam. This attribution is based on several key aspects within the psalm's content:
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Allusions to Formation: Verses within Psalm 139 are seen to directly allude to the unique creation and formation of Adam. For instance:
- Verse 5: "You hemmed me in, behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me." This is interpreted as a description of Adam's formation from the dust of the earth and the breath of life given by God.
- Verse 16: "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." This verse is taken as a direct reference to Adam's initial state as an unformed entity, meticulously crafted and pre-ordained by the Divine.
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Themes of Divine Omnipresence and Omniscience: The psalm's pervasive themes of God's all-encompassing knowledge and presence align closely with Adam's initial, direct experience of the Creator in the Garden of Eden. Adam's unique position as the first human, directly formed by God, would naturally lead to a profound understanding of divine intimacy and oversight. The psalm expresses a deep awe and wonder at being known completely by God, from one's innermost thoughts to one's physical formation.
Understanding the Authorship
It is important to understand the nuance in this attribution. While the themes and ideas of Psalm 139 are considered to originate from Adam's profound insights and experiences, the actual words and literary form as found in the biblical text are generally understood to have been composed by King David. This suggests a transmission of ancient wisdom, where Adam's foundational understanding of the Divine became the conceptual bedrock upon which David later elaborated poetically. Thus, Adam is seen as the conceptual author, providing the spiritual essence, while David is the literal scribe who penned the text we know today.
