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.
In summary then, what can be said about Ps 95? The psalmist wrote at a critical time in the life of Israel. The devastation of the exile had challenged Israel’s conviction that they were the people of God. In an attempt to express his faith in their status as the people of God (the community hermeneutic), the psalmist borrowed phrases and words from Ps 100, reminding them of their call to worship God — as his people. Ps 100 celebrated that the people of Israel were indeed the people of God unequivocally, but in light of the social context, and the recent events, the promises and conclusions of Ps 100 seemed empty. As a result, the psalmist changes the tenor of the psalm and concludes the psalm with a prophetic oracle.
In the second half of the psalm, the psalmist cites the Massah-Meribah tradition, but adapts it through the use of several deuteronomic devices. Through the use of these devices, the psalmist locks in on the primary issue: whether the people believed God is still present among them. The Massah-Meribah tradition is cited as a moment in Israel’s history in which the nation was less than stellar in their performance, primarily because the people failed to recognize the presence of God.
In Ps 95, the psalmist calls the people to worship God, much
as an earlier psalmist did in Ps 100. Yet in addition to the call to worship,
there is a plea for the people to listen to the voice of God and not harden
their hearts as did their ancestors at Massah – Meribah. But for those who
cannot heed such a warning, they need not worry about worshiping God (vv. 1-7),
they shall not even enter his ‘rest’.