Wisdom Psalms Research Articles

The profile of the rich antagonist and the pious protagonist in Psalm 52

In this article, a stichometric and poetic analysis of Psalm 52 is offered which forms the basis for a description of the character of the rich but crooked antagonist and the pious protagonist in the psalm. The profile of the pious in the psalm emerges largely as the inverse of the inclination and actions of the arrogant, rich antagonist who is addressed in the greater part of the psalm. The psalm is also read and interpreted against the background of the book of Psalms as a whole to argue that Psalm 52 is actually describing the opposition between the righteous and the wicked as it is typically found in Wisdom psalms.

Una teologia dei salmi storica. Storia della fede e della preghiera d’Israele nel salterio

After the presentation of the characteristics and the contents of the five books of the Psalter, after having seen the moments of the different collections, after the description of the Psalms, the author presents the two perspectives to which every thing can be reduced: 1) The individual or collective lament. As far as individual lament is concerned the author thinks that they are liturgical prayers of the king that date before the exile. Then he gives the theology of both individual and collective laments presented in a diachronical way. Studying the oral poetry he goes back as far as David himself. 2) The praise in the tôdâ and in the Hymns. The authors defends their old origins and analyses their ritual elements and tries to analyze their development. 3) Finally he studies the last collections, those of book V, the ascent psalms, the Hallel and the wisdom psalms and the alphabetical ones which try to give a redactional link of all the Psalter.

Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs ? Daniel J. Estes

Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs ? Daniel J. Estes

"I WILL SOLVE MY RIDDLE TO THE MUSIC OF THE LYRE" (PSALM XLIX 4 [5]): A CULTIC SETTING FOR WISDOM PSALMS?

AbstractThis paper explores the relationship between wisdom psalms and the cult, asking whether Mowinckel's characterization of the wisdom psalms as late and non-cultic is justified. It explores the possibility of wisdom influence on the psalter in early and later times, looking at questions of context and theology. Rather than seeing wisdom influence as mainly a scribal activity that was a post-exilic editing of thefinal form of the psalter, it is argued that the influence of wisdom went back to the days of the early Israelite cult. Its influence was strong also in post-exilic times, which confirms a connection between wisdom and cult at this stage (Perdue), however wisdom forms that shaped the literary development of some psalms and wisdom ideas that included an emphasis on creation and order are seen to be an essential part of the earliest self-identification of Israel through her worship.

Gold Dust or Nuggets? a Brief Response To J. Kenneth Kuntz

Of Kuntz's arguments against my position in 'Wisdom Psalms?', I find only one to have any merit, and it is tangential to the discussion. The vague and misleading category 'Wisdom Psalms' is useless in scholarly research.

Reclaiming Biblical Wisdom Psalms: a Response To Crenshaw

This piece targets Crenshaw's article, 'Wisdom Psalms?' (CRBS 2000) that debunks a broad array of scholarly attempts to identify canonical wisdom psalms. Convinced that Crenshaw's minimalist perception often skews his reading of the biblical text and its interpretation, Kuntz counters that the Hebrew Psalter hosts a limited number of psalms that are stylistically and thematically reminiscent of what transpires in the widely recognized trinity of wisdom books in the Hebrew canon (Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth). Despite their overlap with other genres, wisdom psalms of diverse format and length exhibit shared features that warrant our embracing them as a viable psalmic category.

'Die Hemel vertel die eer van God': Natuur, Skriftuur en die bidder in Psalm 19

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God”: Nature, Scripture and the suppliant in Psalm 19 This article investigates the relationship between the different parts of Psalm 19, viz. v 2-7, 8-11 and 12-15. After a translation and colometric analysis, observations are made on the structure of the poem, the wordplay, and the other literary strategies that keep the different parts together, and on the characteristics that mark this composition as a wisdom psalm. Special attention is devoted to the sun imagery which runs like a golden thread through the whole poem.

Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction (review)

Hebrew Studies 41 (2000) 261 Reviews "The first human never finished comprehending wisdom, nor will the last succeed in fathoming her." Stephen P. Garfinkel Jewish Theological Seminary New York, NY 10027 stgarfinkel@jtsa.edu OLD TESTAMENT WISDOM: AN INTRODUCTION. By James L. Crenshaw. pp. xv + 255. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 1998, Paper. The introduction to the first edition of James Crenshaw's Old Testament Wisdom notes that "no satisfactory introduction" to Israelite wisdom existed at the time the volume was first prepared. Crenshaw's work ably ftlled that void and has served as a reliable entry to the topic since its publication in 1981. The preface to the new "revised and enlarged" edition, under review here, admits to the need "to update the notes and bibliography , add some special sections, and make minor revisions throughout the [first edition]" (p. xi) in the face of the expanding body of scholarship on biblical wisdom. As the reader begins the new edition, they will be well advised to consult the notes often, for there they will fmd much of the updated material that accompanies changes made to the text of the first edition . Still, while the material presented in the revision will be recognizable to those familiar with the previous edition, the thoroughness and aptness of the updated information make this revision, again, a more than "satisfactory " work. The book begins with a restructured and expanded introduction that resets the stage of scholarship on biblical wisdom literature. Noting the sixteen-year span since his first edition, Crenshaw brings the reader fully up-to-date on advances in the field. He mentions not only the standbys, such as Roland Murphy's Tree of Life, but brings less central, yet important, works such as Dianne Bergant's Israel's Wisdom Literature: A LiberationCritical Reading and Athalya Brenner's A Feminist Companion to the Wisdom Literature to the reader's attention. It is this sort of attention to detail that adds to the value of the book. Chapter I, "The World of Wisdom" and chapter two, "The Sapiential Tradition" introduce the reader to the basic concepts of biblical wisdom Hebrew Studies 41 (2000) 262 Reviews and its study. Chapter one includes discussions of the "scribal class," the "goals" of the sage, the fonns of biblical wisdom, and wisdom's influence within the Hebrew Bible. Chapter 2 attempts to detennine the roots of the sapiential tradition in the Old Testament-how it followed from a glorification of Solomon as "sage par excellence" to the all encompassing search for wisdom which involved "Israel's wise men and women" as well as the wisdom traditions of Israel's neighbors. Chapters 3 through 6 introduce the reader to the three wisdom books of the Hebrew Bible as well as Sirach. Chapter 3, "The Pursuit of Knowledge: Proverbs," provides a meaningful introduction to the book including a brief discussion of the fonns of the literature and their presentation in the book, the "pedagogical intent" of the work, and the themes and theology of Proverbs. Chapter 4, "The Search for Divine Presence: Job," provides an example of Crenshaw's willingness to improve on his previously sound first edition. This chapter re-introduces Job with improved clarity concerning the difficult issues the book entails. Chapters 5 and 6 introduce Ecclesiastes and Sirach respectively. Both chapters address issues of literary fonn and function. Chapter 5 examines five "major convictions" of Qoheleth: "(1) death cancels everything; (2) wisdom cannot achieve its goal; (3) God is unknowable; (4) the world is crooked; and (5) pleasure commends itself' (p. 117). This discussion is supplemented by discussions of literary fonn, unity, and authorship. In chapter 6, Crenshaw investigates the influence of Yahwism on wisdom literature as found in Sirach. The allusion to sacred history by Ben Sira, an allusion generally eschewed in the Israelite wisdom tradition, is seen as a result of "the powerful influence of Yahwism" (p. 143) exerting itself on the sage. This inclusion of sacred history led to the infusion of biblical piety into Ben Sira's work. Chapter 7, "The Widening Hunt: Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom Psalms, and Beyond" introduces Wisdom of Solomon (its structure. theological outlook, depiction of wisdom personified, and...

Where Can Wisdom be Found? The Sage's Language in the Bible and in Ancient Egyptian Literature (review)

Hebrew Studies 38 (1997) 159 Reviews are exaggerated. The consistency, logic, and coherence of his research are admirable; his scholarship is of the highest order. Crow has written a convincing work on The Songs of Ascents and their place in Israelite history and religion. He does not need to qualify it so much. Daniel Grossberg State University ofNew York Albany, NY 12222 WHERE CAN WISDOM BE FOUND? THE SAGE'S LAN· GUAGE IN THE BIBLE AND IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE. By Nili Shupak. Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 130. Pp. xxxi + 508. Freiburg, Switzerland: University Press; Gottingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. Cloth, SF 148. In the epilogue of this major work, the author concludes by reminding the reader that when it comes to comparative research between ancient Egyptian sources and the Bible, "the territory is vast and continues to invite scholarly attention" (p. 355). Nili Shupak's work has certainly gone a long way toward reducing the amount of territory that requires exploration in the field of wisdom literature. Over the years there has been considerable work done by biblical scholars on Israelite wisdom literature as there has been among Egyptologists in Egyptian didactic literature. Comparative work between Israelite and Egyptian literature has been limited largely because few scholars have had adequate preparation in both Hebrew and Egyptian to control the sources required for careful study. The late Ronald 1. Williams, Helmut Brunner, KelUleth A. Kitchen, and Michael V. Fox are among those who could work authoritatively in both fields and thus make significant contributions to academe. We can now add Shupak's name to this small but distinguished list. The objectives of her study are as follows: (l) "to draw up a glossary of Egyptian wisdom terms," (2) "to elucidate the semantics of these terms," and (3) "to clarify the wisdom vocabulary of the Hebrew sages in relation to the corresponding Egyptian terminology" (p. 7). The third point is the main thrust of the book. Because of the nature of the first two points, the bulk of the book is devoted to presenting the data. Consequently, this monograph is very comprehensive, but reading the work requires considerable plodding to get to the conclusions of the investigation. Hebrew Studies 38 (1997) 160 Reviews The book begins by introducing the corpus of sources used in the study. On the Hebrew side, Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth, wisdom Psalms, and Ben Sira are included. The Egyptian sources are divided into more specific categories -Didactic Wisdom-Instructions, "Loyalists '" Instructions, Speculative-Pessimistic Wisdom, School Texts, Royal Inscriptions and autobiographies, and religious literature. With this large database, Shupak launches into a comparative study of terms relating to instruction and teaching (e.g., sb3y.t and musiir; mtr(t) and toka/;lat; tp rd and mi~waltora; slJr and 'e~a).What may be surprising about these terms is that there are no Egyptian cognates or loan-words. If Israelite wisdom was influenced by Egypt, one might expect some Egyptian terms to be present. However, the author shows that the relationship between these terms is semantic, not linguistic . This is the conclusion drawn throughout as she explores the comparative terms for "Teaching and Learning" (chapter 2), "The Negative Human Type-Traits and Behavior" (chapter 3), "The Positive Human Type-Traits and Practices, Quietness, Calmness, Coolness" (chapter 4), "The Consequences of Failing to Acquire Learning: Fool and Foolishness" (chapter 5), "The Consequences of Acquiring Wisdom: Wise and Wisdom" (chapter 6), "The Parts of the Body Involved in Instruction and Wisdom" (chapter 7), and "Wisdom Words" (chapter 8). A good example of the type of semantic relationship Shupak identifies is Egyptianls and Hebrew ta/;lbulot (pp. 313-317). Egyptian IS is written with a knotted belt or rope determinative. It was Brunner who first called attention to IS, "knot," meaning "maxim." Similarly, the Hebrew ta/;lbuLOt is related to the word /;lebel, rope. In both cases, the idea behind the words is that a maxim "is a tightly phrased, well constructed, pithy maxim made like a series of knots and loops" (p. 316). Naturally the wise person will have to apply himself to unraveling the meaning. This type of semantic association between the Hebrew and Egyptian can hardly be a coincidence. Therefore...

"Come, Children, Listen to Me!" Psalm 34 in the Hebrew Bible and in Early Christian Writings (review)

Hebrew Studies 36 (1995) 196 Reviews "COME, CHILDREN, LISTEN TO ME!" PSALM 34 IN THE HEBREW BIBLE AND IN EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS. By LarsOlov Eriksson. CBOTS 32. pp. 216. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1991. Paper. For much of this century, research on the psalms has been dominated by a methodological consensus centered on the form-critical work of Hermann Gunkel and his successors. Recently, however, form criticism has begun to lose its monopoly on the scholarly discussion, as attention has shifted away from questions about genre to other issues, such as the shape of the Psalter as a whole. The present book is very much a part of this movement to push beyond the usual form-critical questions, as its author makes clear from the start. This work attempts to break new ground in two somewhat different ways. First of all, the focus here is on an individual psalm, rather than on a psalm genre. According to Eriksson, the standard form-critical emphasis on the psalms' common traits has resulted in a comparative neglect of the more distinctive aspects of individual psalms. The present study attempts to remedy this by pursuing an in-depth analysis of Psalm 34, a psalm which most modem critics have had difficulty in classifying according to genre and to which, perhaps as a result, they have not attached much significance. This in-depth study of Psalm 34 begins with a detailed analysis of its language, style, and structure. With regard to language, the author pays particular attention to the words and phrases used to describe God, the psalmist, and "the others" (especially the righteous and the wicked who are contrasted throughout the psalm). Much of the language in these areas is similar to that found in the rest of the Psalter. There are, however, some links to the wisdom books and, to a lesser extent, the prophetic literature. The author also sees both a certain originality in the psalm's usage of this language and a strong emphasis on teaching and exhortation throughout. With regard to style, the author pays particular attention to the way certain words, phrases, synonymous expressions. and syntactic patterns are repeated in the psalm. He also finds evidence of other poetic devices. such as parallelism, chiasm, alliteration, and the rhetorical question. All of this points to a poem written with skill and artistry, a judgment underscored by the psalm's acrostic structure. With regard to the latter, the author shows how certain apparent deficiencies in the alphabetic pattern (such as the missing waw line and the additional pe line) are actually intentional and in keeping with the psalm's instructional purposes. Hebrew Studies 36 (1995) 197 Reviews Only after explicating the unique aspects of Psalm 34 does the author consider the psalm's fonn. Here he notes the critical disagreement between those who classify the psalm as a thanksgiving psalm and those who instead see it as a wisdom psalm. While there are elements in the first part of the psalm which are at home in the psalm of thanksgiving, the author finds it hard to accept this designation in view of some important deviations from the standard fonn. These include the lack of any direct address to God, the absence of the nonnal thanksgiving verb ydh, the brevity of the account of the psalmist's fate (and its unusual address to the listener), and the absence of any reference to the thank offering. The author is much more in sympathy with those who see the psalm as a wisdom psalm of some sort. This judgment is based first of all on the fact that the psalm's content includes such central wisdom themes as the contrast between the righteous and the wicked, the fear of the Lord, God's protection of the righteous, and the problem of the suffering of the righteous. The style of the psalm also has a number of affinities to fonnal devices found in the wisdom books. Among these are the pivotal admonition to the "sons" in v. 12, the ·a~re fonnula in v. 9, and the question in v. 13. The vocabulary of the psalm, especially in its second half, has many connections to the...

Wisdom Language in Biblical Psalmody (review)

Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 145 Reviews temporary students and scholars. They only illustrate that history is not philosophy. Harris has demonstrated the value of Krochmal's philosophy for Jewish history; it remains for others to explore how valuable that work is for Jewish philosophy. Norbert Samuelson Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 WISDOM LANGUAGE IN BIBLICAL PSALMODY. By Avi Hurvitz. Pp. 162. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1991. Cloth, $11.52. How can a wisdom psalm be identified? Most standard commentaries suggest that a wisdom psalm is one which displays the presence of literary or stylistic devices such as acrostics; the phrase "better is 'x' than 'y"'; numerical sayings; or the presence of certain didactic motifs, such as the just and unjust, the two ways, practical advice regarding conduct, etc. In this book, Avi Hurvitz maintains that wisdom psalms can best be identified solely by utilizing linguistic techniques. Specifically taking issue with J. L. Crenshaw, who maintains that an exclusive sapiential vocabulary cannot be identified (Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction [Atlanta, 1981] p. 39), Hurvitz contends that, with proper controls, such a wisdom vocabulary can indeed be recognized. To identify this wisdom vocabulary, Hurvitz utilizes a methodology similar to that of his previous diachronic studies of early and late hebrew. He identifies distinctive linguistic elements whose usage is typical-that is, exclusive or predominant-in the wisdom corpus, which is defined as Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, plus Ben Sira and Ahiqar. Whenever possible , a linguistic opposition between the wisdom element and its nonwisdom equivalent is sought to demonstrate that wisdom language is indeed quite distinctive. Showcase examples for Hurvitz's method are the word han (wealth) and the phrase sur meraC (shun evi1!). Both occur predominantly in the standard wisdom corpus. Elsewhere in the Bible, other words ('asar, zahab, kesep, nekasim) are used to express the concept of "riches" and "wealth." In a like fashion, Hurvitz demonstrates that the components of the phrase sur meraC do not occur elsewhere in the Bible as a combined phrase except in wisdom Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 146 Reviews texts. Hence, the occurrences of hon and sur meraC in the Psalms are wisdom indicators. Now, if a particular psalm has enough of these indicators, what Hurvitz terms a significant accumulation, then that psalm is declared to be a wisdom psalm. According to Hurvitz, only five psalms (l9b, 34b, 37, 112, and 119) meet his criteria. But what constitutes "a significant accumulation"? Nowhere does Hurvitz make this clear. According to Hurvitz, Psalm 119 has twelve wisdom indicators, Psalm 37 has ten, Psalm 34 has eight, and Psalms 19 and 112 have four each. So presumably four elements constitutes "significant accumulation." But what about Psalm III which only has two indicators? Hurvitz is ambivalent about the status of that psalm. On the one hand he includes it in his linguistic analysis (pp. 93-96) and classifies it as a wisdom psalm in his conclusion (p. 123), yet, on the other hand, he also expresses reservations because of the paucity of its indicators (pp. 99, 121, n. 9, and in the chart, p. 128). Further, is accumulation affected by the length of a psalm? Are the four wisdom features identified in Psalm 19b's eight verses and the ten features for the forty verses of Psalm 37 to be considered akin to the twelve features listed for Psalm 119, which has 176 verses? Even Hurvitz realizes that from a purely statistical point of view the examples he has culled for Psalm 119 are few (p. 119). And what of the fact that some of the wisdom elements repeat themselves? Does that repetition count for accumulation? The book concludes with three short appendices. In the first, Hurvitz presents a chart of the opinions of ten representative scholars who have identified wisdom psalms. It is interesting to observe that there is universal agreement on only one psalm (Psalm 37), and that Psalms 1,49, 127, and 128, which do seem to have characteristic features of wisdom psalms and are included on most of the other scholars' lists, do not meet Hurvitz's criteria . Hurvitz himself recognizes the incomplete character of his list. Perhaps, he says, future study may help enlarge the scope...

Wysheidskriteria vir die klassifikasie van psalms as wysheidspsalms

Criteria for identyfying wisdom psalms This article concerns itself with the identification of wisdom poems amongst the psalms in the Old Testament. Certain criteria for identifying wisdom psalms have already been determined through previous re search on the subject. The validity of these criteria is subsequently evaluated in the light of the generally accepted wisdom books namely Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. This attempt generated an independent set of criteria (formal and pertaining contents) proposed for isolating wisdom psalms.

Holiness in Israel (review)

Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 90 Reviews Nevertheless, one cannot but admire the expert knowledge and scholarly effort that went into the publication of this edition. It is hoped that many more volumes in this series will follow. MoshePelli University ofCentral Florida Orlando, FL 32816 HOLINESS IN ISRAEL. By John G. Gammie. Overtures to Biblical Theology. Pp. xv + 215. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1989. Paper, $12.95. John Gammie's contribution to the well-received Overtures to Biblical Theology series is an important study of holiness as a theological theme in the Hebrew scriptures. Readers familiar with the recent excellent work of Jon Levenson, Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible (1985), will be most appreciative of Gammie's additional contribution to our understanding of a fundamental and surprisingly under-treated aspect of biblical theology. Gammie's book, however, focuses directly on the question of holiness and appropriate responses holiness calls forth as attested across the breadth of Hebrew Scripture traditions. In this work Professor Gammie carefully supports a major thesis arising from his examination of holiness in the literary traditions. He contends that among all three groups contributing to scriptural traditions-priestly, prophetic, and sapiential-holiness is a significant theological concept. Thus holiness provides a unity between otherwise remarkably diverse streams of theological traditions. But that is only half the truth Gammie uncovers. Within this unity around holiness abides distinctiveness and diversity. While the holiness of God is perceived by priests, prophets, and sages, each group, Gammie believes, developed its own normative response to the experience of God's numinous presence. For the Priestly writers, the holiness of God demanded separation and ritual purity; for the prophets, holiness required social justice as response; and for the sages, holiness called forth a personal morality and integrity befitting God's omniscience. In the apocalyptic writings Gammie sees these three streams flowing together so that the ethical requirements of holiness in apocalyptic may be said to offer a recapitulation of biblical ethics. Hebrew Studies 32 (1991) 91 Reviews The plan of Gammie's book is reflective of his insightful thesis. In a brief introduction the author lays out both thesis and methodology, promising to make use of insights from history of religions research and recent anthropological work, particularly that of Mary Douglas and Edmund Leach, as well as the literary critical work of biblical scholars. Central to Gammie's understanding of holiness is the pioneering work of Rudolph Otto in The Idea of the Holy. Otto's characteristics of the experience of the numinous presence of God-mysterium, tremendum, energicum, maiestas, andfascinans-serve as an overlay for Gammie's reading of biblical texts (Le., to detect the expression of holiness beyond the limitations of holiness language). Otto's categories of universal experience provide a helpful window through which to discern the unity and diversity of Israel's conception of holiness and the requirements for cleanness which are called forth. In three of the six chapters that follow the introduction the author sets forth the normative views of holiness with its inherent and reciprocal concept of cleanness: for the Priestly writers (chap. 1); for the prophets, taking the book of Isaiah as exemplary (chap. 3); and in wisdom, particularly Proverbs, wisdom Psalms, and Job (chap. 5). Alternate chapters (2,4, 6) explore attenuations and variations from the normative view traced in other priestly, prophetic, and sapiential traditions. Thus Ezekiel's concept of holiness and the view of holiness found in the Chronistic history are compared with the normative priestly view; Jeremiah, Deuteronomy, and the Deuteronomic history with the normative view of the prophets; and Qoheleth, Sirach, and the Wisdom of Solomon with the normative view of the sages. The final chapter focuses on the understanding of holiness among Apocalyptic writers, particularly the "Little Apocalypse" of Isa 24-27, Zech 9-14, Joel, Ezek 38-39, and Daniel. Since Gammie sees the Apocalyptic works as bringing together diverse understandings of holiness from the three traditional sources, this chapter serves as an appropriate conclusion to the book. It is followed by a very brief summary which points back to the thesis and notes incidental, but not unimportant, secondary insights gained along the way. The value of...

Wisdom Vocabulary in the Hebrew Psalter: A Contribution to the Study of "Wisdom Psalms"

Wisdom Vocabulary in the Hebrew Psalter: A Contribution to the Study of "Wisdom Psalms"

Book Review: Wisdom Literature and Psalms

Book Review: Wisdom Literature and Psalms