Psalm 118: Palm Sunday Reflection (April 13, 2019) (original) (raw)

Gert T M Prinsloo A contextual and intertextual reading of Psalm 118

It is a sine qua non of biblical scholarship that texts should never be interpreted in isolation. Curiously enough ever since the rise of critical biblical scholarship this key aspect of the exegetical process has been largely ignored in the exegesis of the Book of Psalms. Nowhere is this shortcoming better illustrated than in the arbitrary allocation of a social and historical background to virtually any psalm. In this paper the shortcomings of this atomistic approach is illustrated by referring to a specific psalm, namely Psalm 118. A short overview of various interpretational perspectives on Psalm 118 in commentaries and other studies is given. It is argued that a contextual and intertextual reading of Psalm 118 will act as a counterbalance to arbitrary decisions on the interpretation of the psalm. It is the interplay between intra-and intertextual data that guides the exegete towards reconstructing an extratextual context for the poem.

Reading Psalm 117 against an Exilic Context

Psalm 117 is a well-known and at the same time an unknown psalm. It is a well-known psalm because it is known as the shortest psalm in the Psalter. Psalm 117 is also an unknown psalm. There is little reflection on this mini-psalm. This contribution offers an exegesis of Psalm 117 paying attention to the extent, text critical matters, structural features, literary genre, setting in life and tradition material referred to. The article argues for an exilic reading of the psalm over and above the usual post-exilic dating of the psalm.

A contextual and intertextual reading of Psalm 118

Old Testament essays, 2003

It is a sine qua non of biblical scholarship that texts should never be interpreted in isolation. Curiously enough ever since the rise of critical biblical scholarship this key aspect of the exegetical process has been largely ignored in the exegesis of the Book of Psalms. Nowhere is this shortcoming better illustrated than in the arbitrary allocation of a social and historical background to virtually any psalm. In this paper the shortcomings of this atomistic approach is illustrated by referring to a specific psalm, namely Psalm 118. A short overview of various interpretational perspectives on Psalm 118 in commentaries and other studies is given. It is argued that a contextual and intertextual reading of Psalm 118 will act as a counterbalance to arbitrary decisions on the interpretation of the psalm. It is the interplay between intra- and intertextual data that guides the exegete towards reconstructing an extratextual context for the poem.

Psalm 139: A Study in Ambiguity

Old Testament Essays, 2019

The interpretation of Ps 139 remains a deeply contested matter. In particular, the psalm's genre and integrity continue to be debated, with the key issues related to the place of vv. 19-22. Do these verses constitute the key to interpretation, or are they a later interpolation? If they are an interpolation, can we trace the psalm's development back through the material in vv. 1-18 (possibly with some minor expansions), so that vv. 23-24 are seen as a unit displaced from the introduction? Conversely, if vv. 19-22 are original, how do we account for marked change of tone present so that instead of the seemingly bucolic reflections found in vv. 1-18 the text then shifts to an imprecation against the wicked? This paper proposes a unified reading of the psalm which uses ambiguity as a central technique for developing different experiences for those who pray this psalm within the subgroup of the prayers of the accused. It will be argued that ambiguity is an intentional compositional strategy within the psalm, with the effect of the ambiguity different for those who read the poem from the perspective of innocence as opposed to the experience of those who read from the perspective of guilt.

The canonic-responsa reading of Psalm 114 and its theological significance

The redundancy between verses 3,4 and 5,6 of Psalm 114 requires us to ask if it was written to be performed by two choirs singing antiphonally the same text with a 2-verse delay. Setting Psalm 114 in such a canonic responsa fashion yields a highly integrated structure of three composite strophes developing together a theme totally obscured by the linear reading: the future of the pre-Israelite cult of YHWH after the covenant between the god and his new people. All these features, together with the many unresolved problems inherent in the linear reading, suggest that Psalm 114 was indeed designed to be performed in a canonic responsa manner. The theological implications of this reading of the psalm are discussed

Structure, Allusion, Theology, and Contemporary Address in Psalm 106

Bibliotheca Sacra, 2019

A chiastic reading of Psalm 106 reveals its import for Israel and the present day. In addition, the psalms allusions to the period of the judges help the reader consider the psalm s current relevance. The interrelations between Psalms 106 and 107 suggest that Gods people should liturgically rehearse adverse cultural history as penitential intercession-penitence for analogous or related sin and intercession to excise the residual cultural implications. The current need for racial reconciliation within the evangelical church should be seen as an opportunity for the kind of peniten tial intercession urged by Psalm 106.

Listen to His Voice! Pastoral and Theological Considerations in the Liturgical Use of Psalm 95

For centuries, Christians have begun their services of public and private prayer with Psalm 95. It begins with a famous and oft-quoted call to praise, but turns to a dour warning of divine judgment upo faithlessness. In the modern era, some churches that retain Psalm 95 as the opening for their services have abbreviated it by ending the psalm at 7b or 7c, removing the warning of divine judgment. In this paper, I examine the theology engendered by Psalm 95, and discuss the reasons for this liturgical change and argue for its entire retention on the basis of a patristic understanding of the morally formative function of the psalter.