The Substance of Psalm 24 : An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard S. Childs (original) (raw)
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The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read the Bible after Brevard S. Childs
2015
This book contributes to the theory and practice of Biblical interpretation by engaging in an interpretation of Psalm 24 inspired by a particular understanding of Brevard Childs' "canonical approach": an understanding centred on the concept of "theological substance." Sumpter shows how the literary, historical, and theological dimensions of Psalm 24 cohere into a single vision by reading the text according to the a dialectic between "witness" and "reality." An initial "synchronic" analysis of the psalm's poetic structure is then related to a "diachronic" reconstruction of the tradition history that lead to the final form. The question is then posed concerning the primary forces at work in this history of composition, a question which leads to reflection on the Trinity, first in se and then pro nobis. This latter dimension takes us back to the text, as its "Davidic" nature is further analysed in relation to the books of Samuel, the Psalter, and Isaiah. Finally, a contemporary actualization of the Psalm by Eberhard Jüngel is compared to its interpretation in Patristic exegesisin order to probe deeper into the mysterious subject matter of the text.
The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard Childs
Bloomsbury - LHBOTS 600, 2015
This book contributes to the theory and practice of Biblical interpretation by engaging in an interpretation of Psalm 24 inspired by a particular understanding of Brevard Childs' "canonical approach": an understanding centred on the concept of "theological substance." Sumpter shows how the literary, historical, and theological dimensions of Psalm 24 cohere into a single vision by reading the text according to the a dialectic between "witness" and "reality." An initial "synchronic" analysis of the psalm's poetic structure is then related to a "diachronic" reconstruction of the tradition history that lead to the final form. The question is then posed concerning the primary forces at work in this history of composition, a question which leads to reflection on the Trinity, first in se and then pro nobis. This latter dimension takes us back to the text, as its "Davidic" nature is further analysed in relation to the books of Samuel, the Psalter, and Isaiah. Finally, a contemporary actualization of the Psalm by Eberhard Jüngel is compared to its interpretation in Patristic exegesis in order to probe deeper into the mysterious subject matter of the text.
PSALM 24 PRESENTS A FINE EXAMPLE of how sensitivity to cultural patterns known from the ancient Near East enhance not only our contextual understanding of an Israelite text but deepen our recognition of the religious aspects of the text. In particular, familiarity with New Year's festivals and the myths associated with them sheds light on the way Ps 24 was used in ancient Israelite liturgy and the way it is still used in rabbinic ritual.
Psalm 24 is often seen to be a ‘baffling’ psalm due to the juxtaposition of what seems to be thematically and structurally disparate material (creation, vv. 1-2; torah and sanctuary vv. 3-6; divine warrior and sanctuary, vv. 7-10). Most unusual, however, is the juxtaposition of the final two stanzas, for they seem to cancel each other out. In vv. 3-6, human beings desire access to God within the sanctuary, whereas in vv. 7-10 God himself is about to access the same location. Various poetic clues indicate that these two entrance scenes have been intentionally brought into parallelism with each other, yet no satisfactory answer has been presented as to the meaning of this manoeuvre. In this article, a poetic analysis is proposed that goes beyond those proffered thus far by looking at the way in which the ‘poetic function’ creates a degree of ‘narrative’ self-referentiality within the psalm, in particular through its representation of time and space. The conclusion is that the Psalm is a recalibration of liturgical material in terms of a grasp of the structure of the divine economy. Key words: Psalm 24; Hebrew poetics; tradition history; theological interpretation; divine economy; synchronic/diachronic; creation; torah; eschatology
Toward the Kingdom: The Shape and Message of Psalms 15-24
This paper is a summary of my dissertation. I presented the paper at the Institute for Biblical Research Emerging Scholar Session at The Society of Biblical Literature meeting in November, 2016. In it, I investigate the shape and message of Psalms 15-24 by developing a methodology for identifying distinctive relationships between psalms with increased objectivity and precision. I analyze various literary links among Psalms 15-24 and find that these psalms form a chiastic collection of the following sets of parallel psalms: 15 and 24; 16 and 23; 17 and 22; and 18, 20, and 21. Psalm 19 stands at the center of the collection, and is also closely linked with Psalms 15 and 24. This study is also founded on the idea that parallel psalms involve not only repetition, but also movement. An assessment of the movement between each set of parallel psalms in this collection yields a storyline that progresses toward the kingdom of YHWH and the inclusion of the wider community. This movement toward the kingdom is initiated by YHWH’s deliverance of the faithful Davidic king at the center of the collection (Psalms 18-21). In addition to the progression toward the kingdom, this collection also exhibits an alternation between the ideal vision of the kingdom presented in the frame of the collection (Psalms 15, 19, and 24), and the realities of human experience and suffering presented in the intervening psalms. The effect is that until YHWH’s arrival at the consummation of this kingdom, life is depicted as a journey involving suffering, yet confidence, in the kingship of YHWH.
Psalm 2 – An Isagogic, Exegetical and Theological Interpretation Part I
In this research paper, we intend to offer the reader the possibility of becoming more familiar with the main types of biblical commentaries through an exegetic exercise centred round Psalm 2. The choice of the supporting text is not at all random since, even from ancient times, the psalms have benefitted from the attention of an impressive number of interpreters and have been the beginning of both dialogue and controversy between religions (Christianity and Judaism) and Christian denominations. Throughout the exegetical analysis, we took into consideration the rigors of the school of criticism which we correlated with the rabbinic and patristic commentaries in order to accomplish a very ample interpretation. Even if these commentators were not entirely in agreement, rather than bringing to relief their interpretative differences, we tried to underline the common elements existing in the specific manner of interpretation of each exegetical school. Thus, the complexity of this isagogic, exegetical and theological study resides in the fact that it approaches the text of the psalm from a literary, allegorical and spiritual point of view and it can become a hermeneutical paradigm for those who wish to study the Holy Scriptures with scientific and spiritual accuracy.
Psalm 2 – An Isagogic, Exegetical and Theological Interpretation Part II
In this research paper, we intend to offer the reader the possibility of becoming more familiar with the main types of biblical commentaries through an exegetic exercise centred round Psalm 2. The choice of the supporting text is not at all random since, even from ancient times, the psalms have benefitted from the attention of an impressive number of interpreters and have been the beginning of both dialogue and controversy between religions (Christianity and Judaism) and Christian denominations. Throughout the exegetical analysis, we took into consideration the rigors of the school of criticism which we correlated with the rabbinic and patristic commentaries in order to accomplish a very ample interpretation. Even if these commentators were not entirely in agreement, rather than bringing to relief their interpretative differences, we tried to underline the common elements existing in the specific manner of interpretation of each exegetical school. Thus, the complexity of this isagogic, exegetical and theological study resides in the fact that it approaches the text of the psalm from a literary, allegorical and spiritual point of view and it can become a hermeneutical paradigm for those who wish to study the Holy Scriptures with scientific and spiritual accuracy.
Psalm 1 – An Isagogic, Exegetical and Theological Interpretation Part I
In this research paper, we intend to offer the reader the possibility of becoming more familiar with the main types of biblical commentaries through an exegetic exercise centred round Psalm 1. The choice of the supporting text is not at all random since, even from ancient times, the psalms have benefitted from the attention of an impressive number of interpreters and have been the beginning of both dialogue and controversy between religions (Christianity and Judaism) and Christian denominations. Throughout the exegetical analysis, we took into consideration the rigors of the school of criticism which we correlated with the rabbinic and patristic commentaries in order to accomplish a very ample interpretation. Even if these commentators were not entirely in agreement, rather than bringing to relief their interpretative differences, we tried to underline the common elements existing in the specific manner of interpretation of each exegetical school. Thus, the complexity of this isagogic, exegetical and theological study resides in the fact that it approaches the text of the psalm from a literary, allegorical and spiritual point of view and it can become a hermeneutical paradigm for those who wish to study the Holy Scriptures with scientific and spiritual accuracy.