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Enuma Elish: The Epic of Creation · 6 of 12 · tr. L.W. King

1f

She hath given him the Tablets of Destiny on his breast she laid them, saving: Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established.' Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu, Decreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying: 'Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god; Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!' I sent Anu, but he could not withstand her; Nudimmud was afraid and turned back. But Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son; To set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him. He opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying: 'If I, your avenger, Conquer Tiamat and give you life, Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it. In Upsukkinaku seat yourselves joyfully together; With my word in place of you will I decree fate. May, whatsoever I do remain unaltered, May the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail.' Hasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow, That he may go and fight your strong enemy! Lahmu and Lahamu heard and cried aloud All of the Igigi [The elder gods] wailed bitterly, saying: What has been altered so that they should We do not understand the deed of Tiamat! Then did they collect and go, The great gods, all of them, who decree fate. They entered in before Ansar, they filled... They kissed one another, in the assembly...; They made ready for the feast, at the banquet they sat; They ate bread, they mixed sesame-wine. The sweet drink, the mead, confused their... They were drunk with drinking, their bodies were filled. They were wholly at ease, their spirit was exalted; Then for Marduk, their avenger, did they decree the fate. THE FOURTH TABLET They prepared for him a lordly chamber, Before his fathers as prince he took his place. "Thou art chiefest among the great gods, Thy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu! O Marduk, thou art chiefest among the great gods, Thy fate is unequaled, thy word is Anu! Henceforth not without avail shall be thy command, In thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase. Established shall be the word of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy command, None among the gods shall transgress thy boundary. Abundance, the desire of the shrines of the gods, Shall be established in thy sanctuary, even though they lack offerings. O Marduk, thou art our avenger! We give thee sovereignty over the whole world. Sit thou down in might; be exalted in thy command. Thy weapon shall never lose its power; it shall crush thy foe. O Lord, spare the life of him that putteth his trust in thee, But as for the god who began the rebellion, pour out his life." Then set they in their midst a garment, And unto Marduk,- their first-born they spake: "May thy fate, O lord, be supreme among the gods, To destroy and to create; speak thou the word, and thy command shall be fulfilled. Command now and let the garment vanish; And speak the word again and let the garment reappear! Then he spake with his mouth, and the garment vanished; Again he commanded it, and. the garment reappeared.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] The text explicitly attributes human physical features like breasts and mouths, as well as emotions such as fear and wailing, to the deities.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] The passage depicts a fundamental conflict between Marduk, who represents order and avenging justice, and Tiamat, who represents chaos and the enemy.

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Covenanttheology

A binding agreement or relationship between the divine and a people or individual, establishing mutual obligations.

[auto] Marduk proposes a binding conditional agreement with the elder gods to grant him preeminence in exchange for defeating their enemy.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

[auto] The gods are portrayed as dynamic, personal realities that act, negotiate, feel fear, and express grief rather than abstract principles.

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Logoscosmology

The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.

[auto] The power of the divine spoken word is central, as Marduk's command and decree are established to fix fate and order reality.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

The assembly addresses Marduk directly with petitions for sovereignty and life.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The Tablets of Destiny represent the ontological power of divine decrees or names to establish and maintain cosmic order.

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