Nancy Brandt Declaisse-Walford | Mercer University (original) (raw)

Drafts by Nancy Brandt Declaisse-Walford

Review and Expositor, 2024

Violence takes many forms in the book of Psalms: descriptions of violence against the psalm singe... more Violence takes many forms in the book of Psalms: descriptions of violence against the psalm
singer(s), violence inflicted by the wicked upon others, violence enacted by God against the psalm
singer(s), and violence enacted by God against the enemies of the psalm singer(s). This study
mainly examines the first two categories: human on human violence. Focusing on Psalms 55, 139, and
109, the work explores three types of human on human violence (direct or immediate violence,
textual or symbolic violence, and structural and cultural violence), including interpretations from
feminist scholars and voices from South Africa. The concluding discussion attempts to answer
questions of how people might understand these psalms and incorporate them into their own language
of freedom and faith.

Acta Theologica

Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book ... more Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book of Psalms is no exception. In this essay, I will examine the three types of violence that scholars observe in the biblical text—"direct or immediate,” “textual or symbolic,” and “structural and cultural,” in the context of the book of Psalms and from the perspective of marginalized voices. To do so, I will first relate my experience of incorporating the reflections of “marginalized voices” from South Africa in my writing of a feminist commentary on Books 4 and 5 of the Psalter. I will then enter into dialogue with three feminist scholars who have offered insight into the human on human violence portrayed in Psalms 55, 139, and 109, incorporating traditional scholarly understandings of the three psalms and various South African marginalized voices. I will conclude that the poetic and metaphoric nature of the book of Psalms permits a variety of readings that allow an overlap of “the world within the text,” “the world behind the text,” and “the world in front of the text.”

The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms exp... more The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms express a wide range of emotions and feelings: joys, sorrows, fears, hurts, amazements, and yearnings; and they address a wide variety of topics: interpersonal relationships, enemies, illnesses, national crises, the splendor of creation, the goodness of God, and human sinfulness. The Psalter is arguably the most-loved book of the Old Testament. The New Testament contains allusions to and quotes from no less than 129 psalms-attesting to its tremendous popularity with and influence on the New Testament writers.1 Martin Luther captured how central the psalms are to the life of faith, when he wrote that the Psalter "might well be called a little Bible" (Luther 1960:254). Nahum Sarna observes: In the Psalms, the human soul extends itself beyond its confining, sheltering, impermanent house of clay. It strives for contact with the Ultimate Source of all life. It gropes for an experience of the divine Presence. The biblical psalms are essentially a record of the human quest for God. (Sarna 1993: 3)

Review & Expositor

In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a j... more In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a joint conference with the University's Faculty of Law on the topic of "Land and Land Rights in South Africa." Restitution of land to those displaced by the settlement of non-Africans in South Africa became a topic at the end of apartheid, and it is still an issue today. The conference in Pretoria was very enlightening and highlighted the difficult issues, legal, ethical, financial, and so forth, surrounding the topic. As a student of the book of Psalms, I offered an examination of the concept of land in Book Five of the Psalter. Herewith, I offer what I presented at that conference, an alternative way to consider "land ownership" in today's society. I pray that it will in some way resonate with various issues that face our world today.

A number of Psalm scholars have posited a connectedness between Psalms 90, 91, and 92 that includ... more A number of Psalm scholars have posited a connectedness between Psalms 90, 91, and 92 that includes wisdom motifs, concern with the human condition, and security in YHWH (e.g., Howard, Creach, and Zenger). Zenger, in fact, considers Pss 90-92 to be “eine Komposition” that is linked by key-words motifs and by questions in one psalm that are answered in a following psalm. In this paper, I will build on these findings and explore another dimension of connectedness between the three psalms: the rich feminine imagery and feminist concerns that pervade and link them. First, I will examine the feminine imagery for God—such as God birthing the world (90:2); God covering and hiding the psalmist with pinions/wings (91:4--contra LeMon); and God called El-Shaddai (91:1). Second, I will explore the feminine imagery of humanity —such as “a heart of wisdom” (90:12) and the righteous being compared to the palm tree (tamar) (92:12). And third, I will discuss topics mentioned in the psalms that, while not exclusive to women, are of particular concern to them—such as “children” (90:16); “the work of our hands” (90:10, 17); fruitfulness and reproduction (90:5; 92:7, 13-14); the tent, i.e., home and family (91:10); and the fragility/finiteness of life (90:9-12; 92:14).
I will conclude, based admittedly on a study of a very small segment of the Psalter, that, while seemingly a “masculine” book—its attribution to David; its not-so-subtle masculine cues (enemies, swords, arrows, war, etc.); and its depiction of God as warrior and king, the Psalter is a work for all humanity in all times and all places. But we are only able to achieve such an understanding if we are willing to pay attention to the nuances of the Hebrew language with its rich imagery.

Books by Nancy Brandt Declaisse-Walford

Feshschrift for Gert Prinsloo, 2022

Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo's work on "space" and "place" and employing a canonical reading of... more Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo's work on "space" and "place" and employing a canonical reading of the book of Psalms, this article attempts to find the "space" and "place" of Psalm 104. Psalm 104 is located in Book Four, which, according to the story-line of the Psalter, reflects the exilic period of Israel's history. After introducing the psalm and examining its provenance, the article moves on to a detailed study of "place" and "space," using Claudia Camp's categories of "firstspace," "secondspace," and "thirdspace," and employing "Chatman's Box" to further define "secondspace" and "thirdspace." The article concludes that the words of Psalm 104, directed to exilic and postexilic hearers, were a reminder that God is sovereign over and provides for all creation, and as part of the created order, humanity should recognize God's provision for it despite life circumstances.

Canon Formation: Tracing the Role of Subcollections in the Biblical Canon, 2023

The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms exp... more The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms express a wide range of emotions and feelings: joys, sorrows, fears, hurts, amazements, and yearnings; and they address a wide variety of topics: interpersonal relationships, enemies, illnesses, national crises, the splendor of creation, the goodness of God, and human sinfulness. The Psalter is arguably the most-loved book of the Old Testament. The New Testament contains allusions to and quotes from no less than 129 psalms-attesting to its tremendous popularity with and influence on the New Testament writers. 1 Martin Luther captured how central the psalms are to the life of faith, when he wrote that the Psalter "might well be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible" (Luther 1960: 254). Furthermore, Nahum Sarna observes: "In the Psalms, the human soul extends itself beyond its confining, sheltering, impermanent house of clay. It strives for contact with the Ultimate Source of all life. It gropes for an experience of the divine Presence. The biblical psalms are essentially a record of the human quest for God" (Sarna 1993: 3). In this chapter I will briefly discuss the traditional understanding of the origins and authorship of the Psalter, summarize critical approaches to the text of Psalms in the classical and modern periods, and then discuss the shape, story, and shaping of the Psalter, and their relationship to the compilation of the Psalter and its inclusion in the canon.

Texts and Context, vol. 8, 2023

Psalm 104 is located near the end of Book Four of the Psalter. For those who read the book of Psa... more Psalm 104 is located near the end of Book Four of the Psalter. For those who read the book of Psalms as the story of ancient Israel's relationship with God from the time of David to the time of the return from exile in Babylon, Book Four's focus or setting is the exilic period, in which the people are in Babylon and have no king, temple, or royal administration. Throughout the book, with its frequent references to Moses (

Review and Expositor, 2024

Violence takes many forms in the book of Psalms: descriptions of violence against the psalm singe... more Violence takes many forms in the book of Psalms: descriptions of violence against the psalm
singer(s), violence inflicted by the wicked upon others, violence enacted by God against the psalm
singer(s), and violence enacted by God against the enemies of the psalm singer(s). This study
mainly examines the first two categories: human on human violence. Focusing on Psalms 55, 139, and
109, the work explores three types of human on human violence (direct or immediate violence,
textual or symbolic violence, and structural and cultural violence), including interpretations from
feminist scholars and voices from South Africa. The concluding discussion attempts to answer
questions of how people might understand these psalms and incorporate them into their own language
of freedom and faith.

Acta Theologica

Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book ... more Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book of Psalms is no exception. In this essay, I will examine the three types of violence that scholars observe in the biblical text—"direct or immediate,” “textual or symbolic,” and “structural and cultural,” in the context of the book of Psalms and from the perspective of marginalized voices. To do so, I will first relate my experience of incorporating the reflections of “marginalized voices” from South Africa in my writing of a feminist commentary on Books 4 and 5 of the Psalter. I will then enter into dialogue with three feminist scholars who have offered insight into the human on human violence portrayed in Psalms 55, 139, and 109, incorporating traditional scholarly understandings of the three psalms and various South African marginalized voices. I will conclude that the poetic and metaphoric nature of the book of Psalms permits a variety of readings that allow an overlap of “the world within the text,” “the world behind the text,” and “the world in front of the text.”

The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms exp... more The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms express a wide range of emotions and feelings: joys, sorrows, fears, hurts, amazements, and yearnings; and they address a wide variety of topics: interpersonal relationships, enemies, illnesses, national crises, the splendor of creation, the goodness of God, and human sinfulness. The Psalter is arguably the most-loved book of the Old Testament. The New Testament contains allusions to and quotes from no less than 129 psalms-attesting to its tremendous popularity with and influence on the New Testament writers.1 Martin Luther captured how central the psalms are to the life of faith, when he wrote that the Psalter "might well be called a little Bible" (Luther 1960:254). Nahum Sarna observes: In the Psalms, the human soul extends itself beyond its confining, sheltering, impermanent house of clay. It strives for contact with the Ultimate Source of all life. It gropes for an experience of the divine Presence. The biblical psalms are essentially a record of the human quest for God. (Sarna 1993: 3)

Review & Expositor

In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a j... more In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a joint conference with the University's Faculty of Law on the topic of "Land and Land Rights in South Africa." Restitution of land to those displaced by the settlement of non-Africans in South Africa became a topic at the end of apartheid, and it is still an issue today. The conference in Pretoria was very enlightening and highlighted the difficult issues, legal, ethical, financial, and so forth, surrounding the topic. As a student of the book of Psalms, I offered an examination of the concept of land in Book Five of the Psalter. Herewith, I offer what I presented at that conference, an alternative way to consider "land ownership" in today's society. I pray that it will in some way resonate with various issues that face our world today.

A number of Psalm scholars have posited a connectedness between Psalms 90, 91, and 92 that includ... more A number of Psalm scholars have posited a connectedness between Psalms 90, 91, and 92 that includes wisdom motifs, concern with the human condition, and security in YHWH (e.g., Howard, Creach, and Zenger). Zenger, in fact, considers Pss 90-92 to be “eine Komposition” that is linked by key-words motifs and by questions in one psalm that are answered in a following psalm. In this paper, I will build on these findings and explore another dimension of connectedness between the three psalms: the rich feminine imagery and feminist concerns that pervade and link them. First, I will examine the feminine imagery for God—such as God birthing the world (90:2); God covering and hiding the psalmist with pinions/wings (91:4--contra LeMon); and God called El-Shaddai (91:1). Second, I will explore the feminine imagery of humanity —such as “a heart of wisdom” (90:12) and the righteous being compared to the palm tree (tamar) (92:12). And third, I will discuss topics mentioned in the psalms that, while not exclusive to women, are of particular concern to them—such as “children” (90:16); “the work of our hands” (90:10, 17); fruitfulness and reproduction (90:5; 92:7, 13-14); the tent, i.e., home and family (91:10); and the fragility/finiteness of life (90:9-12; 92:14).
I will conclude, based admittedly on a study of a very small segment of the Psalter, that, while seemingly a “masculine” book—its attribution to David; its not-so-subtle masculine cues (enemies, swords, arrows, war, etc.); and its depiction of God as warrior and king, the Psalter is a work for all humanity in all times and all places. But we are only able to achieve such an understanding if we are willing to pay attention to the nuances of the Hebrew language with its rich imagery.

Feshschrift for Gert Prinsloo, 2022

Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo's work on "space" and "place" and employing a canonical reading of... more Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo's work on "space" and "place" and employing a canonical reading of the book of Psalms, this article attempts to find the "space" and "place" of Psalm 104. Psalm 104 is located in Book Four, which, according to the story-line of the Psalter, reflects the exilic period of Israel's history. After introducing the psalm and examining its provenance, the article moves on to a detailed study of "place" and "space," using Claudia Camp's categories of "firstspace," "secondspace," and "thirdspace," and employing "Chatman's Box" to further define "secondspace" and "thirdspace." The article concludes that the words of Psalm 104, directed to exilic and postexilic hearers, were a reminder that God is sovereign over and provides for all creation, and as part of the created order, humanity should recognize God's provision for it despite life circumstances.

Canon Formation: Tracing the Role of Subcollections in the Biblical Canon, 2023

The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms exp... more The book of Psalms is a rich collection of poetry from the life of ancient Israel. The psalms express a wide range of emotions and feelings: joys, sorrows, fears, hurts, amazements, and yearnings; and they address a wide variety of topics: interpersonal relationships, enemies, illnesses, national crises, the splendor of creation, the goodness of God, and human sinfulness. The Psalter is arguably the most-loved book of the Old Testament. The New Testament contains allusions to and quotes from no less than 129 psalms-attesting to its tremendous popularity with and influence on the New Testament writers. 1 Martin Luther captured how central the psalms are to the life of faith, when he wrote that the Psalter "might well be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible" (Luther 1960: 254). Furthermore, Nahum Sarna observes: "In the Psalms, the human soul extends itself beyond its confining, sheltering, impermanent house of clay. It strives for contact with the Ultimate Source of all life. It gropes for an experience of the divine Presence. The biblical psalms are essentially a record of the human quest for God" (Sarna 1993: 3). In this chapter I will briefly discuss the traditional understanding of the origins and authorship of the Psalter, summarize critical approaches to the text of Psalms in the classical and modern periods, and then discuss the shape, story, and shaping of the Psalter, and their relationship to the compilation of the Psalter and its inclusion in the canon.

Texts and Context, vol. 8, 2023

Psalm 104 is located near the end of Book Four of the Psalter. For those who read the book of Psa... more Psalm 104 is located near the end of Book Four of the Psalter. For those who read the book of Psalms as the story of ancient Israel's relationship with God from the time of David to the time of the return from exile in Babylon, Book Four's focus or setting is the exilic period, in which the people are in Babylon and have no king, temple, or royal administration. Throughout the book, with its frequent references to Moses (

Review and expositor/Review & expositor, Mar 5, 2024

Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book o... more Descriptions of and allusions to violence abound in the pages of the Hebrew Bible. And the book of Psalms is no exception. In this essay, I will examine the three types of violence that scholars observe in the biblical text—"direct or immediate,” “textual or symbolic,” and “structural and cultural,” in the context of the book of Psalms and from the perspective of marginalized voices. To do so, I will first relate my experience of incorporating the reflections of “marginalized voices” from South Africa in my writing of a feminist commentary on Books 4 and 5 of the Psalter. I will then enter into dialogue with three feminist scholars who have offered insight into the human on human violence portrayed in Psalms 55, 139, and 109, incorporating traditional scholarly understandings of the three psalms and various South African marginalized voices. I will conclude that the poetic and metaphoric nature of the book of Psalms permits a variety of readings that allow an overlap of “the world within the text,” “the world behind the text,” and “the world in front of the text.”

Journal for Semitics

Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo’s work on “space” and “place” and employing a canonical reading of... more Taking cues from Gert Prinsloo’s work on “space” and “place” and employing a canonical reading of the book of Psalms, this article attempts to find the “space” and “place” of Ps 104. Psalm 104 is located in Book 4, which, according to the story-line of the Psalter, reflects the exilic period of Israel’s history. After introducing the psalm and examining its provenance, the article moves on to a detailed study of “place” and “space,” using Claudia Camp’s categories of “firstspace,” “secondspace,” and “thirdspace,” and employing “Chatman’s Box” to further define “secondspace” and “thirdspace.” The article concludes that the words of Ps 104, directed to exilic and postexilic hearers, were a reminder that God is sovereign over and provides for all creation, and as part of the created order, humanity should recognise God’s provision for it despite life

The Shape and Shaping of the Book of Psalms

Scribal Practice, Text and Canon in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 2019

Review & Expositor, 2017

In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a j... more In August of 2016, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa held a joint conference with the University’s Faculty of Law on the topic of “Land and Land Rights in South Africa.” Restitution of land to those displaced by the settlement of non-Africans in South Africa became a topic at the end of apartheid, and it is still an issue today. The conference in Pretoria was very enlightening and highlighted the difficult issues, legal, ethical, financial, and so forth, surrounding the topic. As a student of the book of Psalms, I offered an examination of the concept of land in Book Five of the Psalter. Herewith, I offer what I presented at that conference, an alternative way to consider “land ownership” in today’s society. I pray that it will in some way resonate with various issues that face our world today.

Review & Expositor, 2006

In the creation story in Genesis 2, the Lord God creates the first human and the habitation for t... more In the creation story in Genesis 2, the Lord God creates the first human and the habitation for that human. But the Lord God says, “It is not good for the human to be alone,” and with those words God and the first human embark on a search for a “partner” for the human than ends with the making of “woman.” What are the theological implications of God's statement? Why was it “not good for the human to be alone”? This article explores the story recorded in Genesis 2 and concludes that the basic meaning of the story is that humankind was created to live, not alone, but together in community. And God gives all of us many “partners” in life who teach us and inspire us to live in relationship with one another.

Review & Expositor, 2006

Throughout the stories in Genesis' primeval prologue, humankind's persistent sinfulness i... more Throughout the stories in Genesis' primeval prologue, humankind's persistent sinfulness is met with punishment but also with acts of grace on the part of God. The last story, the Tower of Babel is usually understood as the ultimate act of disobedience on the part of humanity. In this interpretation, God punishes the people by scattering them over the face of the earth. There is no act of grace. Thus the primeval prologue ends in darkness; God moves to “Plan B” and decides to reveal Godself to humanity through a single family, that of Abram ben Terah. But what if we understood the scattering at the Tower as an act, not of punishment, but of grace on the part of God—an act that allowed humankind to fulfill the creation command to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28)? How might that inform and affect our reading of the primeval prologue and the ancestral stories?

The Book of Psalms, 2005

The writers of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark consider that Jesus spoke the opening words of Psa... more The writers of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark consider that Jesus spoke the opening words of Psalm 22 in his dying moment as he hung on the crucifixion cross. In addition, Psalm 22 is the traditional psalm read at the feast of Purim, words placed on the lips of Esther as she risks her life to save her people. But Psalm 22 is poignant in itself, without any connection to the heroic efforts of Esther or to the passion narratives of the Christian scriptures. This chapter highlights that Psalm 22 is a usual psalm and yet an unusual psalm, and discusses the ways in which it is usual. Then, it focuses on Psalm 19, which celebrates God's sovereignty over the created world. Psalm 23 is classified as a psalm of trust in the LORD. Psalm 24 is an entrance liturgy. Psalm 22 is classified as an individual lament. Keywords: Esther; feast of Purim; God; Gospels of Matthew; Psalms

Verbum et Ecclesia, 2006

The Psalter is more than the sum of its individual parts. The book is indeed the collected hymns ... more The Psalter is more than the sum of its individual parts. The book is indeed the collected hymns of ancient Israel and its designation as �the hymnbook of second temple period� is appropriate. But, in addition, the Psalter is a narrative within a poetic text. Contem-porary interest in the Psalter includes the desire to flesh out, give breath to, and stir the nephesh (�the inmost being�) of the text of the book of Psalms. But are scholars making any progress? In this article the author answers positively and is intended to provide a summary of this same learning experience.�

Old Testament Essays, 2019