Themes: As creator of gods and people, Re, like Yhwh, is chief of the gods. He is life and salvation who ‘spoke the word’ to bring into being. He is the sole one, sovereign and aniconic (there is no cultic representation of the sun god in a sanctuary as there is of other gods). Atum and Harakhti are manifestations of the sun god during the course of the day. Like Yhwh in Amos (?), Re shows a providence for every country.
Compare:
1. Job 26.7ff; 37.2ff; 38.7;
2. Psalm 19.1-6; 29.1f; 33.6f; 9; 65.6; 95.3-7; 104 (104.10ff 104.27f) 136.5-9; 146.6-8; 148.1-3;
“Good shepherd... to whom the gods offer hymns, who extends his arms to the one whom he loves... Hail to you, Re, lord of order, whose shrine is hidden, the lord of the gods... who spoke the word and the gods came into being, Atum, who made the people... whose mouth controls the word of creation... who comes to give life to the people... at whose perfection the gods rejoice, at whose glance hearts live... The gods love to see you... You are the sole one, who made all that is, the solitary and only one who made what exists... Hail, you who did all this, solitary sole one, with many hands... Hail to you... jubilation to you, because of all foreign lands... The gods are bowing down to your majesty and exalting the power of the one who created them; they rejoice at the approach of the one who begat them. They say to you, ‘Welcome, father of the fathers of all the gods... sovereign – life, salvation, health – and chief of the gods! We praise your power, as you have created us. ” (ANET3, 365-7)
