JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series LHB/OTS Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies.
INTRODUCTION, OVERVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP, THESIS, AND METHODOLOGY
The literary structure of the whole—that is, the macro-arrangement of the constituent parts of the text—. Mitchell, The Message of the Psalter: An Eschatological Program in the Book of Psalms, JSOTSup 252 (Sheffield, England: JSOT Press.
Psalms 1–2 as the Introduction to the Psalter 29
Miller, “The Beginning of the Psalter,” in The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter, JSOTSup 159, ed. Additionally, Grant, The King as Exemplar, 62–63, identifies a linguistic connection between the use of the terms ה ָרוֹתּ.
The Five-Book Structure of the Psalter
The divine promise in 2:9 to break the rebels with an iron rod is juxtaposed in 149:8 with the binding of the princes with iron chains. There is also a close resemblance between the princes and rulers who are warned of Yahweh's [sic] wrath in 2:2,10 [sic] and the nobles who are subject to divine judgment in 149:8" ("Psalms 1– 8", 26 [emphasis original]).
Various Psalm Groupings Based on Superscription
41:14 [ET ET combined with the five-psalm doxology that concludes the entire psalm seems to establish a fivefold book division in the psalm.44 On this basis, Jamie Grant rightly claims: "The organization of the psalms into books is clearly not accidental, but rather points to deliberate redactional activity.”45 From the design of the headings, Book II contains three pairs of non-Davidic/Korahite psalms—two UT psalms (43, 70 [sic]); two psalms with headings attributed another than David (50, 72); and two psalm headings without name attribution within the Davidic Group (66, 67).
Conclusion
Ascents” (Pss 120–134) — perhaps the most famous collection of psalms in all the Hebrew Psalter — in which each psalm is designated by its respective one. This brief treatment now enables us to turn our attention to the thesis and methodology of this present work.55.
Thesis and Methodology of the Present Study
The second stage of my thesis involves a review of Book V of the Psalter and will span chapters 3 to 5, with each chapter covering one of the three sections that comprise the literary structure of Book V. Consequently, when all these elements are brought together, Book V's eschatological portrait of the coming Messiah comes into sharper focus.
THE LITERARY STRUCTURE OF BOOK V OF THE PSALTER
Psalms 104–106: The Structural Key to Book V
Some Hidden Harmonies in the Fifth Book of Psalms,” in Essays in Honor of Joseph P. Wilson, “Shaping the Psalter: A Consideration of Editorial Linkage in the Book of Psalms,” in The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter, ed.
The Eschatological Bent of Book V
However one interprets it, the final form of the psalter is strongly eschatological in nature. The first [excellent feature of psalter eschatology] that needs attention is the past historical background of the psalter's treatment of the future.
BOOK V, SECTION 1: PSALMS 107–118
Psalm 107
It seems, then, that by drawing from the lexical repository of two subunits, which are the book support of vv. If Psalm 107 speaks of God's deliverance from a future perspective, then it confirms that God will deliver Israel as He did in the past.
Psalms 108–110
In the second, Ps 109, the new David curses his adversary, the seed of the serpent. In other words, it is precisely by passing through the fiery trials of tribulation that this future "David" will finally reign triumphantly.38 Kim aptly summarizes Psalms 108-110 as "stages of the Messiah's eschatological struggle against his enemies."39 Thus, Psalm 108 serves as a prelude to the Messianic king. . Also important is the fact that the third person singular subject of the verbs in line 7 clearly refers to the messiah.
Psalm 109 concludes by saying that God stands at the 'right hand' (ןי ִמי ִל) of the needy; then.
Psalms 111–117
In the case of this thesis, however, rather than just an individual paragraph, I am tracing the macrostructural argument of Book V of the Psalter. The identity of the 'king' or 'lord' in Psalm 110 was unclear (apart from being Davidic). Seen in context, then, Psalm 118 adds to the multifaceted picture of the Messiah's role and significance.
In this chapter I have treated the psalms in the first part of Book V of the Psalter, allowing the literary-structural contours of the text to guide our reading and interpretation.
BOOK V, SECTION 2: PSALMS 118–136
Palmer Robertson has surveyed these eight non-Psalter occurrences and rightly concludes that this statement “has a clearly defined pattern of usage in
Finally, it is later used in Ezra 3:10-11, after Israel's return from captivity and the re-laying of the foundation of the Temple.17. Palmer Robertson, The Flow of the Psalms: Discovering Their Structure and Theology (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R. Robertson claims that 2 Chronicles 20:21 is the only exception to this pattern of the temple-related use of וֹד ְס ַׁחםָלוֹע ְלי ִכבוֹט־י ִכה ָוהיַׁלוּדוֹה, as it simply "records the dramatic moment when King Jehoshaphat commissioned musicians to take his army into battle" (185n2).
12–13 that many of the Israelites wept, since this second temple could not be compared to the glory of Solomon's temple (cf. Hag 2:3).
Psalm 119
Psalm 119 possesses a multitude of features that both serve to highlight the glories of the Torah while at the same time telling of the tensions underlying the psalmist's experience. Nodder further identifies an apparent increase in the use of the word םָלו ֹע ְל ("forever") after Ps 119's central turning point. 89, however, םָלו ֹע ְל occurs twice in the twelfth stanza – it is the opening word for each half of the stanza (vv.. 89 and 93) – and seven more times in the rest of the psalm (vv.
The acrostic form of the poems has the effect of giving grief a form that is itself a kind of resolution.
Psalms 120–134
This symmetrical structure is reinforced by the twenty-four repetitions of the divine name (הוהי) in both the seven-song groups, as well as by the shortened form of the divine name (הָּי), which occurs once in the third psalm of each group (Pss 122 and 130, respectively). 42 The following paragraph is based on observations I have personally gained through a careful study of the Hebrew text of Pss 120–134. Thus, writes McCann, “The thirteenth of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), Psalm 132 stands out in the collection because it is noticeably longer than the others.
Interestingly, these three uses of ת ִי ַׁב in Ps 122 are the term's only occurrences in the first quintet of the Song of Solomon.
Psalms 135 and 136
71 In the Pentateuch, shortly after the completion of the tabernacle (Exodus 38), Aaron and the Levites are anointed and consecrated to serve as priests in the sanctuary (Ex 40; Lev 8; Num 3–4). This link frames the main body of the second section of Book V and reinforces the idea that Pss 118 and 135 are structural bookends. In this chapter I have examined the second section of Book V (Pss 118–136) within the broader context of the book's structure and plot line.
The memory of the ancient exodus from Egypt serves the speaker as a safeguard against despair and a catalyst for renewed hope.
BOOK V, SECTION 3: PSALMS 136–150
Within this structure, verses 23–25 stand grammatically and syntactically apart from the rest of the body of the psalm, in stark contrast to the verses that precede them. Furthermore, we find a clear shift from the third person in verses 1–22 to the first person plural in verses 23–24.7 The psalm thus seems to move “from recitation of the past to the interpretation of events that are contemporary to the psalmist. "8. 23's clear use of the opening relative particle ש, found only here in the psalm; (2) the relegation of v.
See, e.g., Emanuel, From Bards to Biblical Exegetes, 240; Yair Zakovitch, "On the Arrangement of Psalms as Appeared in Psalms 136–150," in The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms, ed.
Psalms 137 and 138–145
30 Both verses also connect David's cry for deliverance with the ultimate goal of the exaltation of Yahweh's "name" (ם ֵש). Elsewhere, Robertson notes, “In the Psalter, the focus is on David as covenant head of the nation. Levenson, Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel: The Ultimate Victory of the God of Life (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2006); L.
Donatella Scaiola, "The End of the Psalter," in The Composition of the Book of Psalms, ed.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Only when he first experiences tribulation, as typologically depicted in David's historical life, will this future David taste the triumph of victory, be exalted to Yahweh's right hand as king-priest, and thereby redeem his people by realizing the eschatological new exodus. These psalms revisit the theme of David's suffering, but they closely relate it to the plight of the nation of Israel in exile, establishing a connection between the king and his people. In this way, the messianic portrait of Book V anticipates the way in which Yahweh's Anointed will identify with his people as their representative king and.
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, the apostle Paul asserts that the events of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection occurred "according to the Scriptures," meaning the Law, Prophets, and Writings that make up the Hebrew Bible.
APPENDIX
AUTHOR’S TRANSLATION OF PSALMS 107–150
Psalm 107 (continued)
38 And he blesses them, that they may multiply exceedingly, and he will not make their beasts decrease. 39 And when they diminish and when they are bowed down because of oppression, evil and sorrow. 40 He pours contempt upon princes, and makes them wander in pathless emptiness.
41 But he sets the poor on high, far from trouble, and makes their families like a flock of sheep.
Psalm 108
Psalm 109
Psalm 109 (continued)
28 The cursed, but you will bless; when they arise, let them be ashamed, but your servant rejoice. 29 Let my accusers be clothed with dishonour, and let them wrap themselves as with a cloak in their shame.
Psalm 110
Psalm 111
Psalm 111 (continued)
Psalm 112
Psalm 113
Psalm 113 (continued)
Psalm 114
Psalm 115
Psalm 115 (continued)
Psalm 116
Psalm 117
Psalm 118
Psalm 118 (continued)
7 I will thank you with the righteousness of my heart, when I learn of the judgments of your righteousness. 10 I have sought you with all my heart, do not lead me astray from your commandments. 21 You have rebuked the arrogant who are cursed, those who have strayed from your commandments.
23 Even princes have sat, against me they have spoken, but your servant will ponder over your arrangements.
Psalm 119 (continued)
76 O let thy steadfast love comfort me, according to thy promise to thy servant. 77 Let thy compassion come to me, and I shall live, for thy Torah is my joy. 88 According to your steadfast love, revive me, and I will keep the testimony of your mouth.
123 My eyes yearn for your salvation and for the promise of your righteousness.
Psalm 119 (continued)
Psalm 120
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 (continued)
Psalm 122
Psalm 123
Psalm 124
Psalm 124 (continued)
Psalm 126
Psalm 127
Psalm 127 (continued)
Psalm 128
Psalm 129
Psalm 130
Psalm 130 (continued)
Psalm 131
Psalm 132
Psalm 132 (continued)
Psalm 134
Psalm 135
Psalm 135 (continued)
Psalm 136
Psalm 136 (continued)
Psalm 137
Psalm 137 (continued)
Psalm 138
Psalm 139
Psalm 139 (continued)
Psalm 140
Psalm 140 (continued)
Psalm 141
Psalm 142
Psalm 143
Psalm 143 (continued)
Psalm 144
Psalm 145
Psalm 145 (continued)
Psalm 146
Psalm 146 (continued)
Psalm 147
Psalm 147 (continued)
Psalm 148
Psalm 149
Psalm 149 (continued)
Psalm 150
BIBLIOGRAPHY
An integrated reading of Psalms 1 and 2." Journal for Study of the Old Testament 26, no. Beginning of the Psalter.” In The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter, edited by J. Composition of the Psalter.” In Forming and Shaping the Book of Psalms: The Current State of Scholarship, edited by Nancy L.
The Formation of the Psalter: An Examination of Editorial Binding in the Book of Psalms. In The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter, edited by J.
ABSTRACT
THE LITERARY STRUCTURE OF THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE HEBREW PSALTER: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND
CANONICAL READING OF PSALMS 107–150 Jonathan Alan Ginn, ThM
VITA Jonathan Alan Ginn
