The Redactional Criteria and Objectives Underlying the Arrangement of Psalms 3-8

380 Pages·2008·1.47 MB·English

by  Kevin Smith

THE REDACTIONAL CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES
UNDERLYING THE ARRANGEMENT OF PSALMS 3-8

By
Kevin Gary Smith

A dissertation submitted for the degree of
Doctor of Theology
at the South African Theological Seminary

December 2007

Promoter: Dr WR Domeris
DECLARATION
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in
this dissertation is my own original work and has not previously
in its entirety or in part been submitted to any institution for a
degree.

KG Smith
Johannesburg, 10 December 2007
DEDICATION
I wish to express my gratitude to my wife, Lyndi, without whose
love, support and patience I would not have been able to
complete this study.
Abstract
At present, research into the editorial shaping of the canonical Psalter holds a
central role in psalms studies. In keeping with this trend, this dissertation
examines links between Psalms 3-8 in an attempt to discern the criteria and
objectives the editors used when arranging them.
The study begins with a detailed exegetical synopsis of each of the six psalms
in the chosen corpus. This lays a foundation for examining links between the
psalms that might have influenced the editors to arrange them in the
canonical order. An exhaustive analysis of links first between adjacent psalms
and then across the entire corpus follows; the goal is to identify the rationale
for the ordering of the psalms.
The analysis suggests that verbal and thematic links provided the main basis
of arrangement. The editors’ primary objective was to ensure a natural verbal
and thematic connection between each pair of adjacent psalms. Although
editorial linking is most evident on the level of adjacent psalms, beyond this
level the editors do seem to have considered shared terms and similarities in
the headings; these considerations were subordinate to shared terms and
themes amongst neighbouring psalms.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background ................................................................................ 1
1.2 Problem ...................................................................................... 3
1.3 Objectives .................................................................................. 4
1.4 Delimitations .............................................................................. 5
1.5 Design ........................................................................................ 7
1.6 Definitions .................................................................................. 8
1.7 Hypothesis ................................................................................. 9
1.8 Overview .................................................................................. 10
2. History of Psalms Studies ................................................................ 13
2.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 13
2.2 Ancient approaches ................................................................. 14
2.3 Historical criticism .................................................................... 16
2.4 Form criticism ........................................................................... 20
2.5 Redaction criticism ................................................................... 24
2.6 Recent literary studies .............................................................. 31
2.6.1 Studies on the entire Psalter ...................................... 31
2.6.2 Studies on collections of psalms ................................ 47
2.7 Conclusion ............................................................................... 63
3. Methodology .................................................................................... 66
3.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 66
3.2 Resources ................................................................................ 67
3.3 Presuppositions ....................................................................... 68
3.4 Exegesis of individual psalms .................................................. 69
3.4.1 Textual criticism ......................................................... 70
3.4.2 Historical reconstruction ............................................ 71
3.4.3 Lexical analysis .......................................................... 73
3.4.4 Grammatical analysis ................................................ 75
3.4.5 Form criticism ............................................................ 75
3.4.6 Structural analysis ..................................................... 76
3.4.7 Rhetoric analysis ....................................................... 77
3.4.8 Theological analysis .................................................. 78
3.5 Analysis of links between adjacent psalms .............................. 79
3.5.1 Conduct an exhaustive analysis of shared
terminology ................................................................ 80
3.5.2 Evaluate other kinds of potential links between
psalms ....................................................................... 81
3.5.3 Assess the primary basis of concatenation ................ 82
3.6 Analysis of the composition of the corpus ................................ 84
4. Analysis of Psalms 3-8 ..................................................................... 87
4.1 Psalm 3 .................................................................................... 88
4.1.1 Textual variants ......................................................... 88
4.1.2 Historical reconstruction ............................................ 89
4.1.3 Setting in life .............................................................. 91
4.1.4 Structural analysis ..................................................... 94
4.1.5 Terminology ............................................................... 97
4.1.6 Themes .................................................................... 104
4.2 Psalm 4 .................................................................................. 105
4.2.1 Textual variants ....................................................... 105
4.2.2 Historical reconstruction .......................................... 107
4.2.3 Setting in life ............................................................ 109
4.2.4 Structural analysis ................................................... 111
4.2.5 Terminology ............................................................. 114
4.2.6 Themes .................................................................... 119
4.3 Psalm 5 .................................................................................. 121
4.3.1 Textual variants ....................................................... 121
4.3.2 Historical reconstruction .......................................... 121
4.3.3 Setting in life ............................................................ 122
4.3.4 Structural analysis ................................................... 124
4.3.5 Terminology ............................................................. 125
4.3.6 Themes .................................................................... 134
4.4 Psalm 6 .................................................................................. 136
4.4.1 Textual variants ....................................................... 136
4.4.2 Historical reconstruction .......................................... 137
4.4.3 Setting in life ............................................................ 138
4.4.4 Structural analysis ................................................... 140
4.4.5 Terminology ............................................................. 143
4.4.6 Themes .................................................................... 148
4.5 Psalm 7 .................................................................................. 149
4.5.1 Textual variants ....................................................... 149
4.5.2 Historical reconstruction .......................................... 150
4.5.3 Setting in life ............................................................ 153
4.5.4 Structural analysis ................................................... 155
4.5.5 Terminology ............................................................. 157
4.5.6 Themes .................................................................... 166
4.6 Psalm 8 .................................................................................. 167
4.6.1 Textual variants ....................................................... 167
4.6.2 Historical reconstruction .......................................... 169
4.6.3 Setting in life ............................................................ 170
4.6.4 Structural analysis ................................................... 171
4.6.5 Terminology ............................................................. 172
4.6.6 Themes .................................................................... 177
4.7 Conclusion ............................................................................. 179
5. Concatenation in Psalms 3-8 .......................................................... 180
5.1 The relationships between Psalms 3 and 4 ............................ 182
5.1.1 Verbal links .............................................................. 183
5.1.2 Other links................................................................ 187
5.1.3 Basis of arrangement ............................................... 192
5.2 The relationships between Psalms 4 and 5 ............................ 196
5.2.1 Verbal links .............................................................. 197
5.2.2 Other links................................................................ 200
5.2.3 Basis of arrangement ............................................... 204
5.3 The relationships between Psalms 5 and 6 ............................ 207
5.3.1 Verbal links .............................................................. 207
5.3.2 Other links................................................................ 208
5.3.3 Basis of arrangement ............................................... 210
5.4 The relationships between Psalms 6 and 7 ............................ 214
5.4.1 Verbal links .............................................................. 214
5.4.2 Other Links .............................................................. 216
5.4.3 Basis of arrangement ............................................... 218
5.5 The relationships between Psalms 7 and 8 ............................ 221
5.5.1 Verbal links .............................................................. 221
5.5.2 Other links................................................................ 224
5.5.3 Basis of arrangement ............................................... 226
5.6 Conclusions ........................................................................... 227
6. Composition of Psalms 3-8 ............................................................ 230
6.1 The headings ......................................................................... 232
6.2 Verbal links ............................................................................ 244
6.2.1 The relationship between Psalms 3 and 7 ............... 244
6.2.2 The relation of Psalm 7 to the surrounding psalms .. 252
6.2.3 The organisation of Psalms 4-6 ............................... 256
6.2.4 Exhaustive list of shared lexemes in Psalms 3-8 ..... 262
6.3 Thematic unity ........................................................................ 269
6.3.1 Walton’s cantata hypothesis .................................... 270
6.3.2 Brueggemann’s wisdom theory ................................ 271
6.3.3 Themes in Psalms 3-8 ............................................. 273
6.3.5 The nature of thematic unity .................................... 284
6.4 Conclusions: the compilation of Psalms 3-8 ........................... 290