Abstract

As the reader encounters Book III of the Psalter, the disorientation of exile challenges the psalmists’ attempts to find hope in traditional elements of faith. Within a canonical context of exile, the hymns of celebration found in Pss 84–89 become ironic expressions of a grieving Israel looking to reorient their theology by appealing to Temple, land, and Davidic covenant. Those traditional elements, however, are no longer capable of providing hope. This prepares the reader for return to Moses and Mosaic covenant in Book IV. Davidic kingship and Zion gives way to Yahweh as king, enthroned forever.

Highlights

  • Recent canonical approaches to the Psalter have suggested that the Psalter was redacted purposely to help the exilic and post-exilic communities answer the apparent failure of the Davidic covenant.1 Over twenty years ago, Gerald Wilson demonstrated the purposed redaction of the Psalter by focusing on the endings of each book of the Psalter

  • The canonical position of the last six psalms of Book III focuses the reader on an exilic Israel searching for answers in advance of the ones provided by Book IV

  • People of faith attached significance to the editing of the Psalter as a single “book.” For Samson Raphael Hirsch, the struggle of David throughout the book of Psalms mirrors the struggle of the Jews throughout history

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Summary

The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures

Articles in JHS are being indexed in the ATLA Religion Database, RAMBI, and BiBIL. Their abstracts appear in Religious and Theological Abstracts. The journal is archived by Library and Archives Canada and is accessible for consultation and research at the Electronic Collection site maintained by Library and Archives Canada (for a direct link, click here).

INTRODUCTION
THE METHOD
THE STORY THUS FAR
Findings
CONCLUSION
Full Text
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