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.
200 PHILIP SUMPTER
individual in Psalm 15 is now true for all of Israel. When read “in
parallelismâ€, we see that the Davidic figure becomes a typical ex-
ample of Israel’s proper identity.
This pattern of theological contextualization with the correlation
of an individual to the community is repeated throughout the rest
of the psalms, with an interesting development in the relation of
Psalms 18/20–21.
Thus, Psalms 16 and 23 both belong to the genre “songs of con-
fidenceâ€. The common theme is an affirmation of the joyfulness of
life in the presence of the Lord (cf. 16,11; 23,6; as desired in Ps 15,1
and promised to the obedient in Ps 15,5, and as brought to the thresh-
old of consummation in 24,7-10) as well as trust in this reality in the
face of forces that mitigate against it. Alter’s principle of “intensifi-
cation†can already be seen in the extent of metaphorical imagery
used to describe the king’s relationship to his God: Psalm 23 is full
of it whereas in Psalm 16 it is limited to a single strophe (vv. 5-6) 42.
More significant, however, is the difference in the content of the im-
agery, one which reflects a difference identified above between
Psalms 15 and 24. Psalm 16, like its antecedent Psalm 15, is static in
that the symbolism used to describe David’s relationship to God is
one of “dwelling†(cf. Ps 15,1) in his presence, indeed within God
himself 43. The language of “chosen portionâ€, “inheritanceâ€, “linesâ€
and “lot†evokes the distribution of the land to the tribes (cf. Josh
13,23; 14,4; 15,3; 17,5; Numbers 18–21; Deut 4,21), whereas here it
is God himself who is the space within which the psalmist lives in
“‘mystic’ union†44. Psalm 23, however, introduces the element of
journey to the place of presence — now deferred to a moment of ar-
rival in the future after a period of tribulation 45. In other words, a
Cf. Gunkel’s comments on Psalm 23: “In general Hebrew poetry tends
42
to make use of images that are briefly alluded to and rashly jotted down; such
a careful execution as this is one of the exceptions†(H. GUNKEL, Die Psalmen
[Göttingen 1986], 98; translation mine).
ZENGER speaks of an experience of “YHWH as living space (Leben-
43
sraum)†(HOSSFELD – ZENGER, Psalmen:1, 108; translation mine).
KRAUS, Psalms:1, 238.
44
Cf. ZENGER, in HOSSFELD – ZENGER, Psalmen:1, 152: “As a whole, the
45
psalm consists of a progressive movement that comes to a standstill at the end.
The psalm begins with the image of being on the move, alludes to the dangers
on the way, pushes forward to an arrival in a protective house and concludes
with an emphasis on continual residence within this house†(translation mine).
© Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati