Compensation Management/Religious Organizations

1. Compensation Management

Overview

Read the article “What Gets Measured, Gets Managed” by Witman (2018) located in the assigned Module: Week’s Learn section.

Describe how the Wells Fargo community bank incentive plan resulted in unethical and  in most cases, illegal behavior. How did the program objective (8 products per customer) contribute to the misbehavior of employees? Do you think that incentives for  higher ranking employees (i.e. executives of the community bank) played a part in the depth and scope of the problems? Thinking more broadly, the plan started in 2003 and  did not become exposed as a problem until late 2016. What role could the compensation group have played in minimizing the likelihood of cheating to earn incentives when structuring the plan? Finally, what is HR (Comp and Benefits) moral and ethical responsibility when designing such plans?

Instructions

Respond to the discussion questions provided. Each assignment requires 5 full pages and at least 5 scholarly, resources to substantiate your position in your answer. You must carefully read the requirements below noting the expectations beforehand. These exercises are meant to foster your comprehensive research and writing skills.

The specific requirements are as follows:

As a graduate student, the expectation is quite high for your required quality and effort. Your work must be written near the standard and quality of journals and other published materials.

Cover page, abstract, reference page, and appendices do not count toward the minimum page length requirement.

At least 5 scholarly sources are required.

Use the current APA manual to ensure that you correctly cite your sources and quotations.

The use of sources such as Wikipedia, Investopedia, blogs, personal, consulting or corporate websites are discouraged and will not count toward the required 5 references.

Use of term paper or solutions-type websites is not allowed and will be treated according to the terms of academic honesty requirements.

Do not write in question/answer format (e.g., Using each question as a heading or sub-heading in your paper); you will receive an automatic 30% deduction if you do. Instead, use the questions to guide and form your paper.

Note: Meeting the minimum specifications will result in the minimum passing grade. You are expected to provide an in-depth, analytical review of the topic. Assignments that do not meet the minimum criteria will not receive a passing grade.

2. Cosmogony & Anthropology

(700 WORD BOOK REVIEW)

(KATE TURABIAN FORMAT)

(FOOTNOTES ARE A MUST)

(REFERENCE PAGE IS A MUST)

(ARTICLE IS ATTACHED BELOW)

Write a 700-word book review for the below textbooks as concisely as possible. Book reviews should include the following: understanding/comprehension of the content, analysis that includes the strengths and weaknesses of the book, and relevance or application of the book to your ministry context  or life. Include as much substance as possible, even while you remove every shred of excess. The goal for your writing should be “lucid brevity.”

Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
Teaching Case
“What Gets Measured, Gets Managed”
The Wells Fargo Account Opening Scandal
Paul D. Witman
School of Management
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA
pwitman@callutheran.edu
ABSTRACT
Wells Fargo & Co.’s Community Banking unit had enjoyed a strong, positive reputation for decades. Wells Fargo, as a whole,
had avoided most of the problems of the 2008 financial crisis, only to stumble into its own crisis in late 2016. The Community
Banking unit was accused of opening millions of unauthorized accounts, firing employees for violating policy without addressing
the root causes of those violations, and failing to detect and prevent these sorts of issues before they became widespread. Impact
on consumers was widely varied, from new checking accounts that sometimes caused no significant impact, to new credit
accounts that generated fees and caused negative impacts on consumer credit scores. How did the bank’s approach to information
management contribute to this problem? What could the bank have done differently to detect, respond to, and prevent future
instances of improper account opening? What does the bank need to do going forward to prevent future problems and regain
customer trust?
Keywords: Corporate governance, Information for decision-making, Risk management, Audit, Cross-selling, Ethics
1. OVERVIEW
Another key gauge of how we are satisfying the needs
of our customers is how many products they have with
us. In fourth quarter 2013, the average Retail Bank
household had 6.16 Wells Fargo products, up from
6.05 in fourth quarter 2012. (Wells Fargo, 2014, p. 7)
Wells Fargo Corporation CEO John Stumpf was often
cited as using the slogan “eight is great,” encouraging
employees to get the average customer “product” count for a
customer to eight (Garrett, 2016). “Products” in the Wells
Fargo culture referred to all types of banking and credit
accounts, as well as other services. More products translated
into more information about the customer, which would in
turn lead to higher profitability.
Wells Fargo Corporation is a large U.S.-based banking
company with operations in consumer, business, and
investment banking. Their branch banking operation (the
“Community Bank”) has branches in over 35 states and,
through the years 2010-2015, was one of the engines of
perceived growth for the company. One of the key metrics that
Wells Fargo tracked and reported was “products per
household,” which they used as a way of tracking the breadth
of their relationship with their customers. To help drive
growth of this number, for each of its branch employees,
Wells Fargo tracked the number of new “products” that person
opened for their customers, including ATM cards, savings and
checking accounts, credit cards, mortgages, etc. Incentives and
disincentives were tied to how well these branch employees
performed in relation to their new product sales goals
(Independent Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017).
It’s reasonable to ask, if profitability is the fundamental
goal, why were Wells Fargo employees not directly measured
on customer profitability? This question will be explored later
in this case study. It’s also a good practice to ensure that
metrics and incentives are properly aligned with corporate
goals. Kerr (1995) notes that incenting particular behaviors,
while expecting different behaviors, is both common and
dangerous.
Wells Fargo’s organization structure, particularly related
to the Community Bank, is shown in Figure 1. Note that
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Figure 1. Wells Fargo Organization Chart
(Wells Fargo Reports, as of September 2016)
Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
the Community Bank had its own auditing and risk
management units. Those had solid line (direct) reporting
relationships to the head of the Community Bank and dotted
line (indirect) relationships to their respective corporate units.
The long-term impact of this scandal is not yet clear.
Immediate impacts included lower traffic in the bank’s
branches and fewer new accounts and deposits from
consumers. And, at least in the short term, large organizations
have pulled their business from Wells Fargo’s corporate
banking division. These include the states of California and
Illinois, who froze their business dealings with the bank
(Glazer, 2016). Some cities have also reduced or eliminated
their business ties to Wells Fargo, in part because of the new
account scandal, but also due to other concerns such as
funding for socially unfavorable projects (Chappell, 2017).
Scandals don’t often appear overnight. John Stumpf’s
predecessor created the phrase “eight is great,” doubling the
number of products per customer that the bank hoped to sell
(McLean, 1998). The “Jump into January” sales campaign,
which particularly ramped up pressure in the first month of
each year, started in 2003. Significant volumes of “bad
behavior” didn’t start surfacing until 2011, and the scandal
itself became fully public in 2016 (Independent Directors –
Wells Fargo, 2017).
In addition to published reports, this case study includes
comments from three former Wells Fargo employees (names
changed):
•
•
•
Lawrence, a teller with the Community Bank for five
months in 2015
Bernie, who started as a teller and became a branch
manager for over five years starting in 2009
Sam, an information technology executive with two
different banking units over an eight year period
All three shared their perspectives based on the published
reports and their own experiences. All had left Wells Fargo
before the story became public, and each separately expressed
surprise that it had taken so long for the scandal to become
public.
2. TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS BACKGROUND
2.1 Key Terms
Key terms relevant to the case include banking, cross-selling,
profitability, culture, ethics, incentives, risk, and metrics.
Understanding these terms is important to grasping the impact
of information and of decisions made by the various
participants in these situations.
Banking: The banking industry is responsible for a variety
of financial management functions, most fundamentally
including taking deposits from customers for safe-keeping and
earning interest and making loans to customers to support
those customers’ financial needs (Investopedia.com, N.D.).
Cross-selling: The process of leveraging an existing
relationship with a customer to attempt to provide that
customer with additional goods and services. In banking, that
often means opening additional accounts or providing
additional services, like ATM cards, online banking, or
financial planning (Investopedia.com, N.D.).
Profitability: At a corporate level, this refers to the overall
balance between income and expenses. At the individual
customer and business unit levels, profitability attempts to
capture the same principle, but reflects the necessity in some
cases to estimate the actual income and expense that are
attributable to a specific customer or business unit
(Investopedia.com, N.D.).
Metrics: These are measurable values pertaining to
business operations that can be counted and reported on a
monthly, weekly, daily, and even continuous basis. The
objective of capturing and reporting metrics is usually to help
the organization focus on accomplishing goals that its
management has deemed to be important to achieve, including
high-level goals of revenue and profitability, as well as finergrained goals related to things like customer service, sales
results, etc. (Investopedia.com, N.D.)
Culture: Corporate culture refers to the beliefs, values, and
behaviors that govern how employees of a company interact
with each other and with outsiders, including customers and
suppliers. Sometimes this is explicitly documented; more
often at least some aspects of a corporate culture are tacitly
defined, but not explicitly documented (Tayan, 2016).
Ethics: A system of moral and social principles that in
business are used to guide interactions among employees and
between employees and other stakeholders, such as customers
(Investopedia.com, N.D.).
Incentives: In managing employee behavior, incentives are
often used to encourage or discourage particular behaviors or
results. Done well, incentives support positive aspects of
corporate culture and encourage behaviors that lead to positive
business outcomes (Kerr, 1995).
Risk and risk management: Risk refers to the uncertainty
of various events happening – both good and bad. Most
commonly, risk management focuses on “downside” risk – the
risk that unfavorable events or results will take place. In
banking, this takes a number of forms – risk of fraud, risk of
borrowers not paying back a loan, etc. Risk management
includes the tasks of identifying risks, estimating probabilities
of occurrence, and determining likely impacts. It also includes
the function of identifying and assessing steps that might
mitigate either the risk of occurrence or of the impact
(Investopedia.com, N.D.).
2.2 Rationale for Product Sales Goals
Sam, the IT executive, said that Wells Fargo had an intense
corporate focus on sales and especially cross-selling, referring
to that as Wells Fargo’s “sacred cow.” He pointed out that
even the IT organizations were part of the process, as the IT
systems were required to capture and report sales-related
metrics.
The Community Bank had a somewhat arbitrary goal of
eight products per customer. (For the purposes of this case
study, products and accounts are used somewhat
interchangeably, with products being a more general term that
includes ATM cards, online banking, and other services.) The
rationale for this target is shown in Figures 2 and 3, below.
Figure 2 indicates that the propensity of customers to add
new products goes up the more products they have. So more
products are a self-sustaining path – if customers join the bank
and can be persuaded to add more products, that increases the
chances that they’ll add even more products in the future
(Tayan, 2016).
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Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
settlement with two federal financial regulatory agencies and
the City of Los Angeles and agreed to a penalty of US$185
million.
This practice of creating accounts to meet key metrics
conflicted with systems that the bank itself had put in place to
prevent this type of issue:
•
•
Figure 2. Products per Customer vs. Future Purchases
(Tayan, 2016, p. 8)
But in the larger picture, why are more products a good
thing? It appears that customers with more products are more
profitable to the bank, as shown in Figure 3. The base level of
profitability, a customer with three products, is profitable to a
certain extent. A customer with five products, though, is
believed to be three times more profitable than the threeproduct customer.
There are many reasons for this effect. For example,
customers with more accounts tend to be “stickier” and stay
with the bank longer, so the bank doesn’t need to spend
marketing dollars to replace them. In addition, customers with
more products tend to give the bank a higher “share of wallet”
so that the bank can earn additional revenue on those deposits
or loans (Witman and Roust, 2008). Finally, the additional
information provided by the products gives the bank better
information with which to make decisions on how to interact
with the customer.
Figure 3. Retail Banking Profit per Customer
(Tayan, 2016, p. 8)
3. TIMELINE OF EVENTS
3.1 The Scandal Becomes Public
In September of 2016, it was revealed that Wells Fargo
employees had been systematically opening new accounts that
customers had not authorized. In many cases, the accounts
were opened and then closed a few days later, but often the
accounts stayed open for weeks or months, and often without
the customer’s knowledge. Wells Fargo announced a
•
Customers were to be notified when new accounts
were opened for them.
o In many cases, employees would modify the
notification address and phone information so that
the customer would not be alerted.
New deposit accounts needed to have funds deposited
into them for the accounts to stay active.
o Employees would often move funds to those
accounts temporarily, then move the money back.
Many customers didn’t notice the opening of the
accounts or the funds movement on their
statements. This was a practice known as
“simulated funding.”
Auditors reviewed new accounts periodically.
o However, access to records by corporate-level
auditors was limited by the Community Bank
management.
The bank also had systems in place to measure results,
often in terms of new accounts opened, at the staff member,
branch, and regional levels. And while simply measuring and
reporting results can affect behavior, Wells Fargo also had
strong management motivations in place aimed at reinforcing
the task of meeting or exceeding the metrics. The metrics were
deliberately tough to meet, referred to as “50-50” goals, with
senior managers expecting that only 50% of branches would
be able to meet the goals.
Bernie, the former branch manager, said that his branch
goals were clearly tough to meet – the goals had been set
based on prior year results, which included a one-time
increase in branch activity. In addition, each of his two
personal bankers (a rank above teller) had a goal of 8 product
sales per day, but the branch’s goal was for 25 sales per day –
9 more than his two personal bankers were expected to
produce. When he asked, he was told to “figure it out” – meet
the numbers “without regard” to other considerations.
Individual personal bankers were assessed by their
managers, usually several times per day, on how many
accounts they had opened that day, that week, and that month.
Lawrence said that tellers were measured on their compliance
with scripted talking points and metrics for referrals for
product sales. Their results were compared to their individual
goals and their contribution to the branch’s goals. Meeting or
exceeding goals might be rewarded with cash incentives of
$250-800. But failing to meet goals was often met with
threatened and actual penalties – demotion and termination
among them, primarily for personal bankers (the lowest-level
staff), but also for branch managers and others up the
management chain.
Measurement and incentive programs continued up the
organization chart to include the branch and regional
management teams. They would have weekly, sometimes
daily, conference calls to check on results, and it was
important to the managers to have good numbers to report.
Further up the organizational chain, though, at the senior
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Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
management levels, incentives were tied less to the immediate
achievements and more toward longer-term results.
3.1.1 Ethics rules: The bank had ethics rules in place that
could and should have prevented the actions in this scandal
(Tayan, 2016). Indeed, the first statements from the CEO,
John Stumpf, just days after the scandal broke in September
2016, indicated that the problem was employees who didn’t
live up to the bank’s culture and ethical standards: “if they’re
not going to do the thing that we ask them to do – put
customers first, honor our vision and values – I don’t want
them here” (Glazer and Rexnode, 2016).
In addition to the bank’s ethical standards (their Code of
Ethics and Business Conduct), the bank provided a hotline for
employees to call to report ethical concerns. The company’s
2015 annual report notes that “We require all team members
to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and business
conduct” (Wells Fargo, 2015), and employees are encouraged
to call the EthicsLine anonymous tip line to report suspected
ethical violations (Independent Directors – Wells Fargo,
2017). Bernie’s experience flew in the face of this statement;
he said that his experiences with Human Resources led him to
believe that HR leaned more toward meeting the goals than
doing it ethically.
3.1.2 Egregious abuses: Between 2011 and 2016, Wells
Fargo terminated many people for failing to meet goals
(amounting to 1% of its workforce every year). Wells Fargo
terminated an additional 5,300 of its 110,000+ employees for
abusing the account opening process. In addition, in some
cases it is alleged to have terminated (often on fake charges)
and “blacklisted” employees from the financial industry if the
employee had complained about the sales goals or made
allegations of improper conduct (Associated Press, 2017). Yet
it did not change the fundamental measurements that seem
likely to have triggered the misbehavior by those employees.
3.1.3 Business value: Wells Fargo, as part of its annual
reports, told its shareholders that having many accounts with
each household would ensure that it would be the “primary”
bank for that household, and thus have a strong and longlasting relationship. In many cases, though, because so many
of these accounts and products (a total of at least 3.5 million
new accounts over 6 years (Stempel, 2017)) were never used,
and often charged no fees, the bank found itself spending staff
time to open the account, to cover up the opening, to fund the
account, and perhaps later to close the account. And if a
customer noticed an issue and complained, bank staff would
spend time to resolve the issue and perhaps compensate the
customer by reimbursing any fees paid.
Bernie recounted a conversation with a state-level
executive who touted the sales of over 1 million products
during a particular reporting period, and that about 250,000
were still open at the end of that period. This indicates that
around 75% of the products sold had not been kept by the
customers.
The net effect of these fraudulently opened products was
generally not a financial gain for the bank, but merely a win
for staff metrics and shareholder reporting. The reported total
fees claimed by the bank related to these fraudulent accounts
was only $2.6 million. Even the credit card accounts, which
often had fees associated with them, were worth relatively
little revenue to the bank if the consumer did not actively use
the card. As a result, the bank’s incentive system seems to
have provoked behavior that was not beneficial to any of its
stakeholders – customers, employees, management, or
shareholders.
3.2 Elements of the Scandal
3.2.1 Sales pressure: Branch staff, both tellers and personal
bankers, many of whom earned near the minimum wage, were
often under significant pressure to “sell” products – to open
new accounts or provide new services. This pressure came not
just in the form of the potential for earning incentives, but also
in pressure from managers to produce or risk losing their jobs.
All branch staff, and particularly personal bankers, were
viewed to a great extent by the bank as sales people,
responsible for “selling” a certain volume of new products in a
particular time period. Branch, district, and regional managers
would often hold conference calls on a daily or more-frequent
basis to check on the progress against that day’s goals,
increasing pressure on the line employees.
As an example, one Wells Fargo customer had two
accounts opened, one for each of his two great-grandchildren.
Some years later, the account owner discovered a total of
twelve accounts, rather than the original two, with ten of the
accounts empty and dormant.
Not surprisingly, competition even without explicit
incentives can be a strong motivator. Shelley Freeman was the
Lead Regional President for Florida from 2009-2013. She
went a step further to add pressure, routinely exhorting her
staff to do better by calling out her region’s performance
relative to the other regions, and encouraging them to do what
it takes to be ranked first among the Wells Fargo regions.
•
•
Why would something as simple as a conference call
be perceived as raising pressure on staff, particularly
to do things that are disallowed by the corporate ethics
policies?
How could senior managers better balance the
importance of meeting sales goals with the importance
of doing quality work and meeting ethical standards?
3.2.2 Employee turnover rates: One common indication of
an organization’s health is the rate of staff turnover – how
many employees are leaving an organization in a given period
of time. Employee departures can be for a number of reasons:
resignations, firings for failure to meet quotas, firings for
failure to comply with ethics rules, geographic moves, staffing
level adjustment, and others. Most critical in this case is the
number of staff departures due to resignations and due to
failure to meet quotas or to comply with ethics rules.
Bernie commented on the high turnover rate as a common
phenomenon at Wells Fargo. He also noted that turnover
allowed his rapid ascent in the organization – from teller to
service manager in just 18 months.
When the scandal became public in 2016, Wells Fargo
reported that over 5,300 employees had been terminated for
failure to comply with corporate ethics rules (specifically,
customer consent requirements). Only nine of these
terminations were for management staff above the branch
manager level. The rates of these types of terminations varied
by region, with California, Arizona, and Florida ranking
highest in terms of numbers of allegations of violations and in
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Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
terms of numbers of resignations or terminations due to those
violations. Wells Fargo recorded information about the stated
reason for each departure so that it had a way to count how
many departures were related to ethics issues or to failure to
perform up to standards.
•
•
When do employee departures represent a problem for
a company? What criteria could have enabled Wells
Fargo to detect this symptom of the problem and see
the bigger issue it represented?
If you were in charge of Human Resources at Wells
Fargo, what type of data would you want to be
reported so that you could detect this or similar
problems?
3.2.3 “Jump into January” and 1Q sales goals: In 2003,
Wells Fargo’s Community Bank created its “Jump into
January” sales campaign to help start sales off strong in the
first month of the year. Daily sales targets were set higher in
January, and management emphasized these higher goals and
rewarded staff who were able to meet them. Staffers reported
that they were asked by managers to identify friends and
family for whom they might open accounts in January. They
also reported that they frequently “sandbagged” – holding
back accounts they could have opened in December, so that
they had more new sales to start with in January (Independent
Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017, p. 21).
Senior managers at the bank observed the risk that the
Jump program created in adding more sales pressure to the
first month of the year. However, Division President Carrie
Tolstedt was reluctant to end the program because she was
“scared to death” that such a change would impact sales
throughout the year (Independent Directors – Wells Fargo,
2017, p. 25). Instead, in 2013, she replaced Jump into January
with a new program called “Accelerate,” which ostensibly
focused more on customer experience and spread the
measurement out beyond January to the first three months of
the year. However, some employees viewed “Accelerate” as
more of a name change and a longer time span, but no real
change in direction or methods from “Jump.”
•
•
•
Is sandbagging a problem in and of itself? Does the act
of moving a legitimate sale from one month to another
constitute a problem? Why or why not?
Are there advantages to starting off a measurement
period with strong numbers? How could the advantage
of a strong start help to manage performance
throughout the entire time period? Are there
disadvantages as well?
What could the bank have done instead to start the
year off strong without creating undue sales pressure?
3.2.4 Selling to family members and staff: Many Wells
Fargo staff members, in the push to meet daily quotas, would
often open accounts in the name of friends or family members.
As noted previously, idle accounts often had little direct and
immediate impact on the account holder, as long as there were
no fees. As one example, cited by the board’s investigative
report, “a branch manager had a teenage daughter with 24
accounts, an adult daughter with 18 accounts, a husband with
21 accounts, a brother with 14 accounts, and a father with 4
accounts” (Independent Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017, p. 36).
This highlights the pressure not just on line employees, but on
managers as well.
Both Bernie and Lawrence reported accounts being
opened for them without their consent. Lawrence had four
unauthorized accounts, including a credit card, before he left
the bank after five months. The credit card was intercepted or
sent to an incorrect address, as he never received it. Bernie had
five products, including credit protection services with a
monthly fee. He noticed that each month a personal banker
would manually credit the monthly fee back to his account.
The relatively higher targets of the “Jump into January”
campaign seemed to provoke some of this behavior, with
employees stating that they were asked to identify friends and
family for whom they could open accounts as soon as January
began. In addition, friends and family were a relatively easy
sales target for many employees throughout the year. It was
also alleged that at least one district-level manager taught
employees how to hide the family relationship in the online
systems that the bank used to try to detect such activity.
•
•
•
Was this behavior really “wrong”? What if the family
members agreed to these new accounts? Does it
violate reasonable ethical standards?
What additional controls could Wells Fargo have used
to detect and respond to family-based account
openings?
What characteristics of the new product sales metric
provoked selling to family and friends?
3.2.5 Selling to vulnerable populations: Part of the role of a
regulatory system is to protect vulnerable members of society
from abuses by powerful entities, like corporations. In
incenting its staff to open accounts to protect their own jobs
(and management’s), Wells Fargo arguably triggered
behaviors that were particularly egregious. Wells Fargo staff
reportedly went beyond opening accounts for family members.
In many cases, they “sold” an account as requiring a different
type of account to go with it, or added additional accounts to a
new customer’s records after the customer had left the bank
office. Often, this behavior took place with customers who
were not native English speakers or who were elderly. Some
of these new accounts were “harmless” – no fees or direct
impact to customers. But multiple accounts, particularly
unused credit lines, can have a negative impact on a credit
report and can be an avenue for fraud and other risks
(MyFICO.com, N.D.).
At some branches, Wells Fargo employees reported that
they would routinely go out to locations frequented by day
laborers and pay each of them a small sum to come back to the
bank branch and open accounts (Payne, 2017). The laborers
often spoke little English and did not understand what they
were signing up for. In many cases, this exposed the laborers
to monthly or annual fees and other obligations to the bank. If
the laborers were undocumented, this could also have
increased their immigration enforcement risk.
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•
What information could Wells Fargo have captured
(or would you expect it already had) that could have
helped it to detect this issue?
Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
3.2.6 Funding rates: Numbers of new accounts were one
target metric, but Wells Fargo seemed to have recognized that
an empty or unused account was likely not a particularly
profitable one. The bank had controls and metrics in place that
periodically measured what they called the “funding rate” –
the percentage of new accounts that showed some evidence of
being used by their owners. Most commonly, for deposit
accounts, this was measured by the percentage of accounts
that had money moved or deposited into them and for that
money to remain there for a period of time (Independent
Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017, p. 21).
There are certainly reasons why a customer might open an
account and then not fund or otherwise use it. The bank might
have offered an incentive of some sort to open the account or
the account might have been created for a future need.
However, the bank used this metric, across the bank and by
region, to assess the “quality” of its sales. Lower funding rates
generally indicated lower quality of sales.
The bank noticed that its funding rate was significantly
lower in some parts of the country than in others, and that the
funding rates had declined over time, even as far back as 2012.
Bank staff were also reported to have “simulated” funding of
an account by moving funds from another of the customer’s
accounts for a short period of time, and then moving the
money back.
•
•
•
In January of 2017, Wells Fargo announced their new
metrics and incentives program which eliminated specific
sales quotas. The incentives also focused on customer
satisfaction, was more team-based (at least for entry-level
staff), and carried more of an oversight function to ensure
proper behavior. Wells Fargo hoped that this new incentive
program would encourage the correct behaviors while
discouraging the bad behaviors that precipitated the scandal.
What metrics might be applied to other “products” to
ensure that they were being used? Consider products
like ATM cards, debit cards, and credit cards?
How could the bank have detected these “simulated
funding” incidents?
How could the bank have responded to the reduced
funding rate?
3.2.7 Metrics tracking and changes: Based on its
fundamental target of eight products per customer, Wells
Fargo relied on the relatively simple target metric of counting
the total number of products sold to each customer, averaged
over the customer base. This metric was advanced by
encouraging new sales of products to existing customers on
the assumption that additional products would bring the bank
more information about each customer as well as a larger
“share of wallet” (proportion of the customer’s total banking
business).
While these metrics worked for several years (at least
1998 to the mid-2000s), the evidence that they began to break
down started to appear in 2005. More serious issues became
visible in specific regions with particularly strong pushing of
the sales goals. Ultimately, the scandal emerged with the
revelation of millions of unauthorized accounts and thousands
of employees fired for improper activity, with many more
fired for failing to meet sales goals or, allegedly, for raising
ethical concerns.
Wells Fargo measured not just product sales, but also tried
to incorporate some assessment of product profitability. For
example, Bernie noted that a home equity line of credit
(HELOC) counted for a much higher score than a standard
checking account. He also noted that he had observed personal
bankers selling HELOC accounts to people who had very
recently bought homes. The home would likely have little
accumulated equity, and the account would likely be closed
soon after, but the banker got “credit” for the HELOC sale.
Figure 4. Wells Fargo Incentive Metrics Compared
(Wells Fargo, 2017)
•
•
•
What was wrong with just measuring sales and also
holding employees to a high ethical standard?
Do you think the immediacy of the prior incentive
system (immediate credit for each sale) contributed to
the problems? What value does it add to delay the
recognition of a sale? What risks does that delay add?
What do you think about Wells Fargo’s new metrics?
What are the pros and cons of these new metrics
relative to the corporate goals of high ethical standards
AND high profitability?
3.2.8 Bypassing customer controls: Most banks have
controls in place to help prevent fraud of all types, both
internally- and externally-generated. Often, this includes
automatic notification to customers of changes in their
accounts or other services. But here again, Wells Fargo staff
appear to have found ways around these controls. In some
cases, they were reported to have used the e-mail address
“noname@wellsfargo.com” to sign a customer up for online
banking services (Egan, 2017). Many banks also notify
customers of changes via e-mail and/or via paper mail to their
home addresses.
136
•
•
What data could Wells Fargo have examined to
identify potentially false or misleading e-mail
addresses or other notifications?
Thinking unethically for a moment, if your employer
did notify customers of changes in their accounts, how
could you prevent the customer from being aware of
the change?
Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
3.2.9 Audits and information access: Like all banks, Wells
Fargo has a number of internal audit and risk management
functions. In most cases, those departments report to
executives in the corporate management structure, as well as
to their respective committees on the Board of Directors. As
shown in Figure 1, the Community Banking division had both
an Audit and a Risk Management function. Each reported
directly to the President of the Community Bank, and
indirectly to their respective units in the corporate office. The
corporate risk and audit leaders then reported to the board,
giving the Community Bank stronger control of the raw data
that eventually was seen by the board. This was an
organizational decision that Wells Fargo made, and it carried
both pros and cons with it.
The Chief Operational Risk Officer for the corporation,
Caryl Athanasiu, did not view compensation issues or sales
practices as her responsibility. She took a somewhat narrower
view of risk, focusing on creating risk management programs
and supporting individual business units only in the event of
serious breakdowns. This obviously did not include the
unforeseen reputational risk that the scandal ultimately
produced (Independent Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017, p. 61).
In some cases, the Community Bank units leveraged that
stronger control to remove information from reports to the
Board. For example, in 2013, Claudia Russ Anderson,
Community Banking Risk Officer, was able to convince Chief
Risk Officer Michael Loughlin to exclude information about
sales practices from a board report. Russ Anderson claimed
that the report as written made the problem seem “so much
worse than it is” (Independent Directors – Wells Fargo, 2017).
•
Why is control of information flow fundamental to the
problems that Wells Fargo experienced?
4. CLOSING QUESTIONS
The following questions are provided to spark additional
thought and research into the information flows and
management inside Wells Fargo. We hope to also invite
consideration into how to use information more effectively to
manage organizations, incentivize the right behavior, and
detect inappropriate behavior in a timely manner.
•
•
•
•
•
Why would the bank choose to measure its
employees’ performance based on products per
customer rather than measuring performance more
directly on customer balances and profitability?
How would you propose measuring the profitability of
a particular customer? What data would you need to
track? Think broadly! Could you measure the
profitability impact of staff interactions with the
customer? How?
What information could Wells Fargo have used to
resolve this issue before it was subject to a $185
million penalty?
If you were running the Wells Fargo Community
Bank, what results would you measure to ensure
against such problems while still pushing for
profitability?
What ethical dilemmas did Wells Fargo create in their
staff through their original measurement and incentive
plan?
•
•
What were some of the business (e.g., financial,
management, marketing) failings of this measurement
and incentive plan?
If you view the raw measurements of “new accounts”
or “new products” as pieces of data, what must be
done to turn that data into actionable information, on
which Wells Fargo can make informed decisions?
The following questions may require additional research:
•
•
•
•
Did the employees have to undergo periodic ethical
training?
When employees called the EthicsLine to report
ethical violations, what happened?
When employees were fired for opening too few
accounts, was there a fair process for this? Did
employees sometimes complain that perhaps there
were other issues involved? Were there any long-term
impacts on those employees?
Is it possible that firing some employees for failing to
meet goals was done deliberately to create even more
sales pressure? Or was the additional pressure an
unexpected side effect of those firings?
5. CONCLUSIONS
This case study provides a detailed look at the information
gathered and used in a real-world business setting. The
behaviors of bank employees and managers can be examined
in ways that help to understand how corporate culture can
change over time, and how information management can
contribute to that. It can also help to understand how the right
metrics (data to gather), coupled with reporting and
monitoring those metrics over time (turning that data into
information), are critical to achieving and sustaining business
results.
We encourage you to analyze each of the components of
this case, to understand what could have gone wrong, and to
identify ways to improve the likely outcome. No one is
immune from making imperfect decisions, so it is important to
understand how we are asking employees to make decisions,
and whether we are getting the correct results.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author thanks the three Wells Fargo alumni who provided
personal insights; his reviewers, including the anonymous
reviewers; Barbara Witman and Robert Deuson; and the
student reviewers for their helpful feedback.
137
Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 29(3) Summer 2018
7. REFERENCES
Associated Press. (2017, April 17). Ex-Wells Fargo VP Sues
Bank who Fired her for not Scamming Customers. CBC.
Retrieved
from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/wellsfargomelindabini1.4
073029.
Chappell, B. (2017, February 8). 2 Cities To Pull More Than
$3 Billion from Wells Fargo over Dakota Access Pipeline.
The
Two
Way.
Retrieved
from
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwoway/2017/02/08/514133
514/twocitiesvotetopullmorethan3billionfromwellsfargoove
rdakotapipeline.
Egan, M. (2017, January 13). Wells Fargo Dumps Toxic
‘Cross-Selling’ Metric. CNN Money. Retrieved from
http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/13/investing/wells-fargocross-selling-fake-accounts/index.html.
Garrett, D. (2016, October 2). The Wells Fargo Scandal.
Retrieved from http://www.garrettcapital.com/blog/thewells-fargo-scandal.
Glazer, E. (2016, Dec. 17). Customers Continue Pullback
From Bank. Wall Street Journal, p. B.4.
Glazer, E. & Rexnode, C. (2016, September 14). Wells Boss
Says Staff at Fault for Scams. Wall Street Journal, p. A.1.
Independent Directors – Wells Fargo. (2017). Sales Practices
Investigation
Report.
Retrieved
from
https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/assets/pdf/about/inves
tor-relations/presentations/2017/board-report.pdf.
Investopedia.com. (N.D.). Encyclopedia of Business Terms.
Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com.
Kerr, S. (1995). On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping
for B. Academy of Management Executive, 9(1), 7-14.
McLean, B. (1998, July 6). Is this Guy the Best Banker in
America? Fortune.
MyFICO.com. (N.D.). Credit Card Scores: Credit Cards and
Credit Scores – Here’s the Relationship. Retrieved from
http://www.myfico.com/crediteducation/questions/creditcards-credit-score.aspx.
Payne, P. (2017, May 15). Lawsuit: Petaluma Wells Fargo
Employees ‘Corralled’ Day Laborers. The Press Democrat.
Retrieved
from
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6979097181/lawsuitp
etalumawellsfargoemployees.
Stempel, J. (2017, May 12). Wells Fargo Bogus Accounts
Balloon to 3.5 Million: Lawyers. Reuters. Retrieved from
http://www.reuters.com/article/uswellsfargoaccountsidUSK
BN1882UV.
Tayan, B. (2016, December 2). The Wells Fargo Cross-Selling
Scandal. Closer Look Series, 15. Retrieved from
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/gsb/files/publicationpdf/cgri-closer-look-62-wells-fargo-cross-sellingscandal.pdf.
Wells Fargo. (2014). Annual Report 2013. Retrieved from
https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/assets/pdf/about/inves
tor-relations/annual-reports/2013-annual-report.pdf.
Wells Fargo. (2015). Annual Report. Retrieved from
https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/assets/pdf/about/inves
tor-relations/annual-reports/2015-annual-report.pdf.
Wells Fargo. (2017). 2017 Performance Management &
Rewards.
Retrieved
from
https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/assets/pdf/commitmen
t/performance.pdf.
Witman, P. D. & Roust, T. (2008). Balances and Accounts of
Online Banking Users: A Study of Two US Financial
Institutions. International Journal of Electronic Finance,
2(2), 197-210.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Paul D. Witman is a Professor in Information Technology
Management at California Lutheran
University and Director of the School’s
Undergraduate programs in Business,
Accounting, and Economics. His
research interests include teaching cases,
social networking for non-profits,
information security, and electronic
banking.
138
Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction
prohibited without permission.
Psalm 104
In Wisdom You Made Them All
Krista Kay Bontrager with Fazale Rana
© 2014 Reasons to Believe • 818 S. Oak Park Rd., Covina, CA 91724
(855) REASONS • www.reasons.org
Cover images: Autumn Organic Collage, © Photoslash I iStockPhoto.com,
Annas Hummingbird, © BirdImages I iStockPhoto.com, Lioness at Wild, © 1001slide I iStockPhoto.com
Contents
Authors’ Note ………………………………………………………… 5
Acknowledgments …………………………………………………… 6
Psalm 104 …………………………………………………………… 7
Meet Psalm 104 ……………………………………………………… 11
Interpretive Ground Rules …………………………………………… 13
Connections between Psalm 104 and Genesis 1 ……………………… 17
Authorship …………………………………………………………… 21
Bookends: Verses 1a and 35c ………………………………………… 23
Unit 1: Verses 1b–4 …………………………………………………… 25
Unit 2: Verses 5–9 …………………………………………………… 29
Unit 3: Verses 10–18 ………………………………………………… 35
Unit 4: Verses 19–23 ………………………………………………… 37
Unit 5: Verses 24–30 ………………………………………………… 41
Unit 6: Verses 31–32 ………………………………………………… 49
Unit 7: Verses 33–35b ………………………………………………… 53
What it All Means …………………………………………………… 55
Appendix A: How to Study the Psalms ……………………………… 57
Appendix B: Creation-Related Biblical Passages ……………………… 61
Appendix C: Commentaries Consulted ……………………………… 63
Authors’ Note
W
elcome to this brief study of Psalm 104. Whatever
you may believe about the age of the earth or the
interpretation of the book of Psalms, we invite you
to join us in considering our examination of this rich passage. We are old-earth creationists. Krista Kay Bontrager is
a biblical theologian and Fazale Rana is a scientist. We both
believe in the inerrancy of Scripture as defined by The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. This is our attempt
to carefully integrate a faithful study of Psalm 104 with the
latest scientific discoveries. This integrative effort is based
on our best understanding of current research. While we
recognize that interpretations of this research may change
over time, we hope that our efforts here will stimulate your
own thinking about the connection between God’s Word
and God’s world.
5
Psalm 104 (NIV 1984)
1
acknowledgments
T
his manuscript represents the sacrifice and hard work
of many people. We want to acknowledge our editors
who worked diligently to improve our efforts and enhance clarity. Thank you Sandra Dimas, Elissa Emoto, and
Maureen Moser, for all of your valuable input.
We also thank C. John Collins and Tremper Longman III
for looking over this manuscript and providing valuable
feedback, even in those areas where we disagree. Wherever
there are inaccuracies, they are our own.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2
3
4
5
Finally, Krista would like to thank the RTB Executive Team
and scholars for the opportunity to be a part of this project.
6
7
8
9
10
6
Praise the LORD, my soul.
He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
7
Psalm 104 (NIV 1984)
1
acknowledgments
T
his manuscript represents the sacrifice and hard work
of many people. We want to acknowledge our editors
who worked diligently to improve our efforts and enhance clarity. Thank you Sandra Dimas, Elissa Emoto, and
Maureen Moser, for all of your valuable input.
We also thank C. John Collins and Tremper Longman III
for looking over this manuscript and providing valuable
feedback, even in those areas where we disagree. Wherever
there are inaccuracies, they are our own.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2
3
4
5
Finally, Krista would like to thank the RTB Executive Team
and scholars for the opportunity to be a part of this project.
6
7
8
9
10
6
Praise the LORD, my soul.
He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
7
11
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12
The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.
16
The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.
18
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys.
19
The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20
You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21
The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22
The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23
There goes man out to his work,
to his labor until evening.
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26
There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27
These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works—
32
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33
I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35
But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
24
How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
8
Praise the LORD.
9
11
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12
The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.
16
The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.
18
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys.
19
The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20
You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21
The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22
The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23
There goes man out to his work,
to his labor until evening.
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26
There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27
These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works—
32
he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33
I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35
But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
24
How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
8
Praise the LORD.
9
meet Psalm 104
G
enesis 1 recounts many critical “beginnings,” including the start
of the universe, the formation of our planetary home, and the
appearance of animals and humans. Nearly everyone knows
something about this foundational passage, including skeptics, who often
use Genesis 1 to discredit the Christian faith. This passage also stands
at the heart of one of the most volatile controversies among Christians.
Many remain divided over the proper interpretation of Genesis 1, which
has implications on the age of the earth, the length of the creation days,
and the landscape of a pre-Fall creation.
While not often connected with Genesis 1, Psalm 104 offers a poetic
meditation on key themes presented in the opening chapter of the
Bible. It is in the same literary family as Psalms 8, 19, and 148, each of
which centers on praising God as the Creator and provides a wonderful
opportunity for us to praise God for His work in making and caring
for creation. The creation psalms allow us to join with the ancients in a
shared worship experience.
Psalm 104 also presents a unique parallel passage to Genesis 1. In some
cases it offers a broader description of the events that transpired on
certain creation days. This, in turn, allows us to evaluate the major
interpretive options for Genesis 1. Because of its detail and structure,
Psalm 104 also provides an intriguing opportunity to explore potential
areas of harmony between science and other creation-related passages,
such as Proverbs 8 and Job 38. (See Appendix B for a more complete list
of creation-related passages.)
11
interpretive ground rules
B
efore playing any new game, participants usually take a few moments
to examine the rules. Coming to a shared understanding helps
players know how to engage with one another during the game.
The same is true of biblical literature. Before joining the “interpretation
game,” it’s vital for modern readers to build a bridge to the ancient world
by learning how to properly analyze their literature.
For example, Psalm 104 falls into the category of Hebrew poetry. Unlike
most English poetry, Hebrew poetry is not built around the rhyming
of sounds, but the rhyming of thoughts. The technical term for this
“thought rhyming” is “parallelism.” Hebrew poetry employs numerous
forms of parallelism.
A parallel structure can be made up of two or more lines. Each short line
is known as a stich; a pair is a “distich” (triads are “tristichs”). Larger units
of thought are referred to as “sense units,” a grouping of parallel lines that
convey a single thought or idea. (Appendix A lists some additional forms
of parallelism.)
Here are some examples of different kinds of parallel structures relevant
to Psalm 104.
Synonymous Parallelism – The second line restates the first. The passage
should be interpreted as an entire unit, not as separate thoughts.
Example: Psalm 104:7 (English word order has been rearranged to
show structure.)
But at
your rebuke
the waters fled;
at
the sound of your thunder
they took to flight.
13
Example: Psalm 104:29
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to
the dust.
Synthetic Parallelism – The elements of the poetic line build on one
another, the second line expanding on the first.
Example: Psalm 104:5
He set
the earth
on its foundations;
it can never be moved
Antithetical Parallelism – The elements of the poetic line are opposite to
one another.
29
30
Consider the structure of Bible verses like a GPS; they are a man-made
convention inserted into the text to help us find our way to a particular
location. However, just like modern poems, biblical poems are intended
to function as a literary unit, not as individual verses stripped away from
the larger structure.
Understanding the thought flow of the entire psalm is critical to
determining its meaning. In other words, an integral part of interpreting
a psalm is to study it in its entirety—that is, identify the major sense units
and group the parallel stichs—before drawing conclusions about the
individual sections.
With these ground rules in mind, let’s now turn to Psalm 104 and begin
our study.
Example: Psalm 104:28–30
28
of poetic elements in Psalm 104. Bible translators work to preserve the
intent behind this characteristic of ancient poetry. Their aim is to move
from Hebrew to English while retaining the original beauty and essence
of the poem. Even so, the reader must pay careful attention to these
subtleties in the text.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with
good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to
the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
Verses 28–30 are distinct because they provide several layers of “thought
rhyming.” First, each verse contains its own synonymous parallelism. But
verses 28 and 29 as a unit and 29 and 30 as a second unit form antithetical
parallelisms. Thirdly, verses 28–30 as a unit form an ABA chiastic
structure.
The purpose in explaining the structure is to explore the rich variety
14
15
Example: Psalm 104:29
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to
the dust.
Synthetic Parallelism – The elements of the poetic line build on one
another, the second line expanding on the first.
Example: Psalm 104:5
He set
the earth
on its foundations;
it can never be moved
Antithetical Parallelism – The elements of the poetic line are opposite to
one another.
29
30
Consider the structure of Bible verses like a GPS; they are a man-made
convention inserted into the text to help us find our way to a particular
location. However, just like modern poems, biblical poems are intended
to function as a literary unit, not as individual verses stripped away from
the larger structure.
Understanding the thought flow of the entire psalm is critical to
determining its meaning. In other words, an integral part of interpreting
a psalm is to study it in its entirety—that is, identify the major sense units
and group the parallel stichs—before drawing conclusions about the
individual sections.
With these ground rules in mind, let’s now turn to Psalm 104 and begin
our study.
Example: Psalm 104:28–30
28
of poetic elements in Psalm 104. Bible translators work to preserve the
intent behind this characteristic of ancient poetry. Their aim is to move
from Hebrew to English while retaining the original beauty and essence
of the poem. Even so, the reader must pay careful attention to these
subtleties in the text.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with
good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to
the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
Verses 28–30 are distinct because they provide several layers of “thought
rhyming.” First, each verse contains its own synonymous parallelism. But
verses 28 and 29 as a unit and 29 and 30 as a second unit form antithetical
parallelisms. Thirdly, verses 28–30 as a unit form an ABA chiastic
structure.
The purpose in explaining the structure is to explore the rich variety
14
15
connections between
psalm 104 and genesis 1
S
cholars from various traditions widely agree that a thematic
connection exists between Genesis 1 and Psalm 104. Psalm 104 is seen
as a poetic vision of creation that complements the prose of Genesis
1. While Psalm 104 does not reference the creation “days” explicitly, we
take the position that its structure is loosely based on the outline of
Genesis 1 (see Figure 1). The author uses the events of Genesis 1 as a
starting point to prompt praise for the Creator.
i
figure 1. This structure, adapted from Old Testament scholar Derek
Kidner, compares the events of Psalm 104 and Genesis 1.
creation day
genesis 1
psalm 104
–
–
v. 1a
Introduction of Psalm 104
–
v. 1
–
Creation of the universe
–
v. 2
vv. 5–6
Earth’s initial condition
1
vv. 3–5
vv. 2a*
Light
2
vv. 6–8
vv. 2b–4, 13
3
vv. 9–10
vv. 7–9
Division of land from sea
(vv. 10–13**)
3
vv. 11–13
vv. 14–17
(v. 18**)
Vegetation
4
vv. 14–19
vv. 19–23
Sun, Moon, and stars established as timekeepers
17
description
Separation of the “waters above”
from the “waters below”
v. 24
Transition of thought
5
vv. 20–23
v. 25–26
Sea animals
6
vv. 24–31
vv. 21–24
vv. 27–30*
Land animals and humans;
God’s provision and withholding
v. 32
Importance of tectonic activity
–
* The connection to Genesis 1 is open for discussion.
**Anticipates later creation events
In light of this framework, it’s important to understand that a connection
between Psalm 104 and Genesis 1 does not imply that all the events
described in Psalm 104 took place in the past. The psalmist engages in a
back-and-forth rhythm—toggling between the creation days of Genesis
1 and his current observations of the creation. For example, Psalm
104:7–9 discusses events that correspond to creation day 3 in the Genesis
1 chronology, followed immediately (in verses 10–13) by events that
correspond to days 5 and 6 when animals and humans were created. This
pattern results in a few moments of mingling between the creation story
and the psalmist’s contemporary observations.
The framework of Genesis 1 provides a literary prompt for the psalmist
to engage in worshipful meditation on the Creator’s work and care to
sustain His creation. The psalm interweaves two timeframes: YHWH’s
(the LORD’s) original activity that brought the world into being and
YHWH’s ongoing activity in making the world work.
This back-and-forth nature of the poem makes interpreting the passages
complicated at times, but it also adds value. Psalm 104 communicates
certain information that is not well developed in Genesis 1––namely,
God’s purposeful, progressive plan of creation. Each of God’s creative acts
establishes the necessary conditions on Earth to allow for a subsequent
act of creation. That is, what God did on creation day 2 sets the stage for
what God will do on creation days 3, 5, and 6.
The relationship between Genesis 1 and Psalm 104 might be compared
to the accounts of the Hebrews leaving Egypt as recorded in Exodus 14
and 15. Exodus 14 records the crossing of the Red Sea as a historical
narrative. Exodus 15 provides a poetic account of the same event. Both
18
are accurate, inspired by God, and true. Both genres—historical narrative
and poetry—bring us God’s Word, but in a different literary format. The
figurative language used in Exodus 15 doesn’t minimize the chapter’s
accuracy. Rather, it calls for careful interpretation.
Throughout this study, we will draw comparisons between Psalm 104
and other passages, including Genesis 1, Proverbs 8, and Job 38. We
acknowledge that different authors wrote these passages and that they
belong to different genres of literature. Because space won’t permit a
full exposition of each of these passages in detail, we will rely largely
on other scholars’ comprehensive work. (See Appendix C for a list of
commentaries and works consulted for this booklet.) Our intent is to
survey the landscape and offer summary statements about how these
passages might fit into the enterprise of systematic theology, specifically
enhancing our understanding of general revelation (God’s world).
PSALM 104 AND THE HYMN TO ATEN
Some scholars have pointed out a number of striking parallels between
the Hebrew Psalter and the hymns and songs of ancient Babylon and
Egypt. One of the most famous includes the conspicuous parallels
between Psalm 104 and the hymn to the Egyptian sun god, Aten, during
the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. The hymn’s allusions to the primordial
earth, the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, humans, lions,
ships, and the fish of the ocean are all mentioned in Psalm 104 as well.
Few scholars deny some level of similarity between the two documents.
Some scholars even see a closer literary connection between Psalm 104
and the hymn of Aten than to Genesis 1. It is beyond the scope of this
manuscript to explore this issue in detail. However, we can offer a few
general thoughts.
The poem to Aten predates Psalm 104 by a few hundred years. Scholars
hold various perspectives on the suggested resemblance between
these two poems and on the biblical author’s level of awareness and
dependence on this external source. Some believe the author of Psalm 104
(often ascribed to David) simply plagiarized these sections. Others might
suggest a scenario where the author, under the influence of the Holy
Spirit, adapted the content of a familiar Egyptian poem into the Jewish
psalmody to express Jewish theology.
19
v. 24
Transition of thought
5
vv. 20–23
v. 25–26
Sea animals
6
vv. 24–31
vv. 21–24
vv. 27–30*
Land animals and humans;
God’s provision and withholding
v. 32
Importance of tectonic activity
–
* The connection to Genesis 1 is open for discussion.
**Anticipates later creation events
In light of this framework, it’s important to understand that a connection
between Psalm 104 and Genesis 1 does not imply that all the events
described in Psalm 104 took place in the past. The psalmist engages in a
back-and-forth rhythm—toggling between the creation days of Genesis
1 and his current observations of the creation. For example, Psalm
104:7–9 discusses events that correspond to creation day 3 in the Genesis
1 chronology, followed immediately (in verses 10–13) by events that
correspond to days 5 and 6 when animals and humans were created. This
pattern results in a few moments of mingling between the creation story
and the psalmist’s contemporary observations.
The framework of Genesis 1 provides a literary prompt for the psalmist
to engage in worshipful meditation on the Creator’s work and care to
sustain His creation. The psalm interweaves two timeframes: YHWH’s
(the LORD’s) original activity that brought the world into being and
YHWH’s ongoing activity in making the world work.
This back-and-forth nature of the poem makes interpreting the passages
complicated at times, but it also adds value. Psalm 104 communicates
certain information that is not well developed in Genesis 1––namely,
God’s purposeful, progressive plan of creation. Each of God’s creative acts
establishes the necessary conditions on Earth to allow for a subsequent
act of creation. That is, what God did on creation day 2 sets the stage for
what God will do on creation days 3, 5, and 6.
The relationship between Genesis 1 and Psalm 104 might be compared
to the accounts of the Hebrews leaving Egypt as recorded in Exodus 14
and 15. Exodus 14 records the crossing of the Red Sea as a historical
narrative. Exodus 15 provides a poetic account of the same event. Both
18
are accurate, inspired by God, and true. Both genres—historical narrative
and poetry—bring us God’s Word, but in a different literary format. The
figurative language used in Exodus 15 doesn’t minimize the chapter’s
accuracy. Rather, it calls for careful interpretation.
Throughout this study, we will draw comparisons between Psalm 104
and other passages, including Genesis 1, Proverbs 8, and Job 38. We
acknowledge that different authors wrote these passages and that they
belong to different genres of literature. Because space won’t permit a
full exposition of each of these passages in detail, we will rely largely
on other scholars’ comprehensive work. (See Appendix C for a list of
commentaries and works consulted for this booklet.) Our intent is to
survey the landscape and offer summary statements about how these
passages might fit into the enterprise of systematic theology, specifically
enhancing our understanding of general revelation (God’s world).
PSALM 104 AND THE HYMN TO ATEN
Some scholars have pointed out a number of striking parallels between
the Hebrew Psalter and the hymns and songs of ancient Babylon and
Egypt. One of the most famous includes the conspicuous parallels
between Psalm 104 and the hymn to the Egyptian sun god, Aten, during
the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. The hymn’s allusions to the primordial
earth, the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, humans, lions,
ships, and the fish of the ocean are all mentioned in Psalm 104 as well.
Few scholars deny some level of similarity between the two documents.
Some scholars even see a closer literary connection between Psalm 104
and the hymn of Aten than to Genesis 1. It is beyond the scope of this
manuscript to explore this issue in detail. However, we can offer a few
general thoughts.
The poem to Aten predates Psalm 104 by a few hundred years. Scholars
hold various perspectives on the suggested resemblance between
these two poems and on the biblical author’s level of awareness and
dependence on this external source. Some believe the author of Psalm 104
(often ascribed to David) simply plagiarized these sections. Others might
suggest a scenario where the author, under the influence of the Holy
Spirit, adapted the content of a familiar Egyptian poem into the Jewish
psalmody to express Jewish theology.
19
This last point brings us to a critical difference between the two hymns.
Pharaoh Akhenaten was known for suppressing all other gods besides
Aten. The psalmist reveals a God who surpasses all other gods, including
Aten. Where Egyptians worshipped the sun disk, the Jewish psalmist calls
His people to worship the Creator of the sun. Scientifically speaking, we
might say it this way: the Egyptian sun god is bound within this spacetime universe, whereas the Hebrew God created the sun and stands above
nature. He transcends creation.
authorship
T
he author of Psalm 104, while not explicitly named, is traditionally
thought to be David. This is largely because of the close connection
between Psalm 103 and Psalm 104. Because Psalm 103 explicitly lists
David as its author and because of certain literary commonalities (see
below), many believe the author of Psalm 104 must be David as well.
Throughout this manuscript, we will consider connections between the
biblical text and the record of nature. We will even contemplate ways
in which the biblical descriptions seem to anticipate later discoveries of
modern science. This process may cause some to wonder whether we are
going beyond the bounds of the author’s intended meaning.
We affirm that sound interpretation begins with this foundational
premise: that the meaning of any passage is directly tied to the author. A
passage cannot go beyond the intent of the author. This axiom has led
many to question whether it’s wise to seek a connection between science
and the Bible. For example, some would say that since Moses didn’t
have the big bang in mind when he wrote Genesis 1:1, it’s inappropriate
to suggest a connection between the two. We recognize that this is a
legitimate concern. Modern interpreters need to exercise due caution
against reading too much of our own cultural experience and knowledge
into the text.
That said, the scholars at Reasons to Believe are intrigued by the Bible’s
accurate portrayal of the earth’s early conditions. Granted, some may see
these parallels as coincidence. But we believe there is a way to preserve
the author’s intent while still actively integrating general revelation. We
have proposed there is another level of authorship at work here: the Holy
Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) guiding the efforts of the human authors. Because
the Holy Spirit was present at the creation, He would have firsthand
knowledge of our planet’s initial conditions. What if He inspired Moses
20
21
This last point brings us to a critical difference between the two hymns.
Pharaoh Akhenaten was known for suppressing all other gods besides
Aten. The psalmist reveals a God who surpasses all other gods, including
Aten. Where Egyptians worshipped the sun disk, the Jewish psalmist calls
His people to worship the Creator of the sun. Scientifically speaking, we
might say it this way: the Egyptian sun god is bound within this spacetime universe, whereas the Hebrew God created the sun and stands above
nature. He transcends creation.
authorship
T
he author of Psalm 104, while not explicitly named, is traditionally
thought to be David. This is largely because of the close connection
between Psalm 103 and Psalm 104. Because Psalm 103 explicitly lists
David as its author and because of certain literary commonalities (see
below), many believe the author of Psalm 104 must be David as well.
Throughout this manuscript, we will consider connections between the
biblical text and the record of nature. We will even contemplate ways
in which the biblical descriptions seem to anticipate later discoveries of
modern science. This process may cause some to wonder whether we are
going beyond the bounds of the author’s intended meaning.
We affirm that sound interpretation begins with this foundational
premise: that the meaning of any passage is directly tied to the author. A
passage cannot go beyond the intent of the author. This axiom has led
many to question whether it’s wise to seek a connection between science
and the Bible. For example, some would say that since Moses didn’t
have the big bang in mind when he wrote Genesis 1:1, it’s inappropriate
to suggest a connection between the two. We recognize that this is a
legitimate concern. Modern interpreters need to exercise due caution
against reading too much of our own cultural experience and knowledge
into the text.
That said, the scholars at Reasons to Believe are intrigued by the Bible’s
accurate portrayal of the earth’s early conditions. Granted, some may see
these parallels as coincidence. But we believe there is a way to preserve
the author’s intent while still actively integrating general revelation. We
have proposed there is another level of authorship at work here: the Holy
Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16) guiding the efforts of the human authors. Because
the Holy Spirit was present at the creation, He would have firsthand
knowledge of our planet’s initial conditions. What if He inspired Moses
20
21
and the psalmist to record these descriptions in a way that was more than
just beautiful imagery or moving poetry? What if Psalm 104 was intended
as more than merely an echo of other ancient creation myths? What if it
was also meant to provide an accurate depiction of the early Earth?
Reasons to Believe scholars are actively engaged in the process of
integrating science with faith. Our goal is to explore how the Christian
worldview comes to bear on the disciplines of science, but to do so in
a way that genuinely respects the author’s intent and the authority of
Scripture. Even so, we realize individuals may differ on the extent to
which such integration can be done.
Now, with these points in mind, let’s turn our attention to exploring this
proposed structure in more detail. We’ll work our way through Psalm
104 unit by unit, first interpreting the text, and then making relevant
connections to Genesis 1, considering relevant scientific insights along
the way.
bookends
(verses 1a and 35c)
B
oth Psalm 103 and 104 share the same opening and closing refrain:
“Praise the LORD, my soul” (Psalm 103:1a, 2a and 22; 104:1a, 35c).
Many scholars view Psalm 103 in tandem with Psalm 104 because
their themes and close placement to each other seem strategic.
Psalm 103 focuses on God’s grace in redeeming sinful humanity (verses
8–12) and ends with David’s call for all of creation to sing with him:
“Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the
LORD, O my soul” (verse 22). The invitation at the end of Psalm 103
serves as a bridge to the creation themes explored in more detail in Psalm
104. Psalm 103 praises the Redeemer-King; Psalm 104 magnifies the
Creator-King. The dual themes of redemption and creation are integrated
throughout the psalms.
Although Psalm 104 echoes Genesis 1 to some extent, the psalm
repeatedly specifies the Creator as YHWH (“LORD”), the covenant God
of Israel. In other words, this hymn is directed toward a specific God,
not a nameless deity. The psalm is a reflection on nature from within the
context of a redeemed and covenant nation.
By the end of Psalm 104, members of God’s covenant community should
be shouting to God in praise for His work in salvation (Psalm 103) and
in creation (Psalm 104). We, too, are invited to see the world as His
handiwork and learn of His greatness by observing all of its intricate
detail. The God who is powerful enough to shake the mountains is
powerful enough to secure our salvation.
22
23
and the psalmist to record these descriptions in a way that was more than
just beautiful imagery or moving poetry? What if Psalm 104 was intended
as more than merely an echo of other ancient creation myths? What if it
was also meant to provide an accurate depiction of the early Earth?
Reasons to Believe scholars are actively engaged in the process of
integrating science with faith. Our goal is to explore how the Christian
worldview comes to bear on the disciplines of science, but to do so in
a way that genuinely respects the author’s intent and the authority of
Scripture. Even so, we realize individuals may differ on the extent to
which such integration can be done.
Now, with these points in mind, let’s turn our attention to exploring this
proposed structure in more detail. We’ll work our way through Psalm
104 unit by unit, first interpreting the text, and then making relevant
connections to Genesis 1, considering relevant scientific insights along
the way.
bookends
(verses 1a and 35c)
B
oth Psalm 103 and 104 share the same opening and closing refrain:
“Praise the LORD, my soul” (Psalm 103:1a, 2a and 22; 104:1a, 35c).
Many scholars view Psalm 103 in tandem with Psalm 104 because
their themes and close placement to each other seem strategic.
Psalm 103 focuses on God’s grace in redeeming sinful humanity (verses
8–12) and ends with David’s call for all of creation to sing with him:
“Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the
LORD, O my soul” (verse 22). The invitation at the end of Psalm 103
serves as a bridge to the creation themes explored in more detail in Psalm
104. Psalm 103 praises the Redeemer-King; Psalm 104 magnifies the
Creator-King. The dual themes of redemption and creation are integrated
throughout the psalms.
Although Psalm 104 echoes Genesis 1 to some extent, the psalm
repeatedly specifies the Creator as YHWH (“LORD”), the covenant God
of Israel. In other words, this hymn is directed toward a specific God,
not a nameless deity. The psalm is a reflection on nature from within the
context of a redeemed and covenant nation.
By the end of Psalm 104, members of God’s covenant community should
be shouting to God in praise for His work in salvation (Psalm 103) and
in creation (Psalm 104). We, too, are invited to see the world as His
handiwork and learn of His greatness by observing all of its intricate
detail. The God who is powerful enough to shake the mountains is
powerful enough to secure our salvation.
22
23
UNIT 1
verses 1B–4
1
2
3
4
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
V
erses 1b–4 comprise Psalm 104’s first sense unit. This series of
anthropomorphic phrases (described as having human attributes)
introduces the greatness of the Creator (verse 2) and His dwelling
(verses 3–4) to the congregation. Verse 2a describes God’s glory
figuratively as being wrapped in light like a garment. Light is closely
associated with God throughout Scripture (see Revelation 1:12–16,
17–18; John 8:12, Psalm 4:6, 76:4). The term “light” is also featured
prominently on creation day 1 (Genesis 1:3–5) but in a different context.
The two passages, at best, may be linked only symbolically, not literally.
Verse 2b transitions to a description of God’s dwelling, saying that He
stretches out the heavens like a curtain. The Hebrew word translated
as “heavens,” shāmayim, has three possible meanings: the place where
God dwells; the place where the celestial bodies are found; or the place
where clouds move (the sky). The careful interpreter must decide which
definition best fits the text. The phrase “[God] stretches out the heavens
like a tent” is reminiscent of similar expressions found elsewhere (Job 9:8;
25
Isaiah 40:22; Zechariah 12:1). One reading of these parallel references
suggests that the word “heavens” in Psalm 104:2b refers to the cosmos in
its entirety (cf. Gen. 1:1).
Another possibility is to consider verse 2b as part of a larger sense unit
with the third phrase in verse 2.
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beam of his upper chambers on their waters.
These phrases form a synonymous parallelism. This would mean that
the terms “heavens” and “upper chambers of water” are synonyms. But
what could they be referring to? The author may offer a clue when he uses
the term “upper chambers” again in verse 13. In this case, the meaning is
clearer: the “upper chambers” is a metaphor for rain clouds. Therefore,
the “heavens” (shāmayim) in verse 2 likely refers to the place where
clouds move (the sky). If correct, this understanding means verse 2 is
reminiscent of creation day 2 in Genesis 1.
A closer examination of Psalm 104 may help identify which
interpretation best fits. If the framework that Psalm 104:2–4 corresponds
to creation days 1 and 2 is correct, then it’s possible that the “firmament”
described in Genesis 1 fits best with the interpretation that it refers to
the establishment of Earth’s water cycle—not a water vapor canopy or
mythical dome.
Thus, while Psalm 104 doesn’t open with a direct retelling of the events
of creation days 1 and 2, it does echo key themes: the presence of the
Creator, light, and atmospheric water. Put in scientific terms, verses 2–4
seem to describe atmospheric phenomena.
The psalmist not only reflects on creation day 2 but also later, in verse
13 and onward, he tells us that God’s “upper chambers” (rain) was
important to what was going to happen on creation days 3, 4, 5, and 6:
the arrival of plants, animals, and humans. Without an established water
cycle, plants and animals could not survive, nor could humans. The
psalm gives the first indication of God’s progressive purposefulness as He
engaged in His creative activity.
Another aspect to Psalm 104:2–4 is the author’s description of God’s
abode in anthropomorphic terms, as laying the floor of His upper
chambers on the mayim (waters of the sky) using the clouds as His
chariot and walking on the wings of the wind. God dispatches the wind as
His messengers and flames of fire as His servants. The psalmist uses this
collection of descriptions to paint a vivid word picture.
The term mayim also appears in Genesis 1, where it describes the
separation of the “waters above” from the “waters below” on creation
day 2 (verses 6–8). Three common interpretations of the “firmament”
mentioned in Genesis 1:6–8 include:
1. The establishment of Earth’s water cycle (Hugh Ross, The Genesis
Question [Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1998], 33–36.)
2. The creation of a water vapor canopy (John C. Whitcomb and
Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Flood [Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R
Publishing, 1961].)
3. A mythical domed vault like in other ancient Near Eastern creation
myths (John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One [Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009].)
26
27
Isaiah 40:22; Zechariah 12:1). One reading of these parallel references
suggests that the word “heavens” in Psalm 104:2b refers to the cosmos in
its entirety (cf. Gen. 1:1).
Another possibility is to consider verse 2b as part of a larger sense unit
with the third phrase in verse 2.
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beam of his upper chambers on their waters.
These phrases form a synonymous parallelism. This would mean that
the terms “heavens” and “upper chambers of water” are synonyms. But
what could they be referring to? The author may offer a clue when he uses
the term “upper chambers” again in verse 13. In this case, the meaning is
clearer: the “upper chambers” is a metaphor for rain clouds. Therefore,
the “heavens” (shāmayim) in verse 2 likely refers to the place where
clouds move (the sky). If correct, this understanding means verse 2 is
reminiscent of creation day 2 in Genesis 1.
A closer examination of Psalm 104 may help identify which
interpretation best fits. If the framework that Psalm 104:2–4 corresponds
to creation days 1 and 2 is correct, then it’s possible that the “firmament”
described in Genesis 1 fits best with the interpretation that it refers to
the establishment of Earth’s water cycle—not a water vapor canopy or
mythical dome.
Thus, while Psalm 104 doesn’t open with a direct retelling of the events
of creation days 1 and 2, it does echo key themes: the presence of the
Creator, light, and atmospheric water. Put in scientific terms, verses 2–4
seem to describe atmospheric phenomena.
The psalmist not only reflects on creation day 2 but also later, in verse
13 and onward, he tells us that God’s “upper chambers” (rain) was
important to what was going to happen on creation days 3, 4, 5, and 6:
the arrival of plants, animals, and humans. Without an established water
cycle, plants and animals could not survive, nor could humans. The
psalm gives the first indication of God’s progressive purposefulness as He
engaged in His creative activity.
Another aspect to Psalm 104:2–4 is the author’s description of God’s
abode in anthropomorphic terms, as laying the floor of His upper
chambers on the mayim (waters of the sky) using the clouds as His
chariot and walking on the wings of the wind. God dispatches the wind as
His messengers and flames of fire as His servants. The psalmist uses this
collection of descriptions to paint a vivid word picture.
The term mayim also appears in Genesis 1, where it describes the
separation of the “waters above” from the “waters below” on creation
day 2 (verses 6–8). Three common interpretations of the “firmament”
mentioned in Genesis 1:6–8 include:
1. The establishment of Earth’s water cycle (Hugh Ross, The Genesis
Question [Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1998], 33–36.)
2. The creation of a water vapor canopy (John C. Whitcomb and
Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Flood [Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R
Publishing, 1961].)
3. A mythical domed vault like in other ancient Near Eastern creation
myths (John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One [Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009].)
26
27
UNIT 2
verses 5–9
5
6
7
8
9
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
V
erse 5 moves the reader from the sphere of the heavens to His earthly
creation. Verses 5 and 6 set the stage for verses 7 through 9, the events
of creation day 3. In order to do that, the author takes us back in
time, all the way to Earth’s initial conditions. The psalmist’s description
echoes other passages (Genesis 1:2; Job 38:4, 8–9). God set the earth’s
foundation and covered it with water, like a garment. The planet was
dark, covered with the “deep,” and, in the words of Genesis 1:2, it was
“formless” (without useful form) and “empty” (without useful space).
Earth housed no life and was unfit for life—for now.
The psalmist augments the description of early Earth with a metaphorical
picture of the “deep” enveloping the planet like a garment. Job 38:8–9
features similar imagery:
29
8
9
Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
Here the author describes early Earth as being wrapped in thick darkness.
Psalm 104:5–6 and Job 38:8–9 collectively echo Genesis 1:2 through the
“enveloped by darkness and covered with water” imagery.
science integration
Scientific breakthroughs over the last two decades have increased
our understanding of Earth’s formation and early conditions.
Astronomers tell us that Earth was fashioned when planetesimals
(small rocky bodies) collided with one another and then
aggregated to form our home planet. The energetic collisions
melted the planetesimals, resulting in an initially molten Earth.
As the planet began to cool, water vapor condensed to establish
the oceans. The sources of the water were likely outgassing from
the planetesimals and cometary impacts.
What does this tell us about early Earth? It was dark, covered in
water, and a hostile environment devoid of life. Sound familiar?
Neither Moses nor the psalmist had access to the discoveries of
modern science. In other words, they couldn’t have had current
origin-of-life research in mind when they wrote these words.
Thus, the biblical authors’ accurate portrayal of the earth’s early
conditions is intriguing. Again, we recognize that some may
view these parallels as coincidence. But we see evidence here
that the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16) guided the efforts of the
human authors. Because the Holy Spirit was present at creation,
He would possess firsthand knowledge of our planet’s initial
conditions.
Let’s move on to verses 7 through 9 and look at the formation of dry land
on the first part of creation day 3. Many commentators see Psalm 104:7–9
and Genesis 1:9–10 as parallel passages. Primordial waters initially
covered the entire surface of the earth (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:5–6).
30
Psalm 104 then skips ahead to the events of creation day 3: God gathered
the waters into one area so dry land appeared (see Genesis 1:9–10).
Job 38 and Proverbs 8 echo the psalmist’s description of the separation of
land and water.
Job 38:4a, 10–11
4a
Where were you [Job] when I [the Creator] laid the earth’s
foundation?…
10
when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?”
Proverbs 8:27–29
27
[Wisdom] was there when he [the Creator] set the heavens in
place,
28
when he…fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29
when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
How do we know these passages are talking about early Earth?
Proverbs 8:27 and Job 38:4 provide clarity. Both passages connect these
descriptions to the events of the creation week.
God setting a boundary for water, one that cannot be crossed, helps tie
all three passages together (Psalm 104:8–9; Job 38:11; Proverbs 8:29). The
waters of “the deep” frequently symbolize evil in Scripture (and in some
ancient myths as well). See Revelation 20:13; 21:1. Yet God is the one who
organizes and controls these waters, preventing them from overstepping
their ordained bounds. While the water boundary description is not
included in Genesis 1, it is mentioned three times in other creation
passages, implying it provides additional details that are important to
God.
31
8
9
Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness?
Here the author describes early Earth as being wrapped in thick darkness.
Psalm 104:5–6 and Job 38:8–9 collectively echo Genesis 1:2 through the
“enveloped by darkness and covered with water” imagery.
science integration
Scientific breakthroughs over the last two decades have increased
our understanding of Earth’s formation and early conditions.
Astronomers tell us that Earth was fashioned when planetesimals
(small rocky bodies) collided with one another and then
aggregated to form our home planet. The energetic collisions
melted the planetesimals, resulting in an initially molten Earth.
As the planet began to cool, water vapor condensed to establish
the oceans. The sources of the water were likely outgassing from
the planetesimals and cometary impacts.
What does this tell us about early Earth? It was dark, covered in
water, and a hostile environment devoid of life. Sound familiar?
Neither Moses nor the psalmist had access to the discoveries of
modern science. In other words, they couldn’t have had current
origin-of-life research in mind when they wrote these words.
Thus, the biblical authors’ accurate portrayal of the earth’s early
conditions is intriguing. Again, we recognize that some may
view these parallels as coincidence. But we see evidence here
that the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16) guided the efforts of the
human authors. Because the Holy Spirit was present at creation,
He would possess firsthand knowledge of our planet’s initial
conditions.
Let’s move on to verses 7 through 9 and look at the formation of dry land
on the first part of creation day 3. Many commentators see Psalm 104:7–9
and Genesis 1:9–10 as parallel passages. Primordial waters initially
covered the entire surface of the earth (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:5–6).
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Psalm 104 then skips ahead to the events of creation day 3: God gathered
the waters into one area so dry land appeared (see Genesis 1:9–10).
Job 38 and Proverbs 8 echo the psalmist’s description of the separation of
land and water.
Job 38:4a, 10–11
4a
Where were you [Job] when I [the Creator] laid the earth’s
foundation?…
10
when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11
when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?”
Proverbs 8:27–29
27
[Wisdom] was there when he [the Creator] set the heavens in
place,
28
when he…fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29
when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
How do we know these passages are talking about early Earth?
Proverbs 8:27 and Job 38:4 provide clarity. Both passages connect these
descriptions to the events of the creation week.
God setting a boundary for water, one that cannot be crossed, helps tie
all three passages together (Psalm 104:8–9; Job 38:11; Proverbs 8:29). The
waters of “the deep” frequently symbolize evil in Scripture (and in some
ancient myths as well). See Revelation 20:13; 21:1. Yet God is the one who
organizes and controls these waters, preventing them from overstepping
their ordained bounds. While the water boundary description is not
included in Genesis 1, it is mentioned three times in other creation
passages, implying it provides additional details that are important to
God.
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science integration
If our interpretation that Psalm 104:5–6 describes the early earth
is correct, then it’s also possible that Psalm 104:7–9 describes
what scientists refer to as continent formation. Given the
author’s use of vivid imagery, it’s comprehensible to imply that
continent formation took place rapidly, as opposed to gradually.
The biblical description becomes even more intriguing as
scientists continue to gain insight about early land formation.
Geologists now believe this process wasn’t a gradual, linear
process; rather, it behaved in a logistic fashion, slowly building
up to a rapid phase of formation before tapering off. The time
window for swift continent formation is only about 1 billion
years—which in geologic time is fairly rapid.
What once would have been viewed as an interpretive
speculation bears a striking resemblance to the record of nature.
Even so, it would be erroneous to conclude that the ancient poets
intended to make scientific predictions about the process of
continent formation since they wouldn’t have had access to such
information. But once again, it’s possible that the Holy Spirit’s
inspiration extends beyond the human authors’ intentions,
which might account for the similarities between the Bible and
the record of nature.
Testing Interpretations: Measuring the Extent of Noah’s Flood
Psalm 104:6–9 and related passages may provide insight into how we
might interpret the extent of Noah’s flood in Genesis 6–9, particularly
if Psalm 104:6–9 corresponds to the events of creation day 3 (Genesis
1:9–10). On three different occasions Scripture notes that when God
separated the sea and the land, He set a boundary that the waters can
never cross again. “Never again will they cover the earth” (Psalm 104:9b;
see also Job 38:11; Proverbs 8:28).
appear to contradict these texts. How could the waters cover all of Earth
if God stated on three different occasions that the waters would never
again cover the planet once land appeared? A geographically local flood
would provide a way to integrate all of these passages in a consistent
(noncontradictory) manner.
Some young-earth creationists assert that Psalm 104:7–9 refers to Noah’s
flood, not the third creation day. This perspective rests largely on verse 9,
where God states that the waters will “never again cover the earth.” This
phrasing echoes God’s promise in Genesis 9:11 that He would never again
use a flood to wipe out humanity in judgment (see also Isaiah 54:9).
Young- and old-earth creationists agree on one very important point:
Psalm 104:6 is talking about a time when Earth was covered with water.
The question is: when did this covering take place? Was it during creation
day 3 (majority position) or during Noah’s flood (young-earth position)?
Two passages provide insight. First, verse 5 seems to be talking about
God’s formation of the planet.
5
He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
This verse seems to establish creation day 3 as the setting for the events
described in verses 7–9. Second, Job 38:4 echoes this timeframe. These
two passages provide an important clue about whether Psalm 104:6–9
describes events that occurred on early Earth or during Noah’s flood.
As we suggested earlier, a foundational principle of interpreting biblical
poetry is to treat the psalm as a literary unit instead of as individual
verses. If Psalm 104:7–9 refers to Noah’s flood, as the young-earth
interpretation suggests, then, as part of a literary unit, these verses must
also fit into a meaningful and logical progression of thought based on
the entire structure of Psalm 104. The young-earth interpretation falls
short of meeting this basic principle for interpreting biblical poetry. On
the other hand, if Psalm 104 is structured based on the creation days of
Genesis 1, as Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner suggests (see Figure 1),
then it would seem that an early earth interpretation of Psalm 104:7–9 is
appropriate and meets the basic rule of biblical poetry interpretation.
This limitation presents an obstacle for a global flood interpretation. If
the waters of N…