Philip Sumpter, «The Coherence of Psalms 15–24», Vol. 94 (2013) 186-209
This article develops recent arguments that Psalms 15–24 constitute a relatively self-contained sub-collection that is chiastically arranged. It seeks to uncover the logic underlying the arrangement by attending to three points: 1) the manner in which the content of each psalm is 'expanded' and 'brought forward' in its chiastic parallel; 2) the nature of the relation between the framing psalms (15; 19; 24) and those that intervene; 3) the significance of David and Zion. In short, it argues that the editors were concerned to situate David within his true theological context.
198 PHILIP SUMPTER
it or Israel itself to make it righteous) 35. The presence of an “escha-
tological†narrative portraying the consummation of creation in
Psalm 24 is also supported by its poetic representation of space: fun-
nel-like, in progressing stages of growing particularity, we move
from the world (vv. 1-2) to the foot of a mountain (the question is
who may ascend; v. 3) and then to the top of the mountain, directly
in front of the gates of the sanctuary 36. Finally, if it is the case that
the joint entry into the temple in vv. 3-6 and 7-10 functions to con-
summate the protological/eschatological reality in vv. 1-2, it is inter-
esting to note the thematic connection between vv. 1-2 and the
conclusion of Ps 15,5c: “Whoever does these things will never ‘tot-
ter’â€. The fruit of entering the temple in Psalm 15 and the protolog-
ical quality of creation as “stable†in Psalm 24 (note the pillars in the
raging seas) are the same (cf. Pss 93,1; 96,10). Kraus’ commentary
on Ps 15,5c makes a connection along these lines on cultic grounds:
“The one […] who enters the sanctuary is stepping on ground which
the great cosmic catastrophes cannot touch. […] This event of having
a part in Yahweh the ‘eternal rock’ is understood to be something
continuous, something that influences and determines the life of
human beings, Ps. 112,6*. The halm in v. 5* is to be understood in
this sense (cf. also Ps. 16,8*)†37. We thus see that in Psalm 24, Psalm
15’s question of who may access the reality on the other side of the
gates (cf. Ps 24,3) is now explicitly calibrated to cosmological and
possibly eschatological concerns 38. The effect is to contextualize
Psalm 15’s question and answer by placing them within (what the
editor considered to be) their ultimate theological context 39. In short,
On the function of creation within eschatology, see H.-J. KRAUS,
35
“Schöpfung und Weltvollendungâ€, EvT 24 (1964) 462-485.
This is picked up to a degree by D. HIRSCH – N. ASHKENAZY, “Translat-
36
able Structure, Untranslatable Poem: Psalm 24â€, Modern Language Studies
12 (1982) 21-34.
H.-J. KRAUS, Psalms 1–59 (CCS; Minneapolis, MN 1993) 231.
37
The Targum paraphrases v. 9 as follows: “Lift up your heads, O gates of
38
the garden of Eden […] that the glorious king might enter†(translated by D.
STEC, The Targum of Psalms. Translated, with a Critical Introduction, Apparatus,
and Notes [London 2004] 62; italics original, indicating additions to the MT).
Kraus notes that “Zion in the OT has the character of an ultimate reality
39
(Isa. 2:1ff.) that far transcends all earthly living conditions†(KRAUS, Psalms,
231). In that case, we might expect developments along these lines where
Zion is the primary theme.
© Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati