W. Dennis Tucker, «Psalm 95: Text, Context, and Intertext», Vol. 81 (2000) 533-541
In a previous issue of Biblica (76 [1995] 540-550)
W.H. Schniedewind argued that Ps 100 had a major influence on the psalmist who
wrote Ps 95. In this study, I argue for a diachronic approach to
intertextuality, which examines both the literary and the social environment. I
contend that the two together actually create an intertextual hermeneutic which
allows the psalmist to incorporate previous traditions and texts in such a way
as to address changing social and religious demands.
Based on citation, allusion and
reversal, I contend that the
psalmist of Ps 95 did in fact incorporate element of Ps 100, but in addition,
the psalmist added the Massah-Meribah tradition, while adding a deuteronomic slant
to the psalms. The use of the Massah-Meribah tradition along the
deuteronomic influences, created a psalm that would have been particularly
appropriate for a community still reeling from the devastation of exile.
people to ‘listen to his (YHWH’s) voice’. Central to the deuteronomic corpus is the call to return to YHWH (cf. Judg 2,16; 3,9; 1 Sam 7,3; 1 Kgs 8,46-53; 2 Kgs 17,3; 23,25). As H.W. Wolff has suggested, intrinsic to the return of YHWH is ‘listening to the voice of Yahweh, your God’28. With this phrase another implicit reference to the deuteronomic tradition is established.
The appropriation of the Meribah-Massah tradition begins in v. 8, but again, the psalmist opts to use a deuteronomic form of speech to introduce the tradition, ‘Do not harden your hearts’. Hossfeld has suggested that this expression leads the reader further into the domain of deuteronomic-deuteronomistic speech, where normally, the phrase ‘hardening of the neck appears’ (Deut 10,16; 2 Kgs 17,14; Jer 7,26, 17,23; 19,15)29. Through the use of these three deuteronomic phrases as introductory devices, the Meribah-Massah tradition is recast, serving as a warning to the people of ‘today’ who are dangerously close to ‘hardening their hearts’ that they should listen to the voice of God30.
The use of both place names raises the question as to the intention of the author31. W. Propp has noted that some sources prefer one name over the other32. Deuteronomy prefers Massah (Deut 6,16; 9,22), while P seems to prefer Meribah (Num 20,13.24; 27,14). In Ps 95, however, while both names do appear, clearly the deuteronomic trend continues, with the emphasis falling on Massah — the idea of putting God to the test.
The arrangement of the place names in v. 8 and the verbs in v. 9 suggests that the emphasis is on Massah. Although the place name ‘Meribah’ appears, its verbal form, byr, ‘to contend’, does not appear in the subsequent verses, as might be expected. But not only does the place name ‘Massah’ appear in v. 8, its verbal form, hsn, appears in v. 9. Yet instead of hsn appearing with byr, it appears with Nxb, ‘to prove’. Hossfeld argues that the verb Nxb , which appears in 9b is meant to stand in a parallel construction with the verb in 9a, hsn33. The point that must be noted is that while the two places, Meribah (‘contention’) and Massah (‘testing’), appear in a parallel relationship (v. 8), the parallel does not hold true in the following verse. The parallel verbs in v. 9