The Psalter. PS 73-89: Book Three - PS 73-89 (3) (Rhetorica Biblica Et Semitica, 35) 9789042947924, 9789042947931, 9042947926

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The third book of the Psalter is considerably shorter than the first book and especially than the fifth book. Nevertheless, its seventeen psalms form a composition which is not at all inferior to that of the other two books. The general tone of the book is extremely dark. There are only complaints, supplications and anguished questions: “Why?”, “How long?” And the answers given to these questions do not seem to console the unfortunate. If they are in distress and anguish, it is their fault. They pay the price for their sins (Ps 78 & Ps 89). Having betrayed the covenant at the time of the exodus, having repeated it at the time of the Davidic monarchy, they are now left to the violence and oppression of their enemies. The voice of the Servant is heard crying out at the centre of the first book: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:2). However, Ps 22 does not end in the grave. The psalmist is saved from the lion’s mouth and can say: “I will recount your name to my brothers, and in the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (22:23) and even: “all the families of the nations will bow down before you” (22:28). Likewise, there are three psalms in the third book where praise resounds, each of them is found in a strategic position. At the centre of the first sequence of the initial section (Ps 75) with all his people the psalmist gives thanks seeing that the Lord is pronouncing judgment on the arrogant and he rejoices that soon he will be able to cut off their horns. At the centre of the central section (Ps 81), a fervent call to praise celebrating the exodus from Egypt precedes a lengthy speech by God promising new liberation from the present enemies and their conversion. Finally, at the centre of the first sequence of the final section, David in his misery and lament confirms the conversion of the Gentiles: “All the nations which you have made will come and will bow down to your face, O Lord, and will give glory to your name” (86:9). Like the servant in Ps 22, the people and their king had to pass through death so that the light of revelation could reach all the ends of the earth. The Author: Roland Meynet is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology (Gregorian University – Rome). Among his publications are a commentary on the Third Gospel, Luke: The Gospel of the Children of Israel (awarded the Grand Prix de philosophie from the Académie française in 2006), and on the Second Gospel, L’évangile de Marc, the Treatise on Biblical Rhetoric, A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels, Called to Freedom, and The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41) and Book Two (Ps 42/43–72). Secretary of the International Society for the Study of Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, and editor of the series “Rhetorica biblica et semitica”.

PEETERS-LEUVEN

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Roland Meynet  The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

Roland Meynet, The Psalter: Book Three (Ps 73–89)

Roland Meynet

THE PSALTER

Book Three (Ps 73–89)

PEETERS

06/10/2021 13:50

THE PSALTER

Book Three (Ps 73–89)

Roland Meynet

THE PSALTER Book Three (Ps 73–89) Rhetorica Biblica et Semitica XXXV Translated by Bernard Witek

PEETERS leuven – paris – bristol, ct 2021

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF BIBLICAL AND SEMITIC RHETORIC

Many scholarly societies exit whose purpose is the study of rhetoric. The best known is the “International Society for the History of Rhetoric”. The RBS is the only one: • devoted exclusively to study Semitic literature, mainly the Bible, but also the other texts, such as Islamic texts; • which consequently sets out to list and describe the specific laws of a rhetoric that presided over the elaboration of the texts whose importance is in no way inferior to those of the Greek and Latin of which the modern Western civilization is heir. We should not forget either that the same Western civilization is also the heir of the Judeo-Christian tradition which has its origins in the Bible, that is in the Semitic world. More broadly, the texts that we are studying are the founding texts of the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Such a scientific study, the first condition for a better mutual knowledge, can only contribute to the rapprochement between those who claim to belong to these various traditions.

The RBS promotes and supports training, research and publications:

• especially in the biblical field, both New and the Old Testament; • but also in the field of other Semitic texts, in particular those of Islam; • and also of authors who have been nourished by the biblical texts, such as St. Benedict

and Pascal.



For this purpose, the RBS organises international conference in even years, the proceedings of which are published in the this series; • every year, training seminars on its methodology, in different languages. • an

The RBS welcomes and brings together first of all researchers and university professors who, in various academic institutions, work in the field of biblical and Semitic rhetoric. It encourages in all ways students, especially doctoral students, in the learning of its own technique. It is also open to all those who are interested in its activities and wish to support them. International Society for the Study of Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric Pontificia Università Gregoriana – Piazza della Pilotta, 4 – 00187 Rome (Italy) For more information on the RBS, visit, www.retoricabiblicaesemitica.org. ISBN 978-90-429-4792-4 eISBN 978-90-429-4793-1 D/2021/0602/174 A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. © 2021, Peeters, Bondgenotenlaan 153, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage or retrieval devices or systems, without prior written permission from the publisher, except the quotation of brief passages for review purposes.

Rhetorica Biblica et Semitica Many imagine that classical rhetoric, inherited from the Greeks through the Romans, is universal. It is indeed the one that seems to govern modern culture, which the West has spread throughout the world. The time has now come to abandon such ethnocentrism: classical rhetoric is not the only one in the world. The Hebrew Bible, whose texts were written mainly in Hebrew but also in Aramaic, obeys a rhetoric quite different from the Greek-Roman rhetoric. It should therefore be recognised that another rhetoric exists, the “Hebrew rhetoric”. As for the other biblical texts, from the Old and the New Testaments, which were either translated or written directly in Greek, they largely obey the same laws. We are therefore entitled to speak not only of Hebrew rhetoric, but more broadly of “biblical rhetoric”. Moreover, the same laws were then recognised as operative in Akkadian, Ugaritic and other texts, preceding the Hebrew Bible, then in the Arabic texts of the Islamic Tradition and the Koran, subsequent to the biblical literature. It should therefore be admitted that this rhetoric is not only biblical, and we can say that all these texts, which belong to the same cultural area, belong to the same rhetoric, which we will call “Semitic rhetoric”. Contrary to the impression that the Western reader inevitably gets, the texts of the Semitic tradition are very well composed, provided that they are analysed according to the laws of rhetoric that govern them. We know that the form of the text, its layout, is the main door which opens the access to the meaning. Not that composition directly and automatically provides the meaning. However, when formal analysis allows us to make a reasonable division of the text, to define its context more objectively, to highlight the organisation of the work at the different levels of its composition, the conditions are thus met which allow us to undertake the work of interpretation on a less subjective and fragmentary basis.

INTRODUCTION The five books of the Psalter are of unequal length. The last book (Ps 107– 150) is the most developed, comprising forty-four psalms, the longest of which, Ps 119, has one hundred and seventy-six verses. The second longest is the first book (Ps 1–41), which comprises forty-one psalms. In between these two books, there are three other books that are considerably shorter: the second book (Ps 42–72) has thirty-one psalms, the third one (Ps 73–89) and the fourth one (Ps 90–106) each has seventeen psalms. It was my intention to devote a single volume to these sixty-five psalms. This new commentary on the Psalms would therefore develop, like many others,1 in three volumes. However, I changed my mind for two reasons, and a third reason reinforced this decision. The first reason was that this third volume would exceed a thousand pages, which is hardly appropriate; the second one was that human days are limited and that it is therefore prudent not to take too much time to publish what is done; the third and the most important reason was that it seemed desirable to show, in a practical way, that the Psalter is indeed composed of five books, some of them more extensive, others clearly shorter. Basically, five books, five volumes. The fifth book was found to be composed and indeed well composed,2 and similarly the first book.3 The same applies to the third book. The studies on the composition of this book are not many. In 2000, Robert Luther Cole presented a study4 whose title alluded to the one published by J. Clinton McCann in 19935 and would be echoed by the volume that Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford was going to edit in 2014.6 In his five-page introduction, the author refers to the works of those who at that time suggested that the psalter should not be simply considered as a collection of isolated prayers and poems, but that it should be seen as forming an organic whole.7 It is followed by seventeen chapters, one for each of the seventeen psalms of the book. Only on the last five pages, entitled “Summary and Conclusion”,8 does Cole provide a number of remarks on the connections between the psalms of the collection. These notes show the coherence of the book, but do not provide a proper composition.

1

Like those of Delitzsch, Dahood and Ravasi. See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre (Ps 107–145). 3 See Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41) = The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41). 4 R.L. COLE, The Shape and Message of Book III: (Psalms 73–89). 5 J.C. MCCANN, The Shape and the Shaping of the Psalter. 6 N.L. DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD, ed., The Shape and Shaping of the Book of Psalms: The Current State of Scholarship. 7 He particularly quotes G.H. WILSON, The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter. 8 R.L. COLE, The Shape and Message of Book III, 231–235. 2

8

The Psalter: Book Three (Ps 73–89)

More recently, Marco Pavan’s thesis focuses on the study of memory and forgetting in the third book.9 However, the author is also interested in the composition of the seventeen psalms as a whole. For him, the book is divided into two large blocks, based on the titles: that of the psalms of Asaph (Ps 73–83), which includes eleven psalms, and the second block, which includes the last six psalms, which are essentially of “the sons of Korah” (Ps 84–89).10 According to this author the psalms of Asaph are organised concentrically around Ps 78: 73 74

75 76 77

78 79 80 81 82 83

Ps 75 is the pivot of the grouping of Ps 73–77 and likewise Ps 81 of the grouping of Ps 79–83.11 As for the second block, the initial grouping of Ps 84–88 is, “at the same time, concentric (Ps 84–85/86/87–88) and alternate (Ps 84/86/88 with Ps 85 and 87 in between)” (p. 181). If we take Ps 89 into account, two arrangements are possible: into two groups of three or into three groups of two (p. 183). As a whole book, he proposes the following outline: 73 74 75 76 77 [78] 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 [89] and he comments on it: The organising principle of this arrangement is that of repetition/intensification: Ps 79–83 radicalise Ps 73–77; in their turn, Ps 84–89 take up and intensify the two previous groups. Ps 78 forms the centre and the turning point between Ps 73–77 and 79–83; Ps 89 crowns Ps 84–88 and Book III. (p. 188)

Even though I do not believe that a text can be both concentric and alternating at the same time (Ps 84–88) and that two arrangements are possible (Ps 84–88 and 84–89), and I do not believe that the book can be organised into two blocks and then into three, I am pleased to note that the last scheme (Ps 73–78; 79–83; 84–89) corresponds to my own analysis, conducted, of course, quite independently. The four headings in this volume are the same as in the first two: Text, Composition, Context, Interpretation. However, from now on, I have refrained from offering the proposals of other authors before presenting my own 9

M. PAVAN, “He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes and does not return” (Ps 78.39): The Theme of Memory and Forgetting in the Third Book of the Psalter (Pss 73–89). 10 M. PAVAN, “He remembered”, 76–77. 11 M. PAVAN, “He remembered”, 128 (see the overview, p. 124–130).

Introduction

9

composition. It seems to me to be pointless without a thorough discussion of the criteria adopted by each of them. If you would like to know the divisions proposed by other researchers, please refer to Pieter Van der Lugt’s threevolume work.12

12 P. VAN DER LUGT, Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry, with Special Reference to the First Book of the Psalter; ID., Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry II: Psalms 42–89; ID., Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry III: Psalms 90–150 and Psalm 1.

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS al. AnBib AncB AssSeign BJ CivCatt chap. CRB ed. e.g. JBL Joüon JSOT.S LeDiv LiBi lit. NICOT NRTh NS orig. OTS p. par. RB RBS RBSem RhBib RhSem SBi SBL.DS TOB trans. Traité Treatise v. VT

alii, others Analecta biblica Anchor Bible Assemblée du Seigneur Bible de Jérusalem La Civiltà Cattolica chapter Cahiers de la revue biblique editor, edited for example Journal of Biblical Literature P. JOÜON, Grammaire de l’hébreu biblique, Rome 1923 Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series Lectio Divina Lire la Bible literally The New International Commentary on the Old Testament Nouvelle Revue Théologique New series original Old Testament Studies page, pages paragraph Revue biblique International Society for the Study of Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric Rhetorica Biblica et Semitica (Peeters) Rhétorique biblique (Cerf) Rhétorique sémitique (Lethielleux, Gabalda) Sources bibliques Society of Biblical Literature. Dissertation Series Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translation, translated R. Meynet, Traité de rhétorique biblique, RhSem 4, Paris 2007; RhSem 12, Pendé 2013 Treatise on Biblical Rhetoric, International Studies in the History of Rhetoric 3, Leyden – Boston 2012 verse, verses Vetus Testamentum

12

The Psalter: Book Three (Ps 73–89)

The commentaries on the psalms are referred to only by the name/s of the author/s in lower case, followed by the volume and page/s number/s; e.g., Weiser, 232; Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, I, 303. The first two volumes of my own commentary are abbreviated as follows: Le Psautier. Premier livre: R. MEYNET, Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41), RBSem 16, Leuven 2018 = The Psalter. Book One: R. MEYNET, The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41), RBSem 32, Peeters, Leuven 2021. Le Psautier. Cinquième livre: R. MEYNET, Le Psautier. Cinquième livre (Ps 107–145), RBSem 12, Leuven 2017. The abbreviations of the biblical books follow The SBL Handbook of Style.

GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS

1. TERMS DESIGNATING RHETORICAL UNITS Very often in the exegetical works the terms “section”, “passage”, and in particular “piece”, “part”, etc., are not used consistently. Here is a list of terms designating the textual units at their successive levels. THE “LOWER” (OR NON-AUTONOMOUS) LEVELS Apart from the first two (the term and the member), the lower level units are formed of one, two or three units of the preceding level. TERM

The term generally corresponds to a “lexeme”, or word that is found in the lexicon: noun, adjective, verb, adverb.

MEMBER

The member is a syntagma, or group of “terms” linked together by close syntactic relations. The “member” is the minimal rhetorical unit; it may happen that the member consists of a single term (the term of Greek origin is “stich”).

SEGMENT

The segment comprises one, two or three members; there are “unimember” segments (the term of Greek origin is “monostich”), “bimember” segments (or “distichs”), and “trimember” segments (or “tristichs”).

PIECE

The piece comprises one, two or three segments.

PART

The part comprises one, two or three pieces.

THE “UPPER” (OR AUTONOMOUS) LEVELS They are all formed of either one or several units from the previous level. PASSAGE

The passage—the equivalent of the exegetes’ “pericope”—is formed of one or more parts.

SEQUENCE

The sequence is formed of one or more passages.

SECTION

The section is formed of one or more sequences.

BOOK

Finally, the book is formed of one or more sections.

It is sometimes necessary to use the intermediary levels of “subpart”, “subsequence” and “subsection”; these intermediary units have the same definition as the part, sequence and section.

14

The Psalter: Book Three (Ps 73–89)

SIDE

The side is a textual complex that precedes or follows the centre of a construction; if the centre is bipartite, the side corresponds to each of the two halves of the construction. 2. TERMS DESIGNATING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SYMMETRICAL UNITS

TOTAL SYMMETRIES PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION

Composition figure in which the units in paired relations are arranged in parallel fashion: A B C D E | A’B’C’D’E’. When two units parallel to each other frame a single element, we talk about parallelism referring to the symmetry between these two units, but we consider the whole (the upper level unit) as a concentric construction: A | x | A’. “Parallel construction” is also called “parallelism” (as opposed to “concentrism”).

MIRROR CONSTRUCTION

Composition figure in which the units in paired relations are arranged in an antiparallel or “mirrored” fashion: A B C D E | E’D’C’B’A’. Like the parallel construction, the mirror construction does not have a centre; like the concentric construction, the related elements mirror each other. When the construction comprises only four units, it is also called “chiasmus”: A B | B’A’.

CONCENTRIC CONSTRUCTION

Composition figure where concentrically: A B C D E element (this element can organisation). “Concentric construction” opposed to “parallelism”).

the symmetrical units are arranged | x | E’D’C’B’A’, around the central be a unit of any level of textual can also be called “concentrism” (as

ELLIPTIC CONSTRUCTION

Composition figure where the two focal points of the ellipse articulate the other textual units: A | x | B | x | A’.

Glossary of Technical Terms

15

PARTIAL SYMMETRIES INITIAL TERMS

Identical or similar terms or syntagmas that mark the beginning of symmetrical textual units; the “anaphora” of classical rhetoric.

FINAL TERMS

Identical or similar terms or syntagmas that mark the end of symmetrical textual units; the “epiphora” of classical rhetoric.

EXTREME TERMS

Identical or similar terms or syntagmas that mark the extremities of a textual unit; the “inclusion” of traditional exegesis.

MEDIAN TERMS

Identical or similar terms or syntagmas that mark the end of a textual unit and the beginning of the unit symmetrical to it; the “hook-word” or “linking-word” of traditional exegesis.

CENTRAL TERMS

Identical or similar terms or syntagmas that mark the centres of two symmetrical textual units.

For more details, see R. MEYNET, Treatise on Biblical Rhetoric, International Studies in the History of Rhetoric 3, Leyden – Boston 2012, 129–145. MAIN REWRITING RULES – Within the member, the terms are usually separated by spaces; – Each member is usually rewritten on a single line; – Segments are separated by a blank line; – Pieces are separated by a broken line; – Part is delimited by two continuous lines; the same applies to the subparts. – Within the passage, the parts are framed (unless they are very short, such as an introduction or a conclusion); the subparts are arranged in adjoining frames; – Within the sequence or subsequence, the passages, rewritten in prose, are arranged in frames separated by a blank line; – Within the sequence, the passages of subsequence are arranged in adjoining frames. On the rewriting rules, see Treatise, chap. 4, 187–299.

WHY THE LORD REJECTED HIS PEOPLE First Section Ps 73–78

18

First Section (Ps 73–78)

The first section comprises two sequences. The first sequence is formed of five psalms arranged concentrically (Ps 73–77); the second one comprises only one and particularly extensive Psalm 78.

WHY DO YOU REJECT US?

BECAUSE YOUR FATHERS DID NOT KEEP THE COVENANT WITH

Ps 73–77

GOD

Ps 78

I. WHY DO YOU REJECT US?

The First Sequence: Ps 73–77 1. PSALM 73 TEXT 1A

psalm of Asaph. Surely, God (is) good to Israel, to the pure of heart. 2 And as for me, my 3 because I was envious of the feet had almost stumbled, as nothing my steps slipped, arrogant, I saw the peace of the wicked. 4 Because there are no pangs until their death and their belly (is) plump; 5 in the trouble of men, they are not, and they are not stricken with adam. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace, violence covers them as a garment; 7 their eye comes out from fatness, the thoughts of the heart overflow. 8 They sneer and they speak evil, they speak highly of oppression; 9 they set their mouths in heaven and their tongue walks on earth. 10 Therefore he brings his people back here, and waters of abundance are poured out on them. 11 They say, “How can El know and is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Behold, these (are) the wicked and always at ease, they amass wealth! 13 Surely, in vain I have kept my heart clean and I have washed my palms in innocence; 14 and I was struck all the day and I was punished in the mornings. 15 If I had said, “I will recount like them”, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16 And I pondered to know this, it (was) a trouble in my eyes, 17 until I entered the sanctuaries of El, where I understood their end. 18 Surely, you set them in the deceptions, you make them fall into chaos. 19 How they have become a horror in a moment, disappeared, finished by terrors! 20 Like a dream upon waking, O Lord, when you wake up, you despise their image. 21 When my heart was bitter and my kidneys were pierced, 22 and I (was) stupid, and I did not know, I was (like) a beast with you. 23 And I (was) always with you, you held me by my right hand; 24 you guide me with your counsel and afterward you receive me (to) glory. 25 Who (is there) for me in heaven? And with you, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart are consumed; the rock of my heart, my portion, God forever! 27 Because, behold, those far from you will perish, you cut off all adulterers from you. 28 And as for me, to be near God (is) good for me, I have placed in the Lord Yhwh my refuge, that I may recount all your works. V. 1B: “TO ISRAEL”

It has been suggested that leyiśrā’ēl (“to Israel”) should be split into two layyāšār ’ēl, which would make a perfect parallel: “Yes, good for the upright (man) El, Élohîm for the sound of heart”.1 Moreover, there is no mention of Israel elsewhere, and the subject of the psalm is the opposition between the “wicked” and the righteous. However, this correction is not supported by any of the ancient versions.2

1 2

Kraus, II, 83. Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 222; deClaissé-Walford – al., 585.

20

First Section (Ps 73–78)

V. 2: “MY FEET HAD ALMOST STUMBLED”

The ketib puts the verb in the passive masculine singular participle. The qeré is preferable which puts it in the third person plural of the perfect tense. V. 7: “THEIR EYE COMES OUT FROM FATNESS...”

The Septuagint and Peshitta read “their iniquity” instead of “their eye”, the two Hebrew words which are related. The symmetry between ’ênēmô (“they are not”) at the end of 5a and ‘ênēmô (“their eye”) at the end of 7a favours the Masoretic text. V. 10: “THEREFORE HE BRINGS HIS PEOPLE BACK HERE, AND WATERS OF ABUNDANCE ARE POURED OUT ON THEM”

This verse is particularly difficult to understand, as the ancient versions already testify. Some scholars believe that it is a gloss. The proposals of correction are many.3 That is why it seems preferable to follow the Masoretic text (with the ketib for the first verb) and to attempt an interpretation that is consistent with the context.4 COMPOSITION The psalm has five parts: the extreme parts (1b–3 & 27–28) and the central part (13–15) are short, while the other two (4–12 & 16–26) are much more extensive and each of them comprises two subparts. THE FIRST PART (1B–3) + 1b Surely, (is) good + to the pure

to Israel, of heart.

GOD,

:: 2 AND AS FOR ME, :: as nothing

almost slipped

had stumbled my steps,

– 3 because I was envious – the peace

of the arrogant, of the wicked,

I saw.

my feet,

The first segment (1bc) has “God” as its subject, the next two (2–3), “me”. The partners of God are “Israel” and “the pure of heart” (1bc); those by whom the psalmist is tempted (2) are “the arrogant” and “the wicked” (3).

3 4

See G. BARBIERO, Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettati?, 367. Ravasi, II, 512–513.

Psalm 73

21

THE SECOND PART (4–12) The first piece (4–5) describes the situation of the wicked, preserved from “pangs” and “trouble” (4a & 5a). Introduced with “therefore”, the second piece (6–7) exposes the consequences of their situation: “pride” and “violence” adorn their bodies, their vision and thought (“eye” and “heart”) are marked with the abundance of “fatness” that “overflows” beyond measure.5 “They are not” and “their eye” are found in the same position (5a & 7a) and they are paronomastically related (’ênēmô, ‘ênēmô). – 4 Because there are no – and (is) plump

pangs their belly;

until their death

– 5 in the trouble – and with

of men adam

THEY ARE NOT,

they are not stricken.

······················································································································· 6

:: THEREFORE (it) is their necklace, pride, :: (it) covers as a garment, violence, them; :: 7 (it) comes out :: overflow,

from fatness, the thoughts

– 8 They sneer – of oppression

AND THEY SPEAK

evil,

highly

THEY SPEAK;

– 9 they set – and THEIR TONGUE

in heaven walks

THEIR MOUTH

THEIR EYE,

of the heart.

on earth.

······················································································································· 10

:: THEREFORE :: and waters

he brings back of abundance

his people are poured out

here, on them.

:: 11 THEY SAY: :: and is there

“How knowledge

can know in the Most High?”

El

:: 12 Behold, :: and at ease

these (are) always,

the wicked, they amass

wealth!

The second subpart (8–12) is about the words of “oppression” that their mouth refers both to “heaven” and “earth” (8–9). The second piece (10–12), beginning with “therefore”, describes the consequences of their conduct, “abundance” (10b) and “wealth” (12b), whose source God would not “know” (11).

5 It seems that the second segment (7) should be interpreted in the light of the first one (6). Indeed, a certain parallelism can be observed between the two segments: their eye marked by the fatness of wealth results in pride, and the thoughts of the heart lead to violence.

22

First Section (Ps 73–78)

The two subparts are parallel: the first pieces (4–5 & 8–9) describe the actions of the wicked, the second pieces (6–7 & 10–12) introduced with the same “therefore” describe the consequences of their actions. The “abundance” of “wealth” (10b & 12b) in the second subpart has the corresponding terms in the first subpart, namely “their belly” which is “plump” (4b) and their “fatness” (7a). THE THIRD PART (13–15) + 13 Surely, in vain + and I have washed

I have kept clean in innocence

my heart my palms;

– 14 and I was – and I was punished

struck in the mornings.

all the day

:: 15 If I had said: :: behold,

“I will recount the generation of your children

like them”, I would have betrayed.

The innocence of intentions and actions (13ab) did not prevent the psalmist from suffering continual affronts (14). The temptation then would have been for him to behave like the wicked (15), but he resisted so as not to betray his quality of “son” of the Lord (15b). THE FOURTH PART (16–26) The first piece (16–17) of the first subpart is all in the “I”; the psalmist ponders (16) and finally understands (17). In the second piece (18–20) he explains what he has learned, namely, what the Lord has done to the wicked: he has made them “fall” (18) and they have been destroyed (19), like “a dream” despised in the morning (20). The second subpart comprises three pieces. In the first one (21–22), the psalmist expresses the trouble (21) that caused his lack of understanding (22), in the second piece (23–24), however, he acknowledges that the Lord holds him by the hand (23) to lead him into glory (24). The third piece (25–26) describes the state of “glory” in which the psalmist finally finds himself: with God in heaven, the earth no longer says anything to him (25); humanly consumed (26a), the “Lord” is his “portion” (26bc). The two occurrences of “and I” link the first two pieces (22a & 23a), “heart” forms an inclusion (21a & 26ab), “with you” occurs in all three pieces (22b & 23a in median terms, 25b). The two subparts are parallel: incomprehension, lack of “knowledge” (16–17 & 21–22) is followed by divine revelation (18–20 & 23–26).

Psalm 73 – 16 And I pondered – a trouble

TO KNOW

+ 17 until I entered + where I understood

the sanctuaries their end.

it (was)

23 this, in my eyes, of EL,

············································································································ 18

: Surely, in the deceptions : you make them fall

you set into chaos.

them,

: 19 How they have become : disappeared,

a horror finished

in a moment, by terrors!

: 20 Like a dream : and you wake up,

upon waking, their image

O LORD, you despise.

+ 21 When was bitter + and my kidneys

my HEART were pierced,

+ 22 AND I (WAS) + (like) a beast

stupid, I was

AND I DID NOT KNOW,

with you.

············································································································ 23

: AND I (WAS) : you held me

always by hand,

with you, my right one;

: 24 with your counsel : and afterward

you guide me (to) glory

you receive me.

············································································································ 25

+ Who (is there) – And with you,

for me I desire nothing

in heaven? on earth.

– 26 Are consumed + the rock + GOD

my flesh of my HEART, forever!

and my HEARTH; my portion,

24

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE LAST PART (27–28) + 27 Because, behold, + you cut off

those FAR from YOU all adulterers

will perish, from YOU.

:: 28 And as for me, :: I have placed :: that I may recount

TO BE NEAR in THE LORD

GOD YHWH your works.

all

(is) good for me, my refuge,

The two segments set those who are “far” from God and “will perish” (27) against the psalmist who wants “to be near” to him and finds in him his “refuge” (28). THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM The extreme parts (1b–3 & 27–28) are related in parallel: the first segments state God’s attitude, initially towards the righteous (1b), then towards the wicked (27). Beginning with “and as for me” (2a), the subsequent segments oppose the preceding one: in 2–3 the psalmist confesses that he was tempted to depart from “the pure of heart” to lean towards “the wicked”, in 28 on the contrary he takes refuge in God, distinguishing himself from the “adulterers” who distance themselves from him. While the second part (4–12) describes the conduct of “the wicked”, the penultimate part (16–26) tells how the psalmist came to understand their destiny (16–20) and his own (21–26). The two occurrences of “trouble” mark the beginning of both parts (5 & 16); “in heaven” and “on earth” occur in 9 and 25; “heart” occurs four times (7, 21, 26[bis]); the “eye” (7) of the wicked is matched by the psalmist’s “eyes” (16); the terms deriving from the root of “knowledge” occur twice in each part (11[2x], 16, 22). It is noteworthy that “my portion (of the inheritance)” at the end of the penultimate part (26) is the counterpart to “wealth” at the end of the second part (12). The central part (13–15) provides the transition between the two sides of the psalm. Its first two segments contrast the misfortune suffered by the psalmist despite his innocence with the happiness of the wicked in the preceding part: the righteous is struck down (14) when the unjust are not (5). Its last segment sets the stage for what follows, especially for the last member of the psalm: instead of “recounting” like the wicked who speak words against God (11), he will “recount” all his “works” (28b). It should be pointed out that the last word of the central part, “children” (15b), belongs to the same semantic field as the “portion (of inheritance)” at the end of the subsequent part (26).

Psalm 73 1

25

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely, GOD is GOOD to Israel, 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9

to the pure of HEART.

AND AS FOR ME, my feet had almost stumbled, as nothing my steps slipped, because I was envious of the arrogant, I saw the peace of THE WICKED.

Because there are no pangs until their death they are not in the TROUBLE of men,

and their belly is plump; and THEY ARE NOT STRICKEN with adam.

Therefore pride is their necklace, their EYE comes out from fatness,

violence covers them as a garment; the thoughts of THE HEART overflow.

They sneer and they speak evil, they set their mouth IN HEAVEN

they speak highly of oppression; and their tongue walks ON EARTH.

10

Therefore he brings his people back here, They say: “How EL CAN KNOW IT 12 Behold, these are THE WICKED 11

13

Surely, in vain I have kept my HEART clean and I WAS STRUCK all the day 15 If I had said: “I WILL RECOUNT like them”, 14

16 17

And I pondered to KNOW this, until I entered the sanctuaries of EL,

18

and waters of abundance are poured out on them. and is there KNOWLEDGE in THE MOST HIGH?” and always at ease, they amass wealth. and I have washed my palms in innocence and I was punished in the mornings. I would have betrayed the generation of your children. it was a TROUBLE in my EYES, where I understood their end.

Surely, you set them in the deceptions, How they have become a horror in a moment, 20 Like a dream upon waking, O LORD,

you make them fall into chaos. disappeared, finished by terrors! when you wake up, you despise their image.

21

When my HEART was bitter and I was stupid, and I DID NOT KNOW,

and my kidneys were pierced, I was like a beast with you.

And I was always with you, you guide me with your counsel

you held me by my right hand; and afterward you receive me to glory.

Who is there for me IN HEAVEN? My flesh and my HEART are consumed;

And with you, I desire nothing ON EARTH. the rock of my HEART, my portion, GOD forever!

19

22 23 24 25 26

27

Because, behold, those far from you will perish,

you cut off all adulterers from you.

28

AND AS FOR ME, to be near GOD is GOOD for me, I have placed in THE LORD my refuge, that I MAY RECOUNT all your works.

CONTEXT JOB 21 In response to Zophar the Naamathite’s claim that “the joy of the wicked is but for a moment” (Job 20:5), Job replies that this is not the case, that the wicked is happy even beyond his death (21:32–33).

26

First Section (Ps 73–78)

BEHEMOTH Another allusion to the book of Job can be found in the name “Behemoth”, translated in the psalm as “a beast” (Ps 73:22). This hippopotamus-like animal is presented with Leviathan in Job 40:15–24. It is a kind of brute force. This noun is the plural form of behemâ, “animal”; it is used in the plural in Ps 49:13, 21, “Man in luxury and does not understand, he is like the beasts that disappear”.

INTERPRETATION A GREAT TEMPTATION The happiness of the wicked, of the unjust, is on display in broad daylight. And that is not something new. Everything smiles on them, while those who intend to remain clean in this rotten world only reap misery and beatings. We can understand that the righteous are seriously tempted to follow the same path as those who have everything going for them. The psalmist recognises this right from the beginning: he almost slipped down the slope that leads so surely to “peace” (Ps 73:3), to tranquillity, to happiness. FILIAL CONSCIOUSNESS He could have used the same language as those who have been able to accumulate wealth, who mock those who are oppressed and robbed through their care, who also mock God thinking that he will be unable to know their misdeeds, like Adam who thought he could hide himself after the sin. The psalmist did not do so out of respect for his father, otherwise he would have “betrayed the generation of his sons” (73:15). Instead of assuming, like the “arrogant” (73:3), the fat and abundance of goods obtained by “violence” (73:6), the righteous person waits for his “portion” of the inheritance from the hand of God (73:26). THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE Like happiness, knowledge can only be received from above. The psalmist recognises this bluntly. He had thought hard, but it was only in “the sanctuaries of El” that he could understand (73:16–17). Before that he was “stupid” (73:22), like Behemoth in his swamp. But knowledge is not limited to understanding evil and the fate of evildoers. It is also, perhaps even most importantly, about what to do. That is why the speaker turns to his God, recognises his weakness, and allows himself to be led by him, who has taken him by the hand and is drawing him towards glory (73:23–24).

Psalm 73

27

RECOUNTING THE WORKS OF GOD The psalm begins with the praise: “Yes, God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart” (73:1b). It also ends with the praise promised by the one who has taken refuge in the Lord. “Praise is the beginning and the end of all prayer”.6 The works of God is what is recounted between the beginning and the end, the temptation caused by the happiness of the wicked into which the psalmist almost fell, before receiving in the temple of his Lord the revelation of their vanity and that of his glory.

6 P. BEAUCHAMP, Psaumes nuit et jour, 92; see chapters 13 and 14: “Louange pour commencer”, “Louange pour finir...”, 92–105.

2. PSALM 74 TEXT An instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, have you rejected (us) until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember your assembly which you acquired from the beginning, which you redeemed, a tribe of your inheritance, Mount Zion, where you dwell 3 Lift up your steps to the endless ruins: in it. the enemy has damage everything in the sanctuary; 4 your adversaries roared in the midst of your assemblies, they set up their insignia (as) insignia. 5 It is known as one bringing upwards an axe in a thicket of trees, 6 and now its sculptures together they smash with hatchet and hammer; 7 they set your sanctuary on fire, to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name. 8 They said in their hearts, “Let us crush them together!” They burned all the assemblies of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet, and none of us knows how long. 10 How long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Will the enemy revile your name until the end? 11 Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring (it) forth. 12 But God (is) my king from the beginning, working salvations in the midst of the earth. 13 As for you, you stirred up the sea with your power, you broke the heads of the monsters on the waters; 14 as for you, you crushed the heads of Leviathan, you gave him as food to the people of the desert; 15 as for you, you broke open the spring and stream, as for you, you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16 Yours (is) the day, yours also the night, it was you who prepared the light and the sun, 17 it was you who fixed all the boundaries of the earth, summer and winter, it was you who formed them. 18 Remember this, O Yhwh, the enemy insults, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19 Do not surrender the soul of your turtledove to the beast, do not forget until the end the life of your afflicted. 20 Look to the covenant, because the dens of the land are full, haunts of violence. 21 Do not let the oppressed return in disgrace, let the afflicted and the poor praise your name! 22 Rise up, O God, defend your cause, remember your insult (coming) from the fool all the day! 23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries, the uproar of those who rise up against you, which goes up continually! 1

V. 2: “FROM THE BEGINNING”

Literally, “formerly”. Refers to the beginnings of the people, their origin. V. 4: “THEY SET UP THEIR INSIGNIA (AS) INSIGNIA”

They put on their insignia as insignia, that is to indicate their place. V. 5: “IT IS KNOWN AS ONE BRINGING UPWARDS”

The verse is problematic and there are many suggested corrections.1 Retaining the Masoretic text, it is possible to understand it as follows: “It is like someone who wields an axe in a thick forest” or “Such as those who wield axes...”

1

Ravasi, II, 546–547.

30

First Section (Ps 73–78)

V.6: “ITS SCULPTURES”

While the Masoretic text has pittûḥèhā (“its sculptures”, to be understood as low relief or other types of decoration) the ancient versions read petaḥèhā, “its doors”. V. 11: “WHY DO YOU HOLD BACK YOUR HAND AND YOUR RIGHT HAND? MIDST OF YOUR BOSOM BRING (IT) FORTH”

FROM THE

It can be understood that the Lord has withdrawn his hand and therefore no longer acts. In the second phrase the psalmist requests his intervention against his enemies. V. 14: “TO THE PEOPLE OF THE DESERT”

Lit. “to a people, to the beasts of the desert”.2

COMPOSITION The psalm is organised into two long parts (1b–9 & 10–23) that run parallel to each other. Each part is formed of three subparts. THE FIRST PART (1B–9) The first two subparts (1bc & 2) are the size of a single segment, while the third subpart (3–9) comprises three pieces.3 The question in the first subpart (1bc) juxtaposes two clauses: the subject is indicated by the vocative in the first member, “O God”, the object is mentioned at the end of the second member, “the sheep of your pasture”. In the second subpart (2) the psalmist accumulates in one segment the reasons why the Lord is called to remember Israel, his “assembly”, his “inheritance”, the temple where he dwells in Zion: the longstanding bond between them, the price he paid for the acquisition, the redemption. The third subpart (3–9) is much more extensive in the first piece (3–4) the psalmist calls upon the Lord to take action in the face of the ruins of his sanctuary: “the enemy”, like a lion, has destroyed everything (3b–4a), going so far as to put his own insignia in place of those they had found there. The second piece (5–7) shows the adversaries breaking down sculptures or doors with axes and hammers and setting them on fire. The third piece (8–9) adds to the disaster: it is not only the temple that they intend to destroy but the whole people, “all the 2

See Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 241; these authors speak of “hyenas”. It would have been possible to consider the first two verses (1b–2) as a subpart; however, the parallelism of this subpart with the subsequent one led to take this position, which will be justified when the composition of the whole psalm will be explained. 3

Psalm 74

31

assemblies of God”, everywhere in the country (8b). The subpart ends with a statement of utter ruin: not only the “signs” that represent the temple and the identity of the people are gone, but also the prophets who could have interpreted the situation in the name of God. There is no one to say, “how long” (9b). – 1b Why, – does (it) smoke,

O GOD, your anger

have you rejected (us) against the sheep

UNTIL THE END,

of your pasture?

+ 2 Remember YOUR ASSEMBLY + which you redeemed, a tribe + Mount Zion, where

which you acquired of your inheritance,

FROM THE BEGINNING,

YOU DWELL

in it.

- 3 Lift up your steps - has damage everything the enemy

to the ruins

ENDLESS:

IN THE SANCTUARY;

- 4 roared - they set up

in the midst (as) INSIGNIA.

your adversaries THEIR INSIGNIA

OF YOUR ASSEMBLIES

·····························································································································

: 5 IT IS KNOWN : in a thicket

as one bringing of trees

: 6 and now : with hatchet

its sculptures together and with hammer they smash;

: 7 they set : to the ground

on fire they desecrate

upwards an axe,

YOUR SANCTUARY, THE DWELLING PLACE

of your name.

·····························································································································

- 8 The said - They burned

ALL THE ASSEMBLIES

“Let us crush them of God

- 9 OUR SIGNS - and none

we do not see, of us

there is no longer

any prophet,

KNOWS

HOW LONG.

in their hearts:

together!” in the land.

“Endless” at the end of the first member of the third subpart (3a) and “how long” at the end of the last member (9b) form an inclusion. The “sanctuary” occurs in the first two pieces (3b & 7a); the extreme pieces have in common “assemblies” (4a & 8b) and “insignia/signs” (4b & 9a). In the last two pieces “together” returns in 6a and 8a, and “knows” (9b) recalls “it is known” (5a). For the part as a whole, “until the end” (1b) and “how long” (9b) form inclusion; “until the end” (1b) and “endless” (3a) act as initial terms for the extreme subparts. The term “assembly/assemblies” occurs in 2a, 4a, and 8b, “to dwell” and “dwelling place” in 2c and 7b.

32

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE SECOND PART (10–17) + 10 HOW LONG, + Will (he) revile,

O GOD,

WILL (HE) INSULT,

the oppressor?

THE ENEMY,

your name

UNTIL THE END?

– 11 Why – FROM THE MIDST

do you hold back of your bosom

your hand bring (it) forth.

and your right hand?

+ 12 But GOD + working

(is) my king salvations

IN THE MIDST

from the beginning, OF THE EARTH.

································································································································

: 13 AS FOR YOU, : you broke

you stirred up the heads

with your power of the monsters

the sea, on the waters;

: 14 AS FOR YOU, : you gave him

you crushed as food

the heads to the people

of Leviathan, of the desert;

: 15 AS FOR YOU, : AS FOR YOU,

you broke open you dried up

the spring the rivers

and stream, ever-flowing.

································································································································

- 16 Yours (is) - IT WAS YOU

the day,

the night,

who prepared

yours also the light

- IT WAS YOU - summer

who fixed and winter,

IT WAS YOU

+ 18 REMEMBER this, + and a people

THE ENEMY

INSULTS INSULTS,

O YHWH,

FOOLISH FOOLISH

reviles

your name.

17

– 19 Do not surrender – the life

and the sun,

all the boundaries OF THE EARTH, who formed them.

to the beast

the soul

of your turtledove,

OF YOUR AFFLICTED

DO NOT FORGET

UNTIL THE END.

·····················································································································

: 20 Look : because are full

to the covenant, the dens of the land,

haunts

of violence.

: 21 Do not let return : let THE AFFLICTED

the oppressed and the poor

in disgrace, praise

your name!

····················································································································· 22

+ Rise up, + REMEMBER

O GOD,

– 23 DO NOT FORGET – the uproar of those

the voice of your adversaries, who rise up against you, which goes up CONTINUALLY!

YOUR INSULT

defend (coming) FROM THE FOOL

your cause, ALL THE DAY!

The first subpart (10–11) comprises two questions on time (10) and one on reason (11). The first segment is constructed concentrically according to the pattern A B (cd) / (c’d’) B’ A’. The second segment starts with a question but ends with a request for intervention.

Psalm 74

33

The second subpart (12–17) is formed of three pieces. The first one (12) has a general character: with the reference to the saving works of God, its second member introduces the other two pieces. The second piece (13–15) details God’s creative work regarding the waters: in the first two segments (13–14) he masters the sea monsters, especially “Leviathan”. The two members of the last segment (15ab) begin with “as for you”, which translates an isolated Hebrew pronoun that is already present at the beginning of the first two segments (13a & 14a): The Lord opens the rivers and dries them up. The last piece is about time (16– 17), “day” and “night”, “summer” and “winter”, but also about setting up heaven (16b) and earth (17a). The third subpart (18–23) also comprises three pieces. In the first segment of the first piece (18), the “enemy” is referred to as a “foolish people”; “Yhwh” and his “name” are insulted and reviled. The second segment (19) is no longer about God but about his followers: both imperatives are negative, the lives of his afflicted are referred to as “the soul of your turtledove”. Both segments begin with imperatives (18a & 19a), first a positive one and then a negative one; the second terms correspond to each other, “the enemy” (18a) is qualified as “the beast” (19a). In the second piece (20–21) the psalmist first appeals to “the covenant” against the “violence” that fills the land (20), then he pleads for those who are partners in the covenant, asking in a complementary fashion that they might not be disgraced, but might praise their saviour (21). The third piece (22– 23) requests God to intervene against his opponents who have insulted him. “Rise up” forms an inclusion (22a & 23b), in final terms of both segments “continually” (23b) corresponds to “all the day” (22b), in median terms “do not forget” (23a) recalls “remember” (22b). The first two pieces are linked by the repetition of “your name” (18b & 21b) and the “afflicted” in the endings (19b & 21b). The extreme pieces correspond to each other in a parallel fashion: the imperatives of their first segments are positive, those of the second segments are negative, “God” corresponds to “Yhwh” (18a & 22a) in the first segments where “insult” and “fool” occur together; “remember” and “do not forget” are found as extreme terms in the first piece, as median terms in the last one, “until the end” and “continually” play the role of final terms (19b & 23b). The first two subparts are linked by the repetition of “God” in initial terms (10a & 12a) and “the midst” in median terms (11b & 12b). The relations between the extreme subparts are particularly strong, with “insult”, “to revile”, “your name”, “enemy” in initial terms (10 & 18) echoed at the end with “your insult” (22b); “how long” and “until the end” in the first subpart (10) are matched by “until the end”, “all the day”, “continually” in the last subpart (19b, 22b & 23b).

34

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

An instruction of Asaph. WHY, O GOD, have you rejected us UNTIL THE END, sheep of your pasture?

does your anger smoke against the

2

REMEMBER your assembly which you acquired FROM THE BEGINNING, which you redeemed, a tribe of your inheritance, Mount Zion, where you dwell in it. 3

Lift up your steps to the ENDLESS ruins: THE ENEMY has damage everything in the sanctuary; 4 YOUR ADVERSARIES roared in the midst of your assemblies, they set up their insignia as insignia. 5

It is known as one bringing upwards an axe in a thicket of trees, 6 and now its 7 sculptures together they smash with hatchet and hammer; they set your sanctuary on fire, to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of YOUR NAME. 8

They said in their hearts, “Let us crush them together!” They burned all the assemblies of GOD in the land. 9 We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet, and none of us knows HOW LONG. 10

HOW LONG, O GOD, will the oppressor insult? Will THE ENEMY revile YOUR NAME UNTIL THE END? 11 WHY do you hold back your hand and your right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring it forth. 12

But GOD is my king FROM THE BEGINNING, working salvations in the midst of the earth.

13

As for you, you stirred up the sea with your power, you broke the heads of the monsters on the waters; 14 as for you, you crushed the heads of Leviathan, you gave him as food to the people of the desert, 15 as for you, you broke open the spring and stream, as for you, you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16

Yours is the day, yours also the night, it was you who prepared the light and the sun, 17 it was you who fixed all the boundaries of the earth, summer and winter, it was you who formed them. 18

REMEMBER this, O YHWH, THE ENEMY insults, and a foolish people reviles YOUR NAME. Do not surrender the soul of your turtledove to the beast, DO NOT FORGET UNTIL THE END the life of your afflicted. 19

20

Look to the covenant, because the dens of the land are full, haunts of violence. Do not let the oppressed return in disgrace, let the afflicted and the poor praise YOUR NAME! 21

22

Rise up, O GOD, defend your cause, REMEMBER your insult coming from the fool ALL THE DAY! 23 DO NOT FORGET the voice of YOUR ADVERSARIES, the uproar of those who rise up against you, which goes up CONTINUALLY!

The two parts are parallel. They begin with questions about the reason for the misfortune and its duration: “why” and “until the end” (1b & 10–11). The second subparts recall the past, what happened “from the beginning” (2 & 12),

Psalm 74

35

when God gave birth to his people (2), and at the creation (12–17). Finally, the third subparts (3–9 & 18–23) are complaints about the present misfortune and give rise to supplications addressed to the Lord. The two parts are linked by “how long” (9b & 10a). “Remember” at the beginning of the second subpart of the first part (2a) is repeated twice in the last subpart (18 & 22) and is accompanied by “do not forget” (19 & 23). “The enemy” and “your adversaries” return in the third subparts (3, 4, 18 & 23). “Your name” is repeated in 7, 10, 18 & 21. The name “God” pronounced at the extremities of the first part (1b & 8b) returns at the beginning of the first two subparts of the second part (10 & 12); it also returns at the end of the last subpart (22), preceded at the beginning of the same subpart by “Yhwh” (18), which occurs only once in the psalm.

CONTEXT THE “CREATION” OF PEOPLE The first reminder of the past (2) refers to the election of Israel (Deut 7:6–11) and to the liberation from the land of Egypt that led the people to the temple of Zion, celebrated in the Song of the Sea: 13

In your faithfulness you let the people whom you redeemed, you guided them by your strength to the dwelling place of your holiness. 17

You will bring them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance, the place of your habitation that you made, O Yhwh, the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established. (Exod 15:13, 17)

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD The second and most distant reminder of the past is evoked in terms that refer both to Gen 1, referring to the waters agitated by a wind from God before the separation of day and night (Gen 1:2–5), and to the victory over Leviathan (Job 40:25–41:26).

INTERPRETATION THE END AND THE BEGINNING “Until the end?” (Ps 74:1, 10) refers to “from the beginning” (74:2, 12). When misfortune strikes, past happiness inevitably comes to mind. For Israel, it goes first to the circumstances of its birth, when it crossed the red waters coming out of the womb of Egypt where it was held captive, to be led to the place of its service in the temple on Mount Zion. Then the memory goes back to the beginning of the world and of humanity, when the Lord manifested his power

36

First Section (Ps 73–78)

over the forces of primordial chaos, when he separated day from night, summer from winter, when he established “all the boundaries of the earth” (74:17), those that separate the sea from the land, those that distinguish one nation from another. THE LIONS AND THE TURTLEDOVE Israel’s present situation is that of a people, of the chosen people, who are prey to the enemies, “a foolish people” (74:18, 22), who are also the adversary of God himself (74:4). The turtledove (74:19) is terrified by the roar of the lion in the midst of the assemblies of God (74:4). The sanctuary on Mount Zion where God had chosen to dwell is now in ruins, broken by axe and hammer, set on fire; along with the temple, the whole people is destroyed, deprived of its signs, without a prophet who could tell how long the calamity would last. FOR THE HONOUR OF YOUR NAME

By crushing the people of Israel, by burning their sanctuary, the enemy wants to touch their most profound identity, the “covenant” that links them to their God. By attacking the temple, the dwelling place of the “name” of Yhwh (74:7), it is the “name” of the Lord that they “revile” (74:10, 18). They want to eliminate him. That is why the supplication appeals to the honour of God’s name. The Lord cannot remain unresponsive, for if the enemy were to prevail definitively, with the end of the sanctuary, it would be the end of his people, the end of the covenant, and ultimately of himself. “WHY?” (74:1B, 11) That is the cry that springs from the first word of the psalm (74:1b) and that will return again at the beginning of the second part (74:11). Through the mouth of the psalmist, the people address their God without preamble, in the most direct possible way, to tell him that he does not understand, that he does not see the reason why God is angry with those who are “the sheep of his pasture” (74:1c). The freedom with which the psalmist—and his people behind him— addresses his God is astonishing; even more since it has the tone of an accusation. And it is maintained throughout the prayer. In the voice of the “sheep” and the “turtledove”, we hear the voice of the son who is not afraid, since he is part of his “inheritance” (74:2), to vigorously challenge the one who brought him into the world.

3. PSALM 75 TEXT 1 For

the music director, “Do Not Destroy”, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, and your name (is) near: they recount your wonders. 3 “When I will choose an appointment, it is I who will judge with uprightness; 4 the earth and all its inhabitants are falling apart, it is I who have firmly set its pillars. 5 I said to the arrogant: Do not be arrogant! And to the wicked: Do not raise up the horn, 6 do not raise up your horn on high, do not speak with insolent neck.” 7 Yes, not from the east nor the west, and not from the desert (comes) the raising up; 8 because (it is) God (who) judges, this one he brings down and that one he raises up. 9 Yes, in the hand of Yhwh (there is) a cup, and a fermented wine full of spices; and he will pour out of it, they will lick (it) to the dregs, they will drink (it), all the wicked of the earth. 10 And as for me, I will proclaim forever, I will sing psalms to the God of Jacob; 11 and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the righteous will be raised up. V. 2: “WE GIVE THANKS”

The verbs are in the perfect tense, which are rendered in the translation by the present tense as in Gen 22:16: “I swear by myself”.1 V. 6B: “DO NOT SPEAK WITH INSOLENT NECK”

The negation at the beginning of 6a also applies to 6b. The “insolent neck” recalls the traditional expression “a stiff-necked people” (Exod 32:9; Deut 9:6). V. 7B: “AND NOT FROM THE DESERT (COMES) THE RISING UP”

The term hārîm is ambiguous.2 It can be a noun, the plural of har, “mountain”3, but it can be interpreted as the hiphil infinitive of rwm, “to raise, lift up”.4 Given the context that plays on this root (5b, 6a, 8c & 11b), the latter solution is preferable. V. 9B: “AND A FERMENTED WINE”

Lit. “a wine (which) has fermented”.5

1

Hakham, II, 23. See Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 47. 3 Thus Ravasi, II, 570–571. 4 Kraus, II, 103; Vesco, 674; deClaissé-Walford – al., 603. 5 Hakham, II, 24; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 253. 2

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

COMPOSITION 1

For the music director, a psalm

“Do Not Destroy”, of Asaph, a song.

+ 2 We give thanks + and is near

to you, your name:

O GOD, they recount

.. 3 “WHEN I will choose :: It is I who

an appointment, with uprightness

WILL JUDGE;

.. 4 are falling apart :: It is I who

have firmly set

THE EARTH

and all its pillars.

we give thanks, your wonders.

its inhabitants,

·····························································································································

– 5 I said - And to THE WICKED:

to the arrogant: DO NOT RAISE UP

Do not be arrogant! THE HORN,

- 6 DO NOT RAISE UP – do not speak

ON HIGH

with a neck

YOUR HORN, of insolence!”

from the east from the desert

nor from the west, (comes) THE RAISING UP;

.. 7 YES, not .. and not :: 8 because (it is) GOD :: this one :: and that one

(who) JUDGES, he brings down HE RAISES UP.

····························································································································· – 9 Yes, (there is) a cup in the hand of YHWH,

– and a wine – and he will pour – to the dregs – they will drink (it),

fermented

full

of spices;

out of it, they will lick (it), all THE WICKED OF THE EARTH.

+ 10 and as for me, + I will sing psalms

I will proclaim to the GOD

forever, of Jacob;

+ 11 and all THE HORNS + WILL BE RAISED UP

OF THE WICKED

I will cut off, of the righteous.

THE HORNS

The psalm is constructed in a mirrored manner. The first part (2) comprises only one bimember. Addressing God, the psalmist initially speaks in the first person plural on behalf of a group to which he belongs, after which he switches to the third person plural: their praise is motivated by the fact that God has shown himself to be “near”. In the second part (3–6), it is the Lord who speaks. The two segments of the first piece are parallel (3–4): their first members are temporal clauses and their second members, which begin with “It is I” (3b & 4b), are the main clauses. We

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can therefore understand that the “appointment” of 3a refers to the downfall of the land in 4a and that the judgment “with uprightness” (3b) refers to salvation, since the pillars of the land have been and remain firmly set by the creator (4b). The second piece (5–6) has a mirrored structure: the extreme members (5a & 6b), beginning with the synonyms “to say” and “to speak”, invite to abandon arrogance and “insolence”, the central members (5b & 6a) not to raise their horn. “Falling apart” in the first piece (4a) is opposed to “raising” in the second piece (5b & 6a). In the third part (7–9) the psalmist speaks again commenting on what God said in the preceding part. Each piece comprises one bimember and one trimember. In the first piece (7–8), the two segments, which end with terms of the same root, contrast the surrounding nations with “God” who alone is capable of judging. The second piece (9) describes the judgment of “the wicked of the earth” who will have to drink the wine of divine wrath to the dregs. The concluding part begins with “And as for me” (10a) which is the subject of the verbs in the first three members. The psalmist promises to praise the Lord (10) and then to exercise judgment against “the wicked” (11a); in the last member “will be raised up” is a divine passive. The two segments are linked by the verbs “I will proclaim” and “I will cut off” (10a & 11a), which are paronomastically related (’aggîd and ’ăgaddēa‘). In the short extreme parts, in addition to the repetition of the name of “God”, “to recount” (2b) and “to proclaim” (10a) are synonymous. The median parts are linked by the fact that the verb “to raise” occurs twice in their median pieces (5b, 6a, 7b, 8c); however, they are parallel: in their first pieces God sustains those who are falling apart (3–4) and he is the one who ensures the raising up (7–8), in their second pieces after inviting the wicked to give up their insolence (5–6), he chastises them with the cup of his wrath (9). The verb “to judge” occurs in 3b and 8a, “the earth” in 4a and 9e. Finally, we notice that both parts begin with kî, translated as “when” at the beginning of 3 and as “yes” at the beginning of 7.6 The word “horn” occurs twice at the end of the second part (5b & 6a) and returns twice at the end of the last part (11a & 11b); “will be raised up” of 11b recalls “to raise” of 5b, 6a, and 8c, “the raising up” of 7b as well as “on high” of 6a which derives from the same root.

CONTEXT THE CUP OF GOD’S WRATH It is a traditional image: “Wake up, wake up, get up! O Jerusalem. You who have drunk from the hand of Yhwh the cup of his wrath. The chalice, the 6 Ravasi (II, 559) consider the two kî as affirmation particles and translate them as “si” (English, “yes”).

40

First Section (Ps 73–78)

stupefying cup, you have drained to the dregs” (Isa 51:17; see also, among others, Jer 25:15–38; Ezek 23:31–34). MAN DOES THE WORKS OF GOD According to most commentaries the last segment (Ps 75:11) is spoken by God, as in the second part (75:3–6). “It does not seem that the same speaker could have been talking in such an arrogant fashion, especially since the preceding section makes it clear that it is God alone who brings men up and down.”7 Some have thought to solve the difficulty by putting the verb of 75:11a in the third person instead of the first: “he will slaughter”,8 which is not supported by any textual evidence. They think of saving God’s honour; that is what is done by those who refuse to read the text of Ps 112:4b, according to which the upright person is “tender and merciful” as the Lord himself is “tender and merciful” (Ps 111:4b), on the pretext that this expression always applies to God in the rest of the Hebrew Bible.9 In Ps 149 they are indeed “the faithful” who execute the punishment against the pagan nations (Ps 149:5–9); and the same applies to Ps 2 where it is the king who will break the nations “with a sceptre of iron” (Ps 2:7b–9).10

INTERPRETATION FROM LENIENCY TO SEVERITY In his speech the Lord shows his mercy. When the earth falls apart, he intervenes to support it and save all its inhabitants (Ps 75:3–4); as for “the wicked”, he does not chastise them but invites them to abandon their arrogance and insolence, not to lift up their foreheads (75:5–6). When the psalmist takes the floor again to comment on God’s words, the tone changes: while initially he speaks of “raising up” and declares that God “raises up” one, he also adds that he “brings down” the other one (75:8), after which he insists at length on the cup of God’s wrath which the wicked will have to drink to the dregs (75:9), which makes a surprising contrast with God’s admonishing words addressed to them (75:5–6). Unless we understand that the psalmist completes what the Lord said previously, by showing to what extremity would be led those who, refusing to heed God’s invitation, would not abandon their wickedness.

7

deClaissé-Walford – al., 606. Thus, Weiser, 521; Kraus, II, 103. 9 See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 90–92. 10 That is the opinion of Delitzsch, II, 342. The BJ, which puts verses 3–6 within inverted commas, does not do the same for verse 11; curiously, the TOB does the opposite. 8

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41

THE EXECUTOR OF HIGH WORKS As soon as the psalmist mentions the terrible heavenly punishment (75:9), he sings a song of victory in honour of the God of Jacob (75:10). He then presents himself as the one who will carry out the divine penalty by cutting off the horns of the wicked (75:11a). However, at the last moment he leaves the space for God to whom the salvation of the righteous is attributed, in a discreet fashion (75:11b). The change from the plural of “the wicked” (75:11a) to the singular of “the righteous” (75:11b) may suggest that the latter is no one else but the psalmist himself. Only at the end can we understand that the psalm is not a general statement, that it is the account of a person who has been saved from the arrogance and insolence of those who were after his life, whose horns were threatening him. And that is why his prayer begins with a thanksgiving which he shares with all those who have witnessed the wonders that God has done for him.

4. PSALM 76 TEXT 1 For

the music director, on stringed instruments, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 In Judah God is known, in Israel his name (is) great; 3 and in Salem is his lair and his den in Zion: 4 There he broke the flaming (arrows) of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war (weapons). 5 You (are) radiant, magnificent above the mountains of prey. 6 The valiant of heart were plundered, they have slept their sleep, and all the men of might did not find their arms. 7 Under your threat, O God of Jacob, and the chariot and the horse fell asleep. 8 You (are) Terrible, (yes) you, and who will stand before your face because of your anger? 9 You made the sentence to be heard from heaven, the earth feared and was silent, 10 when God rose up 11 because the fury of man gives you in judgment to save all the humiliated of the earth, 12 thanks, (with) the rest of the furies you gird yourself. Make vows to Yhwh your God and fulfil (them), let all those around him bring a gift to the Terrifying One: 13 He cuts short the breath of princes, the Terrible One to the kings of the earth. V. 3: “LAIR”, “DEN”

The terms sôk, “lair” (see Jer 25:38; Ps 10:9),1 and me‘ônâ, “den” (see Job 37:8; 38:40; Amos 3:4; Ps 104:22), both refer to a lion.2 V. 5: “MAGNIFICENT ABOVE THE MOUNTAINS OF PREY”

Since the expression is problematic, various emendations have been proposed. If we adhere to the Masoretic text, we can understand, in the light of the beginning of the subsequent segment, that the mountains of prey are the places where the booty of the enemies is piled up. V. 11: “BECAUSE THE FURY OF MAN GIVES YOU THANKS...”

This particularly problematic verse has given rise to many corrections and different interpretations: “There are as many translations as there are translators”.3 It is reasonable to follow the Masoretic text and to consider the literal context too (see p. 45). COMPOSITION The five parts of the psalm are arranged concentrically around the question in verse 8. 1

See Le Psautier. Premier livre, 117 = The Psalter: Book One, 117, where this word has been translated as “thicket”. 2 See, e.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 260, 265–266; Vesco, 681. Ravasi (II, 584) does not share this interpretation. 3 deClaissé-Walford – al., 609.

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE FIRST PART (2–4) + 2 (He) is known + in ISRAEL

in JUDAH, (is) great

God, his name,

+ 3 and it is + and his den

in Salem in Zion:

his lair

4 – There – the shield,

he broke and the sword,

the flaming (arrows) of the bow, and the war (weapons).

The first two segments are complementary: first, the whole country with its two components, “Judah” and “Israel” (2), then the religious capital with God’s “lair” and “den” in Jerusalem, “Salem” or “Zion” (3). The third segment (4) gives the reason why God is “great” and “known” (2): the destruction of all weapons of “war” (4). THE SECOND PART (5–7) + 5 Radiant + magnificent 6

: Were plundered : they have slept : and did not find + 7 Under your threat, + fell asleep

(are), above the mountains

YOU

of prey.

the valiant their sleep, all the men of might

of heart,

O GOD and the chariot

of Jacob, and the horse.

their arms.

The part has a concentric construction. In the extreme segments, God’s qualities or actions (5a & 7a) are followed by their effects: booty taken from the enemy (5b–6a), the enemy’s heavy armament neutralised (7b). The two vocatives “you” and “O God” are corresponding to each other in the same position (5a & 7a). At the centre (6), it is no longer about God but about the combatants, “the valiant”, “the men of might” who are reduced to impotence. The central segment is linked to the preceding one through paronomasia between ’addîr (“magnificent”, 5a) and ’abbîrê (“the valiant”, 6b), and with the subsequent segment through the synonyms “they have slept” (6b) and “fell asleep” (7b). THE PENULTIMATE PART (9–11) The first two segments are parallel: the first members are about “God”, his “sentence” and his “judgement” (9a & 10a), the second members are about “the earth” which was frightened (9b) and its “humiliated” who have been saved (10b). The two occurrences of “the earth” in the second members (9b & 10b)

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45

seem to refer to different realities. In the first instance, it is a complementary term to “heaven” (9a) and can therefore refer to the nations over which God’s sentence is pronounced; in the second instance, it is “the land” of Israel which has been humiliated (10b). The third segment (11), which is highly enigmatic, must be considered, on the one hand, in the relation between its two members and, on the other hand, in the context formed of the two preceding segments. First, there is “the fury of man” and then “the furies” of God, as the plural of intensity (or excellence) suggests. The man’s fury seems to be that of those struck by God’s judgement: the man, reduced to powerlessness, comes to “give thanks” to the one who, by chastising him, invites him to conversion. This thanksgiving is opposed to the silence that initially struck him (9b). As for God’s “furies”, we can understand that they are those which still “remain” after he has taken action against the oppressors; he “girds” himself with them as one does with a warrior’s belt and his weapons. But it is also possible and more likely that “the rest” refers to those who have escaped the wrath of the Lord and whom he will surround as his followers; this point is corroborated by the next verse, which invites “all those around him” to give thanks to their saviour. + 9 From heaven :: THE EARTH

you made to be heard feared

the sentence, and was silent,

+ 10 when (he) rose up :: to save

in judgment, all the humiliated

GOD, of THE EARTH,

:: 11 because the fury + (with) the rest

of man of the furies

gives you thanks, you gird yourself.

THE LAST PART (12–13) The invitation to give liturgical thanks to the one who is their God (12) is motivated by what he has done against their enemies, “princes” and “kings” (13). The second members contain two qualifiers of God which are in related paronomastically, “the Terrifying One” (môrā’) and “the Terrible One” (nôrā’). = 12 Make vows = all those around him

and fulfil (them) let them bring

to Yhwh a gift

+ 13 He cuts short + THE TERRIBLE ONE

the breath to the kings

of princes, of the earth.

your God, to THE TERRIFYING ONE:

46

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

For the music director, on stringed instruments, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2

(He) is known in Israel

in Judah, (is) great

GOD, his name;

3

and it is and his den

in Salem in Zion;

his lair

.. 4 There .. the shield

HE BROKE

the flaming (arrows) of the bow, and the war (weapons).

and the sword

5

RADIANT magnificent

(are), above the mountains

YOU

6

Were plundered they have slept and did not find

7

Under your threat, threat fell asleep

the valiant their sleep, all the men of might

of heart,

O GOD and the chariot

of Jacob, and the horse.

8

YOU (are) TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE and who will stand before your face because of your anger? anger

9

From heaven

THE EARTH 10

when (he) rose up to save

11

because the fury fury (with) the rest 12

Make vows all those around him 13

HE CUTS SHORT .. THE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE ONE ..

of prey.

their arms.

(yes) YOU,

you made to be heard feared

the sentence, and was silent,

in judgment, all the humiliated

GOD, of THE EARTH,

of man of the furies furies

gives you thanks, you gird yourself.

and fulfil (them) let them bring

to YHWH a gift

the breath to the kings

of princes, of THE EARTH.

OUR GOD,

to THE TERRIF TERRIFYING ERRIFYING ONE: ONE

The extreme parts are parallel. Indeed, one fulfils one’s “vows” and offers “a gift” to Yhwh (12) “in Judah”, in the temple of “Salem”, the “den”, the “lair” of God (2–3), for “he broke” the weapons of war (4), “he cuts short” the breath of the mighty (13). The divine names are found at the end of the first members, “God” of 2a is expanded in 12a to “Yhwh your God”, followed by “the Terrifying One” in 12b.

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The second and the penultimate parts have no common vocabulary, apart from “God” (7a & 10a); in the last segments “threat” and “fury/furies” (7a & 11ab) are synonymous.4 However, apart from the central segments (6 & 10) which are in the third person, the other four segments are addressed to God, which was not the case in the extreme parts. Nevertheless, both parts deal with the judgment of God. As for the central part (8), it is the only question in the psalm, another case of the law of the question at the centre. The two occurrences of “you” with which the central part begins (8a) refer to the “you” with which the preceding part also begins (5a). The “terrible” of the first member of the central part (8a) is repeated in the last segment of the last part (13b), but the term “radiant” (nā’ôr, 5a) is paronomastically related to the “Terrible One” (nôrā’). “Anger” in the last member (8c) announces “fury” and “furies” at the end of the next part (11ab), but it also corresponds to the “threat” at the end of the preceding part (7a).

CONTEXT CROSSING THE SEA The words “chariot and horse” (Ps 76:7b) probably refer to the chariots and horses that Pharaoh sent in pursuit of Israel (Exod 14:9, 23) which perished in the sea. The exodus from Egypt is emblematic of all God’s saving actions on behalf of Israel, humiliated by her enemies. THE DEFEAT OF SENNACHERIB While verse 7 of Ps 76 refers to the coming out of Egypt, verse 4 places God’s victory in Jerusalem. Many see this as a reference to the failure of Sennacherib king of Assyria who came to size Jerusalem in 701 BCE and was forced to lift the siege by divine intervention (2 Kgs 18:13–19:36; Isa 36–37). THE LION OF JUDAH The terms “lair” and “den” to designate God’s residence in Jerusalem in Judah (Ps 76:3), bring to mind the blessing addressed to Judah by his father Jacob: “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey,5 my son, you have gone up...” (Gen 49:9).

4 5

“Anger” and “thread” are used together as synonyms in Isa 51:20; 66:15. “Prey” from Gen 49:9 is found in Ps 76:5.

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

INTERPRETATION THE GREAT NAME OF GOD From the beginning the psalmist celebrates the great name of “God” (Ps 76:2). Soon he proclaims him “radiant” and “majestic” (76:5). At the centre (76:8) the “God” whose common name he has just repeated (76:7a) is called the “Terrible One”. It is only at the beginning of the last part that the proper name of “Yhwh”, his God and that of those he addresses are pronounced (76:12), before concluding with “the Terrifying One” (76:12b) and “the Terrible One” (76:13b). THE ANGER OF THE TERRIBLE ONE Ps 76 is not the only one in which the Lord is described as the “Terrible One” (76:8a, 13b), but no other psalm emphasizes so much the fear he provokes because of his “threat”, “wrath”, “fury” and “furies” (76:7a, 8c, 11ab). He is “Terrible” (76:8a, 13b), “Terrifying” (76:12b); all tremble under the radiance of the magnificence of the one who dominates the mountains of prey (76:5). “WHO WILL STAND BEFORE YOUR FACE?” (76:8B) “The princes” and “the kings of the earth” are breathless (76:13). “The valiant of heart” are struck down and sleep their final sleep (76:6), “the chariot and the horse” have fallen asleep (76:7). The answer to the central question is perhaps not what one might expect. “Who will stand before your face?” (76:8). No one, of course. There are some, however, who stand, who rise up, who stand again before the face of the Lord, who are “all the humiliated of the earth” (76:10b). As in Ps 113, where the central question, “Who is like the Lord our God?”, is answered that there are the poor who are like him, who are “exalted” by God as he himself is “exalted above all nations”, “above the heavens”.6 IN HIS TEMPLE IN SALEM It is in Jerusalem, in his temple, that the Lord makes his voice heard, as he did through Isaiah to announce the flight of Sennacherib who came to seize the city. It is there that all those who were gathered around him to escape the wrath of man are invited to fulfil the vows they had made, to present their offering to Yhwh who terrified and drove away their enemies. Even the victims of God’s fury finally come to give thanks to the one who has snatched from their claws and fangs those whom they had humiliated (76:10–11).

6

See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 101–109.

5. PSALM 77 TEXT 1 For

the music director, according to Jeduthun, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 My voice (is) to God, and I cry out, my voice (is) to God, and he will incline his ear to me. 3 In the day of my anguish I sought the Lord, my hand at night was stretched out without relaxing, my soul refused to be comforted. 4 I remember God, and I groan, I meditate, and my spirit faints. 5 You have held back the lids of my eyes, I am troubled, I cannot speak; 6 I ponder the days of old, the years of the ages; 7 I remember my harp in the night, I meditate in my heart, and my spirit inquires. 8 Will the Lord reject forever, and will he never show love again? 9 Has his faithfulness ceased until the end, has the Word come to an end for all ages? 10 Has El forgotten to be merciful or has he in anger shut up his mercies? 11 And I said, “This hurts me: the change of the right hand of the Most High.” 12 I remember the great deeds of Yah, I remember your wonders of old, 13 and I whisper to myself all your work and I meditate on your mighty deeds. 14 O God, your ways are holy! What god (is) great like God? 15 You (are) the El doing wonders, you 16 you redeemed with your arm your have made your strength known among the peoples; people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. 17 The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you, they were convulsed, also the depths trembled. 18 Thick clouds poured out waters, the clouds gave a voice, also your arrows went out. 19 The voice of your thunder in the whirlwind, your lightning lighted up the world, the earth trembled and quaked. 20 Your way (was) through the sea, and your path through great waters, and your tracks have not been known. 21 You lead your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. V. 2: “HE WILL INCLINE HIS EAR TO ME”

The verb weha’ăzîn is interpreted in different ways:1 some consider it as an imperative,2 but most view it as a weqatalti, which they translate by a future tense (TOB) or an optative (Osty), or even by a present tense (BJ). All these options always indicate a wish, expressing it more or less strongly. V. 5: “YOU HAVE HELD BACK THE LIDS OF MY EYES”

Lit. “you have taken, you have seized the guardians of my eyes”, meaning you keep me awake. V. 7: “I REMEMBER...”

The Septuagint moves the first verb to the end of the preceding verse (“the years of the ages I remember”) and changes the second term in the Masoretic text from a noun (negînātî, “my harp”) to a verb like that at the beginning of 13 (wehāgîtî, “and I meditate”).3 This solution is tempting, because the three verbs 1

Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 274. Thus, Dahood, II, 225; Ravasi, II, 602, note 7. 3 Thus Weiser, 529; Kraus, II, 112; BJ. 2

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

of 7 (“I remember”, “I murmur”, “I meditate”) are found together in verses 12– 13; modern scholars stick to the lectio difficilior of the Masoretic text. V. 11: “THIS HURTS ME: THE CHANGE OF THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MOST HIGH”

Both terms are ambiguous:4 in the first member ḥallôt can be the infinitive of ḥālāh I, “to be sick” or of ḥālāh II, “to appease” (used with “to pray” in 1 Kgs 13:6). Some translate this as “my prayer”,5 others as “my illness”, “my suffering”. The term šenôt at the beginning of the second member can be understood as the plural of šānâ, “year” (as in 6b),6 or as the infinitive of šānāh I, “to change”7, or of šānāh III, “to repeat”; Dahood reads senet, infinitive of yāšan, “to be old”.8 COMPOSITION THE FIRST PART (2–7) + 2 My voice + my voice 3

(is) to GOD, (is) to GOD

and I cry out, he will incline his ear

: In the day : my hand : refused

of my anguish,

THE LORD

AT NIGHT

to be comforted

was stretched out my soul.

= 4 I REMEMBER = I MEDITATE,

GOD and faints

and I groan, MY SPIRIT.

to me. I sought, without relaxing,

·······························································································································

– 5 You have held back the lids – I am troubled, I cannot speak;

of my eyes,

– 6 I ponder – the years

the days of the ages;

of old,

= 7 I REMEMBER = in my heart = and inquires

my harp I MEDITATE, MY SPIRIT.

IN THE NIGHT,

In the first piece (2–4) the divine names occur in the two members of the first segment (2ab), and then in the first members of the subsequent segments (3a & 4a). The last terms of the last two segments, “my soul” (3c) and “my mind” (4b),

4

Delitzsch, II, 352–353; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 274; Ravasi, II, 604–605. Hakham, II, 36. 6 Delitzsch, II, 348. 7 Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 273. 8 Dahood, II, 229; followed by Ravasi, II, 605. 5

Psalm 77

51

correspond to the two occurrences of “my voice” at the beginning of the two members of the first segment (2ab). It seems that the second piece (5–7) is entirely about vigils and sleeplessness: God has kept his eyelids open (5a), so he spends “the night” remembering the happy past, when he could play the harp (7a). “My eyes” found at the beginning (5a) are matched by “my heart” at the end (7b). The name “God” no longer appears in the second piece, but the psalmist addresses him at the beginning: “You have held back...” (5a). The last segments (4 & 7) have in common, “I remember”, “I meditate” and “my spirit” which serve as final terms. The body parts, “my eyes”, “my heart”, and “my spirit” (5a & 7bc) correspond to “my voice”, “my soul” and “my spirit” (2ab, 3c, 4b). THE SECOND PART (8–10) · 8 WILL (HE) forever · and will he never show

reject, love

THE LORD,

· HAS (IT) ceased · has (it) come to end,

until the end, the Word

his faithfulness, for all ages?

· 10 HAS (HE) forgotten · or has he in anger

to be merciful, shut up

EL, his mercies?

9

again?

All three segments are questions which begin with the same interrogative particle in Hebrew. The subject is expressed at the end of the first members of the extreme segments (“the Lord” in 8a & “El” in 10a). The syntagma “forever” at the beginning (8a) matches in the central segment with “until the end” and “for all ages” (9). THE THIRD PART (11–13) – 11 And I said: – the change

“Hurts me of the right hand

this: of THE MOST HIGH.”

+ 12 I remember + I remember

THE GREAT DEEDS

of YAH, YOUR WONDERS,

+ 13 and I whisper to myself + and on YOUR MIGHTY DEEDS,

all I meditate.

of old,

YOUR WORK

While the first segment (11) speaks of present suffering, the other two segments (12–13) speak of happy memories of the past: the four verbs are synonymous, as are their complements. The divine names are found at the end of the median members of the first two segments (11b & 12a).

52

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE FOURTH PART (14) 14

O GOD, What god

(are) holy (is) great

your ways! like GOD?

The two occurrences of “God” form an inclusion. The first member is an exclamation, the second one is a question. THE FIFTH PART (15–21) – 15 You (are) – YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN

the EL among the peoples

doing your strength;

wanders,

+ 16 you redeemed + the sons

WITH YOUR ARM YOUR PEOPLE, OF JACOB AND OF JOSEPH. ··········································································································· - 17 (They) saw you the waters, O ELOHIM,

- (they) saw you :: also

the waters, (they) trembled,

they were convulsed, the depths.

- 18 (They) pour out - a voice :: also

waters, was given by your arrows

thick clouds, the clouds, went out.

- 19 The voice - (it) lighted up :: (it) trembled

of your thunder your lightning, and quaked,

in the whirlwind, the world, the earth.

···········································································································

– 20 Through the sea – and your path – and your track

HAVE NOT BEEN KNOWN.

+ 21 You lead + BY THE HAND

OF

(was) your way, through waters, like a flock MOSES

the great ones, YOUR PEOPLE AND OF

AARON.

The first piece puts into relation “the peoples” who have seen the power of God (15) and “the people” who have benefited from it (16). With its three trimembers, the central piece (17–19) is more extensive than those that frame it.9 The first segment speaks of “waters” (17), the last segment of “thunder” and “lightning” (19). The central segment (18) serves as a transition between the segments: its first member repeats “waters” from the preceding segment, while the other two members announce the last segment, “the voice” (18b) is that of thunder (19a) and “the arrows” (18c) are those of “lightning” (19b). “Trembled” is repeated at the end of the extreme segments (17c & 19c). 9

It has nine members, as does the whole of the other two pieces.

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53

The first two pieces are linked by names, “El” and “Elohim” (15a & 17a); the last two pieces by the repetition of “waters” (17ab, 18a; 20b preceded by “the sea” in 20a). The common elements in the extreme pieces: in the last member of the first segments the verbs from the same root, “you have made known” (15b) and “have not been known” (20c); in their final segments (16 & 21), the first members end with “your people” and the second members with two proper names. It should also be added that “by the hand” (21b) recalls “with your arm” (16a). THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

For the music director, according to Jeduthun, of Asaph, a psalm.

My VOCE is to GOD, and I cry out, my VOICE is to GOD, and he will incline his ear to me. In the day of my anguish I sought THE LORD, my hand at night was stretched out without relaxing, my soul refused to be comforted. 4 I REMEMBER GOD, and I groan, I MEDITATE, and my spirit faints. 2 3

5

You have held back the lids of my eyes, I am troubled, I cannot speak; I ponder the days OF OLD, the years OF THE AGES; 7 I REMEMBER my harp in the night, I MEDITATE in my heart, and my spirit inquires. 6

8

Will THE LORD reject FOREVER, and will he never show love again? Has his faithfulness ceased until the end, has the Word come to an end for all ages? 10 Has GOD forgotten to be merciful or has he in anger shut up his mercies? 9

11

And I said, “This hurts me:

the change of the right hand of THE MOST HIGH.”

12 I REMEMBER the great deeds of YAH, I REMEMBER your WONDERS OF OLD, 13 and I whisper to myself all your work and I MEDITATE on your mighty

14

15 16

O GOD, your WAYS are holy! What god is great like GOD?

You are the GOD doing WONDERS, you have made your strength known among the peoples; you redeemed with your arm your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. 17 The waters saw you, O GOD, the waters saw you, they were convulsed, also the depths trembled. 18 Thick clouds poured out waters, the clouds gave a VOICE, also your arrows went out. 19 The VOICE of your thunder in the whirlwind, your lightning lighted up the world, the earth trembled and quaked.

20

deeds.

YOUR WAY was through the sea, and your path through great waters, and your tracks have not been known. 21 You lead your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

54

First Section (Ps 73–78)

As for the title, see Ps 39:1.10 The extreme parts confront the present with the past, the present misfortune with the wonders of the past. In the present the psalmist remembers the past (4 & 7). Besides the divine names (2[2x], 3, 4, 15, 17), “voice” occurs twice in each part (2[2x], 18b, 19a). The second and penultimate parts (8–10 & 14) contain the only questions of the psalm. The divine names are at the extremities. While the second part is entirely a complaint like the first part, the fourth part is an admiration like the subsequent part. The central part (11–13) ensures the transition from one side of the psalm to the other. Whereas in the first segment the psalmist continues to speak of his suffering, in the last two segments he begins to remember God’s mighty deeds. It is exactly at the centre of the part that the text switches from the third person11 which was ruling until that point to the second person which will continue until the end. The central part is linked to what precedes by the repetition of “I remember” (4, 7, 12[2x]), “of old” (6, 12), “I meditate” (4, 7, 13), and is linked to what follows through “the right hand” (11), which announces “your arm” (16) and “the hand” (21), and by the repetition of “wonders” (12, 15). In the first two parts the “ages” occur in 6 and 8, in the last two parts “your ways” of 14 announces “your way” of 20. The divine names, “God”, “the Lord”, “the Most High” are found in each part (2[2x], 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 14[2x], 15, 17) and only at the centre does the proper name “Yah” appear (12). The psalm can be considered as a type of a dual focal point composition,12 especially as both focal points contain questions.13 CONTEXT THE MIGHTY DEEDS OF GOD The mighty deeds of the Lord referred to in the last part are those of the exodus, when “by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Ps 77:21b) he brought “the sons of Jacob and Joseph” (77:16b) out of the land of Egypt. The “waters” that were troubled (77:17) are those of the sea which the Lord opened to let his people pass through (Exod 14); the storm with thunder and lightning recalls the theophany at Sinai (Exod 19:16–19).

10

See Le Psautier. Premier livre, 541 = The Psalter: Book One, 541. With the sole exception of “You have held back the lids of my eyes” in verse 5. 12 See R. MEYNET, “Une nouvelle figure: la composition à double foyer”. 13 See “The question at the centre”, Traité, 417–435 = Treatise, 280–286. 11

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INTERPRETATION BETWEEN THE QUESTIONS There is a striking contrast between the flurry of questions (Ps 77:8–10) prepared by the first part and the semi question (77:14) that announces the last part. On the one hand, the anguish of someone who does not see the end of his misfortune (77:8–9) and who even wonders if the Lord has not simply forgotten him (77:10). On the other hand, an interrogation that has the tone of a simple rhetorical question, especially since it is preceded by an affirmation of faith that seems to answer the doubts of the preceding questions. God’s “holiness” and his greatness are the other names for his “faithfulness”, his “mercy” and his “mercies”. BETWEEN THE VOICES Everything begins with the “voice” of one who cries out to God (77:2) in his “anguish” seeking him without finding him (77:3), an anguish that takes away even his ability to speak (77:5) and prevents him from playing the lyre as he used to do in the past (77:6). And his pain is such that his voice is addressed to a third person, and not directly to God, except once, almost furtively (77:5a). This plaintive voice of the psalmist is answered, at the centre of the last part (77:17–19), by the glorious “voice” of God which resounds in the storm, with thunders and lightning of the Sinai theophany. Now this divine voice is pronounced, recalled by the same person who made the voice of his complaint heard at the beginning of his prayer. He has finally understood that the redemption of his people (77:16) does not only belong to the past; he himself is its beneficiary today. And that is why he moves from the third person to the second person. His relationship to “Yah” (77:12), that for a time was obscured, is finally restored.

6. THE WHOLE OF THE FIRST SEQUENCE (PS 73–77) The sequence comprises five psalms arranged concentrically around Ps 75. COMPOSITION THE EXTREME PSALM (PS 73 AND PS 77) The most remarkable fact is the shift at the centre of each psalm from the third person to the second person (73:15; 77:12b). – The first sides speak of misfortune, of the success of the oppressive wicked (73:4–12), of the anguish of the psalmist who thinks of being forsaken (77:2– 10); – The second sides, on the contrary, are positive, the punishment of the wicked and the salvation of the psalmist (73:16–28), God’s mighty deeds and the salvation of the people (77:14–21), of the individual and of the people led by God (73:24; 77:21). The lexical repetitions are as follows: – Both psalms are “of Asaph” (73:1; 77:1); – “To know/knowledge” (73:11[2x], 16, 22; 77:15, 20); – “Forever/of old” translate the same term in Hebrew (73:12, 26; 77:6, 8); – “Heart” (73:1, 7, 13, 21, 26[2x]; 77:7); – “Hand” (73:23; 77:3) and “right hand” (73:23; 77:11); – The “earth” (73:9, 25; 77:19); – “To guide” and “to lead” translate the same verb (73:24; 77:21); – “The Most High” (73:11; 77:11); – “If I had said” at the centre of the first psalm (73:15) corresponds to “And I said” at the centre of the other psalm (77:11).

The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 73–77)

57

73 1 A psalm, of Asaph. Surely, God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart. 2 And as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, as nothing my steps slipped, 3 because I was envious of the arrogant, I saw the peace of the wicked. 4 Because

there are no pangs until their death and their belly is plump; 5 in the trouble of men, they are not, and they are not stricken with adam. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace, violence covers them as a garment; 7 their eye comes out from fatness, the thoughts of the heart overflow. 8 They sneer and they speak evil, they speak highly of oppression; 9 they set their mouths in heaven and their tongue walks on earth. 10 Therefore he brings his people back here, and waters of abundance are poured out on them. 11 They say, “How CAN El KNOW and is there KNOWLEDGE in THE MOST HIGH?” 12 Behold, these are the wicked and always at ease, they amass wealth! 13 Surely,

in vain I have kept my heart clean and I have washed my palms in innocence; I was struck all the day and I was punished in the mornings. 15 If I had said: “I will recount like them”, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of YOUR children. 14 and

16 And

I pondered to KNOW this, it was a trouble in my eyes, 17 until I entered the sanctuaries of El, where I understood their end. 18 Surely, YOU set them in the deceptions, YOU make them fall into chaos. 19 How they have become a horror in a moment, disappeared, finished by terrors! 20 Like a dream upon waking, O Lord, when you wake up, YOU despise their image. 21 When my heart was bitter and my kidneys were pierced, 22 and I was stupid, and I DID NOT KNOW, I was like a beast with YOU. 23 And I was always with YOU, YOU held me by my RIGHT HAND; 24 YOU GUIDE me with your counsel and afterward YOU receive me to glory. 25 Who is there for me in heaven? And with YOU, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart are consumed; the rock of my heart, my portion, God FOREVER! 27 Because,

behold, those far from YOU will perish, YOU cut off all adulterers from you. 28 And as for me, to be near God is good for me, I have placed in the Lord Yhwh my refuge, that I may recount all your works. [...] 77 1 For the music director, according to Jeduthun, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 My voice is to God, and I cry out, my voice is to God, and he will incline his ear to me. 3 In the day of my anguish I sought the Lord, my HAND at night was stretched out without relaxing, my soul refused to be comforted. 4 I remember God, and I groan, I meditate, and my spirit faints. 5 You have held back the lids of my eyes, I am troubled, I cannot speak; 6 I ponder the days of old, the years OF THE AGES; 7 I remember my harp in the night, I meditate in my heart, and my spirit inquires. 8 Will

the Lord reject FOREVER, and will he never show love again? 9 Has his faithfulness ceased until the end, has the Word come to an end for all ages? 10 Has El forgotten to be merciful or has he in anger shut up his mercies? 11 And

I said: This hurts me: the change of the RIGHT HAND of THE MOST HIGH.” remember the great deeds of Yah, I remember YOUR wonders of old, 13 and I whisper to myself all YOUR work and I meditate on YOUR mighty deeds. 12 I

14 O 15 YOU

God, YOUR ways are holy! What god is great like God?

are the El doing wonders, YOU HAVE MADE YOUR strength KNOWN among the peoples; 16 YOU redeemed with YOUR arm YOUR people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. 17 The waters saw YOU, O God, the waters saw YOU, they were convulsed, also the depths trembled. 18 Thick clouds poured out waters, the clouds gave a voice, also YOUR arrows went out. 19 The voice of YOUR thunder in the whirlwind, YOUR lightning lighted up the world, the earth trembled and quaked. 20 YOUR way was through the sea, and YOUR path through great waters and YOUR tracks HAVE NOT BEEN KNOWN. 21 YOU LED YOUR people like a flock by the HAND of Moses and Aaron.

58

First Section (Ps 73–78)

THE MEDIAN PSALMS (PS 74 AND PS 76) 74 1 An instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember

your assembly which you acquired from the beginning, which you redeemed, a tribe of your inheritance, Mount ZION, where you dwell in it. 3 Lift

up your steps to the endless ruins: the enemy has damage everything in the sanctuary; 4 your adversaries ROARED in the midst of your assemblies, they set up their insignia as insignia. 5 It IS KNOWN as one bringing upwards an axe in a thicket of trees, 6 and now its sculptures together they smash with hatchet and hammer; 7 they set your sanctuary on fire, to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of YOUR NAME. 8 They said in their heart: “Let us crush them together!” They burned all the assemblies of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet, and none of us KNOWS how long.

10 How

long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Will the enemy revile YOUR NAME until the end? 11 Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring it forth. 12 But

God is my king from the beginning, working SALVATIONS in the midst of the earth. 13 As for YOU, you stirred up the sea with your power, YOU BROKE the heads of the monsters on the waters; 14 as for YOU, you crushed the heads of Leviathan, you gave him as food to the people of the desert, 15 as for YOU, you broke open the spring and stream, as for you, you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16 Yours is the day, yours also the night, it was you who prepared the light and the sun, 17 it was you who fixed all the boundaries of the earth, summer and winter, it was you who formed them. 18 Remember

this, O Yhwh, the enemy insults, and a foolish people reviles YOUR NAME. 19 Do not surrender the soul of your turtledove to the beast, do not forget until the end the life of your AFFLICTED. 20 Look to the covenant, because the dens of the land are full, haunts of violence. 21 Do not let the oppressed return in disgrace, let the AFFLICTED and the poor PRAISE YOUR NAME! 22 RISE UP, O God, defend your cause, remember your insult coming from the fool all the day! 23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries, the uproar of those WHO RISE UP against you, which goes up continually!

[...] 76 1 For the music director, on stringed instruments, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 In Judah God IS KNOWN, in Israel HIS NAME is great; 3 and in Salem is his LAIR and his DEN in ZION: 4 There HE BROKE the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war weapons. 5 YOU

radiant, magnificent above the mountains of prey. 6 The valiant of heart were plundered, they have slept their sleep, and all the men of might did not find their arms. 7 Under your threat, O God of Jacob, and the chariot and the horse fell asleep. 8 YOU

are Terrible, yes YOU, and who will stand before your face because of your anger?

9 You

made the sentence to be heard from heaven, the earth feared and was silent, 10 when God ROSE UP in judgment, to SAVE all THE HUMILIATED of the earth, 11 because the fury of man GIVES YOU THANKS, with the rest of the furies you gird yourself.

12 Make 13 He

vows to Yhwh your God and fulfil them, let all those around him bring a gift to the Terrifying One: cuts short the breath of princes, the Terrible One to the kings of the earth.

The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 73–77)

59

Both psalms are “of Asaph”. The beginnings correspond to each other, where Zion is concerned (74:2; 76:3); on the one hand the temple is vandalised, “smashed” (74:6), the Lord’s adversaries “roared “(74:4), on the other hand the temple is presented as a “lair” and a “den” of the lion who is the Lord, who “broke” all the war arms (76:3–4). The “name” of God that had been profaned (74:7), while it is proclaimed as “great” by the others (76:2). At the end, there comes God’s “cause” (74:22), his “sentence” and “judgement” (76:9–10), his salvation (“salvations” in 74:12, “to save” in 76:10) in favour of the “afflicted” (‘ānî, 74:19, 21), of the “humiliated” (‘ănāw, 76:10), who “praise” the name of God (74:21), who give him thanks (76:11) and offer him their offerings (76:12). In addition, the following repetitions should be noted: – “The name” of God (74:7, 10, 18, 21; 76:2); – “To break” with God as its subject (74:13; 76:4); – “To know” (74:5, 9; 76:2); – The “earth”, “land” or “ground” (translate the same term ’āreṣ, 74:7, 8, 17, 20; 76:9, 10, 13); – “To rise up” (74:22, 23; 76:10); – “Heart” (74:8; 76:6); – “King/s” (74:12; 76:13); – The isolate pronoun “you” (74:13, 14, 15[2x], 16, 17; 76:5, 8[2x]). THE FUNCTION OF THE CENTRAL PSALM (PS 75) 75 1 For the music director, “Do Not Destroy”, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, and your name is near: they recount your wonders. 3 “When

I will choose an appointment, it is I who will judge with uprightness; 4 the earth and all its inhabitants are falling apart, it is I who have firmly set its pillars. 5 I said to the arrogant: Do not be arrogant! And to the wicked: Do not raise up the horn, 6 do not raise up your horn on high, do not speak with insolent neck.”

7 Yes,

not from the east nor the west, and not from the desert comes the raising up; it is God who judges, this one he brings down and that one he raises up. 9 Yes, in the hand of Yhwh there is a cup, and a fermented wine full of spices; and he will pour out of it, they will lick it to the dregs, they will drink it, all the wicked of the earth. 8 because

10 and

as for me, I will proclaim forever, I will sing psalms to the God of Jacob; 11 and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the righteous will be raised up.

The most striking fact is that this psalm is the only one in the sequence where God speaks (75:3–6), as if in response to those who have addressed him in the other four psalms. The title of the psalm has in common “for the music director” with the last two psalms (Ps 76 & Ps 77), “a psalm” with the first and the last two psalms (Ps 73; 76; 77), “of Asaph” with the other four psalms, “a song” with the subsequent one (Ps 76).

60

First Section (Ps 73–78)

75 1 For the music director, “Do Not Destroy”, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, and your name is near: they recount your wonders. 3 “When

I will choose an appointment, it is I who will judge with uprightness; 4 the earth and all its inhabitants are falling apart, it is I who have firmly set its pillars. 5 I said to the arrogant: Do not be arrogant! And to the wicked: Do not raise up the horn, 6 do not raise up your horn on high, do not speak with insolent neck.”

7 Yes,

not from the east nor the west, and not from the desert comes the raising up; it is God who judges, this one he brings down and that one he raises up. 9 Yes, in the hand of Yhwh there is a cup, and a fermented wine full of spices; and he will pour out of it, they will lick it to the dregs, they will drink it, all the wicked of the earth. 8 because

10 and

as for me, I will proclaim forever, I will sing psalms to the God of Jacob; 11 and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the righteous will be raised up.

The lexical repetitions are as follows: – “To give thanks” (75:2[2x]: 76:11); – The noun “near” (75:2) and the verb “to be near” (73:28); – “Name” (75:2; 74:7, 10, 18, 21; 76:2); – “To recount” (75:2; 73:15, 28); – “Wonders” (75:2; 77:12, 15); – “I will choose” (75:3) and “you receive” (73:24) translate the same verb; – “Appointment” (75:5), the same term translated as “assemblies” in 74:4, 8; – The same personal pronoun translated as “it is I” (75:3, 4, 10), “as for me” (73:2, 28) and “I was” (73:22, 23), with the psalmist as its referent and not God; – “To judge” and “judgment” (75:3, 8: 76:10); – The same noun translated as “earth”, “land” and “ground” (75:4, 9; 73:9, 25; 74:7, 8, 12, 17, 20; 76:9, 10, 13; 77:19); – “To say” and “word” (75:5; 73:11, 15; 74:8; 77:9, 11); – “The arrogant” (75:5; 73:3); – “The wicked” (75:5, 9, 11; 73:3, 12); – “To rise up” (75:5, 6, 7, 8; in 74:3 rendered by “to lift up”); – “On high” and “highly» (75:6; 73:8); – “To speak” (75:6; 73:8[2x]; 77:5); – “Desert” (75:7; 74:14); – “Hand” (75:9; 73:23; 74:11; 77:3, 21); – “To pour out” (75:9; in 77:3 translated as “was stretched out”); – “To lick” (75:9; in 73:10 translated as “are poured out”); – The same term translated as “forever”, “always”, “of ages” (75:10; 73:12, 26; 77:6, 8); – “Jacob” (75:10; 76:7; 77:16); – “To sing psalms” and “a psalm” (75:10; 73:1; 76:1; 77:1); – “To cut off” (75:11) and the terms of the same semantic field, “to break” 74:13; 76:4; “to smash” 74:6; “to crush” 74:14; “to cut short” 76:13.

The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 73–77)

61

INTERPRETATION MISFORTUNE It begins with the psalmist’s suffering as he sees “the arrogant” and “the wicked” succeeding in everything, to the point that he is tempted to follow their footsteps (73:4–12). “The arrogant” and “the wicked” are found in the central psalm of the sequence, invited by God not to “raise up” their horns (75:5–6) which will eventually be cut off (75:11); the misfortune is that of all those who feel the earth crumble under their feet (75:4a). Such is the case of those who see the sanctuary of God sacked by the enemy, who not only destroys the temple but also intends to crush “all the assemblies of God in the land” (74:3–9). That is also the situation of the “humiliated of the earth” (76:10) threatened by “the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield and the sword and the war weapons” (76:4), by “the chariot and the horse” (76:7) of “the valiant of heart” and “the men of might” who attack them (6). Misfortune touches the one who cries out “in the day of anguish” (77:2–3) and who thinks that the Lord has rejected him and in anger has stopped “his mercies” to him (77:8–10). “GOD WHO JUDGES” (75:8) The central psalm presents God as the judge (75:7–9), and even the Lord presents himself as such (75:3–6). And the psalm ends with the image of the “horns” of the “wicked” being cut off and those of the righteous being “raised up” (75:11). “This one he brings down and this one he raises up” (75:8). The next psalm also portrays the God of Israel as the judge who pronounces “the sentence”, who “rises up in judgment” (76:9–10), who carries out the sentence by breaking the weapons of war (76:4), by stripping the aggressors (76:5–7), by cutting short “the breath of princes” and kings (76:13). The same movement is found in the other psalms. In this way in the first psalm, after expressing his suffering at noticing that the arrogant who despise God and man are succeeding, the psalmist receives in “the sanctuaries of God” the revelation of the destiny of “the wicked” as well as of his own (73:16–28). In the next psalm the psalmist shifts from despair after seeing the temple sacked and the assemblies of God burned to the recognition of the “salvations” of God the creator, who separated day from night, summer from winter, and who will judge in the same way between “a foolish people” and his “afflicted” (74:12–23). Finally, in the last psalm, a similar reversal moves the speaker from a despair to the memory of the “wonders” accomplished by the Lord who “made known” his strength “among the peoples” (77:15) and opened the way for the redemption of his people. OPENING AND CONCLUDING PRAISE The central psalm begins with praise (“we give thanks” [2x], “they recount your wonders” 75:2) and ends with the declaration and song of those who

62

First Section (Ps 73–78)

proclaim and sing psalms (75:10). The first psalm also ends in praise, when the psalmist recounts all the works of God (73:28). The second psalm ends almost in the same way: “Let the afflicted and the poor praise your name” (74:21). In the penultimate psalm, the thanksgiving returns, “the fury of man gives you thanks” (76:11) and in the temple the saved ones fulfil the “vows” and “bring a gift” to the Lord (76:12). At the centre of the final psalm the psalmist remembers God’s “mighty deeds” and “wonders”: he “whispers” all the work of God (77:13) as he does it at the end of the first psalm (73:28).

II. BECAUSE YOUR FATHERS DID NOT KEEP THE COVENANT WITH GOD THE SECOND SEQUENCE PSALM 78 This psalm is the second longest in the Psalter (72 verses, 164 members), after Ps 119 (176 verses, 357 members). It comprises seven passages distributed concentrically: the central passage (78:32–39) is surrounded by two subsequences, each one formed of two parallel passages (78:9–16, 17–31 and 78:40–55, 56–66). They are framed by the introduction (78:1b–8) and the conclusion (78:67–72). Introduction:

Two opposing generations

The children of Ephraim forgot They defied

God

78:1b–8 the wonders of God

who was angry with Israel

THEY DID NOT BELIEVE BUT GOD REMEMBERED THEM

Israel

did not remember the salvation of God

They tempted the Most High who rejected Conclusion:

Two opposing tribes

Israel

78:9–16 78:17–31

78:32–39

78:40–55 78:56–66 78:67–72

1. INTRODUCTION: TWO OPPOSING GENERATIONS (78:1B–8) TEXT 1b Give

ear, O my people, to my law, incline your ear to the words of my mouth; 2 I open my mouth in proverbs, I evoke the enigmas of old 3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have recounted to us. 4 We will not hide from their children, recounting to the coming generation the praises of Yhwh and his power, and his wonders which he has done. 5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and he set a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their children, 6 so that the coming generation will know (them), the children yet to be born, they will rise up and recount to their children. 7 And they will set their hope in Elohim, and will not forget the great deeds of El, and they will keep his commandments;

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

8 and

will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, a generation whose heart is not steadfast and whose spirit is not faithful to El. V. 2: “PROVERBS” AND “ENIGMAS”

The Hebrew term māšāl means “proverb”, “example or sign”, “oracle or revelation”, “teaching”, “allegory”, “parable”, in any case something enigmatic.1 V. 7: “AND THEY WILL SET...”

Most consider the clauses of 7 and even of 8 as the final ones, coordinated with those of 6.2 Some do not hesitate to supply “so that” at the beginning of 7 and 8, as it does at the beginning of 6.3 Another unit begins in 7.4 COMPOSITION The first part (1b–3) is built in parallel. The psalmist invites the “people” to listen (1bc) to his instruction (tôrātî, “my law”) which he will pronounce “in proverbs” and “enigmas” (2) just as his generation “heard” (3a) what was “recounted” by their “fathers” (3b). The second part (4–6) focuses on the content of what is to be handed down to future generations, “the testimony”, that is, “the law” which the Lord has given to his people (5). At the end of the first piece this gift is described as “praise”, “power” and “wonders” done by Yhwh (4cd). The third piece (5d–6) makes explicit one of the commandments of the “law” of 5b: to recount his wonders from generation to generation, from “fathers” to “their children”, to “the coming generation”, to “the children” yet to be born, who themselves will recount “to their children”. The third part (7–8) describes the result of this transmission: they will be faithful to God and his law (7), contrary to the “rebellious” generation of their fathers (8). The central part is linked to the first part by the repetition of “law” (1b & 5b), “to know” (3a & 5d–6a), “fathers” (3b & 5c), and “to recount” (3b, 4b, 6c). The last part has in common with the preceding part: “generation” (4b, 6a, 8b, 8c), “to set” (5b & 7a), “to command” and “commandments” (5c & 7c), and “fathers” (5c & 8a), the term already present in the first part (3b). The “great deeds” of 7b recall the “wonders” of 4d.

1

See R. MEYNET, “Tu vois cette femme?” Parler en paraboles, 19–72. Thus Kraus, II, 118–119; Ravasi, II, 612; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 282; Lorenzin, 295. 3 Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 99. 4 deClaissé-Walford – al., 618, note 7; Vesco, 697. 2

Psalm 78

65

CONTEXT PASSING ON TO CHILDREN Deuteronomy insists that fathers must tell future generations about the wonders of God and his law: 9

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; teach them rather to your children and to your children’s children. 10 The day you stood at Horeb in the presence of Yhwh your God, Yhwh said to me: “Summon the people to me; I want them to hear me speaking, so that they will learn to fear me all the days they live on earth, and teach this to their children.” (Deut 4:9–10; see also 6:7; 11:19) + 1b Give ear, + incline

O my people, your ear

to MY LAW, to the words of my mouth;

= 2 I open = I evoke

in proverbs the enigmas

my mouth, of old

+ 3 which = and our FATHERS

we have heard HAVE RECOUNTED

and KNOWN, to us.

. 4 We will not hide . to the GENERATION

THE COMING ONE

RECOUNTING

. the praises . and his wonders

of Yhwh which

and his power, he has done.

from their children,

··················································································· 5

And he raised up and A LAW

a testimony

he set

in Jacob, in Israel,

··················································································· HE COMMANDED our FATHERS

. which . to MAKE THEM KNOWN 6

. so that . the children . they will rise up

to their children, (them) yet to be born, and RECOUNT

WILL KNOW

the GENERATION THE COMING ONE, to their children.

: 7 and they will set – and will not forget : and HIS COMMANDMENTS

in Elohim the great deeds they will keep;

their hope, of El,

– 8 and will not – a GENERATION

be rebellious

like their FATHERS, and defying,

– a GENERATION – and not faithful

not steadfast to El

in its heart in its spirit.

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

INTERPRETATION THE WONDERS TO BE TOLD What the psalmist invites us to hear is what he and all his people heard from their fathers, “the praises of Yhwh, and his power, and his wonders”, that is, what “he has done” for them (Ps 78:4). The first term, “praises”, is like the key to the reading of those that follow: it concerns the facts that always caused astonishment, wonder and thanksgiving to those who benefited from the generosity of the one who manifested his “power” in their favour. The latter term suggests that God’s power had to be exercised over enemies who wanted to harm the people. A LAW TO BE KEPT The “Law” is the first noun used by the psalmist (78:1b): it is what he asks the people to “give ear” to; the same term recurs, coupled with “testimony”, at the centre of the passage (78:5ab). The only commandment explicitly mentioned is to “recount” to the succeeding generations “the praises of Yhwh, and his power, and his wonders” (78:4). The beginning of the last part makes explicit the outcome of the story passed on to the children: without forgetting what has been told to them, “they will set their hope in God” (78:7) and will observe the Law which commands them to pass on what they themselves have heard. The Law is obviously to be understood in its primary sense of teaching, of instruction throughout the course of history. “THE ENIGMAS OF OLD” (78:2B) What is to be told will be a story, that implies the facts. But, as everyone knows, the facts of the past are subject to interpretation by the persons reporting them. The “hard” facts are not meaningful by themselves. They do not constitute enigmas or proverbs. Presented in such manner, they are intended to cause the listeners to think, to encourage them to pose questions, to enquire from others with the intention to understand and grasp how these facts concern them. In the end, when they will succeed in deciphering “the enigmas of the past”, they will be able to base their present conduct on the lessons they have learned. They too will become witnesses to the events and pass on their “testimony” to their descendants.

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67

2. THE FIRST SUBSEQUENCE (78:9–31) A) THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM FORGOT THE WONDERS OF GOD (78:9–16) TEXT 9 The

children of Ephraim, armed bearers of bow, turned back on the day of battle; 10 they did not keep the covenant of God and they refused to walk in his Law; 11 and they forgot his mighty deeds and his wonders that he had showed them. 12 In the sight of their fathers he did wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan: 13 He split the sea and let them pass through and he made the waters stand up like a dam; 14 he led them with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a fire; 15 he split the rocks in the desert and gave them drink as from the abundant depths; 16 he made streams come out of a rocky crag and made waters come down like rivers.

v. 9: “armed bearers of bow” The juxtaposition of two participles in the construct state is surprising. It can be understood, without changing the text, that they both refer to “bow”: “armed (with bow), bearers of bow”.5 COMPOSITION – 9 THE CHILDREN – armed – turned back

of Ephraim, bearers on the day

of bow, of battle;

– 10 they did not keep – and in his Law

the covenant they refused

of God to walk;

– 11 and they forgot – and HIS WONDERS

his mighty deeds that

he had showed them.

:: 12 In the sight :: in the land

of THEIR FATHERS of Egypt,

he did in the fields

WONDERS,

of Zoan:

·················································································································· + 13 HE SPLIT the sea and let them pass through + and he made stand up THE WATERS like a dam;

+ 14 he led them + and all the night

with a could with the light

by day of a fire;

··················································································································

+ 15 HE SPLIT + and gave them drink

the rocks as from the depths

in the desert abundant;

+ 16 he made come out + and made come down

streams like rivers

WATERS.

5

See Ravasi, II, 630, note 16.

of a rocky crag

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

The first part (9–11) reproaches “the children of Ephraim” for their conduct. The chronological order is reversed: the fault committed (9) is the manifestation of unfaithfulness (10), which is the consequence of forgetting the facts which were the reasons for the covenant (11). The second part (12–16) recalls the “mighty deeds” and the “wonders” shown to them by the Lord (11). The first piece (12) is a general statement that introduces the other two pieces. It begins with the crossing of the sea (13) led by the cloud (14), followed by the gift of water from the rock (15–16). The two occurrences of “he split” (13a & 15a) serve as initial terms for the last two pieces, those of “waters” serve as extreme terms (13b & 16b). – 9 THE CHILDREN – armed – turned back,

of Ephraim, bearers on the day

of bow, of battle;

– 10 they did not keep – and in his Law

the covenant they refused

of God to walk;

– 11 and they forgot – and HIS WONDERS

his mighty deeds that

he had showed them.

:: 12 In the sight :: in the land

of THEIR FATHERS of Egypt,

he did in the fields

WONDERS,

of Zoan:

················································································································· + 13 HE SPLIT the sea and let them pass through + and he made stand up THE WATERS like a dam;

+ 14 he led them + and all the night

with a cloud with the light

by day of fire;

·················································································································

+ 15 HE SPLIT + and gave them drink

the rocks as from the depths

in the desert abundant;

+ 16 he made come out + and made come down

streams like rivers

WATERS.

of a rocky crag

“His wonders” and “wonders” (11b & 12a) serve as median terms linking the two parts. “The children” (9a) and “their fathers” (12a) play the role of initial terms.

CONTEXT The fault of Ephraim Opinions are divided as to what exactly is being criticized concerning this tribe, which represents all the tribes of the northern kingdom, Israel. It could be the revolt of the people of Israel during the exodus: after the return of the envoys

Psalm 78

69

to Canaan, they refused to participate in the conquest and wanted to go back to Egypt (Num 14). Others think that the fault committed by “the children of Ephraim” is the schism of the northern tribes after the death of Solomon (1 Kgs 12).6 The fields of Zoan Zoan (Tanis in Greek) is a city in the Egyptian delta (Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13), which once was the capital of Pharaonic Egypt.7

INTERPRETATION The exodus in a general perspective The “wonders” accomplished by the Lord are those of the exodus (Ps 78:12). It is recalled here in two of its most significant stages. The people of Israel were able to cross the parted sea, being guided by the cloud by day and protected by the light of the pillar of fire by night (Exod 14); when they reached Rephidim, where there was no water, the Lord split the rock to give them water to drink (Exod 17). Twice they were saved by the waters, the ones that protected them by their dikes when they crossed the sea, those from which they were watered in the desert. In both cases, it was the Lord who intervened, splitting the sea and then splitting the rock to save them from death. Unfaithfulness The covenant treaties begin, after the statement of the name and the titles of the king, with the historical prologue where the benefits of the suzerain are recalled. Thus, the first verse of the decalogue mentions the gift of freedom granted to those whom the Lord had brought out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves. If God’s blessings, “his mighty deeds and his wonders” are forgotten (Ps 78:11), everything collapses, “the covenant” and “the Law” no longer have a foundation (78:10). So, all that remains is to “turn back” to the former condition (78:9), to turn one’s back and return to Egypt, to servitude.

6 7

See, e.g., Ravasi, II, 630–631. Ravasi, II, 631–632.

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B) THEY DEFIED GOD WHO WAS ANGRY WITH ISRAEL (78:17–31) TEXT 17 And

they still continued to sin against him by defying the Most High in the dry place; 18 and they tempted God in their heart by asking for food for their throat. 19 And they spoke against God; they said: “Can God spread a table in the desert?” 20 Behold, he strikes the rock, and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” 21 Then Yhwh heard, he was furious, and fire blazed against Jacob, and anger also mounted against Israel, 22 because they did not believe in God and they did not trust in his salvation. 23 And he commanded the clouds above, and he opened the doors of heaven, 24 and he rained down on them manna to eat, and he gave them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, he sent them food to the full. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens and by his strength he led out the south wind, 27 he rained down meat on them like dust, and winged birds like sand of the seas, 28 he caused (them) to fall in the midst of his camp, around his dwelling place. 29 And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; 30 they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food (was) still in their mouth, 31 that the anger of God mounted against them, and he slew the sturdiest of them, and he struck down the young men of Israel.

v. 28: “his camp [...] his dwelling place” The problem is to identify the referent of these pronouns: Do they refer to “them” (27a), namely the people of Israel, or to the subject of the verbs, namely the Lord? The ancient versions have the plural, which removes the ambiguity. Following the Masoretic text, the ambiguity should probably be kept. COMPOSITION This long passage comprises two parallel parts, each formed of two subparts. As in the preceding passage, the first part (17–22) recalls the sin of the people of Israel who put the Lord to the test and defied him, and in the wilderness rebelled against him, while the second part (23–31) outlines God’s response, the gift of manna and quails, but also the punishment that followed.

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71

– 17 And they continued – by defying

still the Most High

to sin against him in the dry place;

– 18 and they tempted – by asking

God

in their heart

:: 19 And they spoke :: the said: :: spread

against God; “Can a table

.. 20 Behold, .. flow .. and streams

he strikes waters overflow;

the rock,

+ also BREAD, :: or provide

can he

GIVE

MEAT

FOR FOOD for their throat. ·······················································································································

= 21 Then = and fire = and also ANGER

(it) for his people?”

MOUNTED

Yhwh, against Jacob, AGAINST ISRAEL,

believe they trust

in God in his salvation.

+ 23 And he commanded + and the doors

the clouds of heaven

above, he opened,

+ 24 and HE RAINED DOWN + and the GRAIN

ON THEM

MANNA

TO EAT,

of heaven

HE GAVE

them;

+ 25 the BREAD + FOOD

of the mighty, he sent

(he) ATE, them

man,

:: 26 He caused to blow :: and he led out

the east wind by his strength

in the heavens the south wind,

:: 27 HE RAINED DOWN :: and like sand

ON THEM

like dust

of the seas

BIRDS

:: 28 he caused to fall :: around

in the midst his dwelling place.

of his camp,

AND WERE FILLED

greatly, to them;

22

– because they did not – and they did not

heard blazed

God in the desert?

he was furious,

TO THE FULL. ·······················································································································

– 29 AND THEY ATE – and their covetousness,

he brought

MEAT, WINGED,

– 30 they were not estranged from their covetousness, – (was) still THEIR FOOD in their mouth, = 31 that THE ANGER = and he slew = and they young men

of God MOUNTED AGAINST THEM, the sturdiest of them, OF ISRAEL he struck down.

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First Section (Ps 73–78)

In the first subpart of the first part, the initial piece (17–18) qualifies “sin” first as recurring (17a), then as a “defying” one (17b), and finally as a way of “tempting” the Lord, of putting him to the test, of challenging him (18a). The last member (18b) states what they did, and this will be elaborated and spelt out in a narrative fashion in the second piece. The challenge is expressed at the extremities of the second piece by two complementary questions: “Can God” (19b & 20d) “spread a table” (19), that is to give “bread” and “meat” (20de). The challenge is built on the past gift of water at Rephidim (20abc). In the second subpart, the divine punishment follows (21), motivated by their lack of faith (22). The second part (23–31) reports God’s reaction to the challenge posed by the people. The punishment of the second subpart (29–31) is preceded by the gift of food, manna (23–25) and quails (26–28), which he equally “rained down on them” (24a, 27a) “from heaven” (23b, 24b, 26a). “To the full” (25b) and “like dust” (27a) are two ways of expressing the gift's profusion. In the second subpart (29–31) the first two segments emphasise “their craving”, which is punished by death, and which reaches even the strongest ones. “Were filled” of 29a derives from the same root as “to the full” of 25b. Each part ends with the divine “anger” falling on “Israel” (21 & 31). The verb “to give” occurs in 20d and 24b. CONTEXT Manna and quails It was in response to the “murmuring” of the people, who were hungry and missed the good food from Egypt, that the Lord gave them manna and quails (Exod 16; Num 11) but punished them for their covetousness (Num 11:33–34). Covetousness The term ta’ăwâ, repeated in Ps 78:29–30, is found in Num 11:4 where it refers to the disordered desire of the people of Israel;8 it is already used by Eve to describe the tree: “The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and attractive to the eye, and that it was desirable for making one wise” (Gen 3:6), or in a literal translation: And the women saw that (was) good THE THREE and that desire THIS ONE and that was coveting THE THREE

8

for food for eyes to become intelligent/ to know the success.

The BJ translates it as “craving”, Dhorme, Osty as “covetousness”, and the TOB as “desire”.

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73

This reflection of the woman repeats in the same order what the serpent, the tempter, had insinuated: “Elohim knows that in the day when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, you will know good and evil” (Gen 3:5).9 INTERPRETATION Food as blessing and cursing According to the first creation account, God’s gift of food accompanies his blessing (Gen 1:28–30) and the account immediately adds: “God saw all that he had made; and it was very good” (Gen 1:31). Food will soon become the object of the prohibition in the second creation story, the challenge of the hardship that humans will have to face. For wanting to take the whole without leaving room for the other, man will eat his bread with the sweat of his face (Gen 3:19). Food that was very good, food of blessing, becomes a curse when, instead of being received from the other as a gift, it is conceived as a prey to be seized. Food of temptation Surely there is no coincidence that the temptation in the desert is also related to food. Through Moses and Aaron, it is God himself whom the people of Israel accuse of wanting to starve them to death, whereas in Egypt they could be satisfied with meat and bread (Exod 16:2–3). Instead of asking for their food, like children asking their father for life, they accuse him of wanting them to die in the desert. They challenge him, as if they were sure that he is unable to provide them with the food they covet. What is denounced is not the desire to eat and therefore to live, but unbelief and lack of trust (Ps 78:22). The worst thing is that, not recognising the fact that they are being tempted and tested, they reverse the situation by tempting the Lord, by putting him to the test. The gift of nourishment In his mercy, the Lord intends to restore righteousness, that is, the truth of the interpersonal relationship between him and his people. He wants to give them a new chance to prove their faithfulness. And it is the gift of nourishment of bread and meat that they desired, of manna and quail from heaven (78:23–28). One would have expected, God would have expected, that the people would have taken the time to pause, even if only for a moment, to thank the one who was feeding them with such generosity. Alas, they leave no room for the other; they try to fill the void within them, thinking only of filling their own bellies.

9 A. WÉNIN, D’Adam à Abraham ou les errances de l’humain. Lecture de Genèse 1,1–12,4, 103–104.

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God’s anger mounts against Israel The fire of God’s anger falls on Israel (78:21), killing even the strongest ones (78:31). Such violence is unambiguously attributed to the Lord, just as “covetousness” is imputed to him (78:29b). Would God have given them bread and meat to the full only to make them fall into a trap where they would have died? Does he take revenge as any human being would if he or she were despised in the same way? Like the blessing of food, the curse of death comes from above. Does not the curse rather have the function of demonstrating, of revealing to what unfortunate extremity covetousness leads? The lack of trust in Moses and Aaron and through them in the Lord, covetousness that wants to monopolise everything without leaving room for the other, is a fire that consumes and can only lead to death. C) THE WHOLE OF THE FIRST SUBSEQUENCE (78:9–31) COMPOSITION 9

The children of Ephraim,

armed bearers of bow, TURNED BACK on the day of battle; and THEY REFUSED to walk in his Law; his wonders that he had showed them.

10 THEY DID NOT KEEP the covenant of GOD 11 and THEY FORGOT his mighty deeds and

THEY FORGOT

12

In the sight of their fathers HE DID wonders,

13

HE SPLIT the sea and let them pass through and HE MADE the waters STAND UP like a dam; with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a fire;

in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan:

14 HE LED THEM

15 HE SPLIT the rocks in the desert and GAVE THEM DRINK as from the abundant depths; 16 HE MADE streams COME OUT of a rocky crag and MADE waters COME DOWN like rivers. 17 18

And THEY STILL CONTINUED TO SIN against him BY DEFYING THE MOST HIGH in the dry place; and THEY TEMPTED GOD in their heart BY ASKING for food for their throat.

19

And THEY SPOKE against God; THEY SAID: “Can God spread a table in the desert?” 20 Behold, he strikes the rock, and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” 21

Then Yhwh heard, HE WAS FURIOUS, and fire blazed against Jacob, and anger also MOUNTED against Israel, 22 because THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in God and THEY DID NOT TRUST in his salvation. 23

And HE COMMANDED the clouds above, and HE OPENED the doors of heaven, and HE RAINED DOWN on them manna to eat, and HE GAVE them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, HE SENT them food to the full. 24

26

HE CAUSE the east wind TO BLOW in the heavens and by his strength HE LED OUT the south wind, and winged birds like sand of the seas, his camp, around his dwelling place.

27 HE RAINED DOWN meat on them like dust, 28 HE CAUSED (them) TO FALL in the midst of 29

And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food (was) still in their mouth, 31 that the anger of God MOUNTED against them, and HE SLEW the sturdiest of them, and HE STRUCK DOWN the young men of Israel. 30

Psalm 78 9

The children of Ephraim,

75

armed bearers of bow, TURNED BACK on the day of battle; and THEY REFUSED to walk in his Law; his wonders that he had showed them.

10 THEY DID NOT KEEP the covenant of GOD 11 and THEY FORGOT his mighty deeds and

THEY FORGOT

12

In the sight of their fathers HE DID wonders,

13

HE SPLIT the sea and let them pass through and HE MADE the waters STAND UP like a dam; with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a FIRE;

in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan:

14 HE LED THEM

15 HE SPLIT the rocks in the desert and GAVE THEM DRINK as from the abundant depths; 16 HE MADE streams COME OUT of a rocky crag and MADE waters COME DOWN like rivers.

17 18

And THEY STILL CONTINUED TO SIN against him BY DEFYING THE MOST HIGH in the dry place; and THEY TEMPTED GOD in their heart BY ASKING for food for their throat.

19

And THEY SPOKE against God; THEY SAID: “Can God spread a table in the desert?” 20 Behold, he strikes the rock, rock and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” 21

Then Yhwh heard, HE WAS FURIOUS, and FIRE blazed against Jacob, and anger also MOUNTED against Israel, 22 because THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in God and THEY DID NOT TRUST in his salvation. 23

And HE COMMANDED the clouds above, and HE OPENED the doors of heaven, and HE RAINED DOWN on them manna to eat, and HE GAVE them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, HE SENT them food to the full. 24

26

HE CAUSE the east wind TO BLOW in the heavens and by his strength HE LED OUT the south wind, and winged birds like sand of the seas, his camp, around his dwelling place.

27 HE RAINED DOWN meat on them like dust, 28 HE CAUSED (them) TO FALL in the midst of 29

And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food (was) still in their mouth, 31 that the anger of God MOUNTED against them, and HE SLEW the sturdiest of them, and HE STRUCK DOWN the young men of Israel. 30

The two passages are parallel: their first parts (9–11 & 17–22) relate what “the children of Ephraim” did against “God” (10 & 18) “the Most High” (17), their second parts (12–16 & 23–31) what the Lord did. The Lord’s actions follow chronological order: first the crossing of the sea with the accompaniment of the pillar of cloud and fire (13–14), then in the first passage the gift of water (15–16), followed in the second passage by the gift of bread and meat (23–31). The children of Ephraim recognise in the second passage that the Lord had brought “waters” out of “the rock” (20) as mentioned at the end of the first passage (15–16). “Fire” occurs in 14 and 21, “sea/s” in 13 and 27, “desert” in 15 and 19. We may also point out the double occurrence of “he split” in the first passage (13 & 15) and of “he rained down” in the second passage (24 & 27).

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CONTEXT Testing in the desert Deuteronomy makes the function of the desert clear: 2

Remember the long way by which Yhwh your God led you for forty years in the desert, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yhwh. 4 The clothes on your back did not wear out and your feet were not swollen, all those forty years. 5 Learn from this that Yhwh your God was training you as a man trains his child, 6 and keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and so follow his ways and fear him. (Deut 8:2–6)

All these prescriptions are for people’ happiness: “so make your future the happier” (Deut 8:16) in the land where “You will eat and have all you want and you will bless Yhwh your God in the fine country which he has given you” (8:10). INTERPRETATION Probation The subsequence is the inverted image of Deut 8: “The children of Ephraim” (Ps 78:9), that is, of “Jacob-Israel” (78:21, 31), not only forgot “the mighty deeds” done for them by the Lord (78:11), not only were they unfaithful to “the covenant” and “the Law” (78:10), but they “added” to their sin by “defying” and “tempting” (78:17–18) the one who was testing them in order to teach them “as a father corrects his children”. In this way, they reached the height of their unfaithfulness, perverting the way God had laid out for them. Not only did they “refuse to walk” in his Law (78:10), they went so far as to “turn back”, to take the opposite direction (78:9) which, instead of leading them into “a fine country, a land of streams and springs [...], a land of wheat and barley, of vines, of figs, of pomegranates, a land of olives, of oil, of honey...” (Deut 8:7–9), will bring them back to the land of slaves. Moreover, they made themselves judges of the Lord, challenging him, testing him, reversing the roles, in a revolt that could only lead to death.

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3. THEY DID NOT BELIEVE BUT GOD REMEMBERED THEM (78:32–39) TEXT 32 With

all this they still sinned, and they did not believe in his wonders; 33 and he made their days end in mist and their years in terror. 34 When he slew them, they sought him, and they turned back and looked eagerly for El; 35 and they remembered that Elohim (is) their rock, and El the Most High, their redeemer! 36 But they flattered him with their mouth and they lied to him with their tongue; 37 and their heart was not steadfast toward him and they did not believe in his covenant. 38 And he, (being) compassionate, forgave the fault and did not destroy (them); and he was great in turning back his anger, and he did not awaken all his fury. 39 And he remembered that they (are) flesh, a breath going away and does not turn back. V. 33: “MIST”

The Hebrew term, hebel, “mist”, “vapour”—meaning something inconsistent —is the name of “Abel” (Gen 4:2); it is paronomastically related to the parallel term, behālâ, “terror”. COMPOSITION – 32 With all this – and THEY DID NOT BELIEVE

they sinned in his wonders;

still,

= 33 and he made end = and their years

in MIST in terror.

their days

···············································································································

+ 34 When he slew them, + and THEY TURNED BACK

they sought him, and looked eagerly for

El;

:: and THEY REMEMBERED :: and El

that Elohim the Most High,

(is) their rock, their redeemer!

– 36 But they flattered him – and with their tongue

with their mouth they lied to him;

= 37 and their heart = and THEY WERE NOT FAITHFUL

was not steadfast to his covenant.

35

toward him

···············································································································

+ 38 And he, + forgave

(being) compassionate, the fault and did not destroy (them);

+ and he was great + and he did not awaken

IN TURNING BACK

:: 39 And HE REMEMBERED :: a BREATH

that flesh going away

his anger,

all his fury. they (are), AND DOES NOT TURN BACK.

In the first piece of the first part, sin against God (32) leads to an inconsistent and terrifying life (33). The second piece (34–35) shows the consequence of

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punishment, that is death: returning to God and seeking him (34), which results in remembering his works (35). The second part (36–39) begins with denouncing the hypocrisy of repentance, which is the opposite of what they say (36) and what they think in their “heart” (37). Despite this, the second piece emphasises the Lord’s faithfulness in forgiving (38ab) and restraining his anger (38cd), for he remembers human weakness (39). In the first pieces “and they did not believe in his covenant” (37b) recalls “and they did not believe in his wonders” (32b). The second pieces repeat the verb “to turn back” (34b, 38c, 39b). Similarly, the verb “to remember” as the first term of the last segments (35a & 39a); in the first instance there are the sinners who remember, in the second instance it is the Lord. The “mist” from the beginning (33a) is matched by “breath” in the ending (39b). CONTEXT THE BOOK OF JUDGES This passage, with its general character, recalls the multiple episodes of the book of Judges, in which the unfaithfulness of the people, God’s anger and punishment, repentance and salvation, thanks to their judges follow one another; but as soon as one judge disappears, the same cycle begins again (Judg 2:11–19; then 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 8:33, etc.). INTERPRETATION THE LORD CORRECTS If the Lord chastises sinners, even heavily to the point of death, he does it so that they might turn back and remember what he has done for them. He is their “rock” (Ps 78:35) on which they can rely, not the inconsistent false gods who are unable to redeem them, to pay the ransom for their slavery. Punishment, correction, bears fruit when sinners begin to seek the one who loves them to the point of willing to hurt them for their own good. THE LORD FORGIVES EVERYTHING Unfortunately, sincerity is not to be found and the heart does not accompany the words of the mouth. One might think that the punishment would be redoubled, without mercy. But that is not the case, anger, and wrath, however justified, give way to clemency and forgiveness. That is because the Lord knows human nature and its weakness, its inconsistency. Divine mercy truly has no limits.

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4. THE PENULTIMATE SUBSEQUENCE (78:40–66) A) ISRAEL DID NOT REMEMBER THE SALVATION OF GOD (78:40–55) TEXT 40 How

often they defied him in the desert, offended him in the desert! 41 They turned back and tempted God, and they grieved the Holy One of Israel; 42 not remembering his hand, the day in which he saved them from the oppressor. 43 He who set his signs in Egypt and his miracles in the fields of Zoan. 44 And he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams that they could not drink; 45 he sent among them vermin and they ate them, and frogs and they destroyed them. 46 He gave their crop to the locust and their produce to the grasshopper; 47 he killed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost; 48 and he delivered their cattle to the hail and their flocks to bolts of lightning. 49 He sent upon them the fire of his anger, indignation, wrath and oppression, a detachment of angels of evil; 50 he made a path for his anger, he did not exempt their soul from death, and he delivered their life to the plague; 51 and he struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their vigour in the tents of Ham. 52 And he brought out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the desert; 53 and he led them safely and they feared not, as for their enemies, the sea covered them. 54 And he brought them to the border of his holiness, to this mountain which his right hand had conquered; 55 and he drove out nations before them, and marked for them an inheritance with a line, and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

v. 44: “that they could not drink” That is, “in such a way that they could not drink”.

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COMPOSITION + 40 How often + offended him

they defied him in the wilderness!

IN THE DESERT,

+ 41 They turned back + and THE HOLY ONE

and tempted OF ISRAEL

God, they grieved;

+ 42 not remembering + the day

HIS HAND, in which

he saved them

. 43 He who set . and his miracles

IN EGYPT

. 44 And he turned . and their streams

into blood their rivers, that they could not drink;

:: 45 HE SENT :: and frogs

among them vermin and they destroyed them.

in the fields

FROM THE OPPRESSOR.

his signs of ZOAN.

and they ate them,

···································································································

- 46 He gave - and their produce

to the locust to the grasshopper;

their crop

- 47 he killed - and their sycamores

with hail

their vines

- 48 and he delivered - and their flocks

to the hail

with frost; their cattle

to bolts of lightning.

···································································································

:: 49 HE SENT upon them :: indignation, :: a detachment

the fire wrath of angel angels

of his anger, and oppression, of evil;

. 50 he made . he did not exempt . and their life

a path from death to the plague

for his anger, their soul, he delivered;

. 51 and he struck . the first issue

of the firstborn of their vigour

IN EGYPT,

– 52 and he brought out – and guided them

like sheep like a flock

IN THE DESERT;

– 53 and he led them – and THEIR ENEMIES,

safely (it) covered them

and they feared not, the sea.

in the tents

of HAM.

his people,

········································································································

= 54 And he brought them to the border OF HIS HOLINESS, = to this mountain which had conquered HIS RIGHT HAND; = 55 and he drove out = and marked for them = and settled

before them with a line in their tents

nations, an inheritance, the tribes OF ISRAEL.

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The first two segments (40–41) of the first part are parallel: “tempted” (41a) corresponds to “defied” (40a) and “grieved” (41b) to “offended” (40b), the first segment specifies the place, the second one the object complement. The last segment (42), by referring to the salvation, introduces the subsequent parts. The second part (43–51) lists the plagues of Egypt at length. The first piece (43–45) begins with an introductory segment (43) followed by the plagues of the water of the “rivers” turned into “blood” (44), then “vermin” and “frogs” (45); the second piece (46–48) brings together the plagues that destroy crops and livestock; as for the last piece (49–51), it is devoted to the death of the firstborn by the hand of the exterminating angels who brought the “plague”. The two occurrences of “in Egypt” (43a & 51a) form an inclusion for this part, and at the end of the extreme segments, “Ham” (51b) corresponds to “Zoan” (43b). The third part (52–55) recalls in its first piece the departure from Egypt into the desert (52) and the crossing of the sea (53), and in its second piece the arrival in the Holy Land (54) from where the Lord drove out “nations” to settle his people (55). The extreme parts have in common “in the desert” (40 & 52, as initial terms), “Israel” (41 & 55, forming an inclusion), “his hand” and “his right hand” (42a & 54b), “the Holy One” and “holiness” (41b & 54a). The “oppressor”, the last term of the first part (42b), is identified at the beginning of the next part with “Egypt” (43a).

CONTEXT The plagues of Egypt Of the ten plagues, the psalm lists only six, and not quite in the same order. The first one concerns the water turned to blood (Exod 7:14–25), followed by the frogs (7:26–8:11), the locusts (10:1–20), the hail (9:13–35), the pestilence of livestock (9:1–7), and finally the death of the firstborn (chap. 11; 12:29–34). INTERPRETATION “Remembering” Forgetting the blessings received is the root of all evils. Not remembering the fact of being saved and the one who saved (Ps 78:52–55) is the worst thing that can happen. Indeed, it leads to contempt for God, whom one then does not hesitate “defying” and “tempting” (78:40–41). “How often!” How many times Pharaoh refused to let the people of Israel go! Ten times according to the book of Exodus, six of which are recalled in the psalm. “How

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often they [...] tempted God”! (Ps 78:40–41) In this way, the people of Israel are compared with Pharaoh, whose heart remained hardened, despite the repeated proofs provided to him by the plagues sent by the Lord. B) THEY TEMPTED THE MOST HIGH WHO REJECTED ISRAEL (78:56–66) TEXT 56 And

they tempted and defied the Most High God, and they did not keep his testimonies; they deviated and betrayed like their fathers, they turned aside like a deceitful bow; 58 and they made him angry with their high places, and made him jealous with their idols. 59 God heard and was furious, and he greatly spurned Israel; 60 and he abandoned the dwelling of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men; 61 and he gave his strength to captivity, and his splendour into the hands of the oppressor. 62 And he delivered his people to the sword, and he was furious with his inheritance. 63 Fire devoured his young men and his virgins were not praised; 64 his priests fell by the sword and his widows did not weep. 65 And the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a valiant one drunk with wine, 66 and he struck his oppressors on the back, he gave them an insult forever. 57 and

v. 59b: “and he greatly spurned Israel” One wanted to see in me’ōd a name or qualifier of God, mā’ēd, “the Great”, used in Ebla and Ugarit.10 The correction is not necessary; the adverb could be translated as “utterly”.

COMPOSITION The first part (56–58) denounces the sin of Israel, the second part (59–66) the reaction of the Lord. In the first part it is only the last segment (58) which specifies the nature of the sin spoken of in the preceding segments in a general way, namely idolatry. God’s reaction (59–66) is elaborated in three pieces. In the first two it is “Israel” (59b) “his people” (62a) who are chastised, in the third one “his oppressors” (66a) are the Philistines. In the first piece (59–61) it is the abandonment of Shiloh and the capture of the ark, called “his strength” and “his splendour”, in the second piece (62–64) the chastisement extends to the younger generations (63) and to “priests” and “widows” who represent the elders (64). The last piece (65–66) begins with a surprising comparison and ends with an infamous punishment (66). “To give” and “oppressor/s” are found at the end of the extreme pieces (61 & 66). The divine names serve as initial terms for the extreme pieces (59a & 65a) and likewise for the two parts (56a & 59a).

10

Dahood, II, 246; the correction was adopted by Ravasi (II, 646–647).

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– 56 And they tempted – and his testimonies

and they defied they did not keep;

GOD

– 57 and they deviated – they turned aside

and the betrayed like a bow

like their fathers, a deceitful one;

THE MOST HIGH

– 58 and they made him angry with their high places – and with their idols they made him jealous. + 59 Heard, + and he spurned

GOD, greatly

and was furious, Israel;

+ 60 and he abandoned + the tent

the dwelling he had set up

of Shiloh, among men;

+ 61 and HE GAVE + and his splendour

to captivity into the hands

OF THE OPPRESSOR.

his strength

··········································································································

:: 62 And he delivered :: and with his inheritance

to the sword he was furious.

his people

.. 63 His young men, .. and his virgins

devoured (them), were not praised;

fire

.. 64 his priests .. and his widows

by the sword did not weep.

fell

·········································································································· as from sleep. THE LORD,

+ 65 And (he) awoke + as a valiant one 66

+ and he struck + an insult

drunk

with wine,

HIS OPPRESSORS

on the back,

forever

HE GAVE

them.

CONTEXT Denunciation of idolatry Ps 78:58 reminds us of Israel’s continual turning away from Yhwh to serve idols. Such an accusation is repeated like a refrain in the book of Judges (2:11– 13; 3:7; 8:33; 10:6) as well as in the books of Kings (1 Kgs 22:44; 2 Kgs 12:4; 14:4; 15:4, 35; 16:4). The Temple of Shiloh and the Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the temple at Shiloh until the time of the prophet Samuel. But at the battle of Aphek the Philistines captured the ark and took it home (1 Sam 4). Ps 78:63–64 may refer to the death of the priest of Shiloh, Eli (1 Sam 4:12–18), his two sons Hophni and Phinehas who were killed in battle (4:11), and the widow of Phinehas (4:19-22). The last verse (Ps 78:66), in which the Lord strikes his oppressors “on the back”, which was “an insult to them forever”, seems to refer to the “tumours”, the haemorrhoids, that afflicted

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the Philistines of Ashdod, then Gath and Ekron (1 Sam 5:6–12) before the ark was returned to Israel. God drunk with wine The bold image of verse 65 with one “sleeping” “drunk with wine” has inevitably raised some problems because it seems so irreverent.11 God sleeping, on the other hand, is a recurring theme (Ps 35:23; 44:24; 59:5–6; 73:20)

INTERPRETATION All punished for the same reason At the end of the first part Israel is punished because they were serving idols in the high places (Ps 78:58). And for this reason, their temple at Shiloh was abandoned by the Lord and the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. But the Israelites are not the only idolaters, and at the end of the second part, the winners are also punished for having placed the Ark of the Covenant next to their idol Dagon (1 Sam 5:1–5). The punishment will not only fall on Dagon, who will fall to the ground in front of the Ark, with his head and hands cut off, but also on the Philistines, and in a shameful fashion, “on the back”, so that they will be obliged to return the Ark with a substantial reparation (1 Sam 6).

C) THE WHOLE OF THE PENULTIMATE SUBSEQUENCE (78:40–66) COMPOSITION The two passages are parallel. Their first parts (40–42 & 56–58) are short and have in common “to defy” (40 & 56) and “to tempt” (41 & 56), two divine names: “God” and “the Holy One of Israel” (41) and “the Most High God” (56); “to offend” and “to grieve” (40–41) are synonymous with “they made him angry” (58). Their second parts (43–55 & 59–66) are more expanded. They have in common “to give” (46, 61, 66), “to deliver” (48, 50b, 62), “to strike” (51, 66, found in final terms), “his people” (52 & 62), “fire” (49 & 63), “tent/s” (55b & 60). The two occurrences of “oppressor/s” in 42 and 66 play the role of extreme terms; both terms correspond to “oppression” in 49 and to “the oppressor” in 61. In median terms of both parts, “their high places” (58) are opposed to “this mountain” (54).

11 See Ravasi, II, 648–649. Voir G. IRHOVEN, Disputatio theologica ad Psalm. LXXVIII : 65. De robusto jubilante propter vinum.

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40

How often THEY DEFIED HIM in the desert, OFFENDED HIM in the wilderness! THEY TURNED BACK AND TEMPT TEMPTED MPTED GOD, and THEY GRIEVED THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL; 42 NOT REMEMBERING his hand, the day in which he saved them from THE OPPRESSOR. 41

43

He who SET his signs in Egypt and his miracles in the fields of Zoan. And HE TURNED their rivers into blood, and their streams that they could not drink. 45 HE SENT among them vermin and they ate them, and frogs and they destroyed them. 44

46

HE GAVE their crop to the locust and their produce to the grasshopper; and their sycamores with frost; to the hail and their flocks to bolts of lightning. HE DELIVERED

47 HE KILLED their vines with hail 48 and HE DELIVERED their cattle 49

HE SENT upon them the fire of his anger, indignation, wrath and OPPRESSION, a detachment of angels of evil; 50 HE MADE a path for his anger, HE DID NOT EXEMPT their soul from death, and HE DELIVERED their life to the plague; 51 And HE STRUCK all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their vigour in the tents of Ham. 52 53

And HE BROUGHT OUT his people like sheep, and GUIDED THEM like a flock in the desert; and HE LED THEM safely and they feared not, as for their enemies, the sea covered them.

54

And HE BROUGHT to the border of his holiness, to THIS MOUNTAIN conquered by his right hand; and HE DROVE OUT nations before them, and MARKED FOR THEM an inheritance with a line, and SETTLED the tribes of Israel in their tents. 55

56

And THEY TEMPTED and DEFIED THE MOST HIGH GOD, and THEY DID NOT KEEP his testimonies; and THEY DEVIATED DEVIATED and BETRAYED like their fathers, THEY TURNED ASIDE like a deceitful bow; 58 and THEY MADE HIM ANGRY with THEIR HIGH PLACES, and MADE HIM JEALOUS with their idols. 57

59

God HEARD and WAS FURIOUS, and he greatly SPURNED Israel; and HE ABANDONED the dwelling of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men; 61 and HE GAVE his strength to captivity, and his splendour into the hands of THE OPPRESSOR. 60

62

And HE DELIVERED his people to the sword, and HE WAS FURIOUS with his inheritance. Fire devoured his young men and his virgins were not praised; 64 his priests fell by the sword and his widows did not weep. 63

65 66

And THE LORD AWOKE as from sleep, as a valiant one drunk with wine, and HE STRUCK his OPPRESSORS on the back, HE GAVE them an insult forever.

INTERPRETATION Oppression of the oppressors Israel was the victim of oppressors not only before the exodus but also after the settlement in the Holy Land. After suffering the oppression of slavery in the land of Egypt, they were also oppressed under the yoke of the Philistines. But the Lord saved them from the Egyptian “oppressor” (Ps 78:42) who had to suffer “indignation, wrath, and oppression” from God (78:49). While the Lord later “struck his oppressors on the back”, covering the Philistines with eternal shame (78:66), he began with delivering the ark of the covenant to the “oppressor” of the people of Israel for their wrongdoing.

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From forgetting to idolatry The first sin of the people of Israel is that they “forgot” the fact of having been saved from the oppressor by the powerful hand of their God (78:42). And therefore the psalmist reminds them at length of what the Lord had done in sending the plagues against the king of Egypt who was forced to let his people go to freedom (78:43–53), and then how he led them forward into the Holy Land (78:54–55). Israel’s second sin is much more serious, but it follows inexorably from the first one: he who forgets the Lord and his blessings ends up turning to idols (78:58). If the ark was delivered to the Philistines, was it not because it was used like an idol that is carried onto the battlefield to ensure victory? This is the reason it is place with Dagon in the temple of Ashdod where, however, it made the false god collapse in the eyes of its worshippers. Israel is punished like the Philistines because of the same sin.

5. CONCLUSION: TWO OPPOSITE TRIBES (78:67–72) TEXT 67 And he spurned the tent of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 and he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he founded forever. 70 And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 he brought him from following the mother sheep to pasture 72 And he pastured them according to the Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. perfection of his heart, and with the wisdom of his palms he led them.

V. 71B: “JACOB, HIS PEOPLE”

The Septuagint, followed by the Vulgate, has “his servant”, presumably to match with “David his servant” in 70a.

COMPOSITION The first part (67–69) describes the election of the tribe of Judah, the second part (70–72) the election of David from the tribe of Judah. In the first part the first two verses contrast the tribe of Ephraim with that of Judah, and “the tent of Joseph” with “Mount Zion”. The third segment (69) concludes the part by referring to the construction of the sanctuary, as solid as the earth. The first two segments of the second part emphasize David’s pastoral origin (70b–71a) and end with the extent of his reign, “Jacob” and “Israel”, meaning all the tribes, those in the North, “Joseph” and “Ephraim” (67), and “Judah” in the South (68). The last segment (72) concludes the part.

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The second segments (68 & 71) are trimembers. The last segments of each part (69 & 72) have in common a double comparison, indicated by the same “like”; in the first case the subject is the Lord, in the second case David. – 67 And he spurned – and the tribe :: 68 AND HE CHOSE :: Mount :: which = 69 And he built = like the earth, + 70 AND HE CHOSE + and took him :: 71 from following :: to pasture :: and ISRAEL, = 72 And he pastured them = and with the wisdom

the tent of EPHRAIM

of JOSEPH HE DID NOT CHOOSE;

the tribe Zion, he loves.

of JUDAH,

like the heights which he founded

his sanctuary, forever.

DAVID from the folds

his servant, of sheep;

the mother sheep JACOB, his inheritance.

he brought him his people,

like the perfection of his palms

of his heart, he led them.

CONTEXT JOSEPH AND EPHRAIM Of Jacob’s twelve sons, Levi was set apart for divine service and was not given a territory of his own (Num 18:20–24); that is why Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, are counted among the twelve tribes. Joseph or Ephraim often represent the ten tribes of the northern kingdom which, after the death of Solomon, separated from the tribes of the southern kingdom, led by Judah. It was in Ephraim that the temple of Shiloh was located.

INTERPRETATION THE TENT AND THE BUILDING ON THE MOUNTAIN The contrast between Joseph’s simple tent and the sanctuary of the Lord built on Mount Zion is striking. Especially since this temple is built “like the heights” (Ps 78:69), which means it is modelled on the heavenly sanctuary, and is as solid as the earth that God founded. The irony could not be greater in contrasting the temple in Shiloh with the sanctuary in Jerusalem.

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KING, THE SHEPHERD The psalmist anticipates the construction of the temple on Mount Zion, for it is not David who will build it but his son Solomon. David is portrayed as the youngest son of Jesse, the shepherd who tended the sheep of his father.

6. THE WHOLE OF THE SECOND SEQUENCE (PS 78) COMPOSITION Introduction:

Two opposing generations

The children of Ephraim forgot They defied

God

78:1b–8 the wonders of God

who was angry with Israel

THEY DID NOT BELIEVE BUT GOD REMEMBERED THEM

Israel

did not remember the salvation of God

They tempted the Most High who rejected Conclusion:

Two opposing tribes

Israel

78:9–16 78:17–31

78:32–39

78:40–55 78:56–66 78:67–72

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RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EXTREME SUBSEQUENCES 1b

Give ear, O my PEOPLE, to my law, incline your ear to the words of my mouth; I open my mouth in proverbs, I evoke the enigmas of old 3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have recounted to us. 2

4

We will not hide from their children, recounting to the coming generation the praises of Yhwh and his power, and his wonders which he has done. 5 And he raised up a testimony in JACOB, and he set a law in ISRAEL, which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their children, 6 so that the coming generation will know them, the children yet to be born, they will rise up and recount to their children. 7

And they will set their hope in Elohim, and will not forget the great deeds of El, and they will keep his commandments; 8 and will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, . a generation whose HEART is not steadfast .. and whose spirit is not faithful to El. 67

And he spurned the tent of Joseph, and he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; and he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he founded forever. 68

70

And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; him from following the mother sheep to pasture JACOB, his PEOPLE, his inheritance. . 72 And he pastured them according to the perfection of his HEART, .. and with the wisdom of his palms he led them.

71

he brought and ISRAEL,

– The repetition of duo “Jacob” and “Israel” (5 & 71) that is the “people” (1b & 71). – Many terms belonging to the semantic field of filiation in the first passage— “fathers”, “children”, “generation” (3, 4[2x], 5[2x], 6[3x], 8[3x])—are matched by “inheritance” in the final passage (71). – The last segments contrast those whose “heart” is unreliable and whose spirit is unfaithful (8cd) with those whose “heart” is perfect and whose palms are wise (72ab). – The ending of the first passage (8) and the beginning of the last one (67) are both negative: on the one hand it is the unfaithful generation of the fathers (8) and on the other hand “the tent of Joseph” which is rejected, “the tribe of Ephraim” which is not chosen (67).

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RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THE PENULTIMATE SUBSEQUENCES 9

The children of EPHRAIM,

armed bearers of bow, TURNED BACK on the day of battle; and THEY REFUSED to walk in his Law; and his wonders that he had showed them.

10 THEY DID NOT KEEP the covenant of GOD 11 and THEY FORGOT his mighty deeds

THEY FORGOT

EGYPT, IN THE FIELDS OF ZOAN:

12

In the sight of their fathers HE DID wonders,

13

HE SPLIT the sea and let them pass through and HE MADE the waters STAND UP like a dam; with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a fire;

IN THE LAND OF

14 HE LED THEM

15 HE SPLIT the rocks IN THE DESERT, 16 HE MADE streams COME OUT of

17 18

and GAVE THEM DRINK as from the abundant depths; a rocky crag and MADE waters COME DOWN like rivers.

And THEY STILL CONTINUED TO SIN against him BY DEFYING THE MOST HIGH in the dry place; and THEY TEMPTED GOD in their heart BY ASKING for food for their throat.

19

And THEY SPOKE against God; THEY SAID: “Can God spread a table IN THE DESERT?” 20 Behold, he strikes the rock, and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for HIS PEOPLE?” 21

Then Yhwh HEARD, HE WAS FURIOUS, and fire blazed against Jacob, and ANGER also MOUNTED against ISRAEL, 22 because THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in God and THEY DID NOT TRUST in his salvation. 23

And HE COMMANDED the clouds above, and HE OPENED the doors of heaven, and HE RAINED DOWN on them manna to eat, and HE GAVE them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, HE SENT them food to the full. 24

26

HE CAUSE the east wind TO BLOW in the heavens and by his strength HE LED OUT the south wind, like dust, and winged birds like sand of the seas, midst of his camp, around his dwelling place.

27 HE RAINED DOWN meat on them 28 HE CAUSED them TO FALL in the 29

And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food was still in their mouth, 31 that THE ANGER of God MOUNTED against them, and HE SLEW the sturdiest of them, and HE STRUCK DOWN the young men of ISRAEL. 30

In each of the two subsequences, the sinful actions of the children of Ephraim (9–11, 17–22, 40–42, 56–58) and God’s saving works (12–16, 23–31, 43–55, 59–66) follow each other. – The verbs “to defy” and “to tempt”, which appear for the first time in 17–18, are used again in 40–41 and 56; – In a symmetrical position “not remembering” (42) corresponds to “they forgot” (11); – “The children of Ephraim” are mentioned only once, at the very beginning (9); but they are not the only culprits, since in 21 the punishment affects “Jacob” and “Israel”; – “Israel” is mentioned again in 31, 55 and 59; “his people” found in 20 is repeated twice in the other subsequence (52 & 62);

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40

How often THEY DEFIED HIM IN THE DESERT, OFFENDED HIM in the desert! THEY TURNED BACK BACK AND TEMPT TEMPTED MPTED GOD, and THEY GRIEVED THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL; 42 NOT REMEMBERING his hand, the day in which he saved them from the oppressor. 41

He who SET his signs IN EGYPT and his miracles IN THE FIELDS OF ZOAN. And HE TURNED their rivers into blood, and their streams that they could not drink. 45 HE SENT among them vermin and they ate them, and frogs and they destroyed them. 43 44

46

HE GAVE their crop to the locust and their produce to the grasshopper; and their sycamores with frost; the hail and their flocks to bolts of lightning.

47 HE KILLED their vines with hail 48 and HE DELIVERED their cattle to 49

HE SENT upon them the fire of HIS ANGER, indignation, wrath and oppression, a detachment of angels of evil; 50 HE MADE a path for HIS ANGER, HE DID NOT EXEMPT their soul from death, and HE DELIVERED their life to the plague; 51 and HE STRUCK all the firstborn IN EGYPT, the first issue of their vigour IN THE TENTS OF HAM. 52 53

And HE BROUGHT OUT HIS PEOPLE like sheep, and GUIDED THEM like a flock IN THE DESERT; and HE LED THEM safely and they feared not, as for their enemies, the sea covered them.

54

And HE BROUGHT THEM to the border of his holiness, the mountain conquered by his right hand; and HE DROVE OUT nations before them, and MARKED FOR THEM an inheritance with a line, and SETTLED the tribes of ISRAEL in their tents. 55

56

And THEY TEMPTED and DEFIED THE MOST HIGH GOD, and THEY DID NOT KEEP his testimonies; and THE DEVIATED DEVIATED and BETRAYED like their fathers, THEY TURNED ASIDE like a deceitful bow; 58 and THEY MADE HIM ANGRY with their high places, and MADE HIM JEALOUS with their idols. 57

59

God HEARD and WAS FURIOUS, and HE greatly SPURNED ISRAEL; and HE ABANDONED the dwelling of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men; 61 and HE GAVE his strength to captivity, and his splendour into the hands of the oppressor. 60

62

And HE DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE to the sword, and HE WAS FURIOUS with his inheritance. Fire devoured his young men and his virgins were not praised; 64 his priests fell by the sword and his widows did not weep. 63

65 66

And THE LORD AWOKE as from sleep, as a valiant one drunk with wine, and HE STRUCK his oppressors on the back, HE GAVE them an insult forever.

– “Egypt” is mentioned in a symmetrical position with “in the fields of Zoan” (12 & 43); in 51 this name is used together with “in the tents of Ham”; – The word “desert” appears twice in each subsequence (15, 19, 40, 52); – Likewise for “fire” (14, 21, 49, 63); – And for “anger” (21, 31, 49, 50); – “Sea/s” is repeated in 13, 27 and 53; – The divine names occurring in the first subsequence: “God” (10), “the Most High” (17), are present in a more developed way in the second subsequence: “God”, “the Holy One of Israel” (41), “the Most High God” (56); – “Yhwh”/“God” “heard” and “was furious” against “Israel” in 21 and 59; – We can also highlight the double occurrences of “he split” (13 & 15), “he rained down” (24 & 27), “he sent” (45 & 49), “he struck” (51 & 66), the triple occurrence of “he delivered” (48, 50, 62) and “he gave” (46, 61, 66).

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78 1 A poem of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, incline your ear to the words of my mouth; 2 I open my mouth in proverbs, I evoke the enigmas of old 3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have recounted to us. 4 We will not hide from their children, recounting to the coming generation the praises of Yhwh and his power, and his wonders which he has done. 5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and he set a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their children, 6 so that the coming generation will know them, the children yet to be born, they will rise up and recount to their children. 7 And they will set their hope in Elohim, and will not forget the great deeds of El, and they will keep his commandments; 8 and will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, a generation whose HEART is not STEADFAST and whose SPRIT IS NOT FAITHFUL to El. children of Ephraim, armed bearers of bow, turned back on the day of battle; 10 they did not keep THE COVENANT of God and they refused to walk in his Law; 11 and they forgot his mighty deeds and his wonders that he had showed them. 12 In the sight of their fathers he did wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan: 13 He split the sea and let them pass through and he made the waters stand up like a dam; 14 he led them with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a fire; 15 he split the ROCKS in the desert and gave them drink as from the abundant depths; 16 he made streams come out of a rocky crag and made waters come down like rivers. 9 The

17 And

they still continued to SIN against him by defying the Most High in the dry place; 18 and they tempted God in their HEART by asking for food for their throat. 19 And they spoke against God; they said: “Can God spread a table in the desert?” 20 Behold, he strikes the ROCK, and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” 21 Then Yhwh heard, he was furious, and fire blazed against Jacob, and ANGER also mounted against Israel, 22 because THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in God and they did not trust in his salvation. 23 And he commanded the clouds above, and he opened the doors of heaven, 24 and he rained down on them manna to eat, and he gave them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, he sent them food to the full. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens and by his strength he led out the south wind, 27 he rained down meat on them like dust, and winged birds like sand of the seas, 28 he caused them to fall in the midst of his camp, around his dwelling place. 29 And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; 30 they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food was still in their mouth, 31 that the ANGER of God mounted against them, and HE KILLED the sturdiest of them, and he struck down the young men of Israel. all this THEY still SINNED and THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in his wonders; 33 and he made their days end in mist and their years in terror. 34 When HE KILLED THEM, they sought him, and THEY TURNED BACK and looked eagerly for El; 35 and THEY REMEMBERED that Elohim is their ROCK, and El the Most High, their redeemer! 36 But they flattered him with their mouth and they lied to him with their tongue; 37 and their HEART was not STEADFAST toward him and THEY DID NOT BELIEVE in his COVENANT. 38 And he, being compassionate, forgave the fault and did not DESTROY them; and he was great in TURNING BACK from his ANGER, and he did not awaken all his fury. 39 And HE REMEMBERED that they are flesh, A BREATH going away and does not turn back. 32 With

40 How

often they defied him in the desert, offended him in the desert! 41 THEY TURNED BACK and tempted God, and they grieved the Holy One of Israel; 42 NOT REMEMBERING his hand, the day in which he saved them from the oppressor. 43 He who set his signs in Egypt and his miracles in the fields of Zoan. 44 And he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams that they could not drink. 45 he sent among them vermin and they ate them, and frogs and they DESTROYED them. 46 He gave their crop to the locust and their produce to the grasshopper; 47 HE KILLED their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost; 48 and he delivered their cattle to the hail and their flocks to bolts of lightning. 49 He sent upon them the fire of his ANGER, indignation, wrath and oppression, a detachment of angels of evil; 50 he made a path for his ANGER, he did not exempt their soul from death, and he delivered their life to the plague; 51 and he struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their vigour in the tents of Ham. 52 And he brought out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the desert; 53 and he led them safely and they feared not, as for their enemies, the sea covered them. 54 And he brought them to the border of his holiness, to this mountain which his right hand had conquered; 55 and he drove out nations before them, and marked for them an inheritance with a line, and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 56 And

they tempted and defied the Most High God, and they did not keep his testimonies; 57 and they deviated and betrayed like their fathers, they turned aside like a deceitful bow; 58 and they made him angry with their high places, and made him jealous with their idols. 59 God heard and was furious, and he greatly spurned Israel; 60 and he abandoned the dwelling of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men; 61 and he gave his strength to captivity, and his splendour into the hands of the oppressor. 62 And he delivered his people to the sword, and he was furious with his inheritance. 63 Fire devoured his young men and his virgins were not praised; 64 his priests fell by the sword and his widows did not weep. 65 And the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a valiant one drunk with wine, 66 and he struck his oppressors on the back, he gave them an insult forever. 67 And

he spurned the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he founded forever. 70He chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 he brought him from following the mother sheep to pasture Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. 72 He pastured them like the perfection of his HEART and led them with the wisdom of his palms.

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THE FUNCTION OF THE CENTRAL SUBSEQUENCE This passage includes many terms found elsewhere in the rest of the psalm, without counting the divine names: “sin” (17), “still” (30), “to believe” (8 translated as “faithful, 22), “his wonders” (11), “day” (9 & 42), “to kill” (31 & 47), “to turn back” (41), “to remember” (42), “rock” (15 & 20), “mouth” (1, 2, 30), “heart” (8, 18, 72), “steadfast” (8, 22 translated as “trust”), “covenant” (10), “to destroy” (45), “anger” (21, 31, 49, 50), “breath” (8, translated as “spirit”), “to go away” (10, translated as “to walk”). This is the only place where the Lord is described as forgiving (38–39), despite repeated sin (32a), lack of faith (32b & 37b) and especially lying (36– 37).

CONTEXT SPEAKING IN PARABLES At the end of the discourse in parables addressed to the crowds, Jesus quotes the beginning of the psalm: 34

All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables, indeed he said nothing to them without a parable; 35 this was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation [of the world]. (Matt 13:34–35)

“THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN” The people ask Jesus a question in the synagogue in Capernaum quoting verse 24 of the psalm: 30

So they said, “What sign will you yourself do, the sight of which will make us believe in you? What work will you do? 31 Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus answered them: “In all truth I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; 33 for the bread of God is the bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:30– 33)

LESSON FROM ISRAEL’S PAST In 1 Cor 10:1–13, Paul refers to the events of the Exodus to draw lessons for the Corinthians: “6 These happenings were examples, for our benefit [...] 11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were described in writing to be a lesson for us.”

94

First Section (Ps 73–78)

INTERPRETATION PARABLES AND ENIGMAS The history of Israel, like that of any other people, is certainly made up of facts and events, but they must be interpreted to make sense, to be understood, to be read as lessons for the present (Ps 78:7–8). Taken by themselves, they are enigmatic. The facts of the past which the present generation has not witnessed can only be known through the account given by the ancestors, the people of the past generations. The psalmist, who opens his mouth today, takes a stand; he deciphers “the enigmas of old” (78:2) by attributing what has happened to the Lord. In his speech he will “praise” the “power” of God that has been manifested in the “wonders” and “deeds” that he has done (78:4, 7). THE INFINITE MERCY OF GOD The central passage (78:32–39) summarises the two long sub-sequences that frame it (78:9–31, 40–66). God’s people have never stopped sinning against their Lord, they have not believed in him, in his “wonders” and in his “covenant”. God had to punish them so that they would recover their memory and return to Him. But they were not sincere and were lying with their tongues. Despite all this, despite the redoubling of their sin and unbelief, the divine compassion was not weary of forgiving, excusing their unfaithfulness and attributing it to the fragility of their nature, their “flesh” and their “breath”. ELECTION OF A WISE SHEPHERD Discreetly and enigmatically evoked, the rejection of Ephraim had been prepared by referring to his sin at the very beginning of the first great historical panorama (78:9). It reappears, clearly this time, at the beginning of the conclusion, but very briefly (78:67). The whole weight of the discourse is on the election of the tribe of Judah, and within it, on the election of David. We understand then that the Lord places on him the hope of a rebirth, of a new generation for his people Israel, for his “inheritance”, in the “perfection” of the heart and the practical “wisdom” of the one who, as a good shepherd, knows how to guide his sheep, the flock of God. History can bounce back: God is never tired of believing in man.

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III. THE WHOLE OF THE FIRST SECTION (PS 73–78) COMPOSITION Ps 78 is quite different from the five that precede it. Most of the terms in the semantic field of sin are not found in the five psalms of the first sequence: “sin” (78:17, 32), “to defy” (78:8, 17, 40, 56), “rebellious” (78:8), “to offend” (78:40), “to tempt” (78:18, 41, 56), “to grieve” (78:41), “to deviate” (78:57), “to make angry” (78:58), “not keeping” (78:10, 56). Only two terms in this field were already present in the first psalm: “to betray” (78:57; 73:15) and “to be jealous” (78:58; “to be envious” in 73:3). But the psalmist makes it clear that he did not succumb to temptation: “And as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, as nothing my steps slipped, because I was envious of the arrogant, I saw the peace of the wicked” (73:2–3). We can add the verb “to forget” (78:7, 11) which occurs twice in 74:19, 23 but the subject differs: whereas in Ps 78 the people of Israel have forgotten God, in Ps 74 it is the Lord whom the psalmist begs not to forget his people. In the first sequence, the wonders and the mighty deeds accomplished by the Lord are recalled: the creation (74:12–17) and especially the exodus in the second side (76:7, 9–10; 77:15, 21), but the lack of faith and the rebellion of the people of Israel are never mentioned. On the contrary, the whole second sequence insists from the beginning to the end on the sin of the ancestors. Already in the first part, after mentioning “the praises of Yhwh and his power, and his wonders which he has done” (78:4–7), the psalmist concludes: “and will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, a generation whose heart is not steadfast and whose spirit is not faithful to God” (78:8). Afterwards there is a reminder of Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness. It continues until the beginning of the last part, when “he spurned the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim” (78:67). Such are the relations, both of similarity and especially of difference, between the two sequences. The titles assigned to the two sequences are intended to make explicit the essential connection between them. The psalmist’s question in the first sequence is answered by God in the second sequence: Why do you reject us? Because your fathers did not keep the covenant with God.

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INTERPRETATION BEGINNING WITH THE CLAIM OF INNOCENCE “Surely, God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart” (73:1). From the first verse of the section the stage is set! This beautiful statement will be contradicted throughout the first sequence. And first of all by the one who has just proclaimed it. Indeed, at the centre of the psalm, the psalmist complains that the law which says that the righteous must be rewarded does not apply to him. Beginning with the same “surely”, his claim is in direct opposition to his initial statement: “Surely, in vain I have kept my heart clean and I have washed my palms in innocence” (73:13). And, to prove his point, he explains: “and I was struck all the day and I was punished in the mornings” (73:14). And he says again, but this time to God, that he has always been pure of heart: “If I had said, ‘I will recount like them’, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children” (73:15). The tone is set and will be maintained throughout the first sequence. THEN WHY? It is therefore understandable that the next psalm begins with “Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” (74:1). A question that will come up again at the beginning of the second part: “Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand?” (74:11). And the psalmist also asks the Lord twice to remember: to remember what he had originally done for his people (74:2) and to remember the disastrous situation of today (74:18). An evil one is committed, God is insulted, his name is outraged, but it is done by “the enemy”, and not at all by his people. “DO NOT BE ARROGANT” (75:5) In the central psalm of the first sequence, the psalmist gives thanks for the wonders of God (75:2), he will chant for the God of Jacob (75:10) when he sees the wicked drinking the cup of God’s wrath to the dregs (75:9), ready to cut off all their horns (75:11a). God had promised that he would support those who were falling apart (75:4), but for the wicked and arrogant, he had not said that he would crush them; he had urged them very strongly not to raise their horns (75:5–6). But the arrogant ones may not be only those we think of them. It is possible to assume that he is also addressing those who claim innocence and purity of heart and who are convinced that the arrogant and wicked are obviously the others. THE WONDERS OF GOD In Israel the name of God is great (76:2). It is “terrible” (76:8, 13), “terrifying” (76:12) for the enemy, breaking all weapons of war (76:4), cutting

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short “the breath of princes” (76:13) who cannot stand before it (76:8); the psalmist counts himself among the “humiliated” saved by the Lord (76:10). The reference to the exodus and its wonders is even more prominent in the second side of the last psalm of the sequence (77:12–21). God made his power known “among the peoples” (77:15), divine lightning illuminated the world and the earth trembled (77:19); as for the people of Israel, the last verse depicts them as a herd of small cattle obediently following their guides Moses and Aaron (77:21). A REMINDER The rereading of the first sequence, which we have just completed, was prompted by the reading of the final psalm, which alone forms the second sequence. The contrast between the two is striking: how can we not hear in Ps 78 a response to the whole of the preceding ones. The response is gentle, delicate but equally firm. The “proverbs” and “enigmas” of the past, handed down from father to child, from generation to generation, have no other purpose than to invite the present generation to put “their hope in God”, not to forget “his great deeds” and to keep “his commandments” (78:7), in short, not to be like their ancestors who rebelled against him and defied him, who did not believe in him (78:8). And after this first part, the long story of the people’s unfaithfulness, their sins and their defiance, so that those who have spoken up to this point understand that if they are in trouble, the reason may be their own unfaithfulness to the covenant. The “why” of Ps 74 is answered in Ps 78: if God has rejected Israel, could it not be because his people have rejected him, as has happened so often in the past? A HOPE But the section does not end with the misfortune and the guilt of those who caused it. There is a light. Of course, the Lord “spurned the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim” because of the repeated sin (78:67). However, a figure appears in the end, that of “David” who will guide Jacob Israel “according to the perfection of his heart and with the wisdom of his palms” (78:72). Sin will not have the last word. God opens a new way, like a new creation: “he builds his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he founded forever” (78:69).

GOD WOULD INSTANTLY SUBDUE THEIR ENEMIES Second Section Ps 79–83

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

The central section comprises five psalms organised into three sequences. Two pairs of psalms (Ps 79–80 and 82–83) frame Ps 81:

HOW LONG

WILL THE NATIONS INSULT US?

Ps 79–80

IF YOU WOULD LISTENED TO ME, I WOULD INSTANTLY SUBDUE YOUR ENEMIES Ps 81 FOREVER,

THE NATIONS

WILL KNOW YOUR NAME!

Ps 82–83

I. HOW LONG WILL THE NATIONS INSULT US?

The First Sequence: Ps 79–80 1. PSALM 79 TEXT 1A

psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into your inheritance, they have defiled the Temple of your holiness, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants (as) food for the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth; 3 they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem and there was no one to bury (them). 4 We are an insult to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O Yhwh, will you be angry? Forever will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your fury on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name, 7 because they have devoured Jacob and desolated his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the first faults; quickly, may your tenderness come to meet us, because we are greatly afflicted. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of your name, and deliver us and wipe out our sins, for the sake of your name. 10 Why should the nations say: “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of your servants, which is poured out. 11 Let the groans of the captive come before you; according to the greatness of your arm spare the children of death. 12 And return to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom the insult with which they have insulted you, O Lord. 13 And we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, we will give thanks to you forever, from generation to generation we will recount your praise. V. 5: PROBLEM OF DIVISION

The Masoretic text places the atnah after “forever”, which results in two questions: “How long, O Yhwh, will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?”1 But “forever” duplicates the first question, “until when”. For this reason, alternative divisions have been proposed. Some see “forever” as a second question: “How long, O Yhwh, will you be angry? Forever?”2 Others divide the first member of the Masoretic text into a more balanced way, into two sentences of two terms: “How long, Yhwh? Will you be angry forever?”3 And finally, others move “forever” to the beginning of the second member, which better respects the parallelism.4

1

Kraus, II, 132; Vesco, 720, Osty, TOB. Thus BJ. Ravasi (II, 655) separates the two sentences by a colon and not by a question mark. 3 Weiser, 543; Dahood, II, 249; Lorenzin, 300; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 302; deClaissé-Walford – al., 627. 4 Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 113; Dhorme. 2

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V. 7A: “THEY HAVE DEVOURED”

The Masoretic text has the singular. The versions, as well as several manuscripts, correct it to the plural, as in Jer 10:25. V. 8A: “THE FIRST FAULTS”

It is possible to understand that these are the first faults of those who speak, their youthful faults, but it is also possible to understand that they are those of former generations, which consequently provoked the punishment of the destruction of the temple.

COMPOSITION The psalm is organised into three parts (1b–4, 6–9, 10c–13) connected by two very short linking parts (5, 10ab) which, moreover, are the only questions in the text. The extreme parts (1b–4 & 10c–13) are parallel to each other, while the central part (6–9), which is more extensive, is built concentrically. THE FIRST PART (1B–4) + 1b O God, + they have defiled + they have laid

have come the Temple JERUSALEM

: 2 The have given : (as) food : the flesh

the corpses of your servants, for the birds of heaven, of your faithful to the beasts

3

: they have poured out their blood : all around JERUSALEM

the nations of your holiness, in ruins.

into your inheritance,

of the earth;

like water, and there was no one to bury (them).

·····························································································································

– 4 We are – a scorn

an insult and derision

to our neighbours, to those around us.

The first piece (1b–3) reports what “the nations” did to the temple and to “Jerusalem” which is mentioned at the end of the extreme segments in the same position (1d & 3b). The first segment (1bcd) deals with the suffering of the city, the last two segments (2–3) with what happened to the bodies of its inhabitants. The second piece (4) expresses the impact of the capture of Jerusalem on the survivors of the tragedy.

Psalm 79

103

THE THIRD PART (6–9) :: 6 Pour out :: that :: that

your fury do not know you, YOUR NAME

7

= BECAUSE they have devoured = and his habitation

on the nations and on the kingdoms do not call upon,

Jacob they have desolated.

················································································································

– 8 Do not remember – the FAULTS,

against us the first ones;

+ quickly, = BECAUSE we are afflicted

may come to meet us greatly.

your tenderness,

················································································································

+ 9 Help us, .. for the sake

O God of the glory

of our salvation, of YOUR NAME,

– and deliver us .. for the sake

and wipe out of YOUR NAME.

our SINS,

In the first piece (6–7), the second segment (7) introduced by “because” gives the reason for the request of the first segment (6). In the third piece (9), the second members (9b & 9d) give the same reason for the requests of the first members (9a & 9c). As for the second piece (8), it ensures the transition between the other two pieces: indeed, “the faults” of its first segment (8b) announces the last segment of the third piece which speaks of “sins” (9d); its second segment (8cd) on the contrary, with its second member introduced by “because”, refers to the second segment of the first piece (7), “we are afflicted” recalls the destruction of Jacob. The first “faults” (8b) that caused the present affliction (8d) can be interpreted as the faults of those who in the past deserved the punishment of Jacob. THE FIFTH PART (10C–13) + 10c Let it be known + the vengeance

among the nations before our eyes of the blood of your servants,

11

+ Let (them) come before you, + according to the greatness of your arm + spare the children 12

.. And return .. the insult

the groans

which is poured out. of the captive;

of death.

to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom with which they insulted you, O Lord.

·····························································································································

: 13 And we, : we will give thanks : from generation

your people to you to generation

and the sheep forever, we will recount

of your pasture, your praise.

104 + 10c Let it be known + the vengeance

Second Section (Ps 79–83) among the nations before our eyes of the blood of your servants,

11

+ Let (them) come before you + according to the greatness of your arm, + spare the children 12

.. And return .. the insult

the groans

which is poured out. of the captive;

of death.

to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom with which they insulted you, O Lord.

······························································································································

: 13 And we, : we will give thanks : from generation

your people to you to generation

and the sheep forever, we will recount

of your pasture, your praise.

The first piece (10c–12) is of the AAB type. While the first two segments (10c–11) deal with the human victims of “the nations”, the third segment (12) focuses on the punishment of the “neighbours” who insulted the Lord. In this sense, this last segment of the first piece (12) is opposed to the second piece, where the “praise” of God (13) recounted by those who speak in the first person plural is the opposite of the “insult” addressed to God by the pagans. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM The first linking part (5) is a double question addressed to “Yhwh”, the second one (10ab) is also a double question, always addressed to the Lord, the second question is the complement of the first one. The first linking part (5) interprets the ruin of Jerusalem described in the first part (1b–4) as the result of God’s anger; and it prepares for the central part (6–9), where the psalmist is requesting that God’s “fury” be poured out not on Israel but “on the nations”. The second linking part (10ab) likewise ensures the transition from the central part (6–9) to the last part (10c–13): when God pours out his “fury” on them (6), when he “helps” and “delivers” his people (9), when “the vengeance” falls on them (10cd), the nations will no longer be able to ask “where is their God” (10b). The extreme parts begin with “the nations” (1b & 10c), continue with “your servants” (2a & 10d), followed by “blood” (3a & 10d) and finally by “insult”, which affects the people of Israel (4a) but also the Lord (12b). The central part also begins with “the nations” (6a). “They have devoured” in 7a recalls “food” mentioned in 2b. The divine names are found once in each part, “God” (1b, 9a, 10b), “Yhwh” (5a), and “the Lord” (12b).

Psalm 79 1

105

A psalm

of Asaph.

O GOD, they have defiled they have laid

have come the Temple Jerusalem

THE NATIONS

2

They have given as FOOD the flesh

the corpses for the birds of your faithful

OF YOUR SERVANTS of heaven, to the beasts

THEY HAVE POURED OUT all around

their blood Jerusalem

like water, and there was no one to bury them.

3

into your inheritance,

of your holiness, in ruins.

of the earth;

···························································································································

– 4 We are – a scorn

and derision

to our neighbours, to those around us.

O YHWH, will (it) burn

will you be angry? like fire,

6

Pour out that that

your fury do not know you, your name

on THE NATIONS and on the kingdoms do not call upon,

7

Jacob they have desolated.

:: 5 How long, :: Forever

because THEY HAVE DEVOURED and his habitation

AN INSULT

your jealousy?

························································································ 8

Do not remember the faults,

against us the first ones;

quickly, may come to meet us your tenderness, because we are afflicted greatly. ························································································ 9

Help us, for the sake

O GOD of the glory

of our salvation, of your name,

and deliver us for the sake

and wipe out of your name.

our sins,

should (they) say, their GOD?”

THE NATIONS:

:: 10 Why :: “Where is Let it be known the vengeance

among THE NATIONS before our eyes OF THE BLOOD OF YOUR SERVANTS,

11

Let (them) come according to the greatness spare

before you, of your arm the children

of death.

12

to our neighbours with which

THEY HAVE INSULTED YOU,

And return

THE INSULT

the groans

sevenfold

which IS POURED OUT. of the captive;

into their bosom O LORD.

···························································································································

+ 13 And we, + we will give thanks + from age to age

your people to you we will recount

and the sheep forever, your praise.

of your pasture,

106

Second Section (Ps 79–83)

CONTEXT “THE VENGEANCE OF THE BLOOD” (79:10D) The one who avenges the shed blood—whom Num 35:9 calls gō’ēl haddām— is the victim’s closest relative, his or her gō’ēl, who has a duty to protect him or her and therefore to shed the blood of the murderer in accordance with the commandment given to Noah: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed” (Gen 9:6). It is indeed a matter of righteousness that must be restored.

INTERPRETATION MISFORTUNE The psalm begins by recalling the misfortune when Jerusalem was seized and its temple was defiled by the pagans, when the blood of God’s “servants” was shed in streams and their corpses left to be eaten by wild animals (Ps 79:1b–3). This disaster haunts the minds of those who escaped the massacre and whose eyes are still filled with its horrific images. But that is not just a memory, a story: these words are addressed to “God”, whose name is spoken first (79:1b). Actually, they sound like a call for help, and it is therefore possible to hear in them a kind of reproach. SIN The misfortune is attributed to God’s “anger” (79:5) caused by sin, “the first faults” (79:8b) of those who were unfaithful to the covenant and who provoked the punishment that justly fell upon them, also the “sins” of the survivors (79:9c) who are now “captives” (79:11a), a target for the “insults” of the nations that keep them in exile, far from Jerusalem and its ruined temple. By imploring God’s forgiveness, they confess that they deserved the punishment that befell them. “FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR NAME” (79:9D) Those who address God appeal to his “tenderness” (79:8c), trusting that it will prevail over his “anger” (79:5a). But the main focus of the supplication seems to be “the glory of his name” (79:9). It is as if the Lord had to act primarily for himself, for his own honour. Indeed, the pagan nations do not know him, “they do not call upon his name” (79:6) and the divine “fury” should lead them to recognise and honour him. As a result, they would no longer be able to say, “Where is their God?”

Psalm 79

107

INSULT The poor survivors of the seizure of Jerusalem and the destruction of its temple became “the insult to their neighbours” (79:4). All that they were proud of, the beauty of their city, the impregnable solidity of its walls, the confidence in God whom they honoured in his temple, all these have not withstood the assault of the nations. And the nations can easily laugh and mock them. However, the insult is not aimed only at people, but through the people of Israel it also and above all it is aimed at God in whom they had placed their hope: “Where is their God?” (79:10b). PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING Insults will not have the last word. The faith of Israel, severely tested by the deportation and the exile, remains unshaken. After the complaint and the supplication, the psalmist assures the Lord, in the name of all his people, first of all that they remain unfailingly “his people and the sheep of his pasture” (79:13a) and that his faithfulness can only result in the salvation and liberation implored. Thanksgiving and praise will resound “from age to age” and “forever” (79:13bc).

2. PSALM 80 TEXT 1 For

the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 Give ear, you who pasture Israel, who lead Joseph like sheep; who sit above the cherubim, shine forth; 3 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, awaken your valour and come for our salvation. 4 O God, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be saved. 5 O Yhwh, God of hosts, how long will you flare up at the prayer of your people? 6 You have made them eat the bread of tears, and you have made them drink tears threefold; 7 you have made us a strife to our neighbours, and our enemies are mocking us. 8 O God of hosts, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be saved. 9 You brought a vine out of Egypt, you drove out the nations and you planted it; 10 you cleared a place before it, and it took root with its roots and it filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God with its boughs; 12 it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River. 13 Why have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it? 15 O God of hosts, come back, we pray, look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine, 16 and protect what your right hand has planted, and the son you made strong for yourself. 17 It is burned with fire, cut down; let them perish at the threat of your face. 18 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself; 19 and we will never turn away from you, you will revive us and we will call upon your name. 20 O Yhwh, God of hosts, bring us back, make your face shine, and we shall be saved. V. 14: “FOREST”

In the Masoretic text, the ayin of miyyā‘ar (“of the forest”) is placed above the line, to indicate that it is the central letter of the Psalter. V. 16A: “AND PROTECT”

The first word of the verse is discussed. Some believe that it is an imperative of knn, “to preserve”, “to protect”, which is supported by the Septuagint;1 others, on the contrary, think that it is a noun—a hapax—, which in parallel to “this vine” means “a stump”, “a plant”.2 V. 16B: “AND THE SON”

The text itself does not present any difficulty, but the issue is to know the meaning of the word “son”. Some equate it with the vine just mentioned, in other words with Israel, while others equate it with the messiah.3

1

Thus, e.g., Ravasi, II, 687; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 310. E.g., Hakham, II, 75; Vesco, 727. 3 See Ravasi, II, 687–689; W.C. KAISER, Jr, “The Messiah of Psalm 80”, 388–390, 392–393. 2

110

Second Section (Ps 79–83)

V. 17: “IT IS BURNED WITH FIRE, CUT DOWN...”

The two feminine participles refer to the “vine” of the preceding verse. It is understood as a participial clause with a causative meaning: it is because they have burnt it that they must perish.

COMPOSITION The refrains (4, 8, 15–16, 20), all of them slightly different, have the function of marking the end of four units: 2–4, 5–8, 9–16, 17–20. While the first part and the last one (2–4 & 17–20) are supplications aimed at the future, the second one and the third one (5–8 & 9–16) are reminders of the past, leading to a distressing present; they are marked with two questions (5 & 13–14). The structure is mirrored, but the third part is distinct from the others in its length and complexity. THE FIRST PART (2–4) + 2 You who pasture Israel, + who lead like sheep + who sit above the cherubim, + 3 before :: AWAKEN :: and COME

Ephraim your valour

GIVE EAR,

Joseph, SHINE FORTH;

and Benjamin

and Manasseh,

FOR THE SALVATION of ours. ······························································································································ = 4 O God, BRING US BACK, = AND MAKE SHINE your face AND WE SHALL BE SAVED.

The first piece (2–3) comprises two trimembers, each comprising two imperatives. The pair “Israel” and “Joseph” (2ab) is matched by “Ephraim”, “Benjamin” and “Manasseh” (3a), all the five names belong to the northern kingdom. The second piece (4) is linked to the first one by the imperatives of the second person singular and by “salvation” / “to save” (3c & 4b). THE SECOND PART (5–8) The first piece (5–7) begins with a restless question, motivated by the disastrous condition of the “people” who are mocked by their “neighbours” and “enemies”. The refrain (8), on the other hand, is a prayer calling for salvation.

Psalm 80 + 5 O Yhwh, + how long

GOD will you flare up

6

111 OF HOSTS,

at the prayer

of your people?

– You have made them eat the bread – and you have made them drink tears

of tears, threefold;

– 7 you have made us – and our enemies

to our neighbours, us.

a strife are mocking

······························································································································· = 8 O GOD OF HOSTS, bring us back,

= and make shine

your face,

and we shall be saved.

THE THIRD PART (9–16) The first subpart (9–14) is formed of three pieces: the extreme pieces (9–10 & 13–14) describe the divine actions, initially the positive ones (9–10) and then the negative ones (13–14), while the central piece (11–12) describes their expansion, vertically over the cedars of the mountains, horizontally from west to east, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates (Gen 15:18). God’s actions (Ps 80:9– 10a, 13a) are followed by those of the vine (10bc) and its enemies (13b–14). + 9 A VINE + YOU DROVE OUT

of Egypt the nations

+ 10 YOU CLEARED A PLACE = and it took root = and it filled

before it, with its roots the land.

YOU BROUGHT OUT, and YOU PLANTED IT;

···········································································································

:: 11 Were covered :: and with its boughs

the mountains the cedars

with its shadow of God;

:: 12 it stretched :: and to the River

its branches its shoots.

to the Sea

···········································································································

– 13 Why = and pluck it

have you broken down all who pass along

its fences, the way,

= 14 ravages it, = and the beast

the boar of the fields

of the forest, feeds on it?

= 15 O God = LOOK DOWN

of hosts, from heaven

COME BACK, and SEE,

= and VISIT = 16 and protect = and the son

the VINE, what HAS PLANTED PLANTED you made strong

this one, your right hand, for yourself.

we pray,

112

Second Section (Ps 79–83)

The second subpart (15–16) is a supplication requesting God to “see” (15ab) and then to act (15c–16). The two occurrences of the “vine” and “to plant” (9 & 15c–16a) form an inclusion. THE FOURTH PART (17–20) – 17 It is burned – at the thread

with fire, of your face

cut down; LET THEM PERISH.

+ 18 LET your hand BE upon the man of your right hand, + upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself, + 19 and never + YOU WILL REVIVE US

we will turn away upon your name

from you, we will call.

·································································································································

= 20 O Yhwh, = MAKE SHINE

God your face,

of hosts, BRING US BACK, and we shall be saved.

In the first piece (17–19) the first segment (17) announces the punishment of those who have burnt the vineyard planted by God, the next segment (18) invokes the help granted by the Lord to an individual who could be a king or a leader of the people; the last segment (19) moves to the “we” of the people. The second piece (20) is the refrain. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM While the extreme parts are supplications, the other two are complaints. The four refrains mark the end of each part. The first two (4 & 8) and the last refrain (20) are quite similar, the initial vocative is each time enriched with a new term. The third refrain (15–16), which begins like the preceding one (8a), is not only different but also the most extensive. “God of hosts” occurs four times, at the beginning of the last three refrains (8, 15, 20), but also already at the beginning of the second part (5). The last part echoes the last two members of the third refrain (16) by repeating “your right hand” and “the son [...] you made strong for yourself” (18). “Feeds on” in 14 and “you who pasture” in 2 translate the same verb. The first piece of the second part and the first subpart of the third part are framed by the only two questions in the psalm: “How long” and “why” (5 & 13– 14).

Psalm 80 1

113

For the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm. GIVE EAR, YOU WHO PASTURE Israel, who lead Joseph like sheep, who sit above the cherubim, SHINE FORTH; 3 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, AWAKEN your valour and COME for our salvation. 2

····························································································································· 4

O GOD,

AND MAKE your

face SHINE,

BRING US BACK, and we shall be saved.

5

O Yhwh, GOD OF HOSTS, HOW LONG WILL YOU FLARE UP at the prayer of your people? YOU HAVE MADE THEM EAT the bread of tears , and YOU HAVE MADE THEM DRINK tears threefold; 7 YOU HAVE MADE US a strife to our neighbours, and our enemies are mocking us. 6

············································································ 8

O GOD

OF HOSTS,

AND MAKE your 9

face SHINE,

BRING US BACK, and we shall be saved.

YOU BROUGHT a vine OUT of Egypt, YOU DROVE OUT the nations and YOU PLANTED IT; before it, and IT TOOK ROOT with its roots and IT FILLED the land.

10 YOU CLEARED A PLACE

···························································································································· 11 12

The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God with its boughs; it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River.

···························································································································· 13

WHY HAVE YOU BROKEN DOWN its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields FEEDS ON it? 15

O GOD

OF HOSTS,

COME, we pray, from heave and SEE, and VISIT this vine, 16 and protect what YOUR RIGHT HAND has planted, and THE SON YOU MADE STRONG FOR YOURSELF. LOOK DOWN

17

It is burned with fire, cut down; LET THEM PERISH at the threat of your face. LET your hand BE upon the man of YOUR RIGHT HAND, upon THE SON of Adam WHOM YOU MADE STRONG FOR YOURSELF, 19 and we will never turn away from you, YOU WILL REVIVE US and we will call upon your name. 18

····························································································································· 20

O Yhwh, GOD OF HOSTS, face SHINE,

MAKE your

BRING US BACK, and we shall be saved.

CONTEXT “WHO SIT ABOVE THE CHERUBIM” (80:2) This divine title (1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15, etc.) refers to the two cherubim that face each other on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, delimiting

114

Second Section (Ps 79–83)

the space where the Lord sits and from which he will speak to give his orders (Exod 25:22).4 THE TRIBES OF RACHEL The three tribes coordinated in Ps 80:3a are descendants of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Benjamin the last one, and Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph his first son. “Israel” in 80:2a may refer either to all twelve tribes or only to those in the north, as “Joseph” in 80:2b might suggest. “BRING US BACK” (80:4, 8, 20) The verb can mean “bring us back” from the exile or “restore our condition”. Ps 126 plays on both meanings.5 “TO THE SEA AND TO THE RIVER” (80:12) This expression indicates the western and eastern limits of the land: “Wherever the sole of your foot treads will be yours; your territory will run from the desert all the way to the Lebanon; and from the River, the River Euphrates, as far as the Western Sea, will be your territory” (Deut 11:24). The most common expression is “from the River of Egypt to the Great River, the River Euphrates” according to the promise to Abraham (Gen 15:18; see also Josh 1:4; Isa 27:12). “GOD OF HOSTS” The expression can refer to the heavenly hosts, that is to say, all the stars (Ps 89:9; 148:2), which are under God’s command, but also to the armies of Israel which the Lord supports. Here there is no reference to the powers of heaven (except perhaps in 80:15b).

INTERPRETATION TO EAT OR TO BE EATEN “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing”. As in Ps 23, the first image of the psalm is that of the Shepherd of Israel who “pasture” his “sheep” (80:2). In a striking contrast, the one whom the Lord sustains by feeding him is reduced to be eaten by the “beast of the field” that feasts on him (80:14b). He even becomes the prey of the most impure of animals: the Lord’s “sheep” become the 4 See the analysis of Exod 20:10–40 (the text is focused on verse 22) in R. MEYNET, Le fait synoptique reconsidéré, 178–179. 5 See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 377–384.

Psalm 80

115

food of the “pig of the forest” (80:14a). That is how Israel’s “neighbours” and “enemies” are referred to: a tragic way for the psalmist to “mock” them in his turn (80:7). “BRING US BACK” The description of the misfortune is not circumstantial. The phrase “bring us back” in the refrains, at the beginning and at the end (80:4, 8, 20), might suggest that it is the return from the exile. However, the variation in the third refrain, “come, we pray” (80:15a), as well as what follows, “visit this vine and protect what your right hand has planted” (80:15b–16a), suggest rather incursions, raids, perhaps even invasions that cut the country into pieces. It is in the land of Israel that the boar of the forest comes to be satisfied, that the beast of the field comes to graze. Nevertheless, such an unnatural situation, in any case completely opposed to the will of Yhwh, must be reversed, restored. The Lord must “bring back” Joseph to his pastures. DIVINE PUNISHMENT The two questions that the psalmist addresses to God attribute the present misfortune to the “anger” that inflamed him (80:5) and caused him to break the fences of his vine (80:13). Although the psalm contains neither the confession of sin nor the claim of innocence that can be found elsewhere, these questions suggest that the Lord’s conduct was prompted by the unfaithfulness of his people, so grave that it has darkened the face of God, which no longer shines on Israel which now needs to be saved. The vine of Israel was not only eaten up, it was “burnt” and “cut down” (80:17). THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD The psalmist seems to think that “the right hand” of the Lord cannot change permanently and that God is faithful to his covenant. It was his right hand that planted his vine (80:16), his hand will be “on the man of his right hand” (80:18). This “man”, this “son of Adam” is “the son you made strong for yourself” (80:16, 18). “About whom does the prophet say? About himself or about someone else?” (Acts 8:34). The Targum will interpret this as the king, the messiah, through whom God’s salvation will reach his people. It might be, quite simply, the people of Israel, the vine that he transplanted from Egypt and who elsewhere are referred to as “son” of the Lord: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hos 11:1).

116

Second Section (Ps 79–83) 3. THE WHOLE OF FIRST SEQUENCE (PS 79–80)

79 1 A psalm of Asaph. O GOD, the nations have come into your inheritance, they have defiled the Temple of your holiness, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as FOOD for the birds of HEAVEN, the flesh of your faithful to the BEASTS of the earth; 3 they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem and there was no one to bury them. 4 We are an insult to OUR NEIGHBOURS, a SCORN and derision to those around us. 5 HOW LONG,

O YHWH, , will you be angry? Forever WILL your jealousy BURN like FIRE?

6 Pour out your fury on the nations, that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon YOUR NAME, 7 because THEY HAVE EATEN UP Jacob and desolated his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the first faults; quickly, may your tenderness come to meet us, because we are greatly afflicted. 9 Help us, O GOD of our SALVA and deliver us SALVAT VATION, for the sake of the glory of YOUR NAME, and wipe out our sins, for the sake of YOUR NAME. 10 WHY

should the nations say: “Where is their GOD?”

Let it be known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of your servants, which is poured out. 11 Let the groans of the captive come to your face; according to 12 And return to our neighbours the greatness of your arm spare the children of death. sevenfold into their bosom the insult with which they have insulted you, O LORD. 13 And we, YOUR PEOPLE and THE SHEEP of your PASTURE, we will give thanks to you forever from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

80 1 For the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 Give ear, YOU WHO Israel, who lead Joseph like SHEEP, who sit above the cherubim, shine forth; 3 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, awaken your valour and come for our SALVA SALVAT VATION. 4 O GOD, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED.

PASTURE

5 O YHWH,

GOD OF HOSTS, HOW LONG will you flare up at the prayer of YOUR PEOPLE? have made them EAT the bread of tears, and you have made them drink tears threefold; 7 you have made us a strife to OUR NEIGHBOURS, and our enemies ARE MOCKING us. 8 O GOD OF HOSTS, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED. 6 You

9 You

brought a vine out of Egypt, you drove out the nations and you planted it; cleared a place before it, and it took root with its roots and it filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of GOD with its boughs; 12 it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River. 13 WHY have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and THE BEAST of the fields FEED ON it? 10 you

15 O GOD OF HOSTS, come back, we pray, 16 and protect what your right hand has

look down from HEAVEN and see, and visit this vine, planted, and the son you made strong for yourself.

17 IT IS BURNED with FIRE, cut down; let them perish at the threat of your face. 18 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself, 19 and we will never turn away from you, you will revive us and we will call upon YOUR NAME. 20 O YHWH, GOD OF HOSTS, bring us back, make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED.

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– “How long” and “why” are found in a symmetrical position in Ps 79:5, 10, and similarly “how long” and “why” in Ps 80:5, 13; – “Sheep” and “pasture” / ”you who pasture” (79:13; 80:2) act as median terms; – “Our neighbours” followed by “a scorn” / “are mocking” occur in 79:4 and 80:7; “our neighbours” is also found in 79:12; – “The nations” of 79:6, 10a, are matched by “the nations” in 80:9, accompanied by “our enemies” in 80:7; – The enemies “have eaten up” Jacob (79:7), they have given their bodies to the birds of the air as food (79:2); the Lord has “made his people eat” the bread of tears (80:6); – The flesh of the faithful was given “to the beasts of the earth” (79:2); “the beast of the fields” feed on the Lord’s vineyard (80:14); both terms are synonymous; – The birds of “heaven” feed on the corpses of God’s servants (79:2); in 80:15 the psalmist asks the Lord to look down “from heaven” and to visit his people; – “To burn”, which translates two synonyms, is followed by “fire” (79:5; 80:17); – In Ps 79 the divine names are “God” (79:1, 9, 10), “Yhwh” (79:5), “Lord” (79:12); in Ps 80, “God” (80:4, 11), “God of hosts” (80:8, 15), “Yhwh, God of hosts” (80:5, 20); – “Your name”, that is, the name of the Lord, occurs in 79:6, 9 [2x] and 80:19; – “Salvation” / “to save” occurs in 79:9; 80:3, 4, 8, 20; – “Your people” occurs in 79:13 and 80:5; – God’s “arm” (79:11) is matched by his “right hand” and his “hand” (80:16, 18); – “Your face” of 80:4, 8, 17, 20 is already present in 79:11; – The syntagma “children of death” (79:11) is opposed to “the son” whom God “made strong” (80:16, 18). Both are complaints, supplications (79:6–9, 10b–12; 80:2–4, 15–16, 17–18, 20) in times of misfortune (79:1b–4; 80:6–7, 9–14), which end with a promise of praise (79:13; 80:19).

II. IF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME, I WOULD INSTANTLY SUBDUE YOUR ENEMIES

The Second Sequence: Psalm 81 The second sequence comprises only one psalm. TEXT 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 2 Shout for joy to God our strength, acclaim the God of Jacob, 3 lift up the psalms and sound the tambourine, the sweet harp with the lyre, 4 blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 5 because it (was) a decree for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob; 6 he set up an ordinance in Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt. I hear a lip that I did not know: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, his palms were freed from the basket. 8 In anguish you cried out and I delivered you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selâ 9 Listen, O my people, and I admonish you, O Israel, if you would listen to me! 10 There shall be no strange god among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign god; 11 I (am) Yhwh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 12 But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not want me; 13 and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans. 14 Oh, if my people would listen to me, if Israel would walk in my ways! 15 I would instantly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors; 16 those who hate Yhwh would cringe to him, and their time would last forever. 17 And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

V. 1: “THE GITTITH”

As in the title of Ps 8, this name has been interpreted by the translation and the midrash as deriving from gat, a “press”, or from Gat: it would then refer to a musical instrument or a tune linked to this city.1 V. 6C: “A LIP”

The term is ambiguous: it can refer to a “language”, as in the account of Babel where it designates the unique “language” spoken by all people (Gen 9:1, 6, etc.; see Isa 19:18, “the language of Canaan”). It can also refer to a “language”, as a way of speaking, whose meaning is close to “his voice” (Ps 81:12a). V. 7: “HIS SHOULDER”, “HIS PALMS”

Since this is the beginning of God’s speech, one would have expected the second person pronouns; but switching between persons is not uncommon in poetry. It is also evident in the last verse, where the first member is in the third person singular and the second member in the second person. 1

See Le Psautier. Premier livre, 85 = The Psalter: Book One, 85.

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

COMPOSITION The psalm comprises three parts arranged concentrically. The first part (2–6b) is an invitation to praise the gift of the Law; in the second one (6c–8) the Lord reminds the psalmist of what he did for them by bringing them out of Egypt; in the last part, which is longer and more complex, the Lord invites his people to listen to him (9–17). THE FIRST PART (2–6B) + 2 Shout for joy + acclaim

to God

our strength,

THE GOD

OF JACOB,

+ 3 lift up + the harp

the psalms sweet one

and sound the tambourine, with the lyre,

+ 4 blow + at the full moon,

at the new moon on the day

the trumpet, of our feast;

················································································································

:: 5 because a decree :: a judgment

for Israel

it (was),

OF THE GOD

OF JACOB;

:: 6 an ordinance :: when he went out

in Joseph against the land

he set up of Egypt.

In the first piece (2–4) the psalmist invites the people to praise the Lord (2) with song and instruments (3) on the occasion of the new moon (4). The second piece (5–6) introduced with “because” gives the reason for this invitation. The gift of the Law—called at the beginning of the first three members with its synonyms of Ps 119, “a decree”, “a judgement”, “ordinance”—when the people came out of the slavery of Egypt. “Israel” and “Jacob” are found in the same position. Across the pieces, “the God of Jacob” returns in each piece in the same position (2b & 5b). THE SECOND PART (6C–8) 6c

A lip

that I did not know

I hear:

································································································

+ 7 “I turned aside + his palms

from the burden from the basket

his shoulder, were freed.

:: 8 In anguish – I answered you – I tested you

you cried out in the hiding place at the waters

and I delivered you; of thunder, of Meribah.

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The initial unimember (6c) introduces the speech of God. It begins in the third person (7a), as if it were addressed generally, while in the second segment God addresses his people in the second person singular (7b). The following trimember segment (8) is of the ABB’ type: the first member refers to the liberation, the other two to what happened in the desert after the crossing of the sea, the giving of the Law in the thunder of Sinai and the temptation at Massah and Meribah. THE THIRD PART (9–17) + 9 LISTEN, + O ISRAEL,

O my people, and I warn you, IF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME!

·····························································································································

: 10 There shall be no : and you shall not bow down

among you to a god,

strange god, a foreign one;

: 11 I (am) : who brought you up

Yhwh, out of the land

your God, of Egypt.

... Open wide

your mouth

and I will fill it.

– 12 But DID NOT LISTEN – and ISRAEL

my people did not want

to my voice, me;

:: 13 and I sent them away :: they walk

in the hardness in their own plans.

of their hearts,

+ 14 Oh! if my people + if ISRAEL

WOULD LISTEN TO ME, in my ways

would walk!

·····························································································································

: 15 Instantly : and against their oppressors

their enemies I would turn

I would subdue my hand;

: 16 those who hate : and would last

Yhwh their time

would cringe to him, forever.

... 17 And he would feed him ... and from the rock

with the finest with the honey

of the wheat, I would satisfy you.”

While at the beginning of the extreme subparts (9 & 14) the Lord invites his people to listen to him, at the beginning of the central subpart he remarks that they have not done it (12). The second piece of the first subpart (10–11) makes explicit what it means to “listen” to the Lord: to worship no one (10) except the God who has set them free (11ab); the piece ends with a unimember where the Lord promises to feed his people (11c). Symmetrically, the second piece of the last subpart (15–17) tells what would happen if the people were willing to listen: the Lord would ensure victory over

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their enemies (15–16) and in the last segment, as in the final unimember of the first subpart (11c), the promise of the most succulent foods (17). The final verbs, “I will fill it” (11c) and “I will satisfy you” (17b), both indicate the same filling abundance. In the central subpart (12–13), God points out that his people did not listen and were therefore left to their own devices. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 2

Shout for joy to GOD our strength, acclaim the GOD of Jacob, lift up the psalms and sound the tambourine, the sweet harp with the lyre, 4 blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 3

································································································································ 5

because it was a decree for ISRAEL, a judgment of the GOD of Jacob; 6 he set up an ordinance in Joseph when he went out against THE LAND OF EGYPT. I hear a language that I did not know: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, his palms were freed from the basket. 8 In ANGUISH you cried out and I delivered you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 9

O ISRAEL, if you would listen to me! ································································································································ 10 There shall be no strange GOD among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign GOD; 11 I am Yhwh, your GOD, who brought you up out of THE LAND OF EGYPT. Listen, O my people, and I admonish you,

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 12 13

But my people did not listen to my voice, and ISRAEL did not want me; and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans.

14

Oh, if my people would listen to me, if ISRAEL would walk in my ways! ································································································································ 15 I would instantly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their OPPRESSORS; 16 those who hate YHWH would cringe to him, and their time would last forever. 17

And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

The “decree”, “judgment”, and “ordinance” with which the first part ends (5– 6) are echoed by the reminder of the first commandment of the Law in the first subpart of the last part (10–11a); these verses also end with the reminder of the exodus from Egypt. In the first part it is the psalmist who invites the people to praise the Lord, in the last one it is the Lord who calls his people to listen to him, apparently unsuccessfully.

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In the extreme parts “Israel” of 5 is repeated three times in 9, 12, 14, “God” (2 [2x] & 5) returns in 10 [2x], 11a, and he is called “Yhwh” in the ending (16). In these two parts “anguish” in 8 and “oppressors” in 15 derive from the same root. The name “Israel” appears four times (5, 9, 12, 14); with those of “Jacob” (2 & 5) and “Joseph” (6), it makes a total of seven and, adding “my people” (9, 12, 14), it makes ten. These are three numbers of totality: four as the four cardinal points, seven as the days of the week, ten as the ten words of creation and the ten of the decalogue.

CONTEXT NEW MOON, FULL MOON, FESTIVAL (PS 81:4) The first day of the month at the new moon or neomenia is celebrated liturgically (Lev 23:24; Num 10:10; 1 Sam 20:5, 24; Amos 8:5). Similarly, the full moon in the middle of the lunar month. “Feast” (ḥag) refers to the three great pilgrimage feasts where all had to go to the temple in Jerusalem: Passover, Pentecost and Tents. It may refer to the Feast of Tabernacles on the full moon of the seventh month (Lev 23:34) when the Law is read, but perhaps more likely to be Passover on the full moon of the first month (Exod 12:1–14; Lev 23:5–6) because of the double emphasis on the coming out “of the land of Egypt” (Ps 81:6, 11) followed by the gift of the Law at Sinai. In any case, all the three pilgrimage feasts celebrate, each in its own fashion, the paschal event, from the coming out of Egypt to the giving of the Law. DECREE, JUDGMENT, ORDINANCE (PS 81:5–6) In Ps 119 these three terms are among the eight synonyms of “the Law”; they are mostly in the plural, but the “judgment” is also found in the singular in verse 84 and the “ordinance” in verse 88. THE BURDEN, THE BASKET (PS 81:7) The first words spoken by the Lord recall the hard work imposed on the Hebrews by the Egyptians after Joseph’s passing away: making bricks for Pharaoh’s great works (Exod 1:11–14; 5:6–23). THE DECALOGUE Verses 10–11 of Ps 81 closely recall the beginning of the Decalogue, but the order of the verses is reversed: “I (am) Yhwh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod 20:2–3; Deut 5:6–7).

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

THE FINEST OF THE WHEAT AND THE HONEY FROM THE ROCK (PS 81:17) The expression used to describe the promised land is “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod 3:8, 17; Num 13:27; etc.). Here milk is replaced by “the finest” (lit., the fat, that is the best part) of the wheat; “honey from the rock” is the wild honey, given directly by the Lord.

INTERPRETATION “I HEAR A LANGUAGE THAT I DID NOT KNOW” (PS 81:6C) The centre of concentric compositions often contains an enigma, and Ps 81 is no exception. How could the children of Israel have forgotten the first article of their creed? How could they not know the circumstances of their liberation from slavery in Egypt, the gift of the Law at Sinai, the trials they endured in the desert? And even more because he has just called all his people to celebrate the feast which commemorates and revives these events. “OH, IF MY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME!” (81:14) What the psalmist did not know—along with all his people—could not be what happened to them at the time of the exodus. It seems that the last part of the psalm reveals this to him. Despite the shouts of joy and liturgical acclamations, despite their exaltation of the “decree”, the “judgment” and the “ordinance” which they praise, the fact is that they did not listen to the voice of the Lord, that they did not want him (81:12). The Law is beautiful and good, of course, but it must be observed. The fact that the Lord recalls the first commandment of the decalogue (81:10–11) clearly suggests that Israel has succumbed to the temptation of idolatry. A FATHER FOR ISRAEL The Lord is concerned with the welfare of those whom he considers as his children. He intends to defend them against their enemies, against those who seek their lives (81:15). Like a father—like a mother—his concern is to satisfy them (81:11b), and with the best food available, with “the finest of the wheat” and with “the honey from the rock” (81:17). He who in a certain sense had turned away from them by not speaking to them since he had noticed their unfaithfulness (81:12–17), at the very end his heart no longer resists and he speaks to them again: “and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (81:17).

III. THE NATIONS WILL KNOW YOUR NAME FOREVER!

The Third Sequence: Ps 82–83 1. PSALM 82 TEXT 1A

psalm of Asaph. God stands up in the council of El, in the midst of the gods he judges. long will you judge unjustly and uphold the face of the wicked? selâ. 3 Judge the weak and the orphan, vindicate the afflicted and the needy; 4 liberate the weak and the poor, from the hand of the wicked deliver (them). 5 They neither know nor understand, they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 As for me, I have said: You (are) gods and sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 surely, you will die as adam and as one of the princes, you will fall.” 8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, because (it is) you who have inherited all the nations. 2 “How

The difficulty of the psalm is not of a linguistic or textual nature. The essential problem is to identify those whom God is addressing: the gods of the heavenly court or the human leaders.

COMPOSITION The body of the psalm is built concentrically. The extreme parts correspond to each other: + 1b GOD + in the midst

STANDS UP

in the council

OF THE GODS

HE JUDGES.

O GOD, who have inherited

JUDGE

of EL,

[...] + 8 RISE UP, + because (it is) you

all

the earth, the nations.

“God” (’ĕlōhîm) occurs twice in the first part and is repeated once in the last part. While the form of the term is plural, its last occurrence (8a) as well as the first one (1b) have a singular referent, as it indicated by the verbs, “rises” (1b), “judges” (1c & 8a), you “who have inherited” (8b). On the other hand, its second occurrence (1c) has a plural referent, as indicated by the plural of the following verb: “How long will you judge” (2a). As for the identification of (’ēl, 1b), it is discussed: either it is the abbreviated form of ’ĕlōhîm and is therefore the same personage, the great God surrounded

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

by his heavenly court formed of the subordinate “gods” (’ĕlōhîm, 1c),1 or on the contrary El is the principal deity of the Canaanite pantheon who presides over the divine council, and “God”, which designates the God of Israel, is one of the gods who rises to accuse the other ones of not judging righteously.2 The verb “to judge” occurs in 1c and 8a, “to stand up” (1b) and “to rise up” (8a) are synonymous. 1

A psalm

of Asaph.

+ GOD + in the midst

STANDS UP OF THE GODS

in the council

:: 2 “How long :: and the face

WILL YOU JUDGE

of the wicked

unjustly uphold?

– 3 JUDGE .. the afflicted

the weak and the needy

and the orphan, vindicate (them);

– 4 liberate .. from the hand

the weak of the wicked

and the poor, deliver (them).

- 5 They neither know nor understand, - in darkness they walk; . are shaken all the foundations

of EL,

HE JUDGES.

of THE EARTH.

:: 6 As for me, :: and sons

I have said: of the Most High,

GODS

– 7 surely, – and as one

like adam of the princes,

you will die you will fall.”

O GOD, who have inherited

JUDGE

THE EARTH,

all

the nations.

+ 8 RISE UP, + because (it is) you

you (are)

all of you;

As for the organisation of the rest of the psalm (2–7), everything depends on the interpretation of verse 5. There is a double question: who is speaking, God who continues his speech, or someone else?3 Who are the referents of the subject of the verbs in 5ab, the gods or their human victims?4 If it is God who speaks throughout 2–7, this discourse will be held as a single part organized in three pieces; if, on the contrary, 5 is pronounced by the same speaker as in the extreme 1

Thus Kraus, II, 155; Ravasi, II, 712; Vesco 748. J.M. TROTTER, “Death of the ~yhla in Psalm 82”, 222–224; S.B. PARKER, “The Beginning of the Reign of God—Psalm 82 as Myth and Liturgy”. 3 Most believe that it is “God”, but some believe that 5 is the response or reaction of the gods; thus S.B. PARKER, “The Beginning of the Reign of God”, 539. 4 See deClaissé-Walford – al., 643. 2

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parts, there will be three parts, two divine oracles (2–4 & 6–7) framing the psalmist’s comment (5).5 The same could apply if 5 were regarded as something spoken aside by God. The second part (2–4) addressed to “the gods” of 1c is of ABB’ type. The initial question is an accusation of injustice (2), while the other two segments (3–4), parallel to each other, are an invitation to change conduct. The verb “to judge” is repeated in 2a and 3a, “the weak” is coordinated with “the orphan” in 3a and with “the poor” in 4a; the two occurrences of “the wicked” are found in the same position in the extreme segments (2b & 4b). In the penultimate part (6–7) the two segments are opposed to each other: from the status of “gods”, therefore immortal, they will be reduced to that of simple human beings doomed to death. The central part (5) is clearly different from the surrounding parts: it is not in the second person but in the third person plural. It is the only trimember in the psalm: it is of the aa’b type, the third member providing the dramatic consequence of the blindness of the accused. The term “gods” occurs not only in the extreme parts but also in the fourth part (6a), the verb “to judge” present in the extreme parts is repeated twice in the second part (2a, 3a); “the earth” occurs in the central part (5c) and in the last one (8a), likewise “all” is found in the concluding phrases: “all the foundations of the earth” (5c), “all nations” (8b).

CONTEXT HUMAN AND DIVINE COURTS In Mesopotamian and Ugaritic literature, there are many texts describing the heavenly court where the assembly of gods meets to discuss, deliberate and make decisions. In the Bible 1 Sam 22:6–19 provides an example of a human court, presided over by King Saul with his servants standing beside him, to summon the priest Ahimelech who had assisted David in his flight (see also 1 Kgs 22:19–22). The narrative introduction to the book of Job sets the scene in the court of Yhwh where the Satan advances among “the sons of God” and twice obtains permission from the Lord to tempt Job (Job 1:6–12; 2:1–7; see also Isa 6). “WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS ARE DEMOLISHED, WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?” (PS 11:3) Ps 11 is focused on this question, which recalls the centre of Ps 82 (Ps 11:3); the question is followed there by the presentation of the Lord in his heavenly

5

Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 331–332.

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temple: “Yhwh in the temple of his holiness, Yhwh, in the heavens his throne” (Ps 11:4). “IS IT NOT WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW: I SAID, YOU ARE GODS” (JOHN 10:34) The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because, being only a man, he made himself God. 34

Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law: I said, you are gods? 35 So it uses the word “gods” of those people to whom the word of God was addressed— and scripture cannot be set aside 36 Yet to someone whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ because I said, ‘I am Son of God.’ 37 If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me; 38 but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for certain that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:34–38)

For Jesus, “the gods” of the psalm are not deities, but human beings charged with doing the works of God, that is, exercising righteousness in favour of the poor and the humiliated.

INTERPRETATION Commentators on the psalm take two different paths: some take the text literally and see in the scene a mythical representation in which deities who have failed in the administration of righteousness in various parts of the earth are fallen, deprived of immortality, sentenced to death.6 The discourse is predominantly anti-idolatry, exalting monotheism. For others, on the contrary, it is a criticism of human leaders, of judges who pervert righteousness to the detriment of the weakest; the discourse is essentially prophetic, presenting the denunciation of social injustice under the guise and with the images of the conflict between the subaltern deities and the great God who presides over their council. A third way seeks to reconcile the two previous ones.7 The articulation between the two main routes is sometimes attributed to two successive periods, the first one dating back to the monarchic and perhaps even pre-monarchic period, the second one to postexilic times.8 INJUSTICE SHAKES ALL THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD What the iniquitous judges do not know, what they do not understand, is that their injustice endangers the balance of the world, that it may collapse because of them. And it is not just one of the many pillars that support the earth that is at risk, “all the foundations of the earth” are shaken (Ps 82:5). The contempt for 6

See, among others, Vesco, 747. See, e.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 330–331. 8 See Ravasi, II, 713–714; Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 149–153. 7

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the weakest, their exploitation by “the wicked” is seen by the Lord as the greatest danger to the fate of the whole world. AN URGENT APPEAL God’s speech begins with a denunciation of the injustice of the judges who take sides with “the wicked”, those who oppress the defenceless little ones. He is persistently concerned with “the weak and the orphan”, “the afflicted and the needy”, “the weak and the poor” (82:3–4). The accumulation of synonymous terms gives the impression of a multitude of needy people, and especially of the Lord’s interest in them. But this appeal will remain without effect, will not be heard. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Therefore, to save the oppressed, the only remedy will be the destruction of their persecutors. The unjust judges—and the gods who support and inspire them—will have to pay with their lives for their blindness and stubbornness. They were given the rank of “gods”, “sons of the Most High” (82:6), with the divine mission of rescuing the exploited ones from the clutches of those whom the psalmist calls “the wicked” (82:2b, 4b). Having failed in their responsibilities, they are radically discharged from them. Having despised the lives of others, of the little ones, they too are deprived of life. Their crime is so despicable that they deserve the death penalty, a punishment commensurate with their fault. That means that the protection of the little ones is, for the Lord—as for the victims— a matter of life and death. IDOLISED JUDGES Perverse judges see themselves as gods, and in practice their victims do treat them as such. One must prostrate oneself before them to acknowledge and confess their power, to obtain their protection. Bribes are offered to them like offerings to gods, to obtain their complacency, to buy them. They are praised, both privately and publicly, to deflect their anger and attract their benevolence. Idolatrous behaviour is by no means confined to the religious sphere; it extends to the political and, in particular, the judicial domain. INVOCATION TO THE ONE GOD The psalm begins with the representation of the heavenly court where the Lord, surrounded by subordinate deities, appears as judge, as their judge (82:1bc). At the end, someone speaks up to challenge the same “God” (82:8), now alone, the other “gods” are no longer present. This speaker can be identified with the psalmist, but it is also possible to think that it is one of “the weak” whose defence the Lord has taken and who represents them all. They thus take

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

the place of the unjust “gods” and from now on they form “the council of El” (82:1b) asking him to “judge the earth”, and to restore righteousness to “all nations” (82:8).

2. PSALM 83 TEXT 1A

song, a psalm of Asaph. 2 O God, do not remain silent, do not be deaf, and do not be at rest, O El, 3 because behold, your enemies growl and those who hate you lift up their head. 4 Against your people they plot in secret and conspire against your protégés; 5 they said: “Come and let us wipe them out (as) a nation, and the name of Israel will be remembered no more!” 6 Yes, they conspire with one heart, they make a covenant against you: 7 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 8 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 9 even Ashur joined with them, they have become an arm for the children of Lot. Selâ. 10 Treat them like Midian, like Sisera, like Yabin at the torrent Kishon; 11 they were exterminated at En-Dor, they became dung for the humus. 12 Make their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb, and all their commanders like Zebah and like Zalmunna, 13 they who said: “We shall inherit for ourselves the grasslands of God.” 14 My God, make them like an acanthus wheel, like straw before the wind. 15 Like fire that burns a forest, like a flame that set the mountains ablaze; 16 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane. 17 Fill their faces with ignominy and let them seek your name, O Yhwh. 18 Let them blush and be terrified forever, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and let them know that you (are), your name (is) Yhwh, you alone (are) the Most High over all the earth.

The psalm does not present any textual or lexicographical problem.

COMPOSITION The psalm comprises four parts matching each other in a mirrored fashion. Each of the two central parts is formed of two subparts. THE FIRST PART (2–3) – 2 O GOD, – do not be deaf

let there be no silence and do not be at rest,

to you, O EL,

:: 3 because behold, :: and your haters

your enemies lift up

growl their head.

In the first bimember (2), the divine names in the vocative are placed at the extremities. Introduced with “because”, the second segment (3) gives the reason for the supplication addressed to God in the first segment; the subjects of the two clauses, “your enemies” and “your haters”, are synonymous.

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

THE SECOND PART (4–9) + 4 Against your people they plot in secret :: and they conspire against your protégés; - 5 they said: “Come - will not be remembered the name

and let us wipe them out (as) a nation, of Israel any more!”

:: 6 Yes, they conspire + against you

with a heart a covenant

together, they make:

– 7 The tents – Moab

of Edom and the Hagrites,

and the Ishmaelites,

– 8 Gebal – Philistia

and Ammon with the inhabitants

and Amalek, of Tyre;

= 9 even Ashur = they have become

joined an arm

with them, for the children of Lot.

The first subpart (4–6) describes the rebellion, the second subpart (7–9) enumerates the rebellious peoples. The first subpart has a concentric structure: the conspiracy is both “against” Israel and “against God” (4a & 6b), and at the centre are the plotting words aiming at removing the one whom God protects (5). In the second subpart, “the children of Lot” (9b) are “Moab” (7b) and “Ammon” (8b); the preposition “with” links the last two segments (8b & 9a). THE THIRD PART (10–16) In the first subpart (10–13) the psalmist is asking the Lord to treat his enemies like those of the past, in the second subpart (14–16) like the weak elements of nature. The two pieces in the first subpart (10–11 & 12–13) run parallel to each other. The first segments (10 & 12) begin with imperatives, followed by three or four “like”; the second segment of the first piece (11) describes the consequence of the divine intervention, the second segment of the second piece (13) recalls the reason why the enemies were punished. The first two segments of the second subpart (14–15) represent the first term of the comparison and the last segment (16), introduced by “so”, the second term of comparison. “God” and “my God” (13b & 14a) act as median terms; the first two members of the second subpart contain four “like”, similarly to the first segments of the first subpart containing in total seven “like” (10–12). The imperative “make” occurs in 12a and 14a.

Psalm 83 + 10 Treat them + LIKE Sisera,

LIKE LIKE

11

= they were exterminated = they became

Midian, Yabin

at Endung

133

at the torrent

Kishon;

Dor, for the humus.

······························································································································ 12

+ MAKE + and LIKE Zebah

their princes and LIKE Zalmunna

– 13 they – “We shall inherit

who said: for ourselves

:: 14 MY GOD, :: LIKE straw

MAKE them before

LIKE

:: 15 LIKE fire :: LIKE a flame

that burns that set ablaze

a forest, the mountains;

.. 16 so .. and with your hurricane

pursue them terrify them.

with your tempest

LIKE Oreb

and LIKE Zeeb,

all their commanders, the grasslands

of GOD.”

a wheel the wind.

of acanthus,

THE FOURTH PART (17–19) In the first segment (17) the first member speaks of God’s action, the second member of its consequence on those he has corrected. The next two segments follow the same logic: the fear and shame that will strike them (18) will lead them to the recognition of the name of the Lord (19): “your name” + “Yhwh” is repeated in 17b and 19a. + 17 Fill = and let them seek

their faces your NAME,

with ignominy O YHWH.

– 18 Let them blush and be terrified – and let them be confused and perish,

forever,

= 19 and let them know = you alone (are)

your NAME (is) over all

that you (are), the Most High

YHWH, the earth.

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

A song, a psalm of Asaph. 2 3

O GOD, do not remain silent, do not be deaf, and do not be at rest, O EL, because behold, your enemies growl and those who hate you lift up their head. 4

Against your people they plot in secret and conspire against your protégés. THEY SAID: “Come and let us wipe them out as a nation, and the NAME of Israel will be remembered no more!” 6 Yes, they conspire with one heart, they make a covenant against you: 5

7

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 9 even Ashur joined with them, they have become an arm for the children of Lot. 8

10

Treat them like Midian, like Sisera, like Yabin at the torrent Kishon; 11 they were exterminated at En-Dor, they became dung for the humus. 12

Make their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb, and all their commanders like Zebah and like Zalmunna, 13 THEY WHO SAID: “We shall inherit for ourselves the grasslands of GOD.” 14

MY GOD, make them like an acanthus wheel, like straw before the wind. Like fire that burns a forest, like a flame that set the mountains ablaze; 16 so pursue them with your tempest and TERRIFY THEM with your hurricane. 15

17

Fill their faces with ignominy and let them seek your NAME, O YHWH. Let them blush and BE TERRIFIED forever, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and let them know that you are, your NAME is YHWH, you alone are the Most High over all the earth. 18

Each of the extreme parts contains two divine names: in the first part “God” (’ĕlōhîm, 2a) and “El” (’ēl, 2b), in the last part the two occurrences of “Yhwh” (17 & 19). The central parts mirror each other: the second subpart of the second part (7– 9) and the first subpart of the third part (10–13) are containing the names of the enemies of Israel and God. Their two speeches are corresponding to each other (5 & 13). They are introduced with the verb “to say” and conclude with the names of “Israel” and “God”. The “name” of Israel (5) in the second part corresponds to the “name” of Yhwh in the last part (17:19). The verb “to terrify” is found in the last two parts (16 & 18).

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CONTEXT A COALITION OF THE TEN PEOPLES AGAINST ISRAEL AND GOD “Edom” son of Isaac, twin brother and enemy of Jacob-Israel (Gen 25:19–34; 27–28; 32–33), is situated to the south of Israel and to the south-east; to the south of Edom are the “Ishmaelites”, descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham and his servant Hagar (Gen 16; 21:1–21). North of Edom and east of the Jordan, “Moab”, incestuous son of Lot, nephew of Abraham (Gen 19:30–38); the Hagrites, descendants of Hagar, are located east of Gilead. Gebal, probably south of the Dead Sea, is accompanied by Ammon, another incestuous son of Lot, whose territory is found north of his brother Moab’s beyond the Jordan; Amalek, Israel’s mortal enemy, is a nomadic tribe living south in the Negev (Exod 17:8–16). The Philistine pentapolis is located on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Tyre, the Phoenician capital, was located on an island close to the Mediterranean coastline in the north of Israel. The identification of “Ashur” and therefore its location is disputed: it is either a tribe in Transjordan (Gen 25:3, 18) or the capital of the Assyrian empire. Ps 83 is not the only one that provides a list of the enemies of Israel. The book of Amos, for example, begins with a series of oracles against the pagan nations surrounding Israel, presented in a different order from that of Ps 83: Damascus (Amos 1:3–5) and Gaza (1:6–8), Tyre (1:9–10) and Edom (1:11–12), Ammon (1:13–15) and Moab (2:1–3).1 THE SEVEN VICTIMS OF DIVINE PUNISHMENT The nomadic tribes of Midian living in northern Arabia were conducting raids against the sedentary Israelites and oppressed them for seven years. They were defeated by Gideon (Judg 6–8); Oreb and Zeeb were among their leaders (Judg 7:25) as well as Zebah and Zalmunna (Judg 8:5). Sisera was the leader of the army of Yabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, who had oppressed the people of Israel for twenty years. They were defeated by Deborah and Barak at the torrent of Kishon where they had set up their encampment; Sisera fled on foot and sought refuge with Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, who put him to sleep and killed him (Judg 4–5). All these enemies are from the time of the Judges.

1

See P. BOVATI – R. MEYNET, Le livre du prophète Amos, 40–67.

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

INTERPRETATION GENERAL CONSPIRACY Right from the beginning, those who want to destroy Israel are referred to as God’s enemies; they are “against his people” (Ps 83:4), but it happens because they hate their God (83:3), and they seal a covenant against him (83:6). The conspiracy brings together all the nations and tribes neighbouring Israel, which surround it on all sides (83:7–9). The peoples who are closely or distantly related to her, Edom and Ishmael, Moab and Ammon, are joined by foreigners in number, Philistia in the south and Tyre in the north, and even Ashur. In the days of Esther, it was one man, Aman, who planned to eliminate all the Jews spread throughout the immense empire of King Ahasuerus; now it is the violence of all of them that are gathered against the small country of Israel. ENVY One might wonder what the reason for such an outburst could be. There is no doubt that it is envy that sets this relentless pack in motion. By killing the children, they intend to take the “inheritance” that they received from their father, “the grasslands of God” (83:13). By robbing the heirs, they will also dispossess the God who had bequeathed his grasslands to Israel. They are envious of the blessings the Lord has bestowed on Israel: like the Midianites “as thick as locusts” who “destroyed the produce of the country”, who “left Israel nothing to live on” (Judg 6:4–5). AN EXEMPLARY PUNISHMENT The punishment invoked on the coalition that squeezes Israel from all sides is proportionate to its crime. The nomadic tribes of Midian subjected the people of Israel through systematic raids, stealing their flocks and herds and plundering the grain at the time of threshing. As with the external enemies, so with the internal ones, the Canaanites who oppressed Israel, they arrogated to themselves “the pastures of God”. That is why the psalmist is invoking on the current enemies the punishments that were inflicted on those of the past. THE NAME OF ISRAEL AND THE NAME OF THE LORD Their enemies who want to radically destroy “the name” of Israel (Ps 83:5) they in fact intend to destroy the name of their God. At the end of his prayer, the psalmist is careful not to ask the Lord that his enemies would suffer the fate that they desired for their victims. when he begs his God to fill them with “ignominy”, shame and fear, it is in order that their confusion may lead them to “seek” the name of Yhwh (83:17). Therefore, we are a thousand miles away from revenge. What the supplicant desires is not the death of the sinner, but that

Psalm 83

137

he or she be converted and live. He thus inscribes his desire in that of his Lord: “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord Yhwh. So repent and live!” (Ezek 18:32).2

2

This analysis is similar to that by A. WÉNIN, Le livre des Louanges, 119–131.

3. THE WHOLE OF THE THIRD SEQUENCE (PS 82–83) 82 1 A psalm of Asaph. GOD stands up in the council of EL,

in the midst of the gods he judges.

2

“How long will you judge unjustly and UPHOLD the face of the wicked? 3 Judge the weak 4 liberate the weak and the poor, and the orphan, vindicate the afflicted and the needy; from the hand of the wicked deliver them. THEY NEITHER KNOW nor understand, they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 5

6

AS FOR ME, I HAVE SAID: You are gods and sons of THE MOST HIGH, all of you; will die as adam and as one of the princes, you will fall.” 8

Rise up, O GOD, judge THE EARTH,

7

surely, you

because it is you who have inherited ALL THE NATIONS.

83 1 A song, a psalm of Asaph. 2 O GOD, do not remain silent, do not be deaf, and do not be at rest, O EL, 3 because behold, your enemies growl and those who hate you LIFT UP their head. 4

Against your people they plot in secret and conspire against your protégés, THEY SAID: “Come and let us wipe them out as a NATION, and the name of Israel will be remembered no more!” 6 Yes, they conspire with one heart, they make a covenant against you: 5

7

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 9 even Ashur joined with them, they have become an arm for the children of Lot. 8

10

Treat them like Midian, like Sisera, like Yabin at the torrent Kishon; 11 they were exterminated at En-Dor, they became dung for the humus. ··························································································································· 12

Make their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb, and all their commanders like Zebah and like Zalmunna, 13 THEY WHO SAID: “We shall inherit for ourselves the grasslands of GOD.” 14

MY GOD, make them like an acanthus wheel, like straw before the wind. Like fire that burns a forest, like a flame that set the mountains ablaze; 16 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane. 15

17

Fill their faces with ignominy and let them seek your name, O YHWH. Let them blush and be terrified forever, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and LET THEM KNOW that you are, your name is YHWH, you alone are THE MOST HIGH over ALL THE EARTH. 18

The Whole of the Third Sequence (Ps 82–83)

139

– The two names “God” (’ĕlōhîm) and “El” (’ēl) perform the function of initial terms. They are found at the extremities of the first member in 82:1 and of the first segment in 83:2; “God” is repeated at the end of 82, while at the end of 83 they are two occurrences of “Yhwh” (83:17, 19); – “The Most High” returns in 82:6 and 83:19; – The gods “uphold” the face of the wicked (82:2), those who hate God “lift up” their heads (83:3); – At the centre of 82, “they do not know” (82:5) and at the end of 83, the psalmist’s request is “let them know” (83:19); – In final terms, “because it is you” and “that you are” translate the same syntagma kî-’attâ, “the earth”, “all the nations” and “all the earth” (82:8; 83:19); the term “nation” is found also in 83:5; – “As for me, I have said” (82:6) corresponds to “they said” and “they who said” (83:5, 13); – “Face” occurs in 82:2 and 83:14, 17 (in 83:14 translated as “before”); – “they walk” from 82:5 is taken up by “come” in 83:5; – “Have inherited” and “we shall inherit” (82:8; 83:13) derive from different roots; – The word “princes” (82:7; 83:12) translates two synonyms. They are two complaints, where the denunciation of the crime (82:2–4; 83:4– 9) is followed by a request for punishment (82:6–7; 83:10–16). Each psalm ends positively, with “all the nations” being recognised as God’s “inheritance” (82:8) and being called to “seek” God’s name and to “know” that his name is Yhwh (83:17, 19).

IV. THE WHOLE OF THE SECOND SECTION (PS 79–83) 1. COMPOSITION RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EXTREME SEQUENCES (PS 79–80 AND PS 82–83) – The same question “How long” of 79:5 (here it is followed by “forever”) is found in 80:5 and 82:2. The last psalm does not contain a similar question, but in its last part there is the statement “forever” (83:18); while the first psalm ends with “forever and from generation to generation” (79:13); – Synonymous expression “inheritance”, “have inherited” and “we shall inherit” (79:1; 82:8; 83:13); – “To burn” and “fire” are found in three psalms (79:5; 80:17, here translated as “to flare up”; 83:15); – The term “nation/s” is found everywhere (79:1, 6, 10[2x]; 80:9; 82:8; 83:5); – The nations and the wicked “do not know” (79:6; 82:5), but the psalmist wants them to “know” God (79:10; 83:19); – “Name” is found in 79:6, 9[2x]; 80:19; 83:5, 17, 19; it is the name of God (“your name”), except for 83:5 where it is the name of Israel; – “Face” occurs in 80:4, 8, 17, 20; 82:2; 83:14 (here it is translated as “before”), 17; – “Israel” of 80:2 is repeated in 83:5; – “Give ear” at the beginning of Ps 80 (2) corresponds to “do not be deaf” at the beginning of Ps 83 (2). The four psalms are complaints, comprising lamentations about present misfortune and supplications (see p. 117, 139).

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

Ps 79 1 A psalm of Asaph. O GOD, the nations have come into your INHERITANCE, they have defiled the Temple of your holiness, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as food for the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth; 3 they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem and there was no one to bury them. 4 We are an insult to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to those around us. 5 HOW LONG, O YHWH, will you be angry? FOREVER will your jealousy BURN like FIRE? 6 Pour out your fury on the nations that DO NOT KNOW YOU, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon YOUR NAME, 7 because they have devoured Jacob and desolated his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the first faults; quickly, may your tenderness come to meet us, because we are greatly afflicted. 9 Help us, O GOD of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of YOUR NAME and deliver us and wipe out our sins, for the sake of YOUR NAME. 10 Why should the nations say: “Where is their GOD?” LET IT BE KNOWN among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of your servants, which is poured out. 11 Let the groans of the captive come before you; according to the greatness of your arm spare the children of death 12 And return to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom the insult with which they have insulted you, O LORD.13 And we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, we will give thanks to you FOREVER, and FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION we will recount your praise.

Ps 82 1 A psalm of Asaph. GOD stands up in the council of EL, in the midst of the gods he judges. 2 “HOW LONG will you judge unjustly and uphold the face of the wicked? 3 Judge the weak and the orphan, vindicate the afflicted and the needy; 4 liberate the weak and the poor, from the hand of the wicked deliver them. 5 THEY NEITHER KNOW nor understand, they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 As for me, I have said: You are gods and sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 surely, you will die as adam and as one of the princes, you will fall.” 8 Rise up, O GOD, judge the earth, because it is you who HAVE INHERITED all the nations.

Ps 80 1 For the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 Give ear, you who pasture Israel, who lead Joseph like sheep; who sit above the cherubim, shine forth; 3 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, awaken your valour and come for our salvation. 4 O God, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be saved. 5 O Yhwh, God of hosts, HOW LONG WILL YOU FLARE UP at the prayer of your people? 6 You have made them eat the bread of tears, and you have made them drink tears threefold; 7 you have made us a strife to our neighbours, and our enemies are mocking us. 8 O God of hosts, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be saved. 9 You brought a vine out of Egypt, you drove out the nations and you planted it; 10 you cleared a place before it, and it took root with its roots and it filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God with its boughs; 12 it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River. 13 Why have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it? 15 O God of hosts, come back, we pray, look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine, 16 and protect what your right hand has planted, and the son you made strong for yourself. 17 IT IS BURNED with FIRE, cut down; let them perish at the threat of your face. 18 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself, 19 and we will never turn away from you, you will revive us and we will call upon YOUR NAME. 20 O Yhwh, God of hosts, bring us back, make your face shine, and we shall be saved.

Ps 83 1 A song, a psalm of Asaph. 2 O GOD, do not remain silent, do not be deaf, and do not be at rest, O EL, 3 because behold, your enemies growl and those who hate you lift up their head. 4 Against your people they plot in secret and conspire against your protégés, 5 they said: “Come and let us wipe them out as a nation, and the NAME of Israel will be remembered no more!” 6 Yes, they conspire with one heart, they make a covenant against you: 7 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 8 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 9 even Ashur joined with them, they have become an arm for the children of Lot. 10 Treat them like Midian, like Sisera, like Yabin at the torrent Kishon; 11 they were exterminated at En-Dor, they became dung for the humus. 12 Make their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb, and all their commanders like Zebah and like Zalmunna, 13 they who said: “WE SHALL INHERIT for ourselves the grasslands of GOD.” 14 MY GOD, make them like an acanthus wheel, like straw before the wind. 15 Like FIRE that BURNS a forest, like a flame that sets the mountains ablaze; 16 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane. 17 Fill their faces with ignominy and let them seek YOUR NAME, O YHWH. 18 Let them blush and be terrified FOREVER, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and LET THEM KNOW that you are, YOUR NAME is YHWH, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

The Whole of the Second Section (Ps 79–83)

143

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FIRST TWO SEQUENCES (PS 79–80 AND PS 81) 79 1 A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into your inheritance, they have defiled the Temple of your holiness, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as FOOD for the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth; 3 they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem and there was no one to bury them. 4 We are an insult to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to those around us. 5 HOW LONG,

O Yhwh, will you be angry? Forever will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your fury on the nations that DO NOT KNOW YOU, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name, 7 because THEY HAVE DEVOURED JACOB and desolated his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the first faults; quickly, may your tenderness come to meet us, because we are greatly afflicted. 9 Help us, O God of our SALVA SALVAT VATION, for the sake of the glory of your name, and deliver us and wipe out our sins, for the sake of your name. 10 Why

should the nations say: “Where is their God?”

LET IT BE KNOWN among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of your servants, which is poured out. 11 Let the groans of the captive come before you; according to 12 And return to our neighbours the greatness of YOUR ARM spare the children of death. sevenfold into their bosom the insult with which they have insulted you, O Lord. 13 And we, YOUR PEOPLE and the sheep of your pasture, we will give thanks to you FOREVER and FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION we will recount your praise.

80 1 For the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 GIVE EAR, you who pasture ISRAE who lead JOSEPH like sheep; who sit above the cherubim, shine forth; SRAEL, 3 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, awaken your valour and come for our SALVA SALVAT VATION. 4 O God, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED. 5O

Yhwh, God of hosts, HOW LONG will you flare up at the prayer of YOUR PEOPLE? have MADE THEM EAT the bread of tears, and you have made them drink tears threefold; 7 you have made us a strife to our neighbours, and our ENEMIES are mocking us. 8 O God of hosts, bring us back, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED. 6 You

9 You

brought a vine out of Egypt, you drove out the nations and you planted it; cleared a place before it, and it took root with its roots and it filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God with its boughs; 12 it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River. 13 Why have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it? 10 you

15 O

God of hosts, come back, we pray, look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine, protect what YOUR RIGHT HAND has planted, and the son you made strong for yourself.

16 and

17 It is burned with fire, cut down; let them perish at the threat of your face. 18 Let YOUR HAND be upon the man of YOUR RIGHT HAND, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself, 19 and we will never turn away from you, you will revive us and we will call upon your name. 20 O Yhwh, God of hosts, bring us back, make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED SAVED.

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Second Section (Ps 79–83)

81 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 2 Shout for joy to God our strength, acclaim the God of JACOB, 3 lift up the psalms and sound the tambourine, the sweet harp with the lyre, 4 blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 5 because it was a decree for ISRAE SRAEL, a judgment of the God of JACOB; 6 he set up an ordinance in JOSEPH when he went out against the land of Egypt. I hear a language that I DID NOT KNOW: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, his palms were freed from the basket. 8 In anguish you cried out and I DELIVERED YOU; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 9 LISTEN,

O MY PEOPLE, and I admonish you, O ISRAE SRAEL, IF YOU WOULD LISTEN TO ME! shall be no strange god among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign god; 11 I am Yhwh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 10 There

12 But 13 and

MY PEOPLE DID NOT LISTEN to my voice and ISRAE SRAEL did not want me; I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans.

14 Oh!

If MY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME, if ISRAE SRAEL would walk in my ways! would INSTANTLY subdue their ENEMIES and turn MY HAND against their oppressors; 16 those who hate Yhwh would cringe to him, and their time would last FOREVER. 17 And HE WOULD FEED HIM with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 15 I

– Ps 81 is the only one of the five psalms in the section where the verb “to listen” occurs so frequently (81:9[2x], 12, 14); a synonymous verb occurs only in 80:2 where it is God who is asked to listen, whereas here it is God who begs his people to listen to him; – “Do not know you” and “let it be known” of 79:6, 10b, is echoed by “I did not know” in 81:6b; – The verb “to deliver” at the centre (81:8) recalls the verb “to save” and the noon “salvation” in 79:9; 80:3, 4, 8, 20; – “He would feed him” in 81:17 (which refers to 81:11c) recalls “food” (79:2), “they have devoured” (79:7) and “made them eat” (80:6); – The word “forever” in the ending of Ps 81 (16) is also found in the ending of the first psalm (79:13 followed by “from generation to generation”); – “Instantly” (81:15) answers the question “how long” of 79:5 and 80:5; – “Israel” in 80:2 is repeated four times in 81:5, 9, 12, 14; “Jacob” in 79:7 is repeated twice in 81:2, 5; “Joseph” in 81:6 already appeared in 80:2; “your people” in 79:13 and 80:5 is echoed by the three occurrences of “my people” in 81:9, 12, 14; – “Egypt” occurs in 80:9 and in 81:6, 11; – “Enemies” are found in 80:7 and in 81:15; – “My hand” in 81:15 corresponds to “your arm” in 79:11, “your right hand” and “your and” in 80:16, 18.

The Whole of the Second Section (Ps 79–83)

145

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE LAST TWO SEQUENCES (PS 81 AND PS 82–83) 81 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 2 Shout for joy to God our strength, acclaim the God of Jacob, 3 LIFT UP the psalms and sound the tambourine, the sweet harp with the lyre, 4 blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 5 because it was a decree for ISRAE SRAEL, a judgment of the God of Jacob; 6 he set up an ordinance in Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt. I hear a language that I DID NOT KNOW: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, 8 In anguish you cried out and I delivered you; his palms were freed from the basket. I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 9 Listen,

O MY PEOPLE, and I admonish you, O ISRAE SRAEL, if you would listen to me! shall be no strange GOD among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign GOD; 11 I am Yhwh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 10 There

12 But MY PEOPLE did not listen to my voice, and ISRAE SRAEL did not want me; 13 and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, THEY WALK in their

own plans.

14 Oh,

if MY PEOPLE would listen to me, if ISRAE SRAEL WOULD WALK in my ways! would instantly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors; 16 those who hate YHWH would cringe to him, and their time would last forever. 17 And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 15 I

– The verb “to lift up” at the beginning of Ps 81 (3) is also be used at the beginning of Ps 82:2 (translated here as “uphold”) and 83:3; – The verb “to walk” (81:13–14) is repeated in 82:5 and 83:5 (here it is translated as “come”); – “I did not know” of 81:6 is echoed in 82:5 and 83:19; – The two occurrences of “god” in 81:10 announce the two occurrences of “gods” in 82:1, 6; – “Israel” found in 81:5, 9, 12, 14 returns again in 83:5; – “People” (81:9, 12, 14) occur in 83:4; – The same Hebrew word translated as “land” occurs in 81:6, 11 (land of Egypt) and translated as “earth” occurs in 82:5, 8 and 83:19 (all “the earth”). Ps 81 contains a long discourse of God addressed to his people (81:7–17); similarly, in the next psalm, the three central parts are addressed by God to those who were entrusted with righteousness and who failed (82:2–7).

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82 1 A psalm of Asaph. God stands up in the council of El,

in the midst of the GODS he judges.

2 “How

3 Judge the long will you judge unjustly and UPHOLD the face of the wicked?” 4 liberate the weak and the weak and the orphan, vindicate the afflicted and the needy; poor, from the hand of the wicked deliver them. 5 THEY

NEITHER KNOW nor understand, THEY WALK in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 As

for me, I have said: You are GODS and sons of the Most High, all of you; will die as adam and as one of the princes, you will fall.” 8 Rise

up, O God, judge the earth,

7 surely,

you

because it is you who have inherited all the nations.

83 1 A song, a psalm of Asaph. 2 O God, do not remain silent, do not be deaf, and do not be at rest, O El, 3 because behold, your enemies growl and those who hate you LIFT UP their head. 4 Against YOUR PEOPLE

they plot in secret and conspire against your protégés, 5 they said: “COME, and let us wipe them out as a nation, and the name of ISRAE SRAEL will be remembered no more!” 6 Yes, they conspire with one heart, they make a covenant against you: 7 The

tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, 8 Gebal and Ammon 9 even Ashur joined with them, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; they have become an arm for the children of Lot. 10 Treat

11 they were them like Midian, like Sisera, like Yabin at the torrent Kishon; 12 exterminated at En-Dor, they became dung for the humus. Make their princes like Oreb and like Zeeb, and all their commanders like Zebah and like Zalmunna, 13 they who said: “We shall inherit for ourselves the grasslands of God.” 14 My

God, make them like an acanthus wheel, like straw before the wind. fire that burns a forest, like a flame that set the mountains ablaze; 16 so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your hurricane. 15 Like

17 Fill their faces with ignominy and let them seek your name, O YHWH. 18 Let them blush and be terrified forever, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and LET THEM KNOW that you are, your name is YHWH, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

The Whole of the Second Section (Ps 79–83)

147

THE FUNCTION OF THE CENTRAL SEQUENCES (PS 81) 2 Shout for joy to God our strength, 81 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 3 acclaim the God of Jacob, lift up the psalms and sound the tambourine, the sweet harp with the lyre, 4 blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 5 because it was a decree for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob; 6 he set up an ordinance in Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt.

I hear a language that I did not know: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, his 8 In anguish you cried out and I delivered you; palms were freed from the basket. I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 9

Listen, O my people, and I admonish you, O Israel, if you would listen to me! 10 There shall be no strange god among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign god; 11 I am Yhwh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 12 13

But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not want me; and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans.

14

Oh, if my people would listen to me, if Israel would walk in my ways! I would INSTANTLY subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors; 16 those who hate Yhwh would cringe to him, and their time would last forever. 17 And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 15

In contrast to the four complaints of the extreme sequences, the central psalm is a pressing call to praise (81:2–6a) followed by an equally pressing invitation from God himself directed to his people (81:9–17), both framing a reminder of the liberation from slavery in Egypt and the giving of the Law (81:6b–8). As if in response to the two “whys” of 79:10 and 80:13, God says that Israel did not listen to his voice (81:12), despite his warnings (81:9, 14). The psalmist repeated question: “How long, O Lord, will you be angry?”, “how long will you flare up at the prayer of your people?” (79:5; 80:5), is answered by the Lord: “I would instantly subdue their enemies” (81:15); after which he asks his people in the same terms: “How long will you judge unjustly?” (82:2).

2. INTERPRETATION HOW LONG? When the situation has become unbearable, when the pain leaves no respite, there is no time to stop. And the question that arises is “how long” (79:5; 80:5). However, the psalmist is not content to say, “How long will it last?” His question is not thrown out in the air, it is addressed to God. And he clearly attributes responsibility for the situation to him: it is his anger that is kindled

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against Israel, that burns and smokes like fire. Which is a fashionable way of acknowledging that this anger is not without reason. WHY? The question of “how long?” is followed by the question “why?” (79:10; 80:13). In the first instance, this question is about God’s inactivity; its force is redoubled by the fact that the psalmist puts it in the mouth of the pagans: “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” (79:10) That is also a way of weighing the honour of the Lord. The second “why” goes further in a way: if the psalmist reproached God for not being present, for not having done him any good, now he accuses him of harming him. He accuses him of breaking down the fences which were to protect the vineyard planted by him. Now all sorts of predators, both human and animal, ravage it. We understand that this action was provoked by anger against Israel. DESPITE ALL, THE LITURGY CONTINUES After the two lamentation psalms, the beginning of Ps 81 certainly comes as a surprise. The contrast between lament and praise, with its shouts of joy and musical instruments, is particularly strident. “God our strength” (81:2) seems to be a different God from the one the psalmist has been questioning at length up to now. Of course, one will be aware of this contrast when one considers that the psalms form of a discourse and are not isolated units. Reading the whole of the central psalm of the section, that is, the long harangue of the Lord, it is possible to understand that the praise that celebrates the gift of the Law sounds like an agreed liturgy that hardly has any connection with the reality experienced by the people. THE LORD ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS OF HIS PEOPLE In the middle of the feast, the Lord intervenes by speaking, seemingly interrupting the ordinary course of the liturgy. He begins by moving in the direction of the ceremony, recalling the liberation from slavery, the salvation, the gift of the Law, not forgetting the testing of Meribah. He thus places at the centre of the whole life of his people, of the history which he linked with them, which constitutes its foundation. But then he reproaches Israel for not having listened to his word, for having disobeyed the Law; and that is the answer to the reason why the present disastrous situation exists. When he says: “I would instantly subdue their enemies” (81:15), he answers the question “How long” (79:5; 80:5). “If Israel would walk in my way” (81:14), his fate would immediately be completely reversed.

The Whole of the Second Section (Ps 79–83)

149

THE INDICTMENT BECOMES CLEAR In the central psalm, the Lord’s indictment remained somewhat general, and the people were reproached for not listening, for disobeying the Law. In the subsequent psalm the Lord speaks again and this time what is denounced is more precise: it is the injustice of the judges of Israel who favour “the wicked” to the detriment of the weak. The setting, which presents God in front of false gods or idols, invites us to reflect on what is behind such behaviour. What can shed light on the enigma is provided by the only commandment quoted in the central psalm: “There shall be no strange god among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign god” (81:10). The defence of idolatry refers not so much to the celestial deities as to those who think of themselves as gods, whom people revere and honour with their gifts, but also to those who treat them as such. “O GOD, DO NOT REMAIN SILENT!” (83:2) After denouncing the enemies within, the psalmist returns to those outside, those who, like Midian, devour the weak who do not have the strength to resist their violence. In their words (83:5, 13) the same pride is manifested in those who oppose the will of God and assume the power that belongs only to him. By wanting to destroy Israel, they deny the divine plan, as if they wanted to take its place: God had chosen this people to make them his heirs, they decide to reverse this order and take the place of the weak, whom they strip of their inheritance. Since Israel is not able to defend itself against such self-proclaimed deities, only the Lord will have the power to bring them back to their place so that they finally recognise his name.

WHY HAS THE LORD REJETED HIS MESSIAH? Third Section Ps 84–89

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

The third section comprises two sequences. The first one comprises five psalms arranged concentrically (Ps 84–88); the second one comprises a single particularly extensive psalm (Ps 89).

WHO DO YOU REJECT ME?

BECAUSE YOU CHILDREN DID NOT KEEP MY COVENANT WITH DAVID

Ps 84–88

Ps 89

I. WHY DO YOU REJECT ME?

The First Sequence: Ps 84–88 1. PSALM 84 TEXT 1 For

the music director, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 How lovely (are) your dwelling places, O Yhwh of hosts! 3 My soul yearns and is also consumed for the courts of Yhwh; my heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. 4 Even the sparrow has found a home, the swallow a nest for herself where to place her young. Your altars, O Yhwh of hosts, my king and my God! 5 Happy those who dwell in your house, they are always praising you. Selâ 6 Happy the man whose strength (is) in you, the ways (are) in their heart. 7 Passing through the valley of Baka’, they will make it a place of springs; the early rain will also cover (it) with blessings. 8 They shall walk from fortress to fortress, (each) one shall appear before God in Zion. 9 O Yhwh God of hosts, hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob. Selâ 10 Behold our shield, O God, look upon the face of your messiah. 11 Yes, better one day in your courts than a thousand (elsewhere); I have chosen to stand on the threshold in the house of my God than to live in the tents of wickedness. 12 Yes, Yhwh God (is) a sun and shield, Yhwh will give grace and glory, he will not withhold good from those who walk in integrity. 13 O Yhwh of hosts, happy the man who trusts in you. V. 4D: “YOUR ALTARS”

The noun is preceded by the particle ’et, which can be interpreted as a preposition meaning “near, next to”, or as an object complement particle.1 Given the composition of the first part, where the segment 4de responds to the initial segment 2ab, the particle will be considered “with a strong meaning equivalent to a pronoun”.2 V. 6B: “THE WAYS (ARE) IN THEIR HEARTS”

The Septuagint has translated as “going up”, interpreting “the ways” as those of the pilgrimage to the temple of Jerusalem. The parallelism with the preceding member invites us to think that it rather concerns the ways of the Lord, his precepts; but among these commandments are also those which prescribe the pilgrimages to the temple (Exod 23:14–18; Deut 16).

1

E.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 348. Joüon, 125j, 5; in the three examples provided by the author the particle is translated as “it is...”, “these are...”. In this case, it seemed preferable not to translate it (if not by the exclamation mark). 2

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

V. 7AB: “THE VALLEY OF BAKA’...”

The whole verse is hard to understand.3 Baka’ is considered by some as the proper name of a valley near Jerusalem; the ancient versions read bakah (“valley of weeping”); others think that it refers to balsam trees, shrubs which grow in arid places, which would fit in well with the subsequent member: the pilgrims who pass through this desert valley by their joy transform it into a place of springs. V. 7C: “THE EARLY RAIN WILL ALSO COVER (IT) WITH BLESSINGS”

In line with the preceding member, the first rain (after summer) refers to water that comes from heaven, while the springs bring it from the earth. V. 8A: “FROM FORTRESS TO FORTRESS”

Literally, the meaning of ḥayil is “strength” and the expression would mean “they shall grow stronger and stronger”. But in a figurative sense the term could indicate the city walls, its “fortifications”. In Ps 48:13–14 ḥêl is used in parallel with “its palaces”: “Go around Zion and walk through it, count its towers; put your hearts to its ramparts, detail its palaces”. V. 8B: “(EACH) ONE SHALL APPEAR”

The singular form of the verb has a collective meaning which corresponds to the plural form of the first member, “they shall walk”. The expression recalls Exod 23:17 which reads: “Three times a year shall every male of your people appear before the Lord Yahweh”, which the BJ translates: “Three times a year all your male population will appear before the Lord Yahweh”. V. 10A: “BEHOLD OUR SHIELD”

The initial noun could be taken as a vocative, such as “O God”, but the parallelism of the members suggests that it is the object complement of “behold”, just as “the face of your messiah” is the object complement of “look upon”. At the extremities of the segment, “shield” corresponds to “messiah”.

COMPOSITION After the title (1), the psalm is organised into three parts (2–4, 5–8 & 9–13), the central part is shorter than the other two.

3

See, e.g., Ravasi, II, 745–746; Hakham, II, 24.

Psalm 84

155

THE FIRST PART (2–4) + 2 How lovely (are) : O YHWH

YOUR DWELLING PLACES OF HOSTS!

····································································································

= 3 Yearns . for the courts

and is also consumed of Yhwh;

my soul

= my heart . to God

and my flesh the living one.

cry out

– 4 Also the sparrow – the swallow :: where

has found a nest to place

a home, for herself her young.

···································································································· O YHWH OF HOSTS,

+ YOUR ALTARS, : my king

and my God!

The short extreme pieces (2 & 4de) are echoing each other: they begin with a verbless exclamation followed by a vocative. The general term “your dwelling places” (2a) is matched by “your altars” (4d), which is more specific, as if the pilgrim were moving from outside the temple to inside, to the place of sacrifice. The central piece (3–4c) continues with the same pattern of movement towards the temple where one could dwell like a bird: it begins with the longing for “the courts” (3ab), then continues with the cries of joy for “the living God” (3cd), and finally concludes with the permanent dwelling in the temple (4). THE SECOND PART (5–8) + 5 HAPPY :: always

those who dwell they are praising you.

in your house,

+ 6 HAPPY :: the ways

the man (are) in their heart.

whose strength (is) in you,

·····················································································································

– 7 Those passing .. a place of springs .. also with blessings

through the valley they will make it; will cover (it)

of Baka’,

= 8 They shall walk = (each) one shall appear

from fortress before God

to fortress, in Zion.

the early rain.

The two segments of the first piece (5–6), beginning with “happy”, are macarisms. At first sight, one might think that they would be better placed after the second piece, as a point of arrival, at the end of the pilgrimage; however, they represent the goal of the pilgrims, the hope of the happiness that awaits them. The second piece (7–8) traces the final stages of the journey, the journey

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

through the valley of Baka’, irrigated from below by springs (7b) and from above by rain (7c), the arrival at the city walls (8a), and finally the entry into the temple (8b). THE THIRD PART (9–13) = 9 O YHWH = hear = give ear, 10

: Our SHIELD, : and look upon

GOD my prayer, O GOD

OF HOSTS,

behold (it), the face

O GOD, of your messiah.

of Jacob.

·······························································································································

+ 11 Yes, better one day than a thousand (elsewhere); + I have chosen than to live

in your courts

to stand on the threshold in the house in the tents of wickedness.

: 12 Yes, a sun and SHIELD : grace and glory, .. he will not withhold good

of my GOD

(is) Yhwh GOD; will give, Yhwh, from those who walk in integrity.

······························································································································· 13

= O YHWH = happy

OF HOSTS,

the man

who trusts

in you.

The two segments of the first piece are complementary (9–10), the object of his “prayer” (9b) is made clear in the second segment: the psalmist is asking the Lord first to listen to him (9), then to look upon the face of his messiah, described as “our shield” (10). Each segment uses a pair of synonymous verbs, “hear” and “give ear” (9bc), then “behold” and “look upon” (10). The psalmist switches from the first person singular (“my prayer” in 9b) to the first person plural (“our shield’ in 10a) In the second piece (11–12), the first two segments (11ab & 11cd) are parallel to each other: their second members begin with “than”, “the house of my God” (11c) refers to “your courts” (11a). The final trimember (12) begins with “yes” like the first segment. Its structure is of an AAB type, with the first two members (12ab) beginning with two coordinating nouns and ending with the divine name. The same term translated as “good” in the last member (12c) and as “better” in 11a forms an inclusion. The “shield” of 12a is already found in 10a. The final piece (13) begins like the first piece with a similar vocative. The one “who trusts in you” (13b) resembles the one who is asking the Lord to listen to him (9) and to look at his messiah (10).

Psalm 84

157

THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM The four occurrences of “Yhwh of hosts” act as extreme terms for the first part (2 & 4c) and for the last one (9 & 13). Belonging to the same semantic field, “my king” (4c) and “your messiah” (10) serve as distant median terms. Found at the beginning of the central part, “happy the man [...] in you” in 6—preceded by “happy” in 5—is taken up again at the end of the last part (13), thus playing the function of extreme terms for the last two parts. 1

For the music director, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2

O YHWH OF HOSTS! ···············································································································

How lovely are your dwelling places, 3

My soul yearns and is also consumed for the COURTS of YHWH; my HEART and my flesh cry out to the living GOD. 4 Also the sparrow has found a HOME, the swallow a nest for herself where to place her young. ··············································································································· MY KING and my GOD!

Your altars, O YHWH OF HOSTS, 5 6

HAPPY those who dwell in your HOUSE, they are always praising you. HAPPY THE MAN whose strength is in you, the ways are in their HEART. ······················································································································ 7

Passing through the valley of Baka’, they will make it a place of springs; also the early rain will cover it with blessings. 8 THEY SHALL WALK from fortress to fortress, each one shall appear before GOD in Zion. 9

O YHWH GOD OF HOSTS, hear my prayer, give ear, O GOD of Jacob; Behold our shield, O GOD, look upon the face of YOUR MESSIAH.

10

··············································································································· 11

Yes, better one day in your COURTS than a thousand elsewhere; I have chosen to stand on the threshold in the HOUSE of my GOD than to live in the tents of wickedness.

12

Yes, YHWH GOD is a sun and shield, YHWH will give grace and glory; he will not withhold good from those who WALK in integrity.

13

··············································································································· HAPPY THE MAN who trusts in you.

O YHWH OF HOSTS,

While the first person is involved in the extreme parts (3, 4c, 9–10 & 11b), the central part (5–8) is entirely in the third person. The name “God” is repeated in all three parts (3b, 4c, 8, 9[2x], 10, 12a); “Yhwh”, besides the four occurrences of “Yhwh of hosts”, is repeated in 3

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

and twice in 12a. The same term translated as “house” and “home” occurs once in each part (4a, 5, 11b). 1

For the music director, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2

O YHWH OF HOSTS! ···············································································································

How lovely are your dwelling places, 3

My soul yearns and is also consumed for the COURTS of YHWH; my HEART and my flesh cry out to the living GOD. 4 Also the sparrow has found a HOME, the swallow a nest for herself where to place her young. ··············································································································· MY KING and my GOD!

Your altars, O YHWH OF HOSTS, 5 6

HAPPY those who dwell in your HOUSE, they are always praising you. HAPPY THE MAN whose strength is in you, the ways are in their HEART. ······················································································································ 7

Passing through the valley of Baka’, they will make it a place of springs; also the early rain will cover it with blessings. 8 THEY SHALL WALK from fortress to fortress, each one shall appear before GOD in Zion. 9

O YHWH GOD OF HOSTS, hear my prayer, give ear, O GOD of Jacob; Behold our shield, O GOD, look upon the face of YOUR MESSIAH.

10

··············································································································· 11

Yes, better one day in your COURTS than a thousand elsewhere; I have chosen to stand on the threshold in the HOUSE of my GOD than to live in the tents of wickedness.

12

Yes, YHWH GOD is a sun and shield, YHWH will give grace and glory; he will not withhold good from those who WALK in integrity.

13

··············································································································· HAPPY THE MAN who trusts in you.

O YHWH OF HOSTS,

Belonging to the same semantic field, the term “the courts” appears in the extreme parts (3a & 11a) preceding “home/house” (4a & 11c). “Heart” found in the first part (3b) is taken up again in the second part (6). The two final parts are linked by the repetition of the verb “to walk” (8 & 12b). “Dwelling places” (root škn, 2), “to dwell” (yšb, 5), “to live” (dwr, 11c) belong to the same semantic field. The central part provides the connection between the other two parts. The first segment (5) refers to the first part: “those who dwell in your house” are not only “the sparrow” and “the swallow” (4), but also the people who live there.

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The second macarism (6) and what follows announce the third part: it speaks of those who “walk” (8 & 12b), who are on their way to the temple.

CONTEXT PSALMS OF ASCENT Ps 84 recalls Ps 42:2–3, “As a deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God; my soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and shall I see the face of God?”. It also brings to mind the psalms of ascent, in particular Ps 122:1–2, “I rejoiced when they said to me, Let us go to the house of Yhwh! At last our feet are standing at your gates, O Jerusalem.” “YHWH OF HOSTS” The hosts of the Lord are those of the celestial beings, the stars, but they are also those who on earth are fighting with his help to defend his people (see p. 114).

INTERPRETATION “The Lord of hosts” It is astonishing the Lord is called in a very systematic fashion “Yhwh of hosts” in this psalm, a psalm in which, from the beginning to the end has passionate expressions of love for the temple, for “the house” of the Lord. There is no reason to think that we are talking about the armies of heaven, the stars of the heavenly court; we are on earth, walking along the paths that lead to the temple in Jerusalem. The only heavenly beings present in the psalm are the “sparrow” and the “swallow” that nest in the temple (84:4). Only in the last part do we hear that the psalmist’s plea is for God’s “messiah”, whom he calls “our shield” (84:10), because he defends his people against those who attack them. Two verses earlier the psalmist spoke of “fortress/es” (84:8), the towers of the walls that defend the city against its attackers. This means that the enemies are not far away, that they are on the lookout, waiting in “the tents of wickedness” (84:11c) for the right moment to attack the king and his city. The King of Israel The King of Israel is called “our shield” (84:10). Later, almost at the end of the psalm, it is the Lord himself who is called “shield” (84:12). Ultimately, it is Yhwh who is the king of Israel; the human king is the “messiah”, the one who has been anointed to represent him, his lieutenant. That is also the reason why the armies of the earthly king are also those of Yhwh, they are primarily his.

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And that is why the Lord is called, in a persistent fashion, from the beginning to the end of the psalm, “Yhwh of hosts”. Yhwh, a sun The Lord is not only called a “shield” but “a sun and shield” (84:12). It is true that Yhwh is presented by Isaiah as the light of his people: “Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of Yhwh has risen on you. Look! though night still covers the earth and darkness the peoples, on you Yhwh is rising and over you his glory can be seen” (Isa 60:1–2), but it is the only time in the Old Testament that he is referred to as “a sun”, which is certainly surprising. The reason for this is that the sun is a creature that shall not be confused with its creator: “God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:16–18; see Ps 136:7–9). Thanks to the great luminary, he is the true sun who illuminates his messiah, who for him separates light from darkness. Living and walking There is a tension throughout the psalm between staying in the temple and walking towards it. At the beginning the psalmist sings of the sweetness of God’s “dwelling places” and “altars” (Ps 84:2, 4), but while “the sparrow” is permanently lodged in the temple, it is not so in his case: his soul “yearns” to the point of death to be at least like the “swallow” that spends the whole summer in God’s house. At the beginning of the central part, he begins with blessing those who live in the temple (84:5), but the rest is devoted to those who are on the road, along arid pathways, who will have to make a spring before they can benefit from the first rain, to finally arrive in front of the ramparts and enter the temple, to meet their Lord there. In the last part, it seems that the sojourn in the house of God is not so long, even if one day in his courts is worth more than a thousand elsewhere. The image of the pilgrim who remains on the threshold could lead one to think that he is going to leave and return to his everyday home. However, the pilgrim does not leave the temple without the gift of the Lord’s “grace” and “glory” that will enable him to “walk in integrity” (84:12). As with the swallow, the time will come to leave again, until the next year. Like the swallow, however, his stay will not be fruitless.

2. PSALM 851 TEXT 1 For

the music director, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 You love your land, O Yhwh, you brought back the fortune of Jacob. 3 You took away the fault of your people, you covered all their sin. 4 You ended all your wrath, you turned back from your burning anger. 5 Bring us back, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. 6 Will you be angry with us forever, will you prolong your anger from age to age? 7 Behold, as for you, you will turn back to revive us, and your people will rejoice in you. 8 Show us your faithfulness, O Yhwh, and you will give us your salvation. 9 I will listen to: What does God Yhwh say? Well, he says peace to his people and to his faithful, and let them not turn back to folly. 10 Yes, his salvation (is) near for his fearful that glory may dwell in our land. 11 Faithfulness and loyalty have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 12 Loyalty will sprout from the earth, because righteousness has looked down from the heavens. 13 Also Yhwh will give (what is) good, and our land will give its produce. 14 Righteousness will walk before him, and he will set his steps in the way. V. 2B: “YOU BROUGHT BACK THE FORTUNE OF JACOB”

According to the ketib: “You bring back the fortune (šebût) of Jacob”, according to the qeré: “You bring back the captives (šebît) of Jacob”.2 If one sees in these verses, and in the whole psalm, a supplication for the return from the exile, one will give preference to the qeré; but such interpretation is not really necessary. V. 7A: “BEHOLD, AS FOR YOU”

The first word, hălô, is an interrogative particle, but it can have an exclamatory meaning which can be rendered as “behold”, “certainly”.3 Verse 7 would be an answer to the question in the preceding verse.4 V. 9AB: “I WILL LISTEN TO: WHAT DOES GOD YHWH SAY”

The future tense “I will listen” is intended to be cohortative. The pronoun mah is primarily an interrogative. Since the centre of a concentric composition is often occupied by a question, or by a question and its answer, 9b is interpreted as a question5 and the rest of the verse as its answer.

1

I have retaken and corrected my article published in 1990, “L’enfant de l’amour (Ps 85)”. As in Ps 126:4a; see Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 377. 3 Joüon, 161c. 4 See Hakham, II, 111. 5 Thus BJ. Kraus (II, 172, 176) makes the following two members one question: “Will he not speak of salvation to his people and to his faithful ones?” 2

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V. 14B: “AND HE WILL SET HIS STEPS IN THE WAY”

The meaning is far from clear and there are many proposed corrections. The most common one is to replace weyāśēm (“he sets”) with wešālôm (“and peace”.6 The problem is to identify the referent of the pronouns: who will “set” and whose “steps” are?7 The verb yāśēm (“he will set”) is in the masculine form, and the subject can be either “Yhwh” or “righteousness” which in Hebrew is a masculine noun. The logic of the last part of the psalm will help us to comprehend it. The common expression śym + objet + le means “to make something or someone different” (among many examples, Isa 13:9, “making the earth a desert”; Isa 49:11, “I will make a path out of all my mountains”);8 but here the order of the terms is different from that of the usual locution.

COMPOSITION The psalm comprises three parts (2–8, 9 & 10–14), two of which are more extensive, framing a much shorter part. THE FIRST PART (2–8) It comprises seven bimember segments organised into three pieces; two pieces formed of three segments (2–4 & 6–8) frame a piece consisting of one segment only (5). The first piece (2–4) . 2 You love, . YOU BROUGHT BACK

O Yhwh, the fortune of

your land, Jacob.

. 3 You took away . you covered

the fault of all

your people, their sin.

. 4 You ended . YOU TURNED BACK

all from the burning of

your wrath, your anger.

The unity of the first piece is marked by the fact that each of the six members begins with a verb and that these six verbs have the same modalities; it is also marked by the fact that the psalmist, the one who addresses “Yhwh”, seems to 6

Osty: “and the Salvation accompanies his steps”; see Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 361; Ravasi, II,

772. 7 TOB expresses it well in the footnote: “Or else, with the Vulgate he (or she) will set his (or her) steps on the path (i.e., God or righteousness)”. 8 See R.J. TOURNAY, Voir et entendre Dieu avec les Psaumes, 134.

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designate the recipients of God’s actions as if he were not part of them (“your land”, “Jacob”, “your people”, “their”): the pronoun “us” is absent in this piece, whereas it will come back insistently in the subsequent verses. The two initial segments (2 & 3) are linked by the fact that their first two members end similarly with the synonyms, “your land” and “your people”; in fact, all the members of the two initial segments end with a mention of the recipients of God’s actions (“your land”, “Jacob”, “your people” taken in pronominal form by “their” at the end of 3b). The two final segments (3 & 4) are linked by the repetition of “all” (3b & 4a). The second verbs of the extreme segments are of the same root (“bring back” in 2b and “turn back” in 4b); both verbs are complementary, since in the ending God is the subject and the one at the beginning refers to the people, but both are the works of the Lord. This lexical repetition forms an inclusion. The logical sequence of the three segments seems to be reversed: In fact, the chronological order would have God first putting an end to his anger, then forgiving, and finally restoring the previous situation of his people. The last piece (6–8) + 6 Forever + will you prolong

will you be angry your anger

: 7 Behold, as for you, : and your people

you will turn back will rejoice

8

+ Show us, + and your salvation

O Yhwh, you will give

WITH

US,

from age to age? to revive us, IN

YOU!

your faithfulness, TO

US.

The median terms of the last segment (8), “your faithfulness”9 and “your salvation”, are opposed to the central terms of the first segment (6), “will you be angry” and “your anger”. Only the extreme members end with a preposition followed by “us” (6a & 8b). The two members of the central segment (7) are not synonymous as in the other two segments: its second member is the consequence of the first one. The “us” (once at the end of the first members of the first two segments and once at the extremities of the last segment) is extended by “from age to age” (6b), which repeats “forever” (6a) and seems to announce “your people” (7b).

9 “Faithfulness» translates ḥesed and ’emet is rendered by “loyalty”; see Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 123.

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The whole of the first part (2–8) + +

2

You love, YOU BROUGHT BACK

= =

3

You took away you covered

:: ::

4

:: ::

+ +

O YHWH, the fortune of

your land, Jacob.

the fault of all

YOUR PEOPLE,

their sin.

You ended

all YOUR WRATH, YOU TURNED BACK from the burning of YOUR ANGER. ··············································································································· - 5 BRING US BACK, O GOD of our SALVATION, - and put away YOUR INDIGNATION toward us. ··············································································································· 6 Forever WILL YOU BE ANGRY with us, will you prolong YOUR ANGER from age to age?

= =

7

8

SHOW US, and your SALVATION

Behold, as for you, and YOUR PEOPLE

will rejoice

to revive us, in you!

O YHWH, you will give

your faithfulness, to us.

YOU WILL TURN BACK

The two pieces outlined above (2–4 & 6–8) frame a single segment. Indeed, verse 5 has a special status. First, it is the only segment in which the apostrophe “O God” is used, an apostrophe which is symmetrical to the one which is repeated in the identical position in the first members of the extreme segments, namely “O Yhwh” (2a & 8a). Moreover, while its two members begin with a verb in the imperative, in the first member, “bring us back”, has as its object the people (“us”) whereas in the second member, “put away”, has as its object the “indignation” of God himself. Thus, God is asked in a complementary way to “turn” the people (towards him) and to return from his anger (towards them); it is the only segment in this part where this double movement is found. The verbs deriving of the same root šwb (translated as “to bring back” and “to turn back”), which we have seen form an inclusion for the first piece (2b & 4b), they are also found at the centre of the last piece (7a) and at the centre of the part (5a). The meaning of these four occurrences is complementary: God “turns back” from his anger (4), he “brings back” his people (5a), he “brings back” the fortune of his people (2b), he “turns back” finally to revive them (7a). There is not only an overall concentric structure (2–4, 5 & 6–8); the segments are symmetrical two by two on each side of the central segment. Segments 4 and 6: The two members of 4 end with “wrath” and “anger” which are matched at the centre of each member of 6 with “will you be angry” and “your anger”; another synonym of these four terms is found in the central segment, namely “indignation” (none of these words is found elsewhere in the part). Furthermore, the verbs with which the extreme members begin, “you

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ended” (4a) and “you will prolong” (6b) are opposed, and they are the only ones in the whole part that indicate a notion of time.10 Segments 3 and 7: these are the only ones where the term “your people” is used. They are also the only ones where the singular and the plural are similarly balanced: “your people” and “the sin of theirs” in 3, “your people” and “will rejoice” in 7b. “Fault” and “sin” (3) are opposed to the gift of life and joy (7). Segments 2 and 8: These are the only two in the whole part where the apostrophe “O Yhwh” occurs; a similar apostrophe, “O God”, is found in the central verse, in the same position.11 “Show us” (8a), the only imperative in the last piece, recalls the imperatives of the central segment; similarly, the only two occurrences of “salvation” are at the centre (5a) and at the end (8b). Finally, “your faithfulness” in 8a seems to refer to the first word, “you love” (2a). These facts should not be surprising insofar as one remembers that, if the last piece follows the chronological order, the first piece follows the reverse order (see p. 163). The central prayer is the only one that opposes, in its two members, “indignation” and “salvation”; this opposition is found, in a crossed manner, at the extremities of the other two pieces, with love and “faithfulness”/“salvation” in the first and in the last segments (2 & 8) like “salvation” in 5a, with “wrath” and “anger” in the segments closest to the centre (4 & 6) like “indignation” in 5b. THE SECOND PART (9) :: 9 I will listen to: :: What does (he) SAY,

God

+ Well, he SAYS – to his people + and let them not turn back

peace and to his faithful, to folly.

Yhwh?

While all the other segments of the psalm are clearly bimember, mostly formed of six terms, the rhythm of verse 9 is completely different. In the second segment (9cde) the extreme members begin with the verbs (opposed or complementary by their subjects) and end with the nouns, “peace” and “folly”, which can be considered as opposed. The verb “to say” is repeated in the median terms of both segments. The recipients of God’s words are named twice at the centre of the second segment: “his people” and “his faithful”; the one who speaks to them is also mentioned in the second member of the first segment with two names: “God” and “Yhwh”. 10

Translated as “to turn back”, the second verb of 5 could also be rendered as “to cease”; thus the temporal verbs of 4 and 5 would find an echo in the verse they frame. 11 This is an example of Lund’s third law: “Identical ideas are often distributed in such a fashion that they occur in the extremes and at the centre of their respective system, and nowhere else in the system (Chiasmus in the New Testament, 41; Traité, 97–98 = Treatise, 42).

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

THE THIRD PART (10–14) The last part comprises five bimember segments organised into three pieces: two are formed of two bimembers (10–11 & 13–14) and they frame a piece that comprises only one bimember (12). The first peace (10–11) = 10 Yes, (is) near = that may dwell

for his fearful glory

his salvation in our land.

. 11 Faithfulness . righteousness

and loyalty and peace

have met together, have kissed each other.

While the two verbs in 11 are in the past tense, the predicates in 10 are atemporal: “near” is not a verb, and “that may dwell” translates an infinitive (“to dwell” would be more literal translation, but certainly less clear than the one adopted). However, it is clear, like the second segment, the first one describes a factual situation. In each member of the first segment (10), two personages are portrayed: on the one hand, the Lord (referred to in the preceding verse) who is presented by two of his attributes, “his salvation” and “glory”, and on the other hand, “his fearful” who are “in our land”. In each member of the second segment (11), these are again two personages designated by their attributes; the problem is their identification. If we assume that the text is coherent, and that a verse can be explained not only by what precedes it, but also by what follows it, the solution will be given by the subsequent segment: since “loyalty” comes “from the earth” (12a), “faithfulness” of 11a points to God; since “righteousness” comes “from the heavens” (12b), “peace” of 11b points to the other character, the people of “our land” who “fear” the Lord (in both members of verse 11, the divine character is presented first). The second piece (12) – 12 Loyalty – because righteousness

from the earth from the heavens

will sprout, has looked down.12

The central verse differs from the two preceding ones firstly by the fact that each member is dedicated to only one of the two personages, the earthly and then the heavenly ones; secondly, while its two members end with verbs as in the preceding verse, only the second one is in the past tense, as in the preceding piece, while the first one is in the future tense, as in the four verbs of the subsequent piece. 12 The “and” that coordinates the two members is understood as a causal waw, translated as “because” (see Joüon, 170c).

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The last piece (13–14) = 13 Also YHWH = and OUR LAND

will give will give

(what is) good its produce.

: 14 : and

before HIM in the way

will walk, his steps.

Righteousness HE will set

All the verbs in this piece are in the future tense, which distinguishes it from the first piece (10–11). While the two characters in the first segment are clearly designated, “Yhwh” and “our land”, it does not apply to those in the last segment (14; see p. 162). Only the coherence of the whole part (and of the whole psalm) will allow us, as it seems, to solve the enigma. The whole of the part (10–14) . 10 . . 11 .

. 13 . . .

Yes, that

(is) near may dwell

for HIS FEARFUL GLORY

HIS SALVATION

in OUR LAND.

FAITHFULNESS

and LOYALTY have met together, RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE have kissed each other. ············································································································· 12 LOYALTY from THE EARTH will sprout, because RIGHTEOUSNESS from THE HEAVENS has looked down. ············································································································· Also YHWH will give (what is) good, and

OUR LAND

will give

its produce.

and

RIGHTEOUSNESS HE will set

before HIM in the way

will walk, his steps.

14

The first members of the extreme pieces are the only ones that begin with particles, translated as “yes” in 10a and as “also” in 13a: these two particles act as a kind of initial terms. The short central piece (12) articulates the other two pieces. “Loyalty from the earth” in 12a recalls the first piece with “loyalty” in 11a and “our land” in 10b. “Righteousness” in 12b is found already in the first piece (11b) and comes again in the last piece (14a). Furthermore, the future tense in 12a, “will sprout”, announces four verbs of the last piece, and the past tense in 12b refers to those of 11ab. The two main characters are “Yhwh”—with “his salvation” (10a) and “glory” (10b), “righteousness” (11b) which bends down from heaven (12b)— and on the other hand “the earth/land” (10b, 12a, 13b) where “loyalty” (12a) will sprout, which together with “peace” meet “faithfulness” and “righteousness” (11ab). “The earth” and its “loyalty” are referred to at the beginning as “his fearful” (10a).

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

These five verses are organised into a simple chronological sequence. They narrate a love story. But this love story is not yet complete; the moment of enunciation is at the third stage, which is described in the central segment, where the action of “righteousness” is stated as completed while the germination is announced for the future. At first the husband has joined his wife to live with her (10); then the meeting and embrace, that implies the union of the two spouses (11); conception is announced, with the agricultural metaphor of germination (12a) thanks to divine fertilisation (12b); then birth (13), following the same metaphor; the stage that naturally follows birth is education, and more specifically, learning to walk (14): The child (“[what is] good”, “its produce” of the preceding verse) has been given one of his father’s names, “Righteousness”, the last of the four “names” attributed to God (“Salvation” in 10a, “Glory” in 10b, “Faithfulness” in 11a and finally “Righteousness”, which occurs twice in 11b and 12b); he walks in front of his father, who holds him in his hands and bends over him; his father guides his steps along a path (14). This interpretation will be confirmed by the immediate context, namely by the rest of the psalm. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM “Faithfulness” found in the pieces that frame the central part (8a & 11a) refers to God’s love for his people; another word deriving from the same root is found at the centre, “his faithful” (9d), and it refers to the people’s love for their Lord; thus these two uses are complementary. The same word translated as “land/earth” that give a rhythm to the third part, at the beginning of the extreme pieces (10b & 13b) and at the centre (12a), is found at the beginning of the first part (2a); take a note, however, of the difference in the pronoun suffixes, for “the earth” of 12 (without a pronoun) is referred to as “your land” at the beginning (2a), which means, the land of the Lord, and “our land” in the last part (10b & 13b). It seems as if, between the beginning and the end of the psalm, it was given back to Israel. “Salvation” occurs twice in the first part, at the centre (5a) and at the end (8b); it occurs again at the beginning of the last part (10a); in all instances it is God’s doing, always in favour of his people. “Peace” is repeated in 9c and 11b. The verb “to give” found at the end of the first part (8b) is repeated twice in the last piece of the last part (13a & 13b); its object in the first instance is God’s “salvation”, in the second instances is that “what is good”, the “produce”, the fruit of the union of the earth and heaven. God’s gift comes out of the earth too. The four verbs of the root šwb, translated as “to bring back” and “turn back”, in the first part have God as their subject, regardless of their object. The Lord “brings back” the fortune of his people (2b) and at the centre he “brings back” his people (5a), he “turns back” from his burning anger (4b), he “turns back” to revive his people (7a). However, the fifth occurrence of the same verb at the end of the central part (9e) as its subject has “his people” and “his faithful” (9d). The verb

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is used in a complementary way in both parts. The return to faithfulness by God and the people is the work of God alone, but the people can go back to “folly”, which means to their “sin” and their “fault” (3), to turn away from their God, in order to cling to what is foolish, namely the false spouses, the idols with whom the people had gone to prostitute themselves. 1

For the music director,

of the sons of Korah, a psalm.

+ 2 You love, + YOU BROUGHT BACK

O YHWH, the fortune

YOUR LAND,

+ You took away + you covered

the fault all

of YOUR PEOPLE, their sin.

+ 4 You ended + YOU TURNED BACK

all from the burning

your wrath, of your anger.

3

of Jacob.

··················································································································· 5 BRING US BACK, O GOD of our SALVATION,

and put away

your indignation

toward us.

···················································································································

– 6 Forever – will you prolong

will you be angry your anger

with us, from age to age?

– 7 Behold, as for you, – and YOUR PEOPLE

YOU WILL TURN BACK

to revive us, in you.

will rejoice

– 8 Show us, O YHWH, – and your SALVATION YOU WILL GIVE

YOUR FAITHFULNESS,

to us.

9

I will listen to: What does (he) say,

GOD

Well, he says to HIS PEOPLE and LET THEM NOT TURN BACK

PEACE and to HIS FAITHFUL, to folly.

YHWH?

+ 10 Yes, is near + that may dwell

for his fearful glory

his SALVATION, in OUR LAND.

+ 11 FAITHFULNESS + righteousness

and loyalty and PEACE

have met together, have kissed each other.

··················································································································· 12

Loyalty because righteousness

from THE EARTH from the heavens

will sprout, has looked down.

··················································································································· – 13 Also YHWH WILL GIVE what is good, – and OUR LAND WILL GIVE its produce.

– 14 Righteousness – and he will set

before him in the way

will walk, his steps.

170 1

Third Section (Ps 84–89)

For the music director,

of the sons of Korah, a psalm.

+ 2 You love, + YOU BROUGHT BACK

O YHWH, the fortune

YOUR LAND,

+ 3 You took away + you covered

the fault all

of YOUR PEOPLE, their sin.

+ 4 You ended + YOU TURNED BACK

all from the burning

your wrath, of your anger.

of Jacob.

··················································································································· 5 BRING US BACK, O GOD of our SALVATION,

and put away

your indignation

toward us.

···················································································································

– 6 Forever – will you prolong

will you be angry your anger

with us, from age to age?

– 7 Behold, as for you, – and YOUR PEOPLE

YOU WILL TURN BACK

to revive us, in you.

will rejoice

– 8 Show us, O YHWH, – and your SALVATION YOU WILL GIVE

YOUR FAITHFULNESS,

to us.

9

I will listen to: What does (he) say,

GOD

Well, he says to HIS PEOPLE and LET THEM NOT TURN BACK

PEACE and to HIS FAITHFUL, to folly.

YHWH?

+ 10 Yes, is near + that may dwell

for his fearful glory

his SALVATION, in OUR LAND.

+ 11 FAITHFULNESS + righteousness

and loyalty and PEACE

have met together, have kissed each other.

··················································································································· 12

Loyalty because righteousness

from THE EARTH from the heavens

will sprout, has looked down.

··················································································································· – 13 Also YHWH WILL GIVE what is good, – and OUR LAND WILL GIVE its produce.

– 14 Righteousness – and he will set

before him in the way

will walk, his steps.

The extreme parts are parallel. In the first part the return initiated by the Lord (2–4) is followed by the request (5 & 6–8); partly accomplished at the beginning of the third part (10–11 & 12b), and its fulfilment is subsequently promised (12a & 13–14).

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The centres of the extreme parts are corresponding to each other: the first one (5) is the only one in this part to relate, in a complementary way, the return of the people (to their Lord) and that of God (who withdraws from his indignation; see p. 164); both returns are the work of God. This complementarity is found at the centre of the last part (12), underlined by the opposition between “the earth” and “the heavens”; since the waw with which the second member begins is indeed causal, what happens to the earth is also the work of God. The centre of the whole (9) is the only place where the first person singular is used: “I will listen to”. Many commentators see this as the intervention of a prophet in the liturgical setting of prayer in the Temple, conveying God’s answer to the prayer that has just been addressed to him.13 Regardless of the circumstances in which the psalm may have originated and its original liturgical use, it is certain that the second segment of 9 is God’s answer, a response that is at the same time a warning and a promise. That is the link with the first part. The last part develops the answer given in the second segment of the central part. The name “Yhwh” which frames the first part (2a & 8a) is taken up once in the last part (13a). It occurs in the central part, but preceded by “God” (9b), a term that is already found at the centre of the first part (5).

CONTEXT CONJUGAL LOVE AND FILIATION The psalm uses the language of the conjugal relationship to describe the relationship of love, infidelity, and reconciliation that binds and separates God and his people. Of all the texts that describe the love story of the God of Jacob and his people, Hos 1–3 seems to be the most closely related to Ps. 85. On top of this primary marital metaphor, the agricultural metaphor traditionally used to express fertilisation and birth is naturally inserted. In Hos 1:4 “Jezreel”, the name of the prophet’s first son and the prostitute he married, means “God sows” (see also 2:23–24). It is worth noting that Hosea continues, in a passage reminiscent of chapter 2, with the same image with which Ps 85 ends: “For Israel is a child and I love him [...] And it was I who taught Ephraim to walk taking him by the arms” (Hos 11:1, 3). Announcing the new covenant, Jeremiah says: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. (Jer 31:31–32; quoted in Heb 8:8–9)

13

See in particular R.J. TOURNAY, Voir et entendre Dieu avec les Psaumes, 148–149.

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As a note on Jer 31:32, writes: “where I took them by the hand”, like a father who watches over the steps of his child, cf. Hos 11:1–4.” RIGHTEOUSNESS Righteousness14 belongs primarily to God (Ps 5:9; 7:18, etc.). But he gives it to people: “his righteousness endures forever” is stated of God in Ps 111:3b and of “the man who fears the Lord” in the parallel psalm (Ps 112:3b, 9b). Righteousness comes from both “the heavens” and “the earth”: Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness, let the earth open and bring forth salvation, let righteousness sprout with it. (Isa 45:8)

It will be in particular the name of the messiah, son of David: 5

Behold, the days are coming, saith Yhwh, that I will raise up for David a righteous branch; and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute in the land justice and righteousness. 6 In his days Judah will triumph and Israel live in safety. And this is the name he will be called: “Yhwh our Righteousness.” (Jer 23:5–6; 33:16)

A SPROUT The image of the branch is present in the centre of the last part of the psalm: “Loyalty will sprout from the earth” (Ps 85:12). As we have just seen in the two texts quoted above, salvation is presented under the metaphor of the “branch” (Isa 45:8d; Jer 23:5). This metaphor is used to designate the small remnant of Israel (Isa 4:2) from which a rebirth will be possible. It is also another name for the Messiah: “Behold, I will bring my servant the ‘Branch’” (Zech 3:8; see also 6:12). The Septuagint translates ṣemaḥ, “sprout”, “growth”, as anatolē, which also means a star at its rising (Mal 3:20). This is the term Luke uses for Jesus the Messiah: “by the merciful bowels of our God in which the raising from on high will visit us” (Luke 1:78).15 Usually translated as “the star” (BJ), “the rising star” (Osty, TOB).16

14 Righteousness translates the masculine ṣedeq and the feminine ṣedāqâ; see Ps 40:10, 11; 72:2, 3. 15 See R. MEYNET, L’Évangile de Luc (20113), 10–102. 16 The TOB writes in note h: “This term means both the rising of a star and the shoot of a plant: the OT uses it to announce the shoot of David (Jer 23:4; Zech 3:5; 6:12) and it uses the corresponding verb to indicate the rising of the messianic star (Num 24:17; cf. Mal 3:20). The psalm must have been intended for both meanings, but especially for the second one, which was very popular in Judaism at that time (cf. Matt 2:2).”

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INTERPRETATION WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PSALM? What—or who—is Psalm 85 talking about? What the Roman liturgy has made this psalm one of the privileged ones for Advent.17 Some consider it as a harvest psalm,18 or a request for rain,19 because of verse 13: “our land will give its produce”. Évode Beaucamp is of the same opinion: It seems difficult to dispute that it concerns the gift of rain and the prosperity of the soil. Early Christian literature and the liturgy of the first centuries have thus singularly broadened the object of the oracle when they made it an announcement of the mystery of Christmas.20

Without excluding such liturgical usage, for which an agricultural vocabulary may provide a good pretext, it seems that terms used metaphorically should not be taken literally.21 Would the traditional Christian interpretation, supported by Irenaeus and Augustine, have wrongly attributed an allegorical meaning to this agricultural psalm? Is it not rather in line with its true original meaning? The interpretation proposed here, based on an analysis of the composition of the text and confirmed afterwards by the comparison that it suggests with the book of Hosea, could shed some light on these questions. A LOVE STORY The first word sets the tone, as in the Miserere (Ps 51) and De profundis (Ps 130). “You love your land!” You love it so much that you forgive all its faults (Ps 85:3) and forget the anger that it deserved for its unworthy conduct (85:4). In the language of Hosea and the exilic prophets, it is the new covenant that is at stake, the one that rests on the forgiveness of sins, even before they are asked for, before the Lord’s return is implored (85:7) and his “faithfulness” and “salvation” are manifested once again (85:8). Such is the movement and logic of the first part of the psalm. THE LORD MAKES PEACE The first part began with a delighted contemplation of the Lord’s return, and from the centre onwards it becomes a supplication. In the short central part (85:9), the psalmist expresses his desire to hear God’s response. The answer comes promptly: The Lord is only waiting for one thing, the return of his people, 17

See E. LIPÍNSKI, “Le psaume du 3e dimanche de l’Avent (Ps 85)”. S. MOWINCKEL, The Psalms in Israel’s worship, I, 163, 191, 223; II, 63. 19 Thus Dahood, II, 286. 20 É. BEAUCAMP, Le Psautier, II, 69. 21 What would you think of a researcher who, seeing an article entitled “Lebanon built a bridge between East and West”, would classify it under “civil engineering”? 18

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his faithful, with whom he wants to make “peace”. Otherwise, they will “turn back to folly”, they will persist in unfaithfulness from which they have just been forgiven. God proposes, man disposes. LOVE AND FILIATION “Peace” offered by the Lord has been accomplished. The Lord has come close to his faithful, to “those who fear him”, his “glory” has come to dwell “in our land” (85:10). After the meeting comes the embracing, the union of the two lovers (85:11). The conception of a sprout marks the decisive turning point in the last part (85:12). The birth is now awaited, the fruit of the union between “Yhwh” and “our land” (85:13), the day when the people can sing: For a son has been born for us, a son has been given to us, dominion rests upon his shoulders; and he is named, Wonder Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” 6 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness. (Isa 9:5–6)

After the birth, the little “Righteousness”, the son to whom the Lord will give his own name, will grow up. The time will soon come when his father bending over the little one will teach him to walk by holding his hands, setting his steps on the path of salvation and peace. WHO IS THIS EXPECTED SON? The son called to bear the name of his heavenly Father and to practice his “righteousness” is Jacob-Israel, whom the psalm names at the beginning. The fact that the people are presented as both wife and son is not unusual: I thought how I would set you among my children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful heritage of all the nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me. Instead, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so you have been faithless to me, O house of Israel, says the Lord. (Jer 3:19–20)

In this way Israel receives a promise of a new birth in which it will be recreated with “righteousness”. The expected son is also the Messiah, son of David, who will restore “righteousness” to his people. It is not without reason that the Christian liturgy uses this psalm during the Advent season; it recognises Jesus, the only Son of God, in whom God’s “righteousness” is incarnated.

3. PSALM 86 TEXT 1A

prayer of David. Incline your ear, O Yhwh, answer me, because I (am) afflicted and poor; my soul, because I (am) faithful, save your servant, you my God, who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, because to you, I call all the day; 4 gladden the soul of your servant, because to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; 5 because you, O Lord, (are) good and forgiving, and abounding in faithfulness to all who call on you. 6 Give ear, O Yhwh, to my prayer, and give attention to the voice of my request for mercy; 7 in the day of my anguish I call on you because you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and there is none like your deeds. 9 All the nations which you have made will come and will bow down to your face, O Lord, and will give glory to your name. 10 Yes, you (are) great and doing wonders, you (are) God, you alone. 11 Teach me, O Yhwh, your way, I will walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I will give you thanks, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify your name forever, 13 because your faithfulness (was) great toward me, and you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, the insolent have risen up against me and a band of ruthless have sought my soul, and they have not set you before them. 15 And you, O Lord, (are) a God tender and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in faithfulness and truth, 16 turn to me and have mercy on me, give your strength to your servant and save the son of your handmaid; 17 do a sign of goodness to me and my enemies will see and will blush, because you, O Yhwh, help me and comfort me. 2 keep

V. 2B: “YOU MY GOD”

’attâ ’ĕlōhay interrupts the phrase, and some move it to the beginning of the next verse, considering it a nominal phrase: “you are my God”.1 That is not necessary, as the vocative can be inserted within a phrase (as in 4b, 5a and especially in 9). V. 6B: “MY REQUEST FOR MERCY”

This unusual translation is intended to respect the link with “have mercy on me” in 3a, as both words derive from the same root. V. 13A: “YOUR FAITHFULNESS (WAS) GREAT”

To respect the parallelism of the members, the copula is put in the past tense. V. 14: “THE INSOLENT HAVE RISEN UP”

The three past tenses are understood as expressing pluperfect meaning2.

1 2

E.g., Kraus, II, 179–180; Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 193. See Joüon, 112c, 118d.

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V. 15A: “A GOD TENDER AND MERCIFUL”

Instead of “gracious” (see Ps 111:4b; 112:4b), “merciful” has been chosen because in 16a “have mercy on me” derives from the same root. COMPOSITION After the title, the psalm is organised into three parts, two more extensive (1b–7 & 11–17) framing a shorter one (8–10). THE FIRST PART (1B–7) + 1b INCLINE, = because afflicted

O YHWH, and poor,

+ 2 KEEP + SAVE = who trusts

YOUR SERVANT,

my soul,

YOUR EAR,

ANSWER me,

I (am); because FAITHFUL, you

I (am), MY GOD,

in you.

································································································································ 3

+ HAVE MERCY ON ME, = because to you

O LORD, I CALL

all the DAY;

+ 4 GLADDEN = because to you,

the soul O LORD,

of YOUR SERVANT my soul

I lift up;

O LORD, in FAITHFULNESS

(are) good to all

WHO CALL ON YOU.

5

:: because you, :: and abounding

and forgiving,

································································································································ 6

+ GIVE EAR, + and GIVE ATTENTION

O YHWH, to the voice

= 7 in the DAY = I CALL ON YOU

of my anguish because you ANSWER me.

to my prayer OF MY REQUEST FOR MERCY;

Introduced with “because”, the second member of the first segment (1c) gives the reason for the initial request. The same is true in the second segment: beginning with “because”, the last terms of the first member (2a) provide the motivation for the preceding request: the faithfulness of the psalmist, and in the third member (2c) his trust in his God motivates the request for salvation of the preceding member. The same alternation between petition and motivation is found in the second piece (3–5). Whereas in the first two segments (3–4) the motivation for the supplication is the psalmist’s prayer, in the third segment (5) it is the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.

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In the third piece (6–7), the request occupies the entire first segment (6) while the motivation follows in the second segment (7). At the beginning of the extreme pieces the psalmist is asking “Yhwh” to listen to him (1 & 6). The two occurrences of “Yhwh” act as initial terms and those of “answer” as extreme terms (1b & 7b). The central piece differs from the other two pieces by the fact that it uses three times the vocative “O Lord” (’ădōnāy: 3a, 4b & 5a). In the first piece it is the psalmist who is “faithful” (2a), in the second piece it is the Lord (5b). The first two pieces have “soul” (2a, 4a, 4b) and “your servant” (2b & 4a) in common. The verb “to call” occurs at the extremities of the second piece (3b & 5b) and at the end of the last piece (7b). The first term of verse 3 and the last one of verse 6 derive from the same root, and it is the reason why in the second instance it has been translated as “my requests for mercy”. THE SECOND PART (8–10) + 8 There is none like YOU – and there is none :: 9 All the nations .. will come .. and will give glory + 10 Yes, great – and DOING + YOU (are)

among the gods, like your DEEDS.

O LORD,

which and will bow down to YOUR NAME.

YOU HAVE MADE

to your face,

O LORD,

YOU (are)

wonders, GOD,

you alone.

The first segment puts in parallel the “Lord” (8a) and his “deeds” (8b). The same applies to the final trimember (10a & 10b), where the final member corresponds to the first member of the initial segment (8a) not only with the apostrophe, but also with “you alone” (10c) which refers to “there is none like you” (8a). At the centre (9) is the worship of the “nations” (gôyim): this last term can refer to the pagan nations, but can also include Israel.3 However, the fact that they “will come” to worship suggests that these are the foreigners who will come from afar to worship the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem. The same verb translated as “deeds”, “you have made” and “doing”, is found in each segment (8b, 9a & 10b). The divine names in apostrophe play the role of extreme terms (8a & 10c); “O Lord”, again in apostrophe, is also found at the end of the second member of the central trimember (9b). “Your name” at the end of the central segment (9c) is that of the God of Israel, “Yhwh”, which is not pronounced in this part. 3

See, e.g., Ps 67.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

THE THIRD PART (11-17) + 11 TEACH ME, = I will walk + UNITE = to fear

O YHWH,

your way,

IN YOUR TRUTH,

my heart, YOUR NAME.

·······························································································································

.. 12 I will give you thanks, O LORD .. and I will glorify YOUR NAME

MY GOD, forever,

:: 13 because you FAITHFULNESS (was) great :: and you have delivered my soul

toward me, from Sheol,

14

– O GOD, – and a band – and they have not

the insolent of ruthless set you

have risen up have sought before them.

with all my heart,

from the depths; against me, my soul,

·······························································································································

:: 15 And you, :: slow

O LORD, to anger

(are) a GOD tender and merciful, and abounding in FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH,

+ 16 TURN + GIVE + and SAVE

to me your strength the son

and have mercy on me, to your servant of your handmaid;

+ 17 DO = and (they) will see, :: because you,

to me my enemies O YHWH,

a sign and will blush, help me

of goodness and comfort me.

The two segments of the first piece are parallel to each other: indeed, the requests (11a & 11c) are followed by their consequences (11b & 11d). The final piece (15–17) corresponds to the first piece (11). The initial apostrophe, “O Yhwh” (11a), is elaborated in the first bimember (15), followed by a trimember of requests (16); as for the final trimember (17), it begins with a request (17a), continues with its consequences (17b), and the final member provides the reason (17c). “O Lord” (15a) and “O Yhwh” (17c) form an inclusion; “have mercy on me” at the end of 16a echoes the last term of 15a, translated as “merciful” to respect the fact that both terms derive from the same root. The central piece (12–14) is a thanksgiving (12) motivated by the salvation granted by God to his faithful (13). The final trimember (14) explains the source of the mortal threat: while the enemies “have sought my soul” (14b), the Lord has “delivered my soul from Sheol” (13b). The vocatives “O Lord my God” (12a) and “O God” (14a) serve as initial terms for the extreme segments. The two occurrences of “my heart” (11c & 12a) and “your name” (11d & 12b) link the first two pieces. “Faithfulness” is repeated in the last two pieces (13a & 15b). The two occurrences of “truth” (11b & 15b) act as initial terms for the extreme pieces. The vocatives, “O Yhwh” (11a), “O Lord my God” (12a),

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“O Lord, God” (15a), serve as initial terms for the three pieces, the only two occurrences of “Yhwh” (11a & 17c) play the role of extreme terms for the part. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

A PRAYER of David. INCLINE, O YHWH, your ear, ANSWER ME, because I am afflicted and poor; 2 KEEP my soul, because I am FAITHFUL, SAVE YOUR SERVANT, YOU MY GOD, who trust in you. 3

HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD,

because to you, I call all the day; because to you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; forgiving, and abounding in FAITHFULNESS to all who call on you. 4 GLADDEN the soul of YOUR SERVANT, 5 because YOU, O LORD, are GOOD and

6 7

GIVE EAR, O YHWH, to my PRAYER, and GIVE ATTENTION to the voice of MY REQUEST FOR MERCY; in the day of my anguish I call on you because you answer me. 8

There is none like you among the gods, O LORD, and there is none like your DEEDS. 9 All the nations which YOU HAVE MADE will come and will bow down to your face, O LORD, and WILL GIVE GLORY TO YOUR NAME; 10 Yes, YOU are GREAT and DOING wanders, YOU are GOD, you alone. 11

TEACH ME, O YHWH your way, I will walk in your truth, my heart to fear YOUR NAME.

UNITE 12

I will give you thanks, O LORD MY GOD, with all my heart, and I WILL GLORIFY YOUR NAME forever, 13 because your FAITHFULNESS was GREAT toward me, and you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol; 14 O GOD, the insolent have risen up against me, and a band of ruthless have sought my soul, and they have not set you before them. 15

And YOU, O LORD, are a GOD tender and MERCIFUL, slow to anger and abounding in FAITHFULNESS and truth, 16 TURN to me and HAVE MERCY ON ME, GIVE your strength to YOUR SERVANT and SAVE the son of YOUR HANDMAID; 17 DO a sign of GOODNESS to me and my enemies will see and will blush, because YOU, O YHWH, help me and comfort me.

The extreme parts are marked by the imperatives within the requests (1b[2x], 2[2x], 3, 4, 6[2x], 11a, 11b, 16a[3x], 16b, 17a); these requests are absent in the central part. The name “Yhwh” appears in extreme terms in these parts and not elsewhere (1b, 6a, 11a, 17b). “Faithful”/“faithfulness” is repeated twice in each of the extreme parts (2, 5, 13, 15b), as are the terms of the root “to have mercy” (3a, 6a, 15a, 16a) as well as “your servant” / “your handmaid” (2, 4, 16a, 16b); “my soul” is repeated three times in the first part (2 & 4[2x]) and twice in the last part (13 & 14b); the verb “to save” occurs in 2 and 16b.

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The central part shares with the other two parts the isolated pronoun “you” (2, 5, 10[2x], 15a, 17b) as well as the divine names “Lord” and “God” (2b, 3a, 8a, 9c, 10, 12a, 14a, 15a). The central part is linked to the subsequent part by the repetition of “your name” (9c, 11b, 12b), the word of the root “to do, make” (8, 9, 10, 17a), the term “great” (10 & 13) and the verb “to give glory” (9c & 12b). The central part differs from the other two parts by the fact that it does not have any request, but it is a proclamation of the greatness of God and his works, and only this part announces that the nations will come to pledge allegiance to the Lord. Finally, the first word in the title, “a prayer”, occurs also in 6a.

CONTEXT THE NATIONS WILL COME TO THE ONE GOD The centre of the psalm recalls Deutero-Isaiah. Especially, since it insists on the uniqueness of the Lord, he “alone”: 6

Thus says Yhwh, the King of Israel, Yhwh of hosts, his Redeemer: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god, 8 [...] Is there any god besides me? There is no other Rock; I know not one! (Isa 44:6, 8; see also 45:5–6, 21–22)

then through the announcement of the salvation of the nations who will come to Jerusalem, to the temple: 1

Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! [...] 6 He [Yhwh] says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” 7 Thus says Yhwh, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of Yhwh, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isa 49:1–7; see Isa 60)

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A POT POURRI? The anthological character of the psalm is noted by all.4 For example, Ps 86:4b repeats the wording of Ps 25:1; Ps 86:16a is identical to Ps 25:16a. This fact has led many to an unfavourable value judgment: This psalm is a fairly typical example of an individual supplication. It seems that the author, a poet of weak personal inspiration and poor artistic ability, has adopted the pattern or model of the genre and filled it with quotations or imitations or reminiscences of other supplications.5

INTERPRETATION FROM HIS “FAITHFULNESS” TO THE LORD’S “FAITHFULNESS” In the first part of his prayer, the psalmist emphasises his own “faithfulness” in requesting and obtaining salvation (Ps 86:2). After complaining of being “afflicted and poor” (86:1), he adds, as a kind of reproach, that he is “faithful” (86:2). All the initial motivations provided by him (86:1–4) are in the first person singular. He bases his requests on his own actions: He is “afflicted and poor”, he is “faithful”, he “trusts” in God, he “calls” on him, he “lifts up” his soul to him. A change occurs only at the end of the central piece: A final personal motivation—in which the name of the “Lord” is pronounced for the first time—is followed by another motivation which begins with “you, O Lord” and which elaborates at length the qualities of God and his great “faithfulness” (86:5); and the subject of the final reason on which the first part ends is again the Lord: “because you answer me” (86:7). “TEACH ME” (86:11) In the third part, the tone changes and the psalmist progresses further in truth and humility. It is not enough to rely on God’s faithfulness; one must also be aware of one’s own weakness. The first verb sets the tone: the speaker acknowledges that he does not know how to walk according to the truth of God (86:11a). He immediately adds that his heart needs to be united, to be able to fear the Lord (86:11b). He no longer relies on his own merits, but on the teaching he will receive. That is in a sharp contrast to his initial claim of faithfulness. How can one be faithful if one does not know the way to God and if one’s heart is not undivided? Until the end of his prayer, the psalmist will not change his humble and trusting attitude: he confesses, with all his heart, that, in his great faithfulness, the Lord has “delivered him from the depths of Sheol” (86:13), where “the insolent” and “the ruthless” wanted to throw him (86:14). 4 5

See, e.g., Ravasi, II, 775 ; deClaissé-Walford – al., 659. Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 195.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

“STARTING FROM THE CENTRE” One of the hermeneutical rules is that one must start from the centre to interpret a text composed in a concentric manner.6 Actually in our Psalm everything converges towards the centre. It is towards the heart of Israel, towards Jerusalem its capital, towards the one temple that “all nations” will come from the four cardinal points to prostrate themselves before the one Lord of the universe (86:9). He is the Creator who “made” the nations, the only one who is “doing wonders” (86:10). The wonder of wonders is that the election of one among the peoples will bear fruit when the Gentile nations “will give glory to the name of Yhwh” (86:9c) as it was promised by David, the king of Israel (86:12).

6

See Traité, 567–573 = Treatise, 350–355.

4. PSALM 87 TEXT 1 Of

the sons of Korah, a psalm, a song. Its foundation (is) on the mountains of holiness. loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken in you, O city of God: Selâ 4 “I mention Rahab and Babylon among my acquaintances, behold Philistia and Tyre, with Kush: This one was born there.” 5 And of Zion it will be said: “Every man is born in her and he who strengthens her (is) the Most High.” 6 Yhwh counts in writing the peoples: “This one was born there”. Selâ 7 And they sing in dancing: “All my springs (are) in you.” 2 Yhwh

V. 3: “GLORIOUS THINGS”

The term “gloriousnesses” could be a balanced rendering of the Hebrew nikbādôt. It is translated as “glorious things”,1 “glorious terms”,2 or more simply as “for your glory”.3 V. 5A: “AND OF ZION IT WILL BE SAID”

The Septuagint reads: “Mother Zion, a man said...” That is in accordance with the three occurrences of “was born there/in her”. V. 5B: “EVERY MAN”

Literally, “man and man”. Some translate “the one and the other”,4 others “this one and that one”.5 V. 6: “IN WRITING”

In place of the infinitive biktāb, many Hebrew manuscripts as well as the ancient versions read a noun, biktôb, “in the book”, which well captures the meaning. The ancient versions reflect the difficulties presented by the text. It has resulted in various reconstructions that change the order of the verses of the Masoretic text.6 We will follow the Masoretic text:

1

Kraus, II, 184; deClaissé-Walford – al., 664. Vesco, 787. 3 Liturgical translation. 4 Ravasi, II, 789; Vesco, 787. 5 Lorenzin, 333. 6 On the difficulties of the psalm which led many to reorder it, see, e.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, 377–379; see also Ravasi, II, 793–796; Th. BOOIJ, “Some observations on Psalm lxxxvii”, 16, note 2. 2

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As for us, we accept the order of the poem as it has come down to us, not because it is irreproachable but because the reconstructions excogitated by the exegetes too often have the tone of a new composition adapted to the requirements of (Western) “logic”.7

COMPOSITION After the title, the psalm has two parts: in the first one (1b–2) Zion is situated in relation to the other cities of Israel, in the second one which is more extensive (3–7), it is in relation to the other nations.8 1

Of the sons

of Korah,

.. Its foundation (is) on the mountains 2

a psalm, of holiness.

. (He) loves, . more than all

YHWH, the dwelling places

the gates of Jacob.

+ 3 Glorious things + O CITY

are spoken OF GOD:

IN YOU, YOU

Rahab Philistia

WAS BORN

and Babylon and Tyre, THERE.”

it will be said: IS BORN strengthens her (is)

IN HER THE MOST HIGH.”

– 4 “I mention – behold -- THIS ONE + 5 And of ZION :: “EVERY EVERY MAN :: and he who

A SONG.

of ZION

among my acquaintances, with Kush:

······························································································································· 6

– YHWH -- THIS ONE

counts

in writing

WAS BORN

THERE.”

+ 7 And THEY SING :: “ALL ALL

in dancing: MY SPRINGS SPRINGS (are)

IN YOU.” YOU

the peoples:

In the first part (1b–2), the initial unimember (1b) mentions the founding of the city by God, which is only named at the end of the first member of the next segment (2a). Zion was not only founded by the Lord in a holy place, but it is also preferred to all other cities in the land. In the first piece of the second part (3–5) the first segment (3) introduces the words spoken by the Lord (4). “It will be said” at the beginning of the last segment (5a) corresponds to “are spoken” at the beginning of the first segment 7

Ravasi, II, 792. The Masoretic text places the selâ after 3 and after 6, a division accepted by many: see, e.g., Ravasi, II, 797; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 382. 8

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(3a) and it can be understood that the “glorious things” of the “city of God” (3) consist in the fact that every man is born in it. The last member of verse 4, “This one was born there”, is taken up by the first member of the speech in verse 5, “Every man is born in her”. The last member (5c) seems to give the reason for the preceding member. The first statement is made by God (4), the second one by people (5). The second piece (6–7) retakes the parallelism of the last two segments of the preceding piece (4–5). The subjects of the two verbs in verse 7a (plural masculine participles) are “the peoples” of 6a. The divine names “the Most High” and “Yhwh” link both pieces (5c & 6a). The complements of place, “in you” (3a & 7b) and “there” (4c & 6b) frame “in her” (5b), forming a concentric figure. “Yhwh” occurs in the extreme pieces (2a & 6a). The “song” in the title (1a) and “to sing” in the ending (7a) form an inclusion. The relationship between “Zion” and “all the dwelling places of Jacob” in the first part (1b–2) foreshadows the relationship between “the city of God” and the pagan “peoples” in the second part (3–5).

CONTEXT “THE DWELLING PLACES OF JACOB” (87:2) “Zion” is not only chosen by God among all the other cities of Israel because it is the capital and residence of the king, but because it is the central and only sanctuary of the country. Therefore, within Israel’s election from among all the peoples of the earth, Zion is elected from among “all the dwellings of Jacob” (see Ps 78:67–69). “THE PEOPLES” “Rahab”, the primordial monster (Ps 89:11), is another name for Egypt (Isa 30:7; 51:9–11); “Babylon” is its counterpart. The first one is the country where Israel was enslaved and from which it was liberated through the exodus, the second one is the country where Israel was deported and from which it was brought through a new exodus. Philistia flanks Israel on the Mediterranean coast to the south and Tyre to the north. Finally, Kush, Ethiopia, lies to the south of Egypt. ALL THE NATIONS The psalm is in line with the preceding psalm which focuses on the nations who will come to prostrate themselves before the face of the Lord giving glory

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to his name.9 There are many texts announcing the universality of salvation (Isa 2:2–3; 19:23–25; 45:22–24; 60:1–11; 66:18, 23; Ps 67; etc.). “GLORY TO YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL” (LUKE 2:32) The Nunc dimittis sung by elderly Simeon recalls that salvation had been “prepared in the site of all peoples”, “a light for revelation to the nations and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). JERUSALEM THE MOTHER OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND OF THE NATIONS The texts that present Jerusalem as the bride of Yhwh and mother of the people of Israel are not few (Isa 49:21–22; 50:1; 54:1–10; 60:4; 66:8–13; Jer 10:20). Although Zion is not explicitly referred to as the mother of the nations,10 the texts such as Isa 2:2–4; 19:16–25; Zech 2:15 suggest it. Paul in drawing a parallel between the two sons of Abraham and their mothers does not hesitate to call Jerusalem on high “our mother” (Gal 4:26). To support his position, he quotes the beginning of the oracle of Isa 54:1–10. INTERPRETATION “Ps lxxxvii is one of the most difficult poems in the Psalter.”11 “Our Psalm 87 [...] beats all records, it seems, for the divergence and multiplicity of reading hypotheses, by both past and present commentators.”12 It has given rise to very different and even opposing interpretations. For some it concerns only the Jews dispersed among the nations who are considered citizens of Zion, for others it also includes the proselytes from foreign nations, and yet for others all the inhabitants of pagan nations are called to find their springs in Zion.13 It seems that everything depends primarily on the meaning of the adverb of place “there” (87:4c, 6b): either it refers to the pagan nations and therefore opposes “her” (87:5b) and “you” (87:7b), namely Zion, or it refers to Zion itself. In other words, either 87:3–4 opposes 87:5, and 87:6 opposes 87:7, and the coordinating particles at the beginning of 87:5 and the beginning of 87:7 should be translated as “but”, or the segments have the same meaning and the initial coordinating particles of 87:5 and 87:7 should be translated as “and”. Grammatically, both interpretations are defensible, and one may wonder whether the ambiguity is not intentional. The enigmatic character of the psalm would have the function of inciting the reader to reveal the depth of his or her heart. Will he or she accept that the pagans were also born in Zion? If the glory 9

See p. 179. N. AMZALLAG, “The Cosmopolitan Character of the Korahite Musical Congregation Evidence from Psalm 87”, 363. 11 J.A. EMERTON, “The Problem of Psalm lxxxvii”, 183. 12 É. BEAUCAMP, “Psaume 87: à la Jérusalem nouvelle”, 282. 13 See, e.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 379–381; deClaissé-Walford – al., 665–666. 10

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of Zion, and thus of Israel, were simply to be distinct and different from other nations, the psalm would be a poor statement of platitude. THE ELECTION WITHIN THE ELECTION One might have expected that the pagan “peoples” would be related to the people of Israel whom “Yhwh your God has chosen for his own people out of all the nations that are on earth” (Deut 7:6). But that is not the case: it is with the city of “Zion” that the nations are systematically compared. Right from the beginning, and as if to justify such a choice in advance, Zion is presented as preferred by God over “all the dwelling places of Jacob” (Ps 87:2). And the initial assertion declares unambiguously the holiness of its divine foundation. Thus, the election is doubly recalled before its function and its purpose are elaborated at length. “THE CITY OF YHWH” The first honorary title of Zion is the “city of God” (87:3b). Indeed, it is “Yhwh” who founded it (87:1b), and he is the one who “establishes it” (87:5c). Therefore, his children call to him: “Great is Yhwh, most worthy of praise in the city of our God. His holy mountain stands magnificent, the joy of the whole earth” (Ps 48:2–3; see also Ps 48:9; 46:5). The peoples also shall call him in this way: “Your oppressors’ children will humbly approach you, at your feet all who despised you will fall addressing you as City of Yhwh, Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 60:14). “GLORY OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL” The glory of Zion (Ps 87:3a) will be also and above all—as Simeon will sing it and as many prophets had foretold it—that all the peoples will be declared as being born in her. The Lord himself announces this twice (87:4, 6) and this good news will be proclaimed not only by its beneficiaries (87:7) but also by many others (87:5). By singing “All my springs are in you”, the peoples born outside the covenant between God and his chosen people recognise that they are now drinking from the only source of revelation and salvation.

5. PSALM 88 TEXT 1 A song, a psalm, of the sons of Korah, for the music director; ‘al-māḥălat le‘annôt, an instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite. 2 O Yhwh, God of my salvation, by day I cry out, by night before you: 3 Let my prayer come before you, incline your ear to my cry, 4 because my soul is filled with evils and my life draws near to Sheol. 5 I am counted with those descending to the hole, I am like a man without help: 6 among the dead (I am) discarded, like the slain lying in the grave, of whom you remember no more and they are cut off from your hand. 7 You set me at the bottom of the hole, in the darkness, in the depths; 8 your fury lies heavy upon me 9 You have taken away my acquaintances from me, and all your waves you pour out. selâ you have made me a thing of horror to them; I am imprisoned and I cannot escape, 10 my eye is worn out because of affliction, I call to you, O Yhwh, all the day, I stretch out my palms to you. 11 Are you doing wonders for the dead or can the shadows rise up to praise you? selâ 12 Is your faithfulness recounted in the grave, your truth in the place of perdition? 13 Is your wonder known in the darkness and your righteousness in the land of oblivion? 14 And as for me, I cry out to you, O Yhwh, and in the morning my prayer comes before you: 15 Why, O Yhwh, do you reject my soul, do you hide your face from me? 16 I (am) afflicted and close to death from my youth, I have borne your terrors, I am petrified; 17 your wrath has passed over me, your dread assaults have annihilated me, 18 they surround me like water all the day, they encircle me together. 19 You have taken away friend and neighbour from me; my acquaintances (are in) the darkness. E

V. 1C: ‘AL-MĀḤĂLAT L ‘ANNÔT

These two words are so obscure that many give up translating them.1 The Septuagint translated the first word as maeleth. V. 1D: “OF HEMAN THE EZRAHITE”

In 1 Chr 2:6, he is counted with Ethan among the five sons of Zerah, from which perhaps his name is derived; according to 1 Chr 6:18, he was a cantor at the temple, a descendant of Korah, of Levi; in 1 Chr 15:17–19, he is again listed with Ethan among the singers of David. In 1 Kgs 5:11, he is mentioned with Ethan the Ezrahite among the wise men at Solomon’s time. Psalm 89 is attributed to Ethan. V. 2A: “BY DAY I CRY OUT, BY NIGHT BEFORE YOU”

The verb and the complement of place “before you” both apply to “by day” and “by night”: “by day and by night I cry out before you”.2

1 Thus Dahood, II, 301; Ravasi, II, 812–813; deClaissé-Walford – al., 668; the same the TOB. See the discussion, for example, in Vesco, 793. 2 An example of synonymous-sequential parallelism (W.G.E. WATSON, Classical Hebrew Poetry, 157).

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V. 6: “AMONG THE DEAD (I AM) DISCARDED”

The more obvious meaning would be that the psalmist, now free of his obligations to his Lord, is discarded among the dead. That is how the ancient versions understood it. Therefore there is no need to resort to Ugaritic and interpret the term as “lazaretto”. V. 12: “PERDITION”

The term ’ăbaddôn is used in parallel with Sheol in Job 26:6 and Prov 15:11. In Job 28:22 it is paralleled with “death”. Some prefer to see it as a proper name, “Abaddon”,3 as in Rev 9:11. V. 16: “I AM PETRIFIED”

This hapax is interpreted differently: “I am exhausted”4, “I am petrified”.5

COMPOSITION The psalm is organised into three parts, two long parts (2–10 & 14–19) around a short central part comprising three interrogative segments (11–13). THE FIRST PART (2–10) In the first subpart (2–4) the third segment (4) gives the reason for the prayer addressed to “Yhwh” (2–3). The last subpart (9–10) is symmetrical to it, but this time the reason for the supplication (9–10a) precedes the prayer (10bc). The last segment (10bc) corresponds to the first one (2ab): “O Yhwh” is repeated in apostrophe (2a & 10b), “I call you” (10b) is synonymous with “I cry out” (2b), “by day” and “by night” (2b) is expressed in short by “all the day” (10b). The two pieces in the central subpart (5–6 & 7–8) are parallel: the segments describing the psalmist’s situation in Sheol (5–6b & 7) are followed by the final segments emphasizing God’s attitude towards the dead (6cd) and towards the psalmist (8): The Lord has cut off the dead from his help, he has become angry with the psalmist. The two occurrences of “in the hole” serve as initial terms (5a & 7a). The first two subparts are linked by “Sheol” (4b) which announces all its synonyms, “the whole” (5a & 7a), “among the dead” (6a), “the grave” (6b), “the depths” (7b). The two occurrences of “you set me” (7a & 9b) link the two last subparts. The body parts run through the whole: “my soul” (or “throat” in 4a,

3

For example, Ravasi, II, 804. Ravasi, II, 804, 818; Vesco, 795, 801. 5 Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 390–391; deClaissé-Walford – al., 670. 4

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paralleled to “my life” in 4b), “your hand” (6d), “my eye” (10a) and “my palms” (10c). In 10a we may observe the play on words between “my eye” (‘ênî) and “affliction” (‘ōnî). + 2 O YHWH, + BY DAY

God I CRY OUT,

of my salvation,

+ 3 Let come + incline

before you your ear

my prayer, to my cry,

:: 4 because is filled :: and my life

with evils to Sheol

my soul draws near.

– 5 I am counted – I am

with those descending like a man

TO THE HOLE,

– 6 among the dead – like

(I am) discarded, the slain

lying

.. of whom .. and they

you remember no from your hand

more are cut off.

BY NIGH

before you:

without help: in the grave,

·····························································································································

– 7 YOU SET ME – in the darkness,

IN THE HOLE

.. 8 upon me .. and all

lies heavy your waves

your fury, you pour out.

:: 9 You have taken away :: YOU SET ME

my acquaintances a thing of horror

from me, to them;

:: I am imprisoned :: 10 my eye

and I cannot is worn out

escape, because of

+ I CALL TO YOU, + I stretch out

O YHWH, to you

my palms.

at the bottom,

in the depths;

ALL THE DAY,

selâ

affliction,

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

THE SECOND PART (11–13) = 11 IS IT THAT for the death = or the shadows 12

you are doing rise up,

WONDERS

to praise you?

+ IS IT THAT it is recounted .. your truth

in the grave your faithfulness, in the place of perdition?

+ 13 IS IT THAT it is known .. and your righteousness

in the darkness in the land

YOUR WONDER

of oblivion?”

All three segments begin with the same interrogative particle. In the first segment “the wonder” of God (11a) is that the dead rise to praise him (11b). In the next two segments (12–13) the question no longer concerns “the dead” and “the shadows” as it does in the initial segment, but the place where they are located. “Your faithfulness” and “your truth”, “your wonder and your righteousness” are in median terms. The two occurrences of “wonder” (11a & 13a) form an inclusion. THE THIRD PART (14–19) This unit is the size of a part formed of three pieces; but at the level of the whole of the psalm the parallelism with the first part—formed of three subparts—prompts us to consider all three pieces as subparts: + 14 and as for ME, + and in the morning,

to you my prayer

I cry out, O YHWH, comes before you:

:: 15 Why, :: do you hide

O YHWH, your face

FROM ME?

I (am) your terrors,

and close to death from my youth, I am petrified;

+ 16 Afflicted + I have born

do you reject

my soul,

:: 17 over me has passed your wrath, :: your dread assaults have annihilated me, :: 18 they surround :: they encircle

like water me

all the day, together.

:: 19 You have taken away + my acquaintances

FROM ME

friend

and neighbour;

(are in) the darkness.

In the first subpart (14–15) the second segment (15) makes the content of the cry and the “prayer” explicit (14). The two members of this segment are complementary: The separation between the Lord and the psalmist is manifested in the fact that the “soul” of the psalmist is rejected, and the “face” of the Lord is hidden. The name “Yhwh” occurs in the first members as an apostrophe (14a &

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15a). In the last subpart (19) there is a separation between the psalmist and his friends who are replaced by “darkness” (19b). At the centre (16–18), the sufferings that the psalmist endures are attributed to God: “your terrors” (16b), “your wrath” (17a), “your dread assaults” (17b). “From my youth” (16a) and “all the day” (18a) stress the duration of misfortune. The two occurrences of the same personal pronoun translated as “as for me” and “I (am)” (14a & 16a) act as initial terms for the first two subparts. The two occurrences of “from me” (15b & 19a) act as distant median terms. THE WHOLE OF THE PSALM 1

A song, a psalm, of the sons of Korah, for the music director; ‘al-māḥălat le‘annôt, an instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite. 2

O YHWH, God of my salvation, BY DAY I CRY OUT, BY NIGHT before you: Let MY PRAYER come to YOUR FACE, incline your ear to my cry, 4 because MY SOUL is filled with evils and my life draws near to Sheol. 3

I am counted with those descending to the hole, I am like a man without help: among THE DEAD I am discarded, like the slain lying in THE GRAVE, of whom you remember no more and they are cut off from your hand. 5 6

7 8

You set me at the bottom of the hole, in THE DARKNESS, in the depths; your fury lies heavy upon me and all your waves you pour out.

9

YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY ACQUAINTANCES from me, you have made me a thing of horror to them; I am imprisoned and I cannot escape, 10 my eye is worn out because of AFFLICTION, I call to you, you O YHWH, ALL THE DAY, I stretch out my palms to you. Are you doing wonders for THE DEAD or can the shadows rise up to praise you? Is your faithfulness recounted in THE GRAVE, your truth in the place of perdition? 13 Is your wonder known in THE DARKNESS and your righteousness in the land of oblivion? 11 12

14 15

And as for me, I CRY OUT to you, O YHWH, Why, O YHWH, do you reject MY SOUL,

and IN THE MORNING MY PRAYER comes before you: do you hide YOUR FACE from me?

I am AFFLICTED and close to death from my youth, I have borne your terrors, I am petrified; your wrath has passed over me, your dread assaults have annihilated me, 18 they surround me like water ALL THE DAY, they encircle me together. 16 17

19

YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY friend and neighbour from me; are in THE DARKNESS.

MY ACQUAINTANCES

The extreme parts are parallel to each other. They begin with the synonyms translated in the same way as “I cry out”, with “before you” / “to you” and the apostrophe “O Yhwh” (2 & 14); they are followed by “my prayer”, “my soul” and “your face” (3–4 & 14–15). “In the morning” (14) recalls “by day” and “by night” (2). The second subparts (5–8 & 16–18) are marked by terms belonging

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to the semantic field of death: “the dead”, “the grave” (6), “close to death” (16) and “have annihilated me” (17), as well as those that designate God’s anger: “your fury” and “your waves” (8), “your terrors”, “your wrath”, “your dread assault” (16–17). The last subparts begin with “you have taken away”, “from me” and “my acquaintances” (9 & 19). “All the day” of 10b is taken up in 18. 1

A song, a psalm, of the sons of Korah, for the music director; ‘al-māḥălat le‘annôt, an instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite. 2

O YHWH, God of my salvation, BY DAY I CRY OUT, BY NIGHT before you: Let MY PRAYER come to YOUR FACE, incline your ear to my cry, 4 because MY SOUL is filled with evils and my life draws near to Sheol. 3

I am counted with those descending to the hole, I am like a man without help: among THE DEAD I am discarded, like the slain lying in THE GRAVE, of whom you remember no more and they are cut off from your hand. 5 6

7 8

You set me at the bottom of the hole, in THE DARKNESS, in the depths; your fury lies heavy upon me and all your waves you pour out.

9

YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY ACQUAINTANCES from me, you have made me a thing of horror to them; I am imprisoned and I cannot escape, 10 my eye is worn out because of AFFLICTION, I call to you, you O YHWH, ALL THE DAY, I stretch out my palms to you. Are you doing wonders for THE DEAD or can the shadows rise up to praise you? Is your faithfulness recounted in THE GRAVE, your truth in the place of perdition? 13 Is your wonder known in THE DARKNESS and your righteousness in the land of oblivion? 11 12

14 15

And as for me, I CRY OUT to you, O YHWH, Why, O YHWH, do you reject MY SOUL,

and IN THE MORNING MY PRAYER comes before you: do you hide YOUR FACE from me?

I am AFFLICTED and close to death from my youth, I have borne your terrors, I am petrified; your wrath has passed over me, your dread assaults have annihilated me, 18 they surround me like water ALL THE DAY, they encircle me together. 16 17

19

YOU HAVE TAKEN AWAY friend and neighbour from me; are in THE DARKNESS.

MY ACQUAINTANCES

The central part takes up, in the same order, “the dead”, “the grave”, “darkness”6 (11, 12, 13), which are found in the central subpart of the first part (6a, 6b, 7). The two occurrences of “the darkness” in 13 and 19 act as final terms for the two final parts. “Perdition” (12) is a counterpart of “Sheol” (4). The following terms belong to the semantic field of death: “Sheol” (4), “the hole” (5 & 7), “the dead” (6 & 11), “the grave” (6 & 12), “darkness” (7, 13, 19), “the depths” (7), “the shadows” (11), “perdition” (12), “the land of oblivion” (13), “close to death” (16), “have annihilated me” (17). It is worth noting that 6

In 7 the term translated as “darkness” means more accurately “places of darkness”.

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“darkness” occurs more frequently (7, 13, 19). These terms are opposed only in the central part by “wonder/s” (11 & 13), “faithfulness” and “truth” (12), and “righteousness” (13), all of them of God.

CONTEXT DARKNESS At the beginning “darkness covered the face of the deep” (Gen 1:2) and the first action of God was to create light and to separate light and darkness (1:3–4); this was the first day. In his first speech Job curses the day of his birth as a day of “darkness”, 4

May that day be darkness, may God on high have no thought for it, may no light shine on it.! 5 May murk and shadow dark as death claim it for their own, clouds hang over it, eclipse swoop down on it! 6 See! Let obscurity seize on it, let it not rejoice among the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months! (Job 3:4–6)

The beginning of the central part of Ps 107 resembles Ps 88: 10

Inhabitants of darkness and of shadow, captives of affliction and of iron, because they defied the orders of God and spurned the plan of the Most High, 12 and he subdue they heart by heard labour, they fell down, and there was none to help. 11

However, there is a difference, because the Lord delivers them: “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow, and he broke their bonds. Let them give thanks to Yhwh for his faithfulness...” (107:14–15)7.

INTERPRETATION A PERSISTENT PRAYER Ps 88 is considered by some as the darkest and most tragic of the Psalter.8 It is true that darkness seems to cover it from the beginning to the end and that light does not enter it any more than it would enter a tomb. However, if the psalmist were in despair, he would undoubtedly cry out in pain but would not speak. But he speaks, he never stops addressing his Lord, whom he calls at the beginning “God of my salvation” (88:2). He tells him of his affliction and suffering, he asks him penetrating questions. This means that he knows that he will be heard, and he has no doubt about it. Tragic as it is, his song is nonetheless, from 7

See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, 28. E.g., Vesco, 793; deClaissé-Walford – al., 668; A.R. PYLES, “Drowning in the Depths of Darkness: A Consideration of Psalm 88 with a New Translation”, 13. 8

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the beginning to the end, a “prayer” (88:3, 14), an unceasing prayer, “by day” and “by night” (88:2), in the “morning” (88:14). He may be surrounded by mortal waters “all the day” (88:18), but it is “all the day” (88:10b) that he continues to call and to stretch out his palms to “Yhwh”. “MY LIFE DRAWS NEAR TO SHEOL” (88:4) The psalmist complains of the “evils” with which he was filled during his life (88:4), of the “affliction” that burdened him “from his youth” to the point of being “close to death” (88:16). And he attributes his misfortunes to God: He had to endure his “fury” and the assaults of his “waves” (88:8), his “terrors”, his “wrath” and his “dreads” (88:17–18). The misfortunes of all kinds that he had to endure alienated those who knew him, his friends and relatives (88:9, 19); and the Lord is responsible for this too. However, above all, what makes the psalmist sob is the prospect of death, which is now so near. He seems to regard this (88:4–7) as the “fury” of God (88:8); such are the “waters” that surround him and close over him together, like the slab of the tomb (88:18) from which he can never escape (88:9). WHAT NEXT? All the anguish is concentrated in the questions on which the prayer is focused (88:11–13). That is what torments the psalmist’s soul. What will happen in Sheol, once the dead have gone to the grave? Will God remember him/her no more? Will he or she be cut off from his hand forever (6b)? Could the Lord’s “wonders”, his “faithfulness”, his “truth”, his “righteousness”, have an end? Does everything disappear with death? Not only man, but also the work of God? These are the questions that the psalmist leaves unanswered. However, as they are addressed to the Lord, to his “faithfulness”, his “truth” and his “righteousness”, those who make the psalmist’s words their own may feel them as a sort of challenge, or perhaps as an act of trust in his “salvation” (88:2), which is placed with fear and trembling in the depths of the “darkness” (88:19).

6. THE WHOLE OF THE FIRST SEQUENCE (PS 84–88) The sequence comprises five psalms arranged concentrically around Ps 86. The first two psalms and the last two correspond to each other in parallel. COMPOSITION PSALMS 84 AND 87 84 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 How

lovely are YOUR DWELLING PLACES, O Yhwh of hosts! 3 My soul yearns and is also consumed for the courts of Yhwh; my heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. 4 Even the sparrow has found a home, the swallow a nest for herself where to place her young. Your altars, O Yhwh of hosts, my king and my God! 5 Happy

those who dwell in your house, they are always praising you. 6 Happy the adam whose strength is in you, the ways are in their heart. 7 Passing through the valley of Baka’, they will make it a PLACE OF SPRINGS; the early rain will also cover it with blessings. 8 They shall walk from fortress to fortress, each one shall appear before God in ZION.

Yhwh God of hosts, hear my prayer, give ear, O God of JACOB. 10 Behold our shield, O God, look upon the face of your messiah. 11 Yes, better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I have chosen to stand on the threshold in the house of my God than to live in the tents of wickedness. 12 Yes, Yhwh God is a sun and shield, Yhwh will give grace and GLORY, he will not withhold good from those who walk in integrity. 13 O Yhwh of hosts, happy the adam who trusts IN YOU. 9O

87 1 Of the sons of Korah, a psalm, a song. Its foundation is on the mountains of holiness. 2 Yhwh loves the gates of ZION more than all THE DWELLING PLACES of JACOB. 3 GLORIOUS THINGS

are spoken in you, O city of God: 4 “I mention Rahab and Babylon among my acquaintances, behold Philistia and Tyre, with Kush: This one was born there.” 5 And of ZION it will be said: “Man and man is born in her and he who strengthens her is the Most High.” 6 Yhwh counts in writing the peoples: “This one was born there”. 7 And they sing in dancing: “All my SPRINGS are IN YOU.”

Both psalms speak of “Zion” (84:8; 87:2, 5) and its temple. Note the following repetitions: – “dwelling places” (84:2; 87:2); – “springs” (84:7; 87:7); – “Jacob” (84:9; 87:2); – “glory” and “glorious things” (84:12; 87:3); – “lovely” (84:2) and “loves” (87:2) are not from the same root; – “in you” is found in final terms (84:13; 87:7); – “every man” (87:5) corresponds to two occurrences of “the adam” (84:6, 13).

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

PSALMS 85 AND 88 85 1 For the music director, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 You

love your land, O Yhwh, you brought back the fortune of Jacob. 3 You took away the fault of your people, you covered all their sin. 4 You ended ALL YOUR WRATH, you turned back from YOUR BURNING ANGER. 5 Bring us back, O God of our SALVATION, and put away YOUR INDIGNATION toward us. 6 WILL YOU BE ANGRY with us forever, will you prolong YOUR ANGER from age to age? 7 Behold, as for you, you will turn back to REVIVE US, and your people will rejoice in you. 8 Show us your FAITHFULNESS, O Yhwh, and you will give us your SALVATION. 9I

will listen to: What does God Yhwh say? Well, he says peace to his people and to his and let them not turn back to folly.

FAITHFUL, 10 Yes,

his SALVATION is near for his fearful that glory may dwell in our land. 11 FAITHFULNESS and loyalty have met together, RIGHTEOUSNESS and peace have kissed each other. 12 Loyalty will sprout from the earth, because RIGHTEOUSNESS has looked down from the heavens. 13 Also Yhwh will give what is good, and our land will give its produce. 14 RIGHTEOUSNESS will walk before him, and he will set his steps in the way. 88 1 A song, a psalm, of the sons of Korah, for the music director; ‘al-māḥălat le‘annôt, an instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite. 2O

Yhwh, God of my SALVATION, by day I cry out, by night before you: 3 Let my prayer come before you, incline your ear to my cry, 4 because my soul is filled with evils and MY LIFE draws near to Sheol. 5 I am counted with those descending to the hole, I am like a man without help: 6 among the dead I am discarded, like the slain lying in the grave, of whom you remember no more and they are cut off from your hand. 7 You set me at the bottom of the hole, in the darkness, in the depths; 8 YOUR FURY lies heavy upon me and ALL YOUR WAVES WAVES you pour out. 9 You have taken away my acquaintances from me, you have made me a thing of horror to them; I am imprisoned and I cannot escape, 10 my eye is worn out because of affliction, I call to you, O Yhwh, all the day, I stretch out my palms to you. 11 Are

you doing wonders for the dead or can the shadows rise up to praise you? 12 Is YOUR FAITHFULNESS recounted in the grave, your truth in the place of perdition? 13 Is your wonder known in the darkness and your RIGHTEOUSNESS in the land of oblivion? 14 And

as for me, I cry out to you, O Yhwh, and in the morning my prayer comes before you: O Yhwh, do you reject my soul, do you hide your face from me? 16 I am afflicted and close to death from my youth, I have borne YOUR TERRORS, I am petrified; 17 YOUR WRATH has passed over me, YOUR DREAD ASSAULTS have annihilated me, 18 they surround me like water all the day, they encircle me together. 19 You have taken away friend and neighbour from me; my acquaintances are in the darkness. 15 Why,

The two psalms are marked first of all by divine “anger”: “all your wrath” (85:4), “your burning anger” (85:4), “your indignation” (85:5), “will you be angry” (85:6); “your fury and all your waves” (88:8), “your terrors” (88:16), “your wrath” and “your dread assaults” (88:17). “God of our salvation” (85:5) corresponds to “God of my salvation” (88:2); “salvation” is also found in 85:8, 10. Other repetitions: “faithfulness” (85:8, 9, 11; at the centre in 88:12), “righteousness” (85:11, 12, 14; 88:13, again at the centre). “My life” (88:4) recalls “to revive us” (85:7).

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199

THE FUNCTION OF THE CENTRAL PSALM (PS 86) 86 1 A PRAYER of David. INCLINE YOUR EAR, O Yhwh, answer me, because I am afflicted and poor; 2 keep MY SOUL, because I am FAITHFUL, SAVE your servant, you my God, who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, because to you I call all the day; 4 gladden THE SOUL of your servant, because to you, O Lord, I lift up MY SOUL; 5 because you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abounding in FAITHFULNESS to all who call on you. 6 Give ear, O Yhwh, to MY PRAYER, and give attention to the voice of my request for mercy; 7 in the day of my anguish I call on you because you answer me. 8 There

is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and there is none like your deeds. 9 All the nations which you have made will come and will bow down to your face, O Lord, and WILL GIVE GLORY to your name. 10 Yes, you are great and doing wonders, you are God, you alone.

11 Teach

me, O Yhwh, your way, I will walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name. will give you thanks, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I WILL GLORIFY your name forever, 13 because your FAITHFULNESS was great toward me, and you have delivered MY SOUL from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, the insolent have risen up against me and a band of ruthless have sought MY SOUL, and they have not set you before them. 15 And you, O Lord, are a God tender and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in FAITHFULNESS and truth, 16 turn to me and have mercy on me, give your strength to your servant and SAVE the son of your handmaid; 17 do a sign of goodness to me and my enemies will see and will blush, because you, O Yhwh, help me and comfort me. 12 I

Ps 86 distinguishes itself from the other four psalms by its title: it is the only psalm qualified as a “prayer” and attributed to “David”, whereas other psalms are “of the sons of Korah”. The central psalm has in common with the two sides framing it: “prayer” (86:1, 6; 84:9; 88:3, 14); “incline/give your ear” (86:1: 84:9; 88:3), “my soul” (86:2, 4[2x], 13, 14: 84.3; 88:4, 15); “faithfulness/faithful” (86:2, 13, 15; 85:8, 9, 11; 88:12); “glory/give glory” (86:9, 12; 84:12; 85:10; 87:3); “anger” (86:15; 85:4, 6), “salvation/to save” (86:2, 16; 85:5, 8, 10; 88:2). With the first side it has in common: “way” (86:11; 85:14), “to walk” (86:11: 84:8, 12; 85:14), “my heart” (86:11, 12; 84:3, 6). With the last side: “I am afflicted” (86:1; 88:16, in 88:10 “affliction”), “to call” (86:3, 5, 7; 88:10), “Sheol” (86:13; 88:4), “the depths” (86:13; 88:7), “truth” (86:15; 88:12). All these terms are found only in Ps 88. “David” might seem isolated at the beginning of the central psalm. However, in the first psalm there is a mention of God’s “messiah” (84:10). The son to be born in the second psalm is called “righteousness” like his heavenly father (85:14). “Righteousness” occurs at the centre of the last psalm (88:13), and in the penultimate psalm it is said that “every man is born” in Zion (87:5). Although discreet—as it is customary in biblical texts—this common thread seems to link the five psalms of the sequence.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

INTERPRETATION PRAYER IN ALL ITS FORMS Strangely, the sequence that begins with cries of joy “to the living God” (84:3) ends “with the terrors” (88:6) and the last word is just “darkness” (88:19). Between these extremities, the whole rainbow of prayer unfolds in the five psalms. It is first of all admiration for “the dwelling places” of the Lord (84:2), a double macarism at the centre (84:5, 6), which is again reflected at the end (84:13). The love of the Lord is fully exemplified in his “house”. The prayer of the individual is extended at the centre to all those whom he desires to lead to the temple in Zion. In the next psalm the whole people praise and plead with the Lord, and then they marvel at the “produce” of the union between heaven and earth. The central psalm returns to the personal prayer that David, being “afflicted and poor” (86:1), makes to God in a long supplication. However, the king is not alone: at the centre of his prayer are “all the nations” whom he predicts will come to “give glory” to the name of the one Lord (86:9–10). The next psalm is a “song” (87:1) and ends with the scene of the “peoples” who sing and dance for having discovered that they were born in Zion (87:7). Finally, the last psalm, the prayer of one who sees himself descending to Sheol, is also a “song” (88:1). This “prayer” (88:3, 14) is dark and despairing, yet it focuses on three questions that recall God’s “wonders”, his “faithfulness” and “truth”, his “wonder” and “righteousness” (88:11–13). Light shines in the heart of “darkness”. “A PRAYER OF DAVID” (88:1) Surrounded by “the sons of Korah”, David stands at the centre of the sequence. He presents himself as “the servant” of the Lord (86:2, 4, 16). He is the “messiah” for whom the first psalm interceded: “Behold our shield, O God, look upon the face of your messiah” (84:10). The next psalm announces his coming, as the “salvation” that will be given to his “people” (85:8), on his “land” (85:2, 10); his conception and birth are presented as a fruitful encounter between heaven and earth. His name will be “Righteousness”, the same as that of his father (85:11, 12, 14). Like him, “every man” will exult and sing when it will be revealed to him that he too has been “born” in Zion (87:5, 7). The “song” continues with the last psalm and in the heart of “darkness” and of the “land of oblivion”, the last word of the central questions is again the “righteousness” of God (88:13).

II. BECAUSE YOUR CHILDREN DID NOT KEEP MY COVENANT WITH DAVID THE SECOND SEQUENCE PSALM 89 With its 53 verses (106 members), the psalm is the fourth longest in the Psalter, after Ps 119 (176 verses, 357 members), Ps 78 (72 verses, 164 members) and Ps 18 (51 verses, but 119 members). After the title (1), Ps 89 is the size of a sequence which comprises eight passages organised into two subsequences (89:2–38 & 89:39–53). The first subsequence comprises four passages. The first passage introduces the next three passages; the second subsequence also comprises three passages, followed by a short doxology. Introduction

89:2–5

The creation of the world

89:6–15

From one to the other

89:16–19

The choice of David

89:20–38

Lamentation

89:39–45

From one to the other Supplication

89:46–47 89:48–52

Doxology

89:53

1. THE FIRST SUBSEQUENCE (89:2–38) The subsequence comprises four passages (89:2–5, 6–15, 16–19, 20–38). The first one serves as an introduction, the third one articulates the two more extensive passages on the foundation of creation and on the foundation of the house of David. A) THE FIRST PASSAGE (89:2–5) TEXT 2 I sing the faithfulness of Yhwh forever, from age to age I will make your truth known with my mouth. 3 Because I said: “Faithfulness is built for ever, the heavens, you establish your truth

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

in them.” 4 I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: 5 “I have established your offspring forever and built your throne from age to age.”

v. 2–3 “Faithfulness and truth” In the same way as “faithfulness and loyalty”,1 “faithfulness and truth” (ḥesed w ’ĕmûnâ) is a canonical couple (Ps 36:6; 88:12; 92:3; 98:3). In Ps 89:25 both terms are used in a reverse order (“My truth and my faithfulness with him”).2 e

COMPOSITION – 2 the faithfulness – FROM AGE TO AGE .. 3 Because I said: .. the heavens,

of YHWH I will make known “FOREVER YOU ESTABLISH

FOREVER

your truth faithfulness your truth

I will sing, with my mouth. IS BUILT,

in them”.

··························································································································

+ 4 I have made + I have sworn .. 5 “FOREVER .. and BUILT

a covenant to DAVID

with my chosen, my servant:

I HAVE ESTABLISHED

your offspring, your throne”.

FROM AGE TO AGE

The first piece (2–3) is spoken by the psalmist while the second piece (4–5) is spoken by the Lord. The first segments (2 & 4) speak of “Yhwh” and “David” in the third person, the second segments (3 & 5) are words spoken to them in the second person. In the first piece the couple “faithfulness” and “truth” is found in the same order in each of the two segments; “forever” is repeated in each segment, accompanied by “from age to age” (2b). In the second piece (4–5), “forever” (5a) and “from age to age” (5b) echo the same terms in the first piece. The verbs “to establish” and “to build” are repeated in a reverse order in the second segments of the two pieces, with the couple “faithfulness” and “truth” as object complements in the first instance (3), and with the couple “your offspring” and “your throne” in the second instance (5). CONTEXT Nathan’s prophecy (2 Sam 7) David was planning to build a house for Yhwh, but Yhwh told him through the prophet Nathan that the Lord will build him a house, which means that 1

See Le Psautier. Premier livre, 321 = The Psalter: Book One, 321. Concerning the textual problems of the psalm, see G. BARBIERO, Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettari?, 462–465. 2

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203

he will ensure the permanence of his dynasty. The prophecy ends with these words: “Your house and your kingdom shall stand before me forever, your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam 7:16; see also Ps 132).

INTERPRETATION A double foundation Primarily, Yhwh’s “faithfulness” and “truth” are built, established by him in “the heavens” (Ps 89:3), that is, through the creation. But the Lord also intervenes in history, by founding the “offspring” of David, by building his “throne” (89:5). The foundation of the world concerns all people, the foundation of the house of David concerns Israel, but if these two foundations are presented together, it is only because they have something in common. The election of one—as we know from the promise made to Abraham—it is made for the blessing of all. “A covenant forever” The first “covenant forever” was the one that the Lord made with Noah and his descendants (Gen 9:16). As a “sign” of this covenant, Yhwh hung up his bow in the clouds, thus renouncing to never again exercise violence against the evil humanity. The rainbow can thus be seen in the heavens as a sign of the “covenant forever”. The covenant with David is also made with one among all and is established “forever”, “from age to age”, from generation to generation. That is the “faithfulness” which everyone can sing with the psalmist “from age to age” (Ps 89:2). B) THE SECOND PASSAGE (89:6–15) TEXT 6 And

the heavens give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh, also your truth in the assembly of the saints; 7 because who in the cloud can be compared to Yhwh, can be equal to Yhwh among the sons of gods? 8 A God feared in the council of the saints, great and terrible to all (who are) surrounding him; 9 O Yhwh, God of hosts, who (is) like you? Strong, O Yah, and your truth (is) surrounding you! 10 (It is) you who master the pride of the sea, when its waves rise, (it is) you who calm them; 11 (it is) you who split Rahab like a corpse, with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. 12 The heavens (are) yours, the earth also (is) yours, the world and its contents, (it is) you who founded them; 13 the north and the south, (it is) you who created them, Tabor and Hermon in your name shout with joy. 14 Yours (is) an arm with prowess, your hand is strong, your right hand is exalted; 15 Righteousness and Justice (are) the foundation of your throne, Faithfulness and Loyalty go before your face.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

v. 9b: “Strong, O Yah,” The Masoretic text places the atnah after ḥăsîn yāh. However, the parallelism of the members leads us to consider this phrase as a vocative with which the second member begins, just as the first member begins with “O Yhwh, God of hosts”. COMPOSITION The two segments of the first piece place “the heavens” (6a) and “the cloud” (7a) in parallel with “Yhwh” (found at the end of 6a & 7a), “in the assembly of the saints” (6b) and “among the sons of gods” (7b). In the second piece (8–9) each segment begins with a divine name and ends with “around him/you”. The latter term is paralleled by “the council of the saints” in the first segment (8a); in the second segment, the “truth” of Yah is “around you” (9b). In the first segments of these two pieces, “the council of the saints” (8a) refers to “the assembly of the saints” (6b), “your truth” forms an inclusion (6b & 9b); the second segments (7 & 9) are questions, which state that no other heavenly being can be compared to Yhwh. The ending reserves a surprise: since God’s “truth” is declared as “surrounding” him (9b), all others “surrounding” him (8b), “the assembly of the saints” (6b), “the sons of gods” (7b), leave him almost all the space. The second part (10–15) is the more extensive and comprises three pieces. The first piece (10–11) deals with God’s control over “the sea” (10), when he “split” Rahab (11); both segments begin with the emphatic pronoun translated as “(it is) you” followed by a verb with the same modality. The second piece (12– 13) describes the foundation of “the heavens” and especially of “the earth” (12), with the creation of the landmarks “north” and “south”, Mount “Tabor” in the south of Galilee and Mount “Hermon” in the north. The two bimembers of the last piece (14–15) place the Lord’s “arm”, “hand”, and “right hand” in parallel, that is, his actions of “prowess” and strength, with the four attributes of his kingship. “(It is) you” occurs three times in the first piece and twice in the next piece where it is accompanied by two “yours”; the last piece also begins with “yours” (14a). Although they derive from different roots, “you founded them” (12b) and “the foundation” (15a) have a similar meaning. The seven divine names that appear in the first part are absent in the second part. The term “the heavens” occurs in 6a and 12a; “God of hosts” and the adjective “strong” found at the end of the first part (9) prepare for the next part where the Lord puts his strength and power into action.

Psalm 89 + 6 And (they) give thanks THE HEAVENS + also your truth in the assembly

for your wonder, of the saints;

205 O YHWH,

: 7 because who : can be equal

IN THE CLOUD can be compared to YHWH, to YHWH among the sons of gods? ··························································································································· + 8 A GOD feared in the council of the saints,

+ great

and terrible

to all (who are)

surrounding him;

: 9 O YHWH, : Strong,

GOD O YAH,

of hosts, and your truth (is)

who (is) like you?

– 10 (It is) you – when rise

who master its waves,

the pride (it is) you

of the sea, who calm them;

– 11 (it is) you – with your arm

who split

of strength

like a corpse you scattered

Rahab, your enemies.

surrounding you!

······························································································································

:: 12 Yours (are) :: the world

THE HEAVENS, and its contents,

yours (is) also (it is) you

the earth, who founded them;

.. 13 the north .. Tabor

and the south, and Hermon

(it is) you in your name

who created them, shout with joy.

······························································································································

:: 14 Yours (is) :: is strong 15

.. Righteousness .. Faithfulness

an arm your hand,

with prowess, is exalted

your right hand;

and Justice (are) and Loyalty

the foundation go before

of your throne, your face.

CONTEXT The assembly and the council of saints According to common representations in ancient Eastern cultures, the supreme deity is surrounded by the heavenly court and assisted by a divine council (see, for example, Ps 103:19–22; 148:1b–4). Rahab “Rahab” is another name for Leviathan, the sea monster which, like the Akkadian Tiamat, was originally defeated and broken into pieces by the God of gods.3 But it is also, as in Ps 87:4, another name for Egypt. Therefore, the mythical allusions to the creation and the historical reference to the exodus from Egypt can be read together in these verses.4

3 See Ps 74:12–15; see also Ps 8, Le Psautier. Premier livre, 87–88 = The Psalter: Book One, 87–88. 4 See Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 409.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

INTERPRETATION The heaven and the earth The hymn to the glory of God begins, appropriately, in “heaven” where Yhwh rules over “the assembly of the saints”, over “the sons of gods” (89:6–9). The “terrible” and “feared” power of the “God of hosts” (89:8–9) is deployed at the beginning of the next part against “the pride of the sea”, against “Rahab” and his other enemies (89:10–11). The central piece of the second part ensures the transition from the world above to the world below, from the creation to history: “Yours is the heaven, yours is the earth” (89:12a). Once the meaning has been given for people to find their direction (89:13), Yhwh’s hand is ready to perform the prowess of his covenant with them which is described in his own words: “Righteousness and Justice”, “Faithfulness and Loyalty” (89:15).

C) THE THIRD PASSAGE (89:16–19) TEXT 16 Happy

(are) the people who know the acclamation, O Yhwh, they will walk in the light of your face; 17 in your name they will rejoice all the day, they will be exalted in your righteousness, 18 yes, you (are) the splendour of their strength, and in your favour our forehead will be exalted; 19 yes, our shield (belongs) to Yhwh and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

v. 18b: “our forehead will be exalted” The qeré tārûm (qal) is prefereable to the ketib tārîm (hiphil, “you exult”), because this form in the plural is found in symmetrical position in 17b and in the singular in 14b. “Our forehead”, lit., “our horn”. v. 19: “yes, our shield (belongs) to Yhwh and our king to the Holy One of Israel” Taking into considering various translations and commentaries, the segment is ambiguous.5 Most understand “our shield” and “our king” as referring to David, who belongs to Yhwh,6 but others think that both terms apply to Yhwh, the lamed after kî (“yes”) is emphatic.7 Some respect the ambiguity by splitting them into two: “for our shield belongs to the Lord and to the Holy One of Israel, our king”, the first member goes in one direction, and the second member in the other one.8 In Ps 84:10 the “messiah” is the “shield” of God (see p. 154). 5

See, e.g., Ravasi, II, 849; Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 240. Among many others, Delitzsch, III, 39; Kraus, II, 198; Lorenzin, 335 (which admits the ambiguity, adding in a note: “Another possible translation: ‘Yes, the Lord is our shield and the Holy One of Israel our king.’”); Vesco, 806; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 400–401, 409–410. In this way BJ, Osty, Dhorme, TOB. 7 Thus, Dahood, II, 315; Hakham, II, 145; Ravasi, II, 822, 849. 8 deClaissé-Walford – al., 676, 681. 6

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COMPOSITION = 16 Happy (are) = O YHWH,

the people in the light

who know of your face

= 17 in your name = in your righteousness

they will rejoice

all the day,

the acclamation, they will walk;

THEY WILL BE EXALTED. ·················································································································

- 18 Yes, the splendour - in your favour

of their strength, WILL BE EXALTED

- 19 yes, to YHWH (belongs) our shield - and to the Holy One of Israel

you (are), our forehead; our king.

The third passage features “the people” who are able to acclaim the Lord (16a) who will become “happy” (16b–17). The second piece (18–19) quickly switches to the first person plural (“our forehead”, 18b), which identifies the people referred to in the first piece (16a). Its two segments begin with “yes” (kî) and provide the reasons for the macarism of the first piece: Everything comes from God, the strength and exaltation of the people (18), and finally their “king” who is their “shield”. The name “Yhwh” occurs in each piece (16b & 19a) as does the verb “to exalt” (17b & 18b). The passage begins with “the people” (16a)—who are named in the ending as “Israel” (19b)—and ends with “our king” (19b). It may be pointed out that, in the same position, “our forehead” (18b) corresponds to “your face” (16b). INTERPRETATION Face to face The two pieces place in parallel the “face” of the Lord, his “name” and his “righteousness” (89:16–17) with the “strength” of the people, their “forehead” and their “shield” (89:18–19). “The light of the face” of God (89:16b) shines in “the splendour of their strength” (89:18a) with which his people are clothed. All is grace, the happiness and jubilation of God’s works (89:16–17), and even more so the “strength” which he will give to his people in the person of the king who will be their “shield” (89:18–19).

D) THE FOURTH PASSAGE (89:20–38) TEXT 20 Once

you spoke in a vision to your faithful ones and you said: “I have provided help to a valiant one, I have exalted a young man over the people. 21 I have found David, my servant, with the oil of my holiness I have anointed him, 22 the one my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 23 The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike

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his enemies. 25 And my truth and my faithfulness (will be) with him, and in my name his forehead will be exalted; 26 and I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 27 As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You (are) my father, my God and the rock of my salvation!’ 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 29 I will keep my faithfulness for him forever and my covenant (will be) truthful for him; 30 and I will set his offspring forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. 31 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments, 32 if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 34 But my faithfulness I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in my truth; 35 I will not profane my covenant and I will not alter the breath of my lips; 36 once I have sworn by my holiness: if I shall lie to David! 37 His offspring shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me, 38 as the moon is established forever and the witness in the cloud (is) truthful.”

v. 20a: “to your faithful ones” The oracle announcing the election of David as king is addressed by God to the prophet Natan: “But that same night the word of Yhwh came to Natan, saying” (2 Sam 7:4). Since several Hebrew manuscripts have the singular form instead of the plural of the Masoretic text, some adopt this variant.9 v. 20c: “I have provided help to a valiant one” Some correct ‘ēzer (“help, aid”) with Ugaritic gzr (“young man”) and interpret the preposition ‘al as “in preference to”: “I have placed a young man rather than a hero”, which would recall the episode of David and Goliath where the young shepherd is preferred to the valiant Saul.10

COMPOSITION The first part (20ab) 20

Once and you said:

you spoke

in a vision

to your faithful ones

This very short part introduces the words of God that constitute the two subsequent parts. The second part (20c–30) In the first subpart (20–24), the first piece (20–22) describes the Lord’s choice of “a valiant one” from among “the people” (20cd): anointed as king by him 9

E.g., Kraus, II, 200. That is the choice made for example by Ravasi, II, 822, 850–851.

10

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(21), he will be strengthened by the Lord’s “hand” (22). That is why in the second piece the Lord gives him victory over “his enemies” (23–24). : 20c “I have provided : I HAVE EXALTED

help a young man

to a valiant one, over the people.

: 21 I have found : with the oil

David, of my holiness

my servant, I have anointed him;

: 22 the one : also my arm

MY HAND

will be firm

with him,

will make him strong.

······················································································································

- 23 will not be able to outwit the adversary - and the son of perversion

him will not overcome him;

- 24 and I will crush - and his enemies

before him I will strike.

his aggressors

.. 25 And my TRUTH and in my name

and MY FAITHFULNESS WILL BE EXALTED

(will be) with him, his forehead;

.. 26 and I will set his .. and over the rivers

over the sea his right hand.

HIS HAND,

– 27 As for him, – my God

he will call out to me: and the rock

‘My father, of my salvation!’

– 28 Also as for me, – the highest

as the firstborn of the kings

I will appoint him, of the earth.

you (are),

······················································································································ I will keep for him MY FAITHFULNESS (will be) TRUTHFUL for him;

= 29 Forever = and my covenant = 30 and I will set = and his throne

forever as the days

his offspring, of the heavens.

The central subpart (25–26) goes even further: thanks to God’s support (25) his power will extend “over the sea” and “over the rivers” (26). In the first piece of the last subpart (27–28), the relationship between God and the king is that of sonship: David refers to the Lord as his “father” (27) and the Lord institutes him as his “firstborn” son among the other kings (28). In the second piece (29–30), the Lord promises that his “faithfulness” and “covenant” will be assured “forever” not only “for him” (29), but also that the kingship will be maintained “forever” for “his offspring” (30). The final members of the two pieces have “the kings” and “his throne” in common and end with “of the earth” and “of the heavens” (28b & 30b). “My hand” and “my arm” of the first subpart (22) are matched by “his hand” and “his right hand” in the last segment of the central subpart (26). Conversely,

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“my truth” and “my faithfulness” of the first segment of the central subpart (25) are echoed by “my faithfulness” and “truthful” in the last subpart (29). The third part (31–38) – 31 If (they) forsake, his children, .. and according to my judgments they do not walk, – 32 if my precepts .. and my commandments

they profane they do not keep,

+ 33 I will visit + and with strokes

with a rod their fault.

my law,

their transgression

·················································································································

– 34 but my faithfulness .. and I will not belie

I will not withdraw in MY TRUTH;

– 35 I will not profane .. and the breath

my covenant of my lips

+ 36 once + if to David,

I have sworn I shall lie!

from him

I will not alter; by my holiness:

················································································································· 37

= His offspring = and his throne

forever as the sun

shall endure before me,

= 38 as the moon = and the witness

is established in the cloud

forever (is) TRUTHFUL.”

In the first piece (31–33) two double conditional clauses which are parallel (31–32) depend on the main clause (33). The second piece (34–36) is parallel to the first piece: like the first two segments of the first piece (32–32), the first two segments of the second piece (34–35) are marked by negation, God’s “faithfulness” to David (34–35) continues despite the unfaithfulness of his “children” (31–32). In the final segment (36), God’s “holiness” opposes their “transgression” (33a): God’s punishment will not hinder his oath from remaining in force. Finally, the two segments of the third piece (37–38) say in a positive fashion what the first two segments of the preceding piece say in a negative way (34– 35). Across the segments, “forever” is repeated (37a & 38a) and “as the sun” (37b) is matched by “as the moon” (38a). The final word, “truthful” (38b), recalls “my truth” in 34b.

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The whole of the passage (20–38) 20

Once you spoke in a vision to YOUR FAITHFUL ONES and you said:

“I have provided help to a valiant one, I have exalted a young man over the people. I have found DAVID, my servant, with the oil of my HOLINESS I HAVE ANOINTED HIM; 22 the one my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 21

23

The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike his enemies. 25

And my TRUTH and MY FAITHFULNESS will be with him, and in my name his forehead will be exalted; 26 and I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 27

As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation! 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, the highest OF THE KINGS of the earth. = 29 I will keep MY FAITHFULNESS FOREVER = 30 and I will set his offspring FOREVER,

and MY COVENANT will be TRUTHFUL for him; and HIS THRONE as the days of the heavens.

31

If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments, if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 32

34

But MY FAITHFULNESS I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in my TRUTH; I will not profane MY COVENANT and I will not alter the breath of my lips; 36 once I have sworn by my HOLINESS: if I shall lie to DAVID! 35

= 37 His offspring shall endure FOREVER = 38 as the moon is established FOREVER

and HIS THRONE as the sun before me, and the witness in the cloud is TRUTHFUL.”

“Your faithful” in the first part (20a) precedes the three occurrences of “my faithfulness” (25, 29, 34). The name “David” accompanied with “holiness” occurs almost at the beginning and near the end (21 & 36); “my covenant” is repeated in 29 and 35. “To anoint”, “kings” and “throne” belong to the same semantic field (21, 28, 30, 37). The term “truth” / “truthful” occurs in 25, 29, 34, 38, including its three instances where it is found together with “faithfulness” (25, 29, 34). The final pieces of the two main parts (29–30 & 37–38), with their many lexical repetitions, play the role of final terms. To the cosmic elements mentioned in these two pieces, “the heavens” (30), “the sun” and “the moon” (37–38), we should add “the sea” and “the rivers” found at the centre of the second part (26).

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INTERPRETATION “Faithfulness and truth” Addressed to his “faithful ones”, that is, to David and “his offspring”, thus the whole oracle is placed under the sign of faithfulness, that of God assured throughout but also that of David and his children. “Faithfulness and truth” (89:25, 29, 34) are the two pillars on which the “covenant” concluded by the Lord with the son of Jesse is founded. On God’s part it will remain unbreakable (89:29), regardless of the failings of the other part (89:31–32). The inevitable punishment cannot call into question the oath by which the Lord has committed himself “forever”. Like the creation To further emphasise the durability of the covenant in Israel’s history, the strong references to the elements of creation seal the two parts of the passage. “As the days of the heavens” it is supported “forever” and assured to the Davidic line (89:29–30), “as the sun” and “as the moon” it leaves no doubt concerning its duration (89:37–38). The foundation of the house of David is no less important than the foundation of creation in its heavenly elements, which mark time throughout history and forever. There can be no more solid guarantee than that of the Creator. Like the Creator And yet there is more than that. After assuring his king of victory over human “aggressors” and “enemies” (89:23–24), at the heart of the second part (89:26) the Lord promises to give him dominion also over “the sea” and “the rivers”. Yet the only one who has this power is the Creator, who defeated the sea monster, Leviathan or Rahab, who holds the powers of the waters in his hand. It is this power that he delegates to the one anointed by him with the oil of his holiness. The king thus inherits from his “father” a divine prerogative. E) THE WHOLE OF THE FIRST SUBSEQUENCE (89:2–38) COMPOSITION “The faithfulness of the Lord” mentioned at the beginning (2), is subsequently detailed at length. The words of this root occur seven times in the subsequence (2, 3, 15, 20, 25, 29, 34), those of the root “truth” with which it is paired reach a total of nine (2, 3, 6, 9, 15, 25, 29, 34, 38). In addition to “faithfulness” and “truth”, the first passage contains many terms that are used in the subsequent passages: “heaven” (3, 6, 12, 30), “to establish/found” (3, 5, 12, 38), “throne” (5, 15, 30, 37, in the final terms of the first two passages).

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will sing THE FAITHFULNESS of Yhwh forever, from age to age I will make YOUR TRUTH known with my mouth. 3 Because I said: “FAITHFULNESS is built forever, THE HEAVENS, YOU ESTABLISH YOUR TRUTH in them. 2I

4 “I

have made a COVENANT with my chosen, I have sworn to DAVID MY SERVANT: ESTABLISHED YOUR OFFSPRING forever and built YOUR THRONE from age to age.”

5 I HAVE

6 And THE HEAVENS give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh, SAINTS; 7 because who in THE CLOUD can be compared to

also YOUR TRUTH in the assembly of the Yhwh, can be equal to Yhwh among the sons of gods? 8 A God feared in the council of the SAINTS, great and terrible to all who are surrounding him; 9 O Yhwh, God of hosts, who is like you? Strong, O Yah, and YOUR TRUTH is surrounding you! is you who master the pride of THE SEA, when its waves rise, it is you who calm them; is you who split Rahab like a corpse, with your STRONG arm you scattered your enemies. 12 THE HEAVENS are yours, the earth also is yours, the world and its contents, it is you who FOUNDED them; 13 the north and the south, it is you who created them, Tabor and Hermon IN YOUR NAME shout with joy. 14 Yours is an arm with prowess, your hand IS STRONG, your right hand is exalted; 15 RIGHTEOUSNESS and Justice are the FOUNDATION of YOUR THRONE, FAITHFULNESS and Loyalty go before YOUR FACE. 10 It 11 it

16 Happy

are the people who know the acclamation, O Yhwh, they will walk in the light 17 IN YOUR NAME they will rejoice all the day, THEY WILL BE EXALTED in your RIGHTEOUSNESS. of

YOUR FACE;

18 yes,

you are the splendour of their STRENGTH, and in your favour our forehead WILL 19 yes, our shield belongs to Yhwh and OUR KING to THE HOLY ONE of Israel.

BE

EXALTED;

20 Once

you spoke in a vision to YOUR FAITHFUL ONES

and you said:

“I have provided help to a valiant one, I HAVE EXALTED a young man over the people. 21 I have found DAVID MY SERVANT, with the oil of my HOLINESS I HAVE ANOINTED HIM, 22 the one my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 23 The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike his enemies. 25 And MY TRUTH and MY FAITHFULNESS will be with him, and IN MY NAME his forehead WILL BE EXALTED; 26 and I will set his hand over THE SEA, and his right hand over the rivers. 27 As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation!” 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, 29 I will keep MY FAITHFULNESS forever the highest OF THE KINGS of the earth. and my 30 and I will set HIS OFFSPRING forever, COVENANT will be TRUTHFUL for him; and HIS THRONE as the days OF THE HEAVENS. 31 If his children forsake my law 32 if they and do not walk according to my judgments, profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 34 But MY FAITHFULNESS I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in MY TRUTH; 35 I will not profane my COVENANT and I will not alter 36 once I have sworn by my HOLINESS: the breath of my lips; if I shall lie to David! 37 HIS OFFSPRING shall endure forever and HIS THRONE as the sun before me, 38 as the moon IS ESTABLISHED forever and the witness in THE CLOUD is TRUTHFUL.”

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In the first passage and the fourth one: “Faithfulness” and “your faithful ones” (2 & 20, both in the plural) play the role of initial terms. Other occurring terms: “forever” (2, 3, 29, 30, 37, 38) and its synonyms “from age to age” (2 & 5), “as the days of the heavens” (30), “as the sun” (37), “as the moon” (38). The verb “to swear” is found in 4 and 36, “David my servant” in 4 and 21, “covenant” in 4 and 29, 35, “your offspring” in 5 and 30, 37, “I said” and “you said” (3 & 20). We shall add “chosen one” (bāḥîr, 4) and “young man” (bāḥûr, 20b) which derive from the same root.11 In the second passage and the fourth one: In addition to the terms already mentioned (“faithfulness”, “truth”, “heavens”, “to establish”, “throne”), the following terms are used: “the cloud” (7 & 38), “saints” and “holiness” (6, 8, 21, 36), “enemies” (11 & 24), “the earth” (12 & 28), “the sea” (10 & 26), “arm” (11, 14, 22 together with “hand”), the couple “hand” and “right hand” (14 & 26). The lexical relationships between the central passage of the body of the subsequence and the other passages are many: “people” (16 & 20b), “in your name” (13, 17, 25), “righteousness” (15 & 17), “to exalt” (17, 18, 20b, 25), “strong”, “to be strong” and “strength” (11, 14, 18), “forehead” (lit., “horn”, 18 & 25); the two occurrences of “your face” (15b & 16b) serve as median terms. At the beginning of the second passage there are “the heavens” which “give thanks” (6), at the beginning of the third passage there are “the people” who acclaim him (16). The terms of the semantic field of kingship act as final terms: “your throne” at the end of the first two passages (5 & 15) and “his throne” at the end of both parts of the last passage (30 & 37), “our king” at the end of the third passage (19). The role of the central passage, which is bipartite like the introduction, is to link the two passages that frame it: its first piece (16– 17), in which “the people” of Israel are joining their acclamation with the thanksgiving of “the heavens”, refers to the preceding passage which deals with the creation, while its second piece (18–19), which points to “our shield”, “our king”, announces the next passage dedicated to him. INTERPRETATION “What have straw and wheat in common?” (Jer 23:28) The juxtaposition of the creation and the covenant with David is puzzling. What do the original foundation of the entire universe and the history of a tiny dynasty have in common? “When two related units seem opposed in every way, look for the similarity”.12 The two pieces in the introduction and the three passages that follow have so much vocabulary in common that it would be hard to believe that they are two heterogeneous components.

11 12

The Septuagint translated bāḥûr as “chosen” as in verse 4 (see Vesco, 814). Traité, 561 = Treatise, 345.

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will sing THE FAITHFULNESS of Yhwh forever, from age to age I will make YOUR TRUTH known with my mouth. 3 Because I said: “FAITHFULNESS is built forever, THE HEAVENS, YOU ESTABLISH YOUR TRUTH in them. 2I

4 “I

have made a COVENANT with my chosen, I have sworn to DAVID MY SERVANT: ESTABLISHED YOUR OFFSPRING forever and built YOUR THRONE from age to age.”

5 I HAVE

6 And THE HEAVENS give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh, SAINTS; 7 because who in THE CLOUD can be compared to

also YOUR TRUTH in the assembly of the Yhwh, can be equal to Yhwh among the sons of gods? 8 A God feared in the council of the SAINTS, great and terrible to all who are surrounding him; 9 O Yhwh, God of hosts, who is like you? Strong, O Yah, and YOUR TRUTH is surrounding you! is you who master the pride of THE SEA, when its waves rise, it is you who calm them; is you who split Rahab like a corpse, with your STRONG arm you scattered your enemies. 12 THE HEAVENS are yours, the earth also is yours, the world and its contents, it is you who FOUNDED them; 13 the north and the south, it is you who created them, Tabor and Hermon IN YOUR NAME shout with joy. 14 Yours is an arm with prowess, your hand IS STRONG, your right hand is exalted; 15 RIGHTEOUSNESS and Justice are the FOUNDATION of YOUR THRONE, FAITHFULNESS and Loyalty go before YOUR FACE. 10 It 11 it

16 Happy

are the people who know the acclamation, O Yhwh, they will walk in the light 17 IN YOUR NAME they will rejoice all the day, THEY WILL BE EXALTED in your RIGHTEOUSNESS. of

YOUR FACE;

18 yes,

you are the splendour of their STRENGTH, and in your favour our forehead WILL 19 yes, our shield belongs to Yhwh and OUR KING to THE HOLY ONE of Israel.

BE

EXALTED;

20 Once

you spoke in a vision to YOUR FAITHFUL ONES

and you said:

“I have provided help to a valiant one, I HAVE EXALTED a young man over the people. 21 I have found DAVID MY SERVANT, with the oil of my HOLINESS I HAVE ANOINTED HIM, 22 the one my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 23 The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike his enemies. 25 And MY TRUTH and MY FAITHFULNESS will be with him, and IN MY NAME his forehead WILL BE EXALTED; 26 and I will set his hand over THE SEA, and his right hand over the rivers. 27 As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation!” 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, 29 I will keep MY FAITHFULNESS forever the highest OF THE KINGS of the earth. and my 30 and I will set HIS OFFSPRING forever, COVENANT will be TRUTHFUL for him; and HIS THRONE as the days OF THE HEAVENS. 31 If his children forsake my law 32 if they and do not walk according to my judgments, profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 34 But MY FAITHFULNESS I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in MY TRUTH; 35 I will not profane my COVENANT and I will not alter 36 once I have sworn by my HOLINESS: the breath of my lips; if I shall lie to David! 37 HIS OFFSPRING shall endure forever and HIS THRONE as the sun before me, 38 as the moon IS ESTABLISHED forever and the witness in THE CLOUD is TRUTHFUL.”

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Faithfulness and truth The most evident common thread is marked by the “faithfulness” and “truth” of the personage who is the author of both the creation and the Davidic lineage, who “founded” both “the world” and “the lineage” of his king. The durability of the Davidic dynasty rests on the Lord, as the heavens and the earth do. The “faithfulness” that is the “foundation” of God’s “throne” (89:15) is also the foundation of the Davidic throne (89:29–30, 37–38). The king’s throne is as secure “as the days of the heavens”, it is a “truthful witness in the clouds” “as the sun” and “as the moon”. Building David’s house is a part of the creative work. God saves by creating, he creates by saving Creation in the beginning and salvation in history exchange their qualities.13 The victory of the “God of hosts” over “the sea”, over the monster “Rahab” is presented as a work of salvation that scatters “the enemies” (89:9–11). The Lord does the same work for David when he strikes down “his enemies”, so that “his adversary” will not rise up against him (89:23–24); the same “arm” is at work in both cases (89:11, 22). The creation is most clearly seen in the story of David when he calls his God: “My father” (89:27). Every begetting is a part of creation. David, God’s heir David is not only brought into the world by God, he is made his universal legatee. This is clearly stated at the centre of the divine oracle. The king’s forehead will be exalted in the name of the Lord, as the son proudly bears the name of his father (89:25). And as if to avoid misunderstanding of the meaning of this statement, the Lord adds that he will give him the same power that he exercised originally when he mastered “the pride of the sea”: “and I will set his hand over the sea” and to make things even better, he adds: “and his right hand over the rivers”. David’s “hand” and “right hand” will be powerful like God’s “hand” and “right hand” (89:14, 26). “From age to age” The creation in the beginning does not mean that it is a work accomplished once and for all in the most remote past. It continues in history, indefinitely “from age to age”; it is in the present as well as in the past. That is stated most clearly in the introduction (89:2–5) and it is repeated in the part devoted to the creation (89:6–15). It begins in the present tense with the heavens which “give thanks” for the marvellous work of the creator. It continues today and forever 13

See P. BEAUCHAMP, “Psaume 74 et Psaume 89”, Psaumes nuit et jour, 204–208.

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to subdue the pride of the sea, as it originally split “Rahab like a corpse” (89:10– 11). The power of God’s hand is still at work, as Righteousness and Justice still uphold his throne and “Faithfulness and Loyalty go before his face” (89:15), “from age to age”.

2. THE SECOND SUBSEQUENCE (89:39–52) Before the final doxology, the subsequence has a concentric composition: two more extensive passages (89:39–45 & 89:48–52) frame a brief transitional passage (89:46–47). A) THE FIRST PASSAGE (89:39–46) TEXT 39 But as for you, you have rejected and you have spurned, you have been angry with your anointed; 40 you have repudiated the covenant of your servant, you have profaned his crown to the ground. 41 You have broken down all his fences, you have made his strongholds a ruin; 42 all passing by the way have plundered (him), he has become an insult to his neighbours; 43 you have given the right hand to his aggressors, you have made all his adversaries rejoice. 44 Also you have turned back the edge of his sword and you have not supported him in the battle; 45 you have brought to an end his splendour and you have cast his throne to the ground.

v. 44a: “you have turned back the edge of his sword” Lit. “the rock of his sword”, which is understood by the majority to mean the cutting edge, formerly made of flint (see in Josh 5:2, “flint knives” used for the circumcision of the males of the wilderness generation).14 This could be translated more loosely as “you have dulled the edge of his sword”. v. 45a: “you have brought to an end his splendour” Since miṭṭehār is a hapax and the member comprises only two terms, many have corrected it, for example by splitting the term into two: maṭṭēh ṭāhrāw, “the sceptre of his splendour”,15 or maṭṭēh miyyadô, “the sceptre of his hand”.16 There is no need for corrections.

14

Hakham, II, 152; Ravasi, II, 858–859. See deClaissé-Walford – al., 678. This correction was adopted by the BJ. 16 Dhorme. 15

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

COMPOSITION + 39 But as for you, + YOU HAVE BEEN ANGRY

YOU HAVE REJECTED

+ 40 YOU HAVE REPUDIATED + YOU HAVE PROFANED

the covenant

and YOU HAVE SPURNED,

with your anointed; of your servant,

TO THE GROUND his crown. ··················································································································· :: 41 YOU HAVE BROKEN DOWN all his fences, :: YOU HAVE MADE his strongholds a ruin;

– 42 have plundered (him) – he has become – 43 YOU HAVE GIVEN – YOU HAVE MADE REJOICE

all passing by an insult

the way, to his neighbours;

the right hand all his adversaries.

to his aggressors,

···················································································································

+ 44 Also YOU HAVE TURNED BACK + and you have not

the edge SUPPORTED HIM

+ 45 YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO AN END his splendour + and his throne TO THE GROUND

of his sword in the battle; YOU HAVE CAST.

The unity of the passage is marked by a number of verbs in the second person singular of the perfect tense: occurring twice or even three times in each segment, making a total of thirteen, except the central segment (42). In the first piece (39–40), the Lord breaks his relationship, his “covenant”, with his “anointed”, with his “servant”. In the second and most extensive piece (41–43), kol (“all”) occurs in a similar position in each of the three segments. The Lord delivers the kingdom of his anointed to his enemies, breaking down its defences (41), giving it over to plunder and “insult” (42), making his enemies rejoice (43). The central verse (42) is the only one where the enemies are the subject and not the Lord. In the third piece (44–45), the Lord delivers the king to his adversaries and destroys his kingship. The last members of the extreme pieces (40b & 45b) play the role of final terms: the two attributes of royalty, “crown” and “throne”, are brought down “to the ground” by the Lord. INTERPRETATION A burdensome accusation The fact that the king was plundered and insulted by his aggressors (89:42) is heavily and insistently attributed to the Lord (89:39–41, 43-45). The accusation is direct, to say the least. It shows the pain suffered by the person making it. The kingdom of David is now destroyed. Not only its “splendour” is destroyed, but also its existence: “everything”, absolutely “everything” is overturned.

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B) THE SECOND PASSAGE (89:46–47) TEXT 46 You

have shortened the days of his youth, you have covered him with shame. O Yhwh, will you hide yourself? For eternity, will your fury burn like fire?

47 How

long,

v. 47: Problem of division The Masoretic text marks a break with the atnah after “for eternity”.17 Some people divide the verse into three phrases: “How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your anger burn like fire?”18 or “How long, YHWH, will you hide yourself? For eternity? Will you burn like a fire?”19 Some even simply delete the awkward term, “for eternity”.20 The parallelism of the members suggests that this term should be placed at the beginning of the second member, where it corresponds to the first term of the first member, “how long”.21 The same problem was already present in Ps 79:5 (see p. 101). COMPOSITION – 46 You have shortened .. you have covered

the days him

of his youth, with shame.

– 47 How long, .. for eternity,

O Yhwh, will (it) burn

will you hide yourself, like fire,

your fury?

The two segments have no common vocabulary and while the first segment juxtaposes two statements the second one asks a double question. This question is posed to “Yhwh” concerning what he has done against the king. The two segments oppose the brevity of the king’s “days” and the “eternity” of Yhwh’s anger. CONTEXT It has been investigated which king of the house of David the first segment might refer to. Jehoiachin became king at the age of eighteen and reigned for only three months before spending the rest of his life, thirty-seven years, in exile in Babylon (2 Kgs 24:8–9; 25:27–30)22. If one understands that the first member of verse 46 speaks of the king’s untimely death, then it would rather refer to the righteous king Josiah, killed at Megiddo in 609 (2 Kgs 23:29–30). 17

Thus Osty. Thus Kraus, II, 199; Lorenzin, 337; Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 401; BJ, TOB. 19 Vesco, 808. 20 Alonso Schoekel – Carniti, II, 225 (without any notice). 21 Ravasi, II, 824; deClaissé-Walford – al., 679 ; Dhorme. 22 Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 406; G. BARBIERO, Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettati?, 507. 18

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INTERPRETATION The two questions interpret the two aspects of the event related in the first segment: the king’s life was cut short because the Lord hid his face, the shame that covered him was due to God’s anger. The significance of this short, rather enigmatically articulated passage will be revealed at the level of the entire subsequence.

C) THE THIRD PASSAGE (89:48–52) TEXT 48 Remember me, what (is my) lifespan? For what nothingness did you create all children of Adam? 49 What man can live and never see death, can he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? 50 Where (is) your first faithfulness, O Lord, which you swore to David by your truth? 51 Remember, O Lord, the insult to your servant, which I carry in my bosom all the many peoples, 52 with which your enemies insult, O Yhwh, with which they insult the footsteps of your anointed!

v. 48: “me, what (is my) lifespan?” The problematic construction of the member has led to various corrections, including the following one, “Remember, O Lord...” as at the beginning of 51, ’ny (“me”) is replaced by ’dny (“O Lord”).23 The correction is tempting but is unnecessary. v. 51a: “your servant” The Masoretic text has the plural form. Several Hebrew manuscripts have the singular, as does the Peshitta. The singular, which refers to “David” in 50b, seems to be supported by the composition of the passage where the alteration between singular and plural is also found in the symmetrical segment (48). v. 51b: “which I carry in my bosom...” The second member of verse 51 is problematic and various corrections have been proposed. The infinitive construct with which it begins (lit., “my carrying”) is here considered as an apposition to “the insult”, thus as a second object complement of “remember”: “Remember [...] which I carry...”. The expression “to carry in one’s bosom” is found in Num 11:12 and in Isa 40:11 where it means “to take care of”, like a shepherd for his sheep who carries it on his shoulders, like a mother for her child who carries it in her arms, “in her bosom”.

23

E.g., Hossfeld – Zenger, II, 401.

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COMPOSITION – 48 REMEMBER me, .. For what nothingness did you create

what (is my)

lifespan?

ALL THE CHILDREN

OF ADAM?

+ 49 What man + can he deliver

and never see from the hand

death, of Sheol?

can live his soul

···············································································································

:: 50 Where (is) :: which you swore

your faithfulness, the first one, to David by your truth?

O LORD,

··············································································································· 51

– REMEMBER, .. which I carry

O LORD, in my bosom

the insult

to your servant,

ALL THE MANY

PEOPLES,

+ 52 with which + with which

(they) insult, they insult

your enemies, the footsteps

O YHWH, of your anointed!

The first segment (48) sets the speaker, “me”, in parallel with “all the children of Adam”, whose life is limited and ends in “nothingness”. The second segment (49) emphasises the final fate of each individual, “death” and “Sheol”. The final piece (51–52) begins like the first one with “remember”: the “me” of 48a is now presented as the “servant” of the “Lord” (51a) and is charged with the care of “all the many peoples” (51b). The second segment (52), which juxtaposes two relative particles, insists on “the insult” with which “all the many peoples”—his “enemies”—have afflicted the “servant”, who is identified at the very end as the king, “the anointed” one of the Lord (52b). The three occurrences of “insult” in the final piece seem to correspond to the three synonymous terms in the first piece: “nothingness” (48b), “death” and “Sheol” (49ab). At the centre of the passage (50) the psalmist opposes the present woes to God’s promise sworn to David in the past, which is another way of asking the Lord to “remember” (48a & 51a).

CONTEXT David cursed by Shimei The last segment may recall the Benjaminite Shimei who cursed David when he fled barefoot from Absalom’s revolt (2 Sam 16:5–14). Moses complaints to the Lord When the people in the desert weep and ask for meat to eat (Num 11:4–6), which provokes the Lord’s anger, Moses intervenes, saying:

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“Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,’ to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me.” (Num 11:11–14)

INTERPRETATION Death and insults The psalmist first asks God to “remember” him, to intervene against “death” (Ps 89:48–49)! He even seems to blame the one who “created” the “nothingness” destined for all the children of Adam (89:48b). In this flurry of questions, one should not see a rebellion against the fate of mortals, but a call for deliverance from a mortal peril. However, the wording is offensive, which shows the helplessness, not to say the despair, of the one who continues to pray in spite of everything. At the end, the psalmist complains to the Lord about the “insults” that his “enemies”, “the many peoples” utter against him (89:51–52). These “enemies” who insult the king are called the enemies of “Yhwh” (89:52a) and the psalmist pleads with God to deal with them. Actually, it is God’s honour that is at stake and cannot go unpunished. Human solidarity The psalmist sees himself in solidarity with “all the children of Adam” (89:48): he is a mortal doomed to “nothingness” and “Sheol” like everyone else. Therefore we understood that, as a “servant” of the Lord, “anointed” by him to rule over Israel, he sees himself in relationship to “all the many peoples” (89:51). He even acknowledges that they have been entrusted to him to carry them in his bosom. He complains like Moses that he has been given too heavy a burden to force the Lord to intervene on his behalf, and on their behalf.

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D) THE WHOLE OF THE SECOND SUBSEQUENCE (89:39–52) 39 But

as for YOU, you have rejected and you have spurned, you have been angry with YOUR ANOINTED; 40 you have repudiated the covenant OF YOUR SERVANT, you have profaned his crown to the ground. 41 You have broken down all his fences, you have made his strongholds a ruin; 42 all PASSING BY THE WAY have plundered him, he has become AN INSULT for HIS NEIGHBOURS; 43 you have given the right hand to his AGGRESSORS, you have made all his ADVERSARIES rejoice. 44 Also you have turned back the edge of his sword and you have not supported him in the battle; 45 you have brought to an end his splendour and you have cast his throne to the ground. 46 You 47 How

have shortened the days of his youth, you have covered him with SHAME. long, O Yhwh, will you hide yourself? For eternity will your fury burn like fire?

48 Remember ME, what is my lifespan? For what nothingness ADAM? 49 What man can live and never see death, can he deliver

did you create all THE CHILDREN OF his soul from the hand of Sheol? 50 Where is your first faithfulness, O Lord, which you swore to David by YOUR TRUTH? 51 Remember, O Lord, THE INSULT TO YOUR SERVANT, which I carry in my bosom all THE MANY PEOPLES, 52 with which your ENEMIES INSULT, O YHWH, with which THEY INSULT the footsteps of YOUR ANOINTED! 53 Blessed

be YHWH forever!

AMEN! AMEN!

The first segment of the central passage (46) is usually considered as belonging the preceding passage, and the second segment (47) as belonging to the subsequent passage.24 However, the extremely regular composition of the first passage (39–45) and of the last one (48–52) have led to the recognition that these two segments constitute a short central passage whose function is to articulate the other two passages. Beginning with “you” (39a), the first passage is an accusation against God; beginning with “me” (48a), the last passage is a supplication in favour of the praying person. The first segment (46) refers to the first passage, as its two verbs are in the same modality as those in the preceding verses; with its two questions and the vocative, “O Yhwh”, the second segment (47) heralds the next passage. However, from a semantic point of view, the first segment announces the final passage. Indeed, the king’s untimely death (46a) prepares the first part of the final passage where the brevity of life and inevitability of death are discussed (48–49); “shame” (46b) is taken up again in the last part of the final passage which deals only with the “insult” (51–52). The two occurrences of “your anointed” (39 & 52) and “your servant” (40 & 51), which are related in mirror fashion, form an inclusion. “An insult” in the first passage (42) is matched by the “insult” in the last passage (51 & 52[2x]); “shame” found in the central passage (46) is a consequence of insults. “All” occurs in the extreme passages (41, 42, 43, 48, 51); the “enemies” mentioned in the ending (52), the is “the many peoples” of 51, recall “aggressors” and “adversaries” (43), that is “his neighbours”, those “passing by the way” of 42. 24 However, Vesco (819) is of the opinion that “v. 47 provides the transition between the lament and the request for deliverance”.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

The doxology of the third book (53) takes up “Yhwh” from the preceding verse (52), “forever” recalls “how long?” and “for eternity” at the centre (47), “amen” derives from the same root as “truth” in 50. INTERPRETATION Passing from accusation to supplication and... to blessing Pain can make us blind. Crushed by misfortune and especially by the lack of understanding of the one who had sworn to support him in any case, the psalmist can only blame the Lord. He is not lamenting the many plagues that have brought him down; all the misfortunes he lists are accusations brought against the one who caused them. At the height of his grief, the death that took the king in his youth, he blames it on God who hid himself and allowed his anger to run free (89:46–47). After having expressed his own anger without the slightest restraint, he can finally come to a humble supplication. By asking the Lord twice to remember him (89:48, 51), he invokes his help. He begs the Lord to preserve him from death, to be cleansed of an insult worse than anything else, since it reaches through him Yhwh, the God of Israel. Finally, after the complaint, a blessing may be heard (89:53), as unexpected as the accusation. The final test The setting in which the prayer, accusation and supplication, emerges is revealed at the centre of the subsequence (89:46–47). It is that of the end. The premature death of the king who, in addition to his misfortune, disappears in shame represents the first facet of the trial that makes the psalmist cry out. But there are worse things to come, for if history has come to an unbearable end with the death of the king, the future appears hopeless to him, as God’s wrath seems to him constantly burning, “for eternity” (89:47). At this ultimate point, those who take up the words of the psalmist will not be scandalised by the violence he expresses towards his Lord. They will remember the words that one of his brothers addressed to him when he prayed: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:2). And also the words that follow his lamentation: “In the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (22:23).

3. THE WHOLE OF THE SECOND SEQUENCE (PS 89) In between the title of the psalm and the final doxology of the third book, the psalm is organised into two halves: a long thanksgiving for the creation and for David’s election (2–38) and a lamentation over the present situation (39–52). The terms which belong to the semantic field of the covenant run through the whole sequence: “faithfulness” (2, 3, 15, 20, 25, 29, 34, 50), “truth” (2, 3, 6, 9, 25, 29, 34, 38, 50), and “covenant” (4, 29, 35, 40).

Psalm 89 1 An

225

instruction of Ethan the Ezrahite.

2I

sing THE FAITHFULNESS of Yhwh forever, from age to age I will make YOUR TRUTH known with my mouth. 3 Because I said: “FAITHFULNESS is built forever, the heavens, you establish YOUR TRUTH in them.” 4 “I have made a COVENANT with my chosen, I HAVE SWORN to DAVID MY SERVANT: 5 I have established your offspring forever and built YOUR THRONE from age to age.” 6 And

the heavens give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh, also YOUR TRUTH in the assembly of the saints; 7 because who in the cloud can be compared to Yhwh, can be equal to Yhwh among the sons of gods? 8 A God feared in the council of the saints, great and terrible to all who are surrounding him; 9 O Yhwh, God of hosts, who is like you? Strong, O Yah, and YOUR TRUTH is surrounding you! 10 It is you who master the pride of the sea, when its waves rise, it is you who calm them; 11 it is you who split Rahab like a corpse, with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. 12 The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours, the world and its contents, it is you who founded them; 13 the north and the south, it is you WHO CREATED THEM, Tabor and Hermon in your name shout with joy. 14 Yours is an arm with prowess, your hand is strong, your right hand is exalted; 15 Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of YOUR THRONE, FAITHFULNESS and Loyalty go before your face. 16 Happy

are the people who know the acclamation, O Yhwh, they will walk in the light of your face; 17 in your name they will rejoice all the day, they will be exalted in your righteousness. 18 yes, you are the splendour of their strength, and in your favour our forehead will be exalted; 19 yes, our shield belongs to Yhwh and our KING to the Holy One of Israel. 20 Once

you spoke in a vision to your FAITHFUL ONES and you said: “I have provided help to a valiant one, I have exalted a young man over the people. 21 I have found DAVID MY SERVANT, with the oil of my holiness I have ANOINTED him, 22 my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 23 The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike his enemies. 25 And MY TRUTH and MY FAITHFULNESS will be with him, and in my name his forehead will be exalted; 26 and I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 27 As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation!’ 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 29 I will keep MY FAITHFULNESS for him forever and my COVENANT will be TRUTHFUL for him; 30 and I will set his offspring forever, and HIS THRONE as the days of the heavens. 31 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments, 32 if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 34 But MY FAITHFULNESS I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in MY TRUTH; 35 I will not profane my COVENANT and I will not alter the breath of my lips; 36 once I HAVE SWORN by my holiness: if I shall lie to DAVID! 37 His offspring shall endure forever and HIS THRONE as the sun before me, 38 as the moon is established forever and the witness in the cloud is TRUTHFUL.” 39 But as for you, you have rejected and you have spurned, you have been angry with YOUR ANOINTED; 40 you have repudiated THE COVENANT of YOUR SERVANT, you have profaned his crown to the ground. 41 You have broken down all his fences, you have made his strongholds a ruin; 42 all passing by the way have plundered him, he has become an insult to his neighbours; 43 you have given the right hand to his aggressors, you have made all his adversaries rejoice. 44 Also you have turned back the edge of his sword and you have not supported him in the battle; 45 you have brought to an end his splendour and you have cast HIS THRONE to the ground. 46 You 47 How

have shortened the days of his youth, you have covered him with shame. long, O Yhwh, will you hide yourself? For eternity, will your fury burn like fire?

48 Remember

me, what is my lifespan? For what nothingness did YOUR CREATE all children of Adam? 49 What man can live and never see death, can he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? 50 Where is YOUR first FAITHFULNESS, O Lord, which YOU SWORE to DAVID by YOUR TRUTH? 51 Remember, O Lord, the insult to YOUR SERVANT, which I carry in my bosom all the many peoples, 52 with which your enemies insult, O Yhwh, with which they insult the footsteps of YOUR ANOINTED! 53 Blessed

be Yhwh forever!

AMEN! AMEN!

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

The list of “forever”, “from age to age”, “all the day” in the first subsequence (2[2x], 3, 5[2x], 17, 29, 30. 37, 38) is opposed by “how long” and “for eternity” in the second subsequence (47). “Forever” returns in the doxology (53). The covenant was “sworn” (4, 36, 50) to “David”, “(my) servant”, “your anointed” (4, 21[2x], 36, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52), to defend him against his “adversaries”, his “aggressors”, his “enemies” (23–24, 43, 52); it should be noted that the “enemies” in 52 are those of God. The “throne” is that of God (15) but also of David (5, 30, 37, 45). The Lord “created” the landmarks North and South (13) but also “nothingness” (48). The central passages (16–19 & 46–47) correspond to each other: “the day/s” occur in 17 and 46, “the light of your face” (16) is opposed by “will your fury burn like fire?” (47), “all the day” (17) refers to “how long?” and “for eternity” (47), “our forehead will be exalted” (18) is opposed to “you have covered him with shame” (46). The doxology (53) has four terms in common with the introduction to the first subsequence: “Yhwh” (2), “forever” (2, 3, 5), and “Amen” which derives from the same root as “truth” (2 & 3), and therefore it makes an inclusion. Therefore the doxology of the third book can be considered an integral part of the psalm.25 CONTEXT The connection between the creation and the house of David is clearly stated by Jeremiah: 19

The word of Yhwh came to Jeremiah as follow: 20 Thus says Yhwh. + If you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night that day and night do not come at their due time, = 21 then my covenant with David my servant might also be broken and he would have no son to reign on his throne, and so also might my covenant with the levitical priests, who are my ministers. + 22 As surely as the array of heaven cannot be counted, nor the sand of the sea be measured, = so surely shall I increase the heirs of David my servant and the Levites who minister to me. 23

The word of Yhwh came to Jeremiah as follows: 24 Have you not noticed what these people say, “The two families which Yhwh chose he has now rejected”? So they despise my people, whom they no longer think of as a nation. 25 Thus says Yhwh:

25

G. BARBIERO, Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettati?, 471, 514–515.

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+ If I have not created day and night and fixed the laws governing heaven and earth, = 26 why, then I shall reject the descendants of Jacob and of David my servant and cease to choose rulers from his descendants for the heirs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For I shall bring back their captives and take pity on them. (Jer 33:19–26; see Isa 54:10)

INTERPRETATION THUNDERSTORM IN A SERENE SKY The contrast between the long thanksgiving and the lament that follows it unexpectedly is surprising, to say the least. Consequently, a number of commentators have thought that it could be simply a juxtaposition of two different and even opposing psalms.26 How can the same psalmist suddenly accuse the Lord of having betrayed his covenant with the house of David after having sung his praise at such length for his “faithfulness” manifested in the creation and in the election of his king? We might say that, in order to bring out the scandal of the present situation, in which David’s crown and throne are irretrievably cast down, the psalmist had to recall the Lord’s solemn oath by which he promised that the Davidic dynasty would be as unshakeable as heaven and earth. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of two literary genres as opposed as hymn and lament is difficult, especially since the transition from one to the other could not be more abrupt and unexpected. MEDITATION ON THE END OF A WORLD The house of David, so long maintained against all odds, has collapsed, with no hope of being rebuilt. More than the end of a dynasty, which would be replaced by another one, it is the end of a world that should be recognized. The last king has gone into exile where he will eventually die and when the time of return will finally come, royalty will never be restored. What was thought to be eternal is definitely over. And all that despite the divine promises of perpetuity. The covenant is broken without recourse. That is why death and Sheol are evoked so directly (Ps 89:48–49). “THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!” (JOB 1:21) In such a misfortune, the psalmist cannot hold back his reproaches against his God: all that has happened is his fault: he has betrayed the covenant. He does not even question whether the children of David have abandoned the law of the Lord and ceased to walk in his judgments (Ps 89:31–32). After that comes the 26

G. BARBIERO, Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettati?, 466–467.

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supplication, initially passionate and bitter as death, more confident at the end. And finally, quite unexpectedly, faith takes over. The psalmist and those who take up his words make their own the words of Job, who had also lost everything but his life (Job 1:21).

III. THE WHOLE OF THE THIRD SECTION (PS 84–89) COMPOSITION To begin with, the title of Psalm 89 recalls the ending of the preceding title: 88:1 An instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite 89:1 An instruction, of Ethan the Ezrahite

Only the names of the authors are different. The lexical links between the two sequences (Ps 84–88 and Ps 89) are many. For example, in the first passage (Ps 89:2–5) most of the terms are also found in the first sequence: 2

I sing the faithfulness of Yhwh forever, from age to age I will make your truth 3 known with my mouth. Because I said: “Faithfulness is built forever, the heavens, you establish your truth in them.” 4 I have made a covenant with 5 my chosen, I have sworn to David my servant: “I have established your offspring forever and built your throne from age to age.”

The central psalm of the first sequence is entitled “A prayer of David” (86:1). The king pleads in it with his Lord from the depths of his misery and promises to give him thanks for delivering him from the death that his enemies wanted to inflict on him. The psalm of the second sequence is entirely devoted to “David”, the “servant” (89:4, 21, 51), the “messiah” or the “anointed” of the Lord (89:21, 39, 52). In Ps 86 it is David who addresses his God, in Ps 89 the Lord speaks twice about his servant David (89:4–5, 20–38) and addresses him directly (89:5). It should also be recalled that the first psalm of the section is a prayer for God’s “messiah”, his “shield” (84:10). The same relationship is found in 89:19, 84 10 Behold our shield, 89 19 Yes, our shield

O God, look upon the face of your messiah. belongs to Yhwh and to the Holy One of Israel our king.

The messiah calls God his “father” in Ps 89:27, “He will call out to me, ‘You are my father’’. There was already a reference to a son who has received the name of his heavenly father, “Righteousness” (85:14). This name is found twice in Ps 89: 15

Righteousness and Justice Faithfulness and Loyalty

are the foundation of your throne, go before your face.

17

in your name in your righteousness,

they will rejoice all the day, they will be exalted.

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Third Section (Ps 84–89)

INTERPRETATION YHWH OF HOSTS One might be surprised that right from the first psalm of the section the psalmist speaks four times to “Yhwh of hosts” (84:2, 4, 9, 13). That is even more surprising since this psalm is all about jubilation for the temple of the Lord and without the thread of danger. However, the psalmist is begging God to look upon his messiah described as “our shield” (84:10), implying that the people need protection against “the tents of wickedness” (84:11). And the “shield” occurs again, but this time referring to the Lord (84:12). “Yhwh of hosts” is found again in the last psalm (89:9), making thus an inclusion. THE ENEMY’S ASSAULTS Oppressors at first glance do not seem to feature in the next psalm (Ps 85). However, the fact that the Lord himself promises “peace” at the heart of the prayer (85:9) suggests that war is not far off. Indeed, in the central psalm of the first sequence we hear David complaining bitterly about the misery and anguish into which he has fallen (86:1). The reason for this is that “the insolent” and the “ruthless” have risen up against him (86:14). He is imploring to be saved, so that those “enemies” would blush (86:17) and the nations would come to give glory to God (86:9). The next psalm states that they will end up confessing in song and dance that all their sources are in Zion (87:7). In the last psalm of the first sequence there is no longer any question of human enemies and all the evils of which the psalmist complains are attributed to God. The reason why the speaker does not name those who inflict all these misfortunes on him is that only the one who has allowed his enemies to drive him to the grave can save him. When he asks the Lord to withdraw his anger, it is undoubtedly because he has deserved it and is invoking his forgiveness. Finally, the unique psalm of the second sequence ends in the same way (89:39–52). David attributes his misfortunes, the loss of the kingship, to God’s wrath and asks for his help against his enemies, “all the many peoples” that the Lord has made him carry (89:51–52). THE MESSIAH, SON OF GOD What the Lord himself says about his messiah sheds light on the whole section: “He will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God’” (89:27). The messiah was already mentioned in the first psalm, to whom the same name of “shield” was given as to God (84:10, 12). The same happens in the following psalm where the “produce” of the union between heaven and earth receives the same name of “Righteousness” as his father (85:11, 12, 14). At the heart of the first sequence David presents himself as “his servant” (86:2, 4, 16), “son of his handmaid” (86:16). He appeals four times to God’s “mercy”, to his bowels of

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mercy in a properly filial attitude. The next psalm also speaks of filiation, the filiation of “all the nations” (86:9) who acknowledge that they were born in Zion, God’s dwelling place. As for the final psalm of the first sequence, there is neither mention of the sonship of the messiah nor of anyone else. However, at the end of the central section, the name of the son of God, “Righteousness”, is discretely mentioned (88:13).

THE WHOLE OF THE THIRD BOOK Ps 73–89

A. COMPOSITION

The three sections of the book are built concentrically. WHY

THE LORD REJECTED

GOD WOULD SUBDUE

WHY

HIS PEOPLE?

THEIR ENNEMIS

HAS THE LORD REJECTED

Ps 73–78

INSTANTLY

Ps 79–83

HIS MESSIAH?

Ps 84–89

The extreme sections correspond to each other. Each section consists of two sequences; the first sequence consists of five concentrically arranged psalms, the second sequence is a single particularly extensive psalm. 73

74

75

76

77

78

84

85

86

87

88

89

The central section is shorter than the other two sections and consists of five psalms only organized into three sequences; the extreme sequences are made up of two psalms, while the central sequence consists of a single psalm. 79–80

81

82–83

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The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89) 1. SOME FIGURES

Ps 73 74 75 76 77

Psalms 1,344 1,340 610 633 1,101

Sequences

78

3,968

79 80 81 82 83

958 1,063 884 417 898

84 85 86 87 88

795 697 1,052 357 1,066

3,967

89

2,722

2,722

Sections

5,028 8,996 3,968

2,021 884

4,220

1,315

6,689

The counts are based on the number of characters, including spaces, of the transliterated Hebrew text, without the verse numbers.1

2. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EXTREME SECTIONS The length ratios between the two sequences in each section are very similar: – First Section – Third Section

1st Sequence Ps 73–77: 56% Ps 84–88: 59%

2nd Sequence Ps 78: 44% Ps 89: 41%

While all the psalms of the first section are “of Asaph” (as well as those of the second section), in the third section the psalms “of the sons of Korah” begin; but 1

Psalms 77 and 88 have much in common, as we will see later. It happens that the first four psalms are of the same length as the last one: Ps 73–76: 3,927 Ps 78: 3,968 Ps 84–87: 2,901 Ps 89: 2,722 As for Psalms 77 and 88, they are very similar in length: Ps 77: 1,101 Ps 88: 1,066.

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the central psalm of the first sequence is “of David” (Ps 86) and that of the second sequence is “of Ethan the Ezrahite” (Ps 89). The two sections are parallel to each other. They are best understood in the relation between their two sequences, which are found in the same order, and the titles attributed to them are intended to express this relationship: WHY

DO YOU REJECT

Because your fathers

US?

did not keep

Ps 73–77 the covenant

with God

Ps 78

[...] WHY

DO YOU REJECT

ME?

Because your children did not keep

Ps 84–88 my covenant

with David

Ps 89

The answer often helps to better understand the question, especially if it is a long one, multiple and may even seem somewhat confusing. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE SECOND SEQUENCES (PS 78 & PS 89) The two psalms are particularly long. Ps 78 is the second longest one in the Psalter (see p. 63) and Ps 89 is the fourth longest psalm (see p. 201). They speak of “the covenant” (78:10, 37; 89:4, 29, 35); in the first case it is the Mosaic covenant at the time of the exodus from “Egypt”, from “the fields of Zoan” (78:12, 43), in the second case the covenant with David (89:4). The fathers were unfaithful to the covenant and sinned, rebelled and defied the Lord (78:8); and the psalm returns to it again and again (78:9–11, 17–19, 32, 40–42, 56–58). In Psalm 89 the tone is initially quite different, the covenant with David was sworn forever. Sin is only considered as a possibility (89:31–32), which would not call into question God’s faithfulness to his oath (89:34–38). However, from the beginning of the second subsequence, the psalmist complains: “But as for you, you have rejected and you have spurned, you have been angry with your anointed” (89:39). The words “to reject” and “to be furious” are already found in Ps 78: “He was furious and greatly spurned Israel” (78:59). The word “furious” also appears in 78:21 and 78:62, and “anger” in 78:49. The link between the two covenants is marked in distant median terms. Indeed, at the end of Ps 78, Joseph and Ephraim are rejected, the tribe of Judah is chosen and “he chose David his servant” (78:70). Ps 89 follows with several lexical repetitions: “to build” and “to establish” (78:69; 89:3, 5), “forever” (78:69; 89:2, 3, 5), “to choose” (78:68, 70; 89:4), and “David my servant” (78:70; 89:4).

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78 1 A poem of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law, incline your ear to the words of my mouth; 2 I open my mouth in proverbs, I evoke the enigmas of old 3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have recounted to us. 4 We will not hide from their children, recounting to the coming generation the praises of Yhwh and his power, and his wonders which he has done. 5 And he raised up a testimony in Jacob, and he set a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their children, 6 so that the coming generation will know them, the children yet to be born, they will rise up and recount to their children. 7 And they will set their hope in Elohim, and will not forget the great deeds of El, and they will keep his commandments; 8 and will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, a generation whose heart is not steadfast and whose spirit is not faithful to El. children of Ephraim, armed bearers of bow, turned back on the day of battle; 10 they did not keep the COVENANT of God and they refused to walk in his Law; 11 and they forgot his mighty deeds and his wonders that he had showed them. 12 In the sight of their fathers he did wonders, in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan: 13 He split the sea and let them pass through and he made the waters stand up like a dam; 14 he led them with a cloud by day and all the night with the light of a fire; 15 he split the rocks in the desert and gave them drink as from the abundant depths; 16 he made streams come out of a rocky crag and made waters come down like rivers. 9 The

they added more to sin against him by defying the Most High in the dry place; 18 and they tempted God in their heart by asking for food for their throat. 19 And they spoke against God; they said: “Can God spread a table in the desert?” 20 Behold, he strikes the rock, and waters flow, and streams overflow; “Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” 21 Then Yhwh heard, HE WAS FURIOUS, and FIRE BLAZED AGAINST JACOB, and ANGER also MOUNTED AGAINST ISRAEL, 22 because they did not believe in God and they did not trust in his salvation. 23 And he commanded the clouds above, and he opened the doors of heaven, 24 and he rained down on them manna to eat, and he gave them the grain of heaven; 25 man ate the bread of the mighty, he sent them food to the full. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens and by his strength he led out the south wind, 27 he rained down meat on them like dust, and winged birds like sand of the seas, 28 he caused them to fall in the midst of his camp, around his dwelling place. 29 And they ate and were filled greatly, and their covetousness, he brought to them; 30 they were not estranged from their covetousness, the food was still in their mouth, 31 that THE ANGER OF GOD MOUNTED AGAINST THEM, and HE KILLED THE STURDIEST OF THEM, and HE STRUCK DOWN THE YOUNG MEN OF ISRAEL. 17 And

all this they still sinned and they did not believe in his wonders; 33 and HE MADE THEIR DAYS END IN MIST AND 34 When he killed them, they sought him, and they turned back and looked eagerly for El; 35 and they remembered that Elohim is their rock, and El the Most High, their redeemer! 36 But they flattered him with their mouth and they lied to him with their tongue; 37 and their heart was not steadfast toward him and they did not believe in his COVENANT. 38 And he, being compassionate, forgave the fault and did not destroy them; and he was great in turning back from his anger, and he did not awaken all his fury. 39 And he remembered that they are flesh, a breath going away and does not turn back. 32 With

THEIR YEARS IN TERROR.

often they defied him in the desert, offended him in the wilderness! 41 They turned back to tempt God, and they grieved the Holy One of Israel; 42 not remembering his hand, the day in which he saved them from the oppressor. 43 He who set his signs in Egypt and his miracles in the fields of Zoan. 44 And he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams that they could not drink. 45 he sent among them vermin and they ate them, and frogs and they destroyed them. 46 He gave their crop to the locust and their produce to the grasshopper; 47 he killed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost; 48 and he delivered their cattle to the hail and their flocks to bolts of lightning. 49 He sent upon them the fire of his anger, INDIGNATION, wrath and oppression, a detachment of angels of evil; 50 he made a path for his anger, he did not exempt their soul from death, and he delivered their life to the plague; 51 and he struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their vigour in the tents of Ham. 52 And he brought out his people like sheep, and guided them like a flock in the desert; 53 and he led them safely and they feared not, as for their enemies, the sea covered them. 54 And he brought them to the border of his holiness, to this mountain which his right hand had conquered; 55 and he drove out nations before them, and marked for them an inheritance with a line, and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 40 How

they tempted and defied the Most High God, and they did not keep his testimonies; 57 and deviated and betrayed like their fathers, they turned aside like a deceitful bow; 58 and they made him angry with their high places, and made him jealous with their idols. 59 God heard and WAS FURIOUS, and he greatly REJECTED Israel; 60 and HE ABANDONED the dwelling of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men; 61 and HE GAVE HIS STRENGTH TO CAPTIVITY, and his splendour into the hands of the oppressor. 62 And HE DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE TO THE SWORD, and HE WAS FURIOUS with his inheritance. 63 FIRE DEVOURED his young men and his virgins were not praised; 64 his priests FELL BY THE SWORD and his widows did not weep. 65 And the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a valiant one drunk with wine, 66 and he struck his oppressors on the back, he gave them an insult forever. 56 And

HE REJECTED the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; 68 he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. 69 And his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which . 70 He chose DAVID his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 he brought him from following the mother sheep to pasture Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. 72 He pastured them like the perfection of his heart and led them with the wisdom of his palms. 67 And

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89 1 An instruction of Ethan the Ezrahite. 2 I sing the faithfulness of Yhwh , from age to age I will make your truth known with my mouth. 3 Because I said: “Faithfulness , the heavens, you establish your truth in them.” 4 “I have made a COVENANT with my chosen, I have sworn to DAVID my servant: 5 your offspring and your throne from age to age.” 6 And

the heavens give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh, also your truth in the assembly of the saints; who in the cloud can be compared to Yhwh, can be equal to Yhwh among the sons of gods? 8 A God feared in the council of the saints, great and terrible to all who are surrounding him; 9 O Yhwh, God of hosts, who is like you? Strong, O Yah, and your truth is surrounding you! 10 It is you who master the pride of the sea, when its waves rise, it is you who calm them; 11 it is you who split Rahab like a corpse, with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. 12 The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours, the world and its contents, it is you who founded them; 13 the north and the south, it is you who created them, Tabor and Hermon in your name shout with joy. 14 Yours is an arm with prowess, your hand is strong, your right hand is exalted; 15 Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of your throne, Faithfulness and Loyalty go before your face. 16 Happy are the people who know the acclamation, O Yhwh, they will walk in the light of your face; 17 in your name they will rejoice all the day, they will be exalted in your righteousness. 18 yes, you are the splendour of their strength, and in your favour our forehead will be exalted; 19 yes, our shield belongs to Yhwh and our king to the Holy One of Israel. 20 Once you spoke in a vision to your faithful ones and you said: “I have provided help to a valiant one, I have exalted a young man over the people. 21 I have found DAVID my servant, with the oil of my holiness I have anointed him, 22 my hand will be firm with him, also my arm will make him strong. 23 The adversary will not be able to outwit him and the son of perversion will not overcome him; 24 and I will crush his aggressors before him and I will strike his enemies. 25 And my truth and my faithfulness will be with him, and in my name his forehead will be exalted; 26 and I will set his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers. 27 As for him, he will call out to me: ‘You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation!’ 28 Also as for me, I will appoint him as the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 29 I will keep my faithfulness for him forever and my COVENANT will be truthful for him; 30 and I will set his offspring forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. 31 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments, 32 if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, 33 I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes. 34 But my faithfulness I will not withdraw from him and I will not belie in my truth; 35 I will not profane my COVENANT and I will not alter the breath of my lips; 36 once I have sworn by my holiness: if I shall lie to DAVID! 37 His offspring shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me, 38 as the moon is established forever and the witness in the cloud is truthful.” 7 because

as for you, YOU HAVE REJECTED and you have spurned, YOU HAVE BEEN ANGRY with your anointed; 40 YOU HAVE REPUDIATED the COVENANT of your servant, YOU HAVE PROFANED his crown to the ground. 41 YOU HAVE BROKEN DOWN all his fences, you have made his strongholds a ruin; 42 all passing by the way have plundered him, he has become an insult to his neighbours; 43 YOU HAVE GIVEN THE RIGHT HAND TO HIS AGGRESSORS, YOU HAVE MADE ALL HIS ADVERSARIES REJOICE. 44 Also you have turned back the edge of his sword and YOU HAVE NOT SUPPORTED HIM IN THE BATTLE; 45 YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO AN END his splendour and YOU HAVE CAST his throne to the ground. 46 YOU HAVE SHORTENED THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH, YOU HAVE COVERED HIM WITH SHAME. 47 How long, O Yhwh, will you hide yourself? For eternity, will your fury burn like fire? 48 Remember me, what is my lifespan? For what nothingness did your create all children of Adam? 49 What man can live and never see death, can he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? 50 Where is your first faithfulness, O Lord, which you swore to DAVID by your truth? 51 Remember, O Lord, the insult to your servant, which I carry in my bosom all the many peoples, 52 with which your enemies insult, O Yhwh, with which they insult the footsteps of your anointed! 53 Blessed be Yhwh forever! Amen! Amen! 39 But

240

The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FIRST SEQUENCES (PS 73–77 & PS 84–88) It is possible to notice a certain parallelism between the two sequences. BETWEEN THE FINAL PSALMS (PS 77 & PS 88) 77 1 For the music director, according to Jeduthun, of Asaph, a psalm. 2 My

voice is to God, and I CRY OUT, my voice (is) to God, and he will incline his ear to me. the day of my anguish I sought the Lord, MY HAND AT NIGHT WAS STRETCHED OUT without relaxing, my soul refused to be comforted. 4 I remember God, and I groan, I meditate, and my spirit faints. 5 You have held back the lids of my eyes, I am troubled, I cannot speak; 6 I ponder the days of old, the years of the ages; 7 I remember my harp in the night, I meditate in my heart, and my spirit inquires. 3 In

8 WILL ILL

WILL the Lord reject forever, and will he never show love again? ceased until the end, has the Word come to an end for all ages? HAS El forgotten to be merciful or has he in anger shut up his mercies?

9 HAS HIS FAITHFULNESS 10 11 And

I said, “This hurts me: the change of the right hand of the Most High.” 12 I remember the great deeds of Yah, I remember your wonders of old, 13 and I whisper to myself all your work and I meditate on your mighty deeds. 14 O

God, your ways are holy! What god is great like God?

15 You

are the God doing wonders, YOU HAVE MADE your strength KNOWN among the peoples; redeemed with your arm your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. 17 THE WATERS saw you, O God, THE WATERS saw you, they were convulsed, also the depths trembled. 18 Thick clouds poured out WATERS, the clouds gave a voice, also your arrows went out. 19 The voice of your thunder in the whirlwind, your lightning lighted up the world, the earth trembled and quaked. 20 Your way was through the sea, and your path through great WATERS, and your tracks HAVE NOT BEEN KNOWN. 21 You lead your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 16 you

88 1 A song, a psalm, of the sons of Korah, for the music director; ‘al-māḥălat le‘annôt, an instruction, of Heman the Ezrahite. 2 O Yhwh, God of my salvation, by day I CRY OUT, BY NIGHT before you: 3 Let my prayer come before you, incline your ear to my cry, 4 because my soul is filled with evils and my life draws near to Sheol. 5 I am counted with those descending to the hole, I am like a man without help: 6 among the dead I am discarded, like the slain lying in the grave, of whom you remember no more and they are cut off from your hand. 7 You set me at the bottom of the hole, in the darkness, in the depths; 8 your fury lies heavy upon me and all your waves you pour out. 9 You have taken away MY ACQUAINTANCES from me, you have made me a thing of horror to them; I am imprisoned and I cannot escape, 10 my eye is worn out because of affliction, I call to you, O Yhwh, all the day, I STRETCH OUT MY PALMS to you. 11 ARE

ARE doing

wonders for the dead, or can the shadows rise up to praise you? grave, your truth in the place of perdition? and your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

12 IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS recounted in the 13 IS your wonder KNOWN in the darkness

IS

14 And

as for me, I cry out to you, O Yhwh, and in the morning my prayer comes before you: O Yhwh, do you reject my soul, do you hide your face from me? 16 I am afflicted and close to death from my youth, I have borne your terrors, I am petrified; 17 your wrath has passed over me, your dread assaults have annihilated me, 18 they surround me like WATER all the day, they encircle me together. 19 You have taken away friend and neighbour from me; MY ACQUAINTANCES are in the darkness. 15 Why,

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The final psalms are presented first because they have the most elements in common. Initial terms: “I cry out” (77:2; 88:2) followed by the complement of time, “at/by night” (77:3; 88:2); “day” occurs in 77:3 and 88:2. Final terms: “water/s” occurs in 77:17[2x], 18, 20 and in 88:18. Central terms: the two sets of three questions (77:8–10; 88:11–13); in the Hebrew text all question begin with the same interrogative particle rendered by the respective auxiliary verbs. – “Faithfulness” is found in the same position in the central questions (77:9; 88:12); – The synonyms “forever”, “until the end” and “for the ages of ages”, in one psalm (77:8–9), are matched by “for the dead”, “the shadows”, “in the grave”, “in the place of perdition”, “in the darkness” and “in the land of oblivion”, in the other psalm (88:11–13). In addition, – The verb “to remember” occurs four times in Ps 77:4, 7, 12[2x] with the psalmist as the subject and once in Ps 88:6 with God as the subject; “forgotten” in 77:10 and another way of saying “you remember no more” (88:6); – The verb “to know” is used in 77:15, 20 and in 88:9, 13, 19; – The expression “to stretch out” “hand” or “palms” occurs in 77:3 and 88:10; – “Wonder/s” is repeated in 77:12, 15 and in 88:13; – The word “the depths” occurs in 77:17 and 88:7; – “Anger” in 77:10 is matched by “your fury” and “all your waves” (88:8) as well as “your terrors”, “your wrath”, and “your dread assaults” (88:16–17).

242

The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

BETWEEN THE FIRST PSALMS (PS 73 & PS 84) 73 1 A psalm of Asaph. Surely, God is GOOD to Israel, to THE PURE OF HEART. 2 And as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, as nothing my steps slipped, 3 because I was envious of THE ARROGANT, I saw the peace of THE WICKED. 4 Because there are no pangs until their death and their belly is plump; 5 in the trouble of men, they are not, and they are not stricken with adam. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace, violence covers them as a garment; 7 their eye comes out from fatness, the thoughts of the heart overflow. 8 They sneer and they speak evil, they speak highly of oppression; 9 they set their mouths in heaven and their tongue walks on earth. 10 Therefore he brings his people back here, and waters of abundance are poured out on them. 11 They say, “How can El know and is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Behold, these are THE WICKED and always at ease, they amass wealth! 13 Surely, in vain I HAVE KEPT MY HEART CLEAN and I HAVE WASHED MY PALMS IN INNOCENCE; 14 and I was struck all the day and I was punished in the mornings. 15 If I had said, “I will recount like them”, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16 And I pondered to know this, it was a trouble in my eyes, 17 until I entered THE SANCTUIRIES of God, where I understood their end. 18 Surely, you set them in the deceptions, you make them fall into chaos. 19 How they have become a horror in a moment, disappeared, finished by terrors! 20 Like a dream upon waking, O Lord, when you wake up, you despise their image. 21 When my heart was bitter and my kidneys were pierced, 22 and I was stupid, and I did not know, I was like a beast with you. 23 And I was always with you, you held me by my right hand; 24 you guide me with your counsel and afterward you receive me to GLORY GLORY. 25 Who is there for me in heaven? 26 And with you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart ARE CONSUMED; the rock of my heart, my portion, God forever! 27 Because, behold, THOSE FAR FROM YOU will perish, your cut off ALL ADULTERERS from you. 28 And as for me, to be near God is GOOD for me, I have placed in the Lord Yhwh my refuge, that I may recount all your works. 84 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 How

lovely are YOUR DWELLING PLACES, O Yhwh of hosts! 3 My soul yearns and IS also CONSUMED for THE COURTS OF YHWH; my heart and my flesh cry out to the living God. 4 Even the sparrow has found a home, the swallow a nest for herself where to place her young. YOUR ALTARS, O Yhwh of hosts, my king and my God! 5 Happy those who dwell in YOUR HOUSE, they are always praising you. 6 Happy the man whose strength is in you, the ways are in their heart. 7 Passing through the valley of Baka’, they will make it a place of springs; the early rain will also cover it with blessings. 8 They shall walk from fortress to fortress, each one shall appear before God in Zion. 9 O Yhwh God of hosts, hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob. 10 Behold our shield, O God, look upon the face of your messiah. 11 Yes, BETTER one day in YOUR COURTS than a thousand elsewhere; I have chosen to stand on the threshold in THE HOUSE OF MY GOD than to live in THE TENTS OF WICKEDNESS. 12 Yes, Yhwh God is a sun and shield, Yhwh will give grace and GLORY GLORY, he will not withhold GOOD FROM THOSE WHO WALK IN INTEGRITY. 13 O Yhwh of hosts, happy THE ADAM WHO TRUSTS IN YOU.

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Sinners are present in both psalms: in Ps 73, “the arrogant” and “the wicked” (73:3, 12), “those far from you” and “all adulterers” (73:27); in Ps 84 with “the tents of wickedness” (84:11). The psalmist, on the contrary, in Ps 73 he claims his innocence: at the beginning he counts himself among “the pure of heart” (73:1) and at the centre he affirms: “I have kept my heart clean and I have washed my palms in innocence” (73:13); he was tempted to “recount” like the wicked (73:15) but his foot did not slip (73:2). Ps 84 is all about love for the temple; “your dwelling places” (84:2), “the courts of Yhwh” (84:3), “your altars” (84:4), “your house” (84:5), “your courts” and “the house of my God” (84:11). As for Ps 73, it is in “the sanctuaries of God” that the psalmist understands the “end” of the wicked (73:17). The verb “to are/is consumed” followed by “my flesh and my heart” (73:26) and “my heart and my flesh2” (84:3) serve as distant medial terms whose function is to link the two psalms. The same term translated as “good” and “better” occurs twice in each psalm (73:1, 28, making an inclusion; 84:11, 12). Finally, “glory” is found in 73:24 and 84:12.

2

The word “flesh” translates two synonyms.

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The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

BETWEEN THE SECOND PSALMS (PS 74 & PS 85) 74 1 An instruction of Asaph. Why, O God, have you rejected us UNTIL THE END, does YOUR ANGER smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember your assembly which you acquired from the beginning, which you redeemed, a tribe of your inheritance, Mount Zion, where you dwell in it. 3 Lift up your steps to the endless ruins: the enemy has damage everything in the sanctuary; 4 your adversaries roared in the midst of your assemblies, they set up their insignia as insignia. 5 It is known as one bringing upwards an axe in a thicket of trees, 6 and now its sculptures together they smash with hatchet and hammer; 7 they set your sanctuary on fire, to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name. 8 They said in their hearts, “Let us crush them together!” They burned all the assemblies of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet, and none of us knows HOW LONG. 10 HOW LONG, will the oppressor insult? 11 Why DO YOU HOLD BACK your hand and your

Will the enemy revile your name UNTIL THE END? right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring it

forth. 12 But God is my king from the beginning, working SALVATIONS in the midst of the earth. 13 As for you, you stirred up the sea with your power, you broke the heads of the monsters on the waters; 14 as for you, you crushed the heads of Leviathan, you gave him as food to the people of the desert, 15 as for you, you broke open the spring and stream, as for you, you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16 Yours is the day, yours also the night, it was you who prepared the light and the sun, 17 it was you who fixed all the boundaries of the earth, summer and winter, it was you who formed them. 18 Remember this, O Yhwh, the enemy insults, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19 Do not surrender the soul of your turtledove to the beast, do not forget UNTIL THE END the life of your afflicted. 20 Look to the covenant, because the dens of the land are full, haunts of violence. 21 Do not let the oppressed RETURN in disgrace, let the afflicted and the poor praise your name! 22 Rise up, O God, defend your cause, remember your insult coming from the fool all the day! 23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries, the uproar of those who rise up against you, which goes up continually! 85 1 For the music director, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2 You love your land, O Yhwh, YOU BROUGHT BACK the fortune of Jacob. 3 You took away the fault of your people, you covered all their sin. 4 You ended all YOUR WRATH, YOU TURNED BACK from FROM YOUR BURNING ANGER. 5 BRING US BACK, O God of our SALVATION, and put away YOUR INDIGNATION toward us. 6 WILL YOU BE ANGRY with us FOREVER, will you prolong YOUR ANGER FROM AGE TO AGE? 7 Behold, as for you, YOU WILL TURN BACK to revive us, and your people will rejoice in you. 8 Show us your faithfulness, O Yhwh, and you will give us your SALVATION. 9 I will listen to: What does God Yhwh say? Well, he says peace to his people and to his faithful, and LET THEM NOT TURN BACK to folly. 10 Yes,

his SALVATION is near for his fearful that glory may dwell in our land. 11 Faithfulness and loyalty have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 12 Loyalty will sprout from the earth, because righteousness has looked down from the heavens. 13 Also Yhwh will give what is good, and our land will give its produce. 14 Righteousness will walk before him, and he will set his steps in the way.

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In both psalms, the psalmist poses questions concerning time: – “Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end?” (74:1) “How long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Will the enemy revile your name until the end?” (74:10) “How long” occurs also in 74:9 and “until the end” in 74:19. – “Will you be angry with us forever, will you prolong your anger from age to age? (85:6).

The following lexical repetitions should be added: – “Salvation/s” occurs in 74:12 and in 85:5, 8, 10; – The verbs of the same root, translated as “hold back”, “return”, “bring back” and “turn back” are found in 74:11, 21 and in 85:2, 4, 5, 7, 9; – The same term, translated “ground”, “land” and “earth”, is found in 74:7, 8, 12, 17, 20 and in 85:2, 10, 12, 13; – The word “people” occurs in 74:14, 18 and in 85:3, 7, 9.

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BETWEEN THE THIRD PSALMS (PS 75 & PS 86) 75 1 For the music director, “Do Not Destroy”, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 WE GIVE THANKS

to you, O God,

WE GIVE THANKS,

and YOUR NAME is near: they recount your

wonders. 3 “When

I will choose an appointment, it is I who will judge with uprightness; 4 the earth and all its inhabitants are falling apart, it is I who have firmly set its pillars. 5 I said to THE ARROGANT: DO NOT BE ARROGANT! And to THE WICKED: Do not raise up the horn, 6 do not raise up your horn on high, do not speak with INSOLENT neck.”

7 Yes,

not from the east nor the west, and not from the desert comes the raising up; 8 because it is God who judges, this one he brings down and that one he raises up. 9 Yes, in the hand of Yhwh there is a cup, and a fermented wine full of spices; and he will pour out of it, they will lick it to the dregs, they will drink it, ALL THE WICKED of the earth.

10 And

as for me, I will proclaim forever, I will sing psalms to the God of Jacob; horns of THE WICKED I will cut off, the horns of the righteous will be raised up.

11 and

all the

86 1 A prayer of David. Incline your ear, O Yhwh, answer me, because I am afflicted and poor; 2 keep my soul, because I am faithful, save your servant, you my God, who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, because to you, I call all the day; 4 gladden the soul of your servant, because to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; 5 because you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abounding in faithfulness to all who call on you. 6 Give ear, O Yhwh, to my prayer, and give attention to the voice of my request for mercy; 7 in the day of my anguish I call on you because you answer me. 8 There

is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and there is none like your deeds. 9 All the nations which you have made will come and will bow down to your face, O Lord, and will give glory to YOUR NAME. 10 Yes, you are great and doing wonders, you are God, you alone.

11 Teach

me, O Yhwh, your way, I will walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear YOUR NAME. I will glorify YOUR NAME delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, THE INSOLENT have risen up against me, and A BAND OF RUTHLESS have sought my soul, and they have not set you before them. 15 And you, O Lord, are a God tender and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in faithfulness and truth, 16 turn to me and have mercy on me, give your strength to your servant and save the son of your handmaid; 17 do a sign of goodness to me and MY ENEMIES will see and will blush, because you, O Yhwh, help me and comfort me. 12 I WILL GIVE YOU THANKS, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and forever, 13 because your faithfulness was great toward me, and you have

The wicked are quite present: “the arrogant” and “the wicked” (75:5) “the insolent” (75:6; 86:14) “all the wicked” (75:9, 11); “a band of ruthless” (86:14), “the enemies” (86:17). – “To give thanks” occurs in 75:2[2x] and in 86:12; – “Your name” is repeated in 75:2 and in 86:9, 11, 12; – It may also be pointed out the synonymous verbs: “to raise up” in 75:5, 6, 7, 8, 11, to lift up in 86:4 and “to rise up” in 86:14.

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BETWEEN THE FOURTH PSALMS (PS 76 & PS 87) 76 1 For the music director, on stringed instruments, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 In

Judah God is known, in Israel his name is great; 3 and in Salem is his lair and his den in ZION: 4 There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war weapons. 5 You are radiant, magnificent above THE MOUNTAINS of prey. 6 The valiant of heart were plundered, they have slept their sleep, and all the men of might did not find their arms. 7 Under your threat, O God of JACOB, and the chariot and the horse fell asleep. 8 You

are Terrible, yes you, and who will stand before your face because of your anger?

9 You

made the sentence to be heard from heaven, the earth feared and was silent, 10 when God rose up in judgment to save all the humiliated of the earth, 11 because the fury of man gives you thanks, with the rest of the furies you gird yourself.

12 Make

vows to Yhwh your God and fulfil them, let all those around him bring a gift to the Terrifying One: 13 He cuts short the breath of princes, the Terrible One to the kings of the earth. 87 1 Of the sons of Korah, a psalm, a song. Its foundation is on THE MOUNTAINS of holiness. 2 Yhwh loves the gates of ZION more than all the dwelling places of JACOB. 3 Glorious

things are spoken in you, O city of God: 4 “I mention Rahab and Babylon among my acquaintances, behold Philistia and Tyre, with Kush: This one was born there.” 5 And of ZION it will be said: “Every man is born in her and he who strengthens her is the Most High.” 6 Yhwh counts in writing the peoples: “This one was born there”. 7 And they sing in dancing: “All my springs are in you.”

– These are the only psalms in the extreme sections that are called “song” (76:1; 87:1); – Both celebrate “Zion” (76:3; 87:2, 5); – “The mountains” are mentioned in76:5 and in 87:1; – The name “Jacob” is repeated in 76:7 and 87:2.

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3. RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL SECTION AND THE OTHER SECTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PSALMS (PS 75; PS 81; PS 86) 75 1 For the music director, “Do Not Destroy”, a psalm of Asaph, a song. 2 WE GIVE THANKS to you, O God, WE GIVE THANKS, and your name is near: they recount your wonders. 3 “When I will choose an appointment, it is I who will judge with uprightness; 4 the earth and all its inhabitants are falling apart, it is I who have firmly set its pillars. 5 I said to the arrogant: Do not be arrogant! And to the wicked: Do not raise up the horn, 6 do not raise up your horn on high, do not speak with insolent neck.” 7 Yes, not from the east nor the west, and not from the desert comes the raising up; 8 because it is God who judges, this one he brings down and that one he raises up. 9 Yes, in the hand of Yhwh there is a cup, and a fermented wine full of spices; and he will pour out of it, THEY WILL LICK IT TO THE DREGS, THEY WILL DRINK IT, ALL THE WICKED OF THE EARTH. 10 And as for me, I will proclaim forever, I WILL SING PSALMS to the God of Jacob; 11 AND ALL THE HORNS OF THE WICKED I WILL CUT OFF, the horns of the righteous will be raised up. 81 1 For the music director, on the gittith, of Asaph. 2 SHOUT FOR JOY to God our strength, ACCLAIM the God of Jacob, 3 LIFT UP THE PSALMS and SOUND THE TAMBOURINE, THE SWEET HARP WITH THE LYRE, 4 BLOW THE TRUMPET at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day; 5 because it was a decree for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob; 6 he set up an ordinance in Joseph when he went out against the land of Egypt. I hear a language that I did not know: 7 “I turned aside his shoulder from the burden, his palms were freed from the basket. 8 In anguish you cried out and I delivered you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 9

Listen, O my people, and I admonish you, O Israel, if you would listen to me! There shall be no strange god among you, and you shall not bow down to a foreign god; 11 I am Yhwh, your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 12 But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not want me; 13 and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans. 14 Oh, if my people would listen to me, if Israel would walk in my ways! 15 I WOULD INSTANTLY SUBDUE THEIR ENEMIES AND TURN MY HAND AGAINST THEIR OPPRESSORS; 16 THOSE WHO HATE YHWH WOULD CRINGE TO HIM, AND THEIR TIME WOULD LAST FOREVER. 17 And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 10

The first sequences of the extreme sections as well as the central section are each composed of five psalms arranged concentrically around Ps 75, Ps 81 and Ps 86.

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86 1 A prayer of David. Incline your ear, O Yhwh, answer me, because I am afflicted and poor; 2 keep my soul, because I am faithful, save your servant, you my God, who trusts in you. 3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, because to you, I call all the day; 4 gladden the soul of your servant, because to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; 5 because you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abounding in faithfulness to all who call on you. 6 Give ear, O Yhwh, to my prayer, and give attention to the voice of my request for mercy; 7 in the day of my anguish I call on you because you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and there is none like your deeds. 9 ALL THE NATIONS WHICH YOU HAVE MADE WILL COME AND WILL BOW DOWN TO YOUR FACE, O LORD, AND WILL GIVE GLORY TO YOUR NAME. 10 Yes, you are great and doing wonders, you are God, you alone. 11 Teach me, O Yhwh, your way, I will walk in your truth, unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I WILL GIVE YOU THANKS, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I WILL GLORIFY your name forever, 13 because your faithfulness was great toward me, and you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, the insolent have risen up against me and a band of ruthless have sought my soul, and they have not set you before them. 15 And you, O Lord, are a God tender and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in faithfulness and truth, 16 turn to me and have mercy on me, give your strength to your servant and save the son of your handmaid; 17 do a sign of goodness to me and MY ENEMIES WILL SEE AND WILL BLUSH, because you, O Yhwh, help me and comfort me.

Praise resounds in all three psalms: – “We give thanks” (75:2[2x]), “I will proclaim”, “I will sing psalms” (75:10); – “Shout for joy”, “acclaim”, “lift up the psalms”, etc. (81:2–4); – They “will give glory to your name” (86:9), “I will give you thanks”, “I will glorify your name” (86:12). The fate of the enemies, of the nations, changes from one psalm to another: – In the first psalm “all the wicked of the earth” are punished (75:9, 11); – In the central psalm the Lord promises to punish the enemies of Israel (81:15), but they will be converted: “those who hate Yahweh would cringe to him and their time would last forever” (81:16); – At the end of the last psalm the enemies will “blush” (86:17), but at the very heart of the psalm “they will come and bow down” before the Lord and they “give glory” to his name (86:9) like the psalmist whom they were persecuting (86:12).

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BETWEEN THE SECOND PSALMS OF THE EXTREME SECTIONS AND THE FIRST TWO PSALMS OF THE CENTRAL SECTION. 74 1 An instruction of Asaph. WHY, O God, have you rejected us UNTIL THE END, does YOUR ANGER smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember your assembly which you acquired from the beginning, which you redeemed, a tribe of your inheritance, Mount Zion, where you dwell in it. 3 Lift up your steps to the endless RUINS: the enemy has damage everything in the sanctuary; 4 your adversaries roared in the midst of your assemblies, they set up their insignia as insignia. 5 It is known as one bringing upwards an axe in a thicket of trees, 6 and now its sculptures together they smash with hatchet and hammer; 7 they set your sanctuary on fire, to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name. 8 They said in their hearts, “Let us crush them together!” They burned all the assemblies of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs, there is no longer any prophet, and none of us knows HOW LONG. 10

HOW LONG, O God, WILL the oppressor INSULT? Will the enemy revile your name UNTIL THE END? 11 WHY DO YOU HOLD hand and your right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring it forth. 12 But God is my king from the beginning, working SALVATIONS in the midst of the earth. 13 As for you, you stirred up the sea with your power, you broke the heads of the monsters on the waters; 14 as for you, you crushed the heads of Leviathan, you gave him as food to the people of the desert, 15 as for you, you broke open the spring and stream, as for you, you dried up the ever-flowing rivers. 16 Yours is the day, yours also the night, it was you who prepared the light and the sun, 17 it was you who fixed all the boundaries of the earth, summer and winter, it was you who formed them. 18 Remember this, O Yhwh, the enemy INSULTS, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19 Do not surrender the soul of your turtledove to the beast, do not forget UNTIL THE END the life of your afflicted. 20 Look to the covenant, because the dens of the land are full, haunts of violence. 21 DO NOT LET the oppressed RETURN in disgrace, let the afflicted and the poor praise your name! 22 Rise up, O God, defend your cause, remember your INSULT coming from the fool all the day! 23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries, the uproar of those who rise up against you, which goes up continually!

BACK your

[...] 85 1 For the music director, of the sons of Korah, a psalm. 2

You love your land, O Yhwh, YOU BROUGHT BACK the fortune of Jacob. 3 You took away the fault of your people, you covered all their sin. 4 You ended all YOUR WRATH, YOU TURNED BACK from YOUR BURNING ANGER. 5 BRING US BACK, O God of our SALVATION, and put away YOUR INDIGNATION toward us. 6 WILL YOU BE ANGRY with us FOREVER, will you prolong YOUR ANGER FROM AGE TO AGE? 7 Behold, as for you, YOU WILL TURN BACK to revive us and your people will rejoice in you. 8 Show us your faithfulness, O Yhwh, and you will give us your SALVATION. 9 I will listen to: What does God Yhwh say? Well, he says peace to his people and to his faithful, and LET THEM NOT TURN BACK to folly. 10

Yes, his SALVATION is near for his fearful that glory may dwell in our land. 11 Faithfulness and loyalty have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 12 Loyalty will sprout from the earth, because righteousness has looked down from the heavens. 13 Also Yhwh will give what is good, and our land will give its produce. 14 Righteousness will walk before him, and he will set his steps in the way.

The two questions “why?” and “how long?” mark three of these four psalms (74:1, 10–11; 79:5, 10; 80:5, 13); in Ps 85 the “why” is absent but the question of time appears twice (85:6).

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79 1 A psalm of Asaph.

80 1 For the music director, on “The Lilies”, a testimony, of Asaph, a psalm.

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance, they have defiled the Temple of your holiness, they have laid Jerusalem in RUINS. 2 They have given the corpses of your servants as food for the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth; 3 they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem and there was no one to bury them. 4 We are AN INSULT to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to those around us. 5 HOW LONG, O Yhwh, WILL YOU BE ANGRY FOREVER, will YOUR JEALOUSY burn like fire? 6 Pour out YOUR FURY on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name, 7 because they have devoured Jacob and desolated his habitation. 8 Do not remember against us the first faults; quickly, may your tenderness come to meet us, because we are greatly afflicted. 9 Help us, O God of our SALVATION, for the sake of the glory of your name, and deliver us and wipe out our sins, for the sake of your name. 10 WHY should the nations say: “Where is their God?” Let it be known among the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the blood of your servants, which is poured out. 11 Let the groans of the captive come before you; according to the greatness of your arm spare the children of death. 12 And return to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom THE INSULT with which THEY HAVE INSULTED YOU, O Lord. 13 And we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, we will give thanks to you forever, from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

2

Give ear, you who pasture Israel, who lead Joseph like sheep; who sit above the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, awaken your valour and come for our salvation. 4 O God, BRING US BACK, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED. 3

O Yhwh, God of hosts, HOW LONG WILL YOU FLARE UP at the prayer of your people? 6 You have made them eat the bread of tears, and you have made them drink tears threefold; 7 you have made us a strife to our neighbours, and our enemies are mocking us. 8 O God of hosts, BRING US BACK, and make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED. 5

9

You brought a vine out of Egypt, you drove out the nations and you planted it; 10 you cleared a place before it, and it took root with its roots and it filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God with its boughs; 12 it stretched its branches to the Sea and its shoots to the River. 13 WHY have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, 14 the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it? 15 O God of hosts, come back, we pray, look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine, 16 and protect what your right hand has planted, and the son you made strong for yourself. 17 It is burned with fire, cut down; let them perish at the threat of your face. 18 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of Adam whom you made strong for yourself, 19 and we will never turn away from you, you will revive us and we will call upon your name. 20 O Yhwh, God of hosts, BRING US BACK, make your face shine, and we shall be SAVED.

“Salvation” / “to save” occurs in all four psalms (74:12; 79:9; 80:4, 8, 20; 85:5, 8, 10). Similarly, God’s anger: right from the beginning of Ps 74:1, and in 79:5, 6; 80:5; 85:4, 5, 6. The word “people” also appears in every psalm: 74:14, 18; 79:13; 80:5; 85:3, 7, 9. The same verb translated as “to hold back”, “to return”, “to turn back”, and “to bring back” occurs in 74:11, 21; 80:4, 8, 20; 85:2, 4, 7, 9. “Insult” / “to insult” is found in 74:10, 18, 22; 79:12[2x]. The temple is reduced to “ruins” in 74:3 and 79:1.

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ALL THE QUESTIONS The questions are not limited to the four psalms that have just been put in relation to each other. “Why?” – “Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” (74:1) – “Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand? From the midst of your bosom bring it forth.” (74:11) – “Why should the nations say: ‘Where is their God?’” (79:10) – “Why have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it?” (80:13–14),

A final “why” is found near the end of the penultimate psalm of the book which recalls its first occurrence at the beginning of Ps 74: 74:1 Why, O God, do you reject us until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 88:15 Why, O Yhwh, do you reject my soul, do you hide your face from me?

It is worth noting that the first question links “why” with “until the end”. “How long?” – “How long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Will the enemy revile your name until the end?” (74:10) – “How long, O Yhwh, will you be angry, forever will your jealousy burn like fire?” (79:5) – “O Yhwh, God of Hosts, how long will you flare up at the prayer of your people?” (80:5) – “Will you be angry with us forever, will you prolong your anger from age to age?” (85:6)

It should be pointed out that “until the end” was already found in the why question of 74:1, “Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end?” We should add the bursts of three questions that mark the final psalms of the first sequences of the extreme sections: 77 8 Will the Lord reject forever, 9 Has his faithfulness ceased until the end, 10 Has El FORGOTTEN to be merciful

and will he never show love again? has the Word come to an end for all ages? or has he in anger shut up his mercies?

88 11 Are you doing wonders for the dead 12 Is your faithfulness recounted in the grave, 13 Is your wonder known in the darkness

or can the shadows rise up to praise you? your truth in the place of perdition? and your righteousness in the land of OBLIVION?

The penultimate psalm of the book (Ps 88) shows clearly to what extreme point “the end” goes: it is death, “the grave”, “darkness”, “oblivion”.

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After the central psalm of the second section, the question is posed this time by God: – “How long will you judge unjustly and uphold the face of the wicked?” (82:2)

In the subsequent psalm a similar expression is used, but no longer in the form of a question; the psalmist is asking for the punishment of the wicked until the end: – “18 Let them blush and be terrified forever, and let them be confused and perish, 19 and let them know that you are, your name is Yhwh, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (83:18–19)

Two correlated questions The two questions are closely related. They are juxtaposed in the first psalm where they appear (74:10–11): 10 11

How long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand?

Will the enemy revile your name until the end? From the midst of your bosom bring it forth.

The question “why” refers to the cause, to the past up to the origin, the question “how long” refers to the future up to the end.

THE ANSWERS The reason that the Lord “rejected” his people and the king (zānaḥ, 74:1; 77:8; 88:15; 89:39), that he “spurned” them (mā’as, 78:59, 67; 89:39),3 that he “was angry” with them (85:4; 78:21, 49, 59, 62; 89:39), was because of their sin: In the final psalms of the extreme sections (Ps 78 & Ps 89) – “and will not be like their fathers, a rebellious and defying generation, a generation whose heart is not steadfast and whose spirit is not faithful to El” (78:8); – “they did not keep the covenant of God and they refused to walk in his Law” (78:10); – “they forgot his mighty deeds and his wonders” (78:11); – “And they added more to sin against him by defying the Most High in the dry place” (78:17); – “and they tempted God in their heart” (78:18); – “And they spoke against God” (78:19); – “With all this they still sinned, and they did not believe in his wonders” (78:32); – “How often they defied him in the desert, offended him in the wilderness!” (78:40); 3 The two synonyms, “to reject” and “to spurn”, are used together in the last instance: “But as for you, you have rejected and you have spurned, you have been angry with your anointed” (89:39).

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– “They turned back to tempted God, and they grieved the Holy One of Israel” (78:41); – “not remembering his hand, the day in which he saved them from the oppressor” (78:42); – “And they tempted and defied the Most High God, and they did not keep his testimonies” (78:56); – “and deviated and betrayed like their fathers, they turned aside like a deceitful bow” (78:57); – “and they made him angry with their high places, and made him jealous with their idols” (78:58). – “If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments” (89:31); – “if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments” (89:32).

In the central psalm of the central section The final psalms of the extreme sections answer the question “why?”. The central psalm of the central section, in other words, the central psalm of the section, first answers the question “how long?”: 14 Oh,

if my people would listen to me, would instantly subdue their enemies 16 those who hate Yhwh would cringe to him 15 I

if Israel would walk in my ways! and turn my hand against their oppressors; and their time would last forever. (81:14–16)

“Instantly” answers directly the question “how long?”. But the verbs that follow are in the conditional tense. The condition would be that Israel would listen to the Lord and behave according to his law (81:5–6, 10). But they did not listen: But my people did not listen to my voice,

and Israel did not want me; (81:12)

And that is the reason for the punishment, which answers the question “why?”: and I sent them away in the hardness of their hearts, they walk in their own plans. (81:13)

B. CONTEXT AWARENESS OF SIN A movement similar to that of the psalms in the third book was also found in the first book. In fact, in the first part of the first book there is never any question of the psalmist’s sin; if there is a fault, it is that of the wicked, of the enemies. On the other hand, starting from the centre, a reversal takes place: the psalmist becomes aware that sin also inhabits him.4

4

604.

See Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41), 603–604 = The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41), 603–

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DEATH The first book focuses on Ps 22 where the psalmist is confronted with death. At its centre he says: “And you lay me down in the dust of death” (22:16). However, death is present throughout the book.5 PRAISE In Ps 22 the psalmist’s destiny does not end with death. He is saved and can proclaim the name of the Lord to his brothers and sisters and praise him in their midst (22:23), and the circle will be widened to include all nations who will bow down before him (22:28).

C. INTERPRETATION THE PRESENT UNFORTUNATE SITUATION “I was struck all the day and I was punished in the mornings” (Ps 73:14). To suffer the violence and oppression of the arrogant is particularly unbearable, because everything succeeds for them. And to realise that one has almost slipped to imitate their conduct seems to be the height of misfortune. That is how the psalmist’s long complaint begins. The whole “flock”, the “assembly” of the Lord, laments the ruin of the sanctuary sacked by the enemy: the worst thing that could happen, since Israel is touched at the heart when the name of her God is insulted (Ps 74 & 79). But it is not only the temple that is destroyed, it is the whole country, the vine that stretched its branches from the Sea to the Great River (80:9–17), the whole people doomed to destruction (83:4–6). Finally, it is the king himself who is doomed to death (Ps 88). THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MOST HIGH HAS CHANGED The present unfortunate situation is all the more painful, because it is set against past happiness: “I ponder the days of old” (77:6). The last section begins with a kind of hymn dedicated to the temple: the triple occurrence of “happy” punctuates the poem, which expresses the psalmist’s passionate love for the house of God (Ps 84). Unless one understands it—because of the context in which it is inserted—as the nostalgic regret of a time that has now passed... The speaker also remembers the wonders of the exodus: “I remember the great deeds of Yah, I remember your wonders of old” (77:12); “You lead your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (77:21). There are also more recent feats when, in Zion, God “broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war weapons” (76:4). Finally, the memory of God’s wonders 5

See Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41), 610 = The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41), 610.

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The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

goes back to the creation when the Lord “broke the heads of the monsters on the waters” (74:13). THE WICKED AND THE INNOCENT Where does all this misfortune come from? From the beginning the psalmist claims his faithfulness. He has indeed been tempted to follow the arrogant, but his heart has remained pure, and he can wash his palms in innocence (Ps 73). In the symmetrical psalm where he sings of his love for the courts of Yhwh, he counts himself among “those who walk in integrity” (84:12). The wicked, the arrogant are obviously the others, the enemies who harm him. Sin is mentioned here and there, but only incidentally. And it concerns the “first faults” (79:8–9), those of the past that have been forgiven (85:3). For this reason, the psalmist insistently implores his God to punish his enemies, those who are guilty of the calamities that befall him (75:9; 79:10b, 12; 82:8; 83:10–19; 86:17). THE DARKNESS OF QUESTIONS Misfortune would undoubtedly be less unbearable if we were able to understand the reason why we are struck. And the question “why” comes up again, hauntingly: “Why, O God, have you rejected us until the end, does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” (74:1); “Why do you hold back your hand and your right hand?” (74:11); “Why should the nations say: ‘Where is their God?’” (79:10); “Why have you broken down its fences, and all who pass along the way pluck it, the boar of the forest ravages it, and the beast of the fields feeds on it?” (80:13–14); “Why, O Yhwh, do you reject my soul, do you hide your face from me?” (88:15). The psalmist is unable to see the end of his suffering and the question “how long” accompanies the question “why”: “How long, O God, will the oppressor insult? Will the enemy revile your name until the end?” (74:10); “Will you be angry with us forever, will you prolong your anger from age to age?” (85:6); “How long, O Yhwh, will you be angry? Forever will your jealousy burn like fire?” (79:5); “O Yhwh, God of Hosts, how long will you flare up at the prayer of your people?” (80:5); “Will you be angry with us forever, will you prolong your anger from age to age?” (85:6). Without an answer to this double question, the psalmist is plunged into “darkness” (88:19). THE REASON FOR PUNISHMENT The psalmist’s questions are not left without answers. First, the “why” is answered at the end of the extreme sections in two of the longest psalms of the Psalter (Ps 78 & 89). The reason that evil has befallen Israel, that her temple has been reduced to a smouldering heap of ruins, that the whole people have been crushed, is that they have been unfaithful to God’s covenant, that they have not kept the commandments given to Moses after coming out of Egypt (Ps 78).

The Whole of the Third Book

257

The reason, why the house of David has collapsed, and his descendants are no longer on his throne, is because the Lord has rejected him and spurned him, because his children have been unfaithful to the covenant. Yet he gave them a clear warning: “If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my judgments, if they profane my precepts and do not keep my commandments, I will visit their transgression with a rod and their fault with strokes” (89:31–33). INSTANTLY The answer to the question “how long” resounds right at the heart of the section. And the answer is no longer given by a psalmist or a prophet. It is the Lord himself: “Oh, if my people would listen to me, if Israel would walk in my ways! I would instantly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their oppressors; those who hate Yhwh would cringe to him, and their time would last forever. And he would feed him with the finest of the wheat, and with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (81:14–17). These words give the impression that the speaker is eager to act. The Lord wants to be heard by his people. There is a striking contrast between “how long” which seems to last “until the end” and “instantly”. And while God begins in the third person, as if he were not speaking directly to his people, at the end, in the final word, he no longer insists on it and turns to the one he wants to feed with the best in the world: “with the honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (81:17).

CONCLUSION In Hebrew the Psalter is called The Book of Praises. Each of its five books ends with a “doxology”, literally a “word of glory”, another name for praise. The doxology in the last book is particularly extensive, comprising the last five psalms (Ps 146–150).1 The doxology of this third book is the shortest: “Blessed be Yhwh forever! Amen, amen!” (Ps 89:53). Although one might expect that the central book of the Psalter, which is the heart of the Psalter, would be particularly marked by praise. But it is not, and indeed it is quite the opposite. There is no lack of vocabulary of praise.2 However, it is often contradicted: “his virgins were not praised” (78:63), “Can the shadows rise up to praise you?” (88:11). It is a wish in a misfortune: “Let the afflicted and the poor praise your name!” (74:21), “the fury of man gives you thanks” (76:11). It is not man but heaven that gives thanks: “The heavens give thanks for your wonder, O Yhwh” (89:6). Alternatively, praise is promised for a distant future at the end of a long lamentation (79:13; 86:12). It is true that at the beginning of the last section the psalmist exclaims: “Happy those who dwell in your house, they are always praising you” (84:5); but it could well be that his song is a nostalgic lamentation over the temple now reduced to ruins. The general tone of the book is really dark. There are only complaints, supplications and anguished questions—“Why?”, “How long?”—which lead to two bursts of three questions that even sound like accusations: 8 Will

the Lord reject forever, and will he never show love again? his faithfulness ceased until the end, has the Word come to an end for all ages? 10 Has God forgotten to be merciful or has he in anger shut up his mercies? (77:8–10) 9 Has

And even more dramatic: 11 Are

you doing wonders for the dead or can the shadows rise up to praise you? your faithfulness recounted in the grave, your truth in the place of perdition? 13 Is your wonder known in the darkness and your righteousness in the land of oblivion? (88:11–13) 12 Is

And the answers given to these questions do not seem to console the unfortunate. If they are in distress and anguish, it is their fault. They pay the price for their sins (Ps 78 & Ps 89). Having betrayed the covenant at the time of the exodus, having repeated it at the time of the Davidic monarchy, they are now left to the violence and oppression of their enemies: they are now without 1 See Le Psautier. Cinquième livre, “La grande doxologie. La sous-section conclusive. Ps 146– 150”, 641–698. 2 “To praise” (74:21; 78:63; 84:5); “to give thanks” (75:2[2x]; 76:11; 79:13; 86:12; 88:11; 89:6); “to give glory” (86:9); “to sing psalms” (75:10).

260

The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

temple, without king, without land. For how long? We can hear the voice of the servant crying out at the centre of the first book: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:2). “You lay me down in the dust of death” (22:16) is echoed by the cry of Heman the Ezrahite, “You set me at the bottom of the hole, in the darkness, in the depths” (88:7). However, Ps 22 does not end in the grave. The psalmist is saved from the lion’s mouth and can say: “I will recount your name to my brothers, and in the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (22:23) and even: “all the families of the nations will bow down before you” (22:28). Likewise, there are three psalms in the third book where praise resounds, each of them is found in a strategic position. At the centre of the first sequence of the initial section (Ps 75) with all his people the psalmist gives thanks and sings psalms “to the God of Jacob” when the Lord pronounces judgement against the arrogant and when he is pleased that he will be able soon to cut off their horns. At the centre of the central section (Ps 81), a fervent call to praise celebrating the exodus from Egypt precedes a lengthy speech by God promising new liberation from the present enemies and their conversion. Finally, at the centre of the first sequence of the final section, David in his misery and lament confirms the conversion of the Gentiles: “All the nations which you have made will come and will bow down to your face, O Lord, and will give glory to your name” (86:9). Like the servant in Ps 22, the people and their king had to pass through death so that the light of revelation could reach all the ends of the earth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY of the works referred to

ALONSO SCHOEKEL, L. – CARNITI, C., Salmos, Traducción, introducciones y comentario, Nueva Biblia española, Estella (Navarra) 1994; Italian trans., I salmi, Commenti biblici, Roma 1992. AMZALLAG, N., “The Cosmopolitan Character of the Lorahite Musical Congregation Evidence from Psalm 87”, VT 64 (2014) 361–381. BARBIERO, G., Perché, o Dio, ci hai rigettati? Salmi scelti dal secondo e terzo libro del Salterio, AnBib Studia 6, Roma 2016. BEAUCAMP, É., Le psautier, SBi, I–II, Paris 1976. ——, “Psaume 87: à la Jérusalem nouvelle”, Laval Théologique et Philosophique 35 (1979), 279–288. BEAUCHAMP, P., Psaumes nuit et jour, Paris 1980. BOOIJ, Th., “Some Observations on Psalm lxxxvii”, VT 37 (1987), 16–25. BOVATI, P. – MEYNET, R., Le livre du prophète Amos, RhBib 2, Paris 1994. CARNITI, C.: see ALONSO SCHOEKEL, L. COLE, R.L., The Shape and Message of Book III: (Psalms 73–89), JSOT.S 307, Sheffield 2000. DAHOOD, M., Psalms, I–III, AncB 16, 17, 17A, Garden City (NY) 1966–1970. DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD. N.L., ed., The Shape and Shaping of the Book of Psalms: the Current State of Scholarship, Ancient Israel and Its Literature 20. Atlanta (GA) 2014. DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD, N.L. – JACOBSON, R.A. – TANNER, B.L., The Book of Psalms, NICOT, Grand Rapids (MI) – Cambridge (UK) 2014. DELITZSCH, F., Biblical Commentary on the Psalms, II, III, Edinburgh 1871, 18852. DHORME, É., La Bible. L’Ancien Testament, II, La Pléiade, Paris 1959. EMERTON, J.A., “The Problem of Psalm lxxxvii”, VT 50 (2000), 183–199. HAKHAM, A., Sefer Tehillîm, I–II, Jérusalem 1986, 1988. HOSSFELD, F.L. – ZENGER, E., Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51–100, Hermeneia, Minneapolis (MN) 2005 (German orig., Psalmen 51–100 (HThK AT; Freiburg im Breisgau – Basel – Wien 2000). HOSSFELD, F.L. – ZENGER, E., Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101–150, Hermeneia, Minneapolis (MN) 2011 (German orig.: Psalmen 101–150,

262

The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89)

Die Neue Echter Bibel. Altes Testament, Freiburg im Breisgau – Basel – Wien 2008). IRHOVEN, G., Disputatio theologica ad Psalm. LXXVIII: 65. De robusto jubilante propter vinum, 4° Traj ad Rhen. 1738. JACOBSON, R.A.: see DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD, N.L. KAISER, W.C. Jr, “The Messiah of Psalm 80”, Bibliotheca Sacra 174 (2017) 387–393. KRAUS, H.-J., Psalmen, I–II, Neukirchen 1960; English trans., Psalms 1–59; Psalms 60–150, Minneapolis (MN) 1993. LIPÍNSKI, E., “Le psaume du 3e dimanche de l’Avent (Ps 85). Le salut est proche”, AssSeign 54 (1966) 24–31. LORENZIN, T., I Salmi. Nuova versione, introduzione e commento, I libri biblici. Primo Testamento 14, Milano 2000. LUND, N.W., Chiasmus in the New Testament. A Study in Formgeschichte, Chapel Hill 1942; repr., Chiasmus in the New Testament. A Study in the Form and Function of Chiastic Structures, Peabody (MA) 1992. MCCANN, J.C., The Shape and the Shaping of the Psalter, JSOT.S 159, Sheffield 1993. MEYNET, R., “L’enfant de l’amour (Ps 85)”, NRTh 112 (1990) 843–858. ——, “Tu vois cette femme?” Parler en paraboles, LiBi 121, Paris 2001. ——, “Il salmo 85, salmo dell’Avvento”, CivCatt 161/4 (2010) 341–352. ——, L’Évangile de Luc, RhSem 1, Paris 2005; RhSem 8, Pendé 2011. ——, Traité de rhétorique biblique, RhSem 11, Pendé 20132. ——, Le fait synoptique reconsidéré, ReBibSem 7, Rome 2015. ——, Le Psautier. Cinquième livre (Ps 107–150), RBSem 12, Peeters, Leuven 2017. ——, Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41), RBSem 16, Peeters, Leuven 2018. ——, “Une nouvelle figure: la composition à double foyer”, in R. MEYNET – F. GRAZIANO, ed., Studi del sesto convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, RBSem 17, Peeters, Leuven 2019, 325– 349. ——, The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41), RBSem 32, Peeters, Leuven 2021 MEYNET, R.: see BOVATI, P. MOWINCKEL, S., The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, I–II, Oxford 1962 (German orig., Psalmenstudien, Amsterdam 1961). OSTY, É., La Bible, Paris 1973.

Bibliography

263

PARKER, S.B., “The Beginning of the Reign of God – Psalm 82 as Myth and Liturgy”, RB 102 (1995) 532–559. PAVAN, M., “He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes and does not return” (Ps 78:39): The Theme of Memory and Forgetting in the Third Book of the Psalter (Pss 73–89), Österreichische Biblische Studien 44, Frankfurt am Main [etc.] 2014. PYLES, A.R., “Drowning in the Depths of Darkness: A Consideration of Psalm 88 with a New Translation”, Canadian Theological Review 1 (2012) 13– 28. RAVASI, G., Il libro dei Salmi. Commento e attualizzazione, I–III, Bologna 1981–1884. TANNER, B.L.: see DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD. N.L. TOURNAY, R.J., Voir et entendre Dieu avec les Psaumes ou la liturgie prophétique du second temple à Jérusalem, CRB 24, Paris 1958. TROTTER, J.M., “Death of the ~yhla in Psalm 82”, JBL 131 (2012) 221–239. VAN DER LUGT, P., Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry, with special Reference to the First Book of the Psalter, OTS 53, Leiden 2006. ——, Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry II: Psalms 42–89, OTS 57, Leiden 2010. ——, Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew poetry III: Psalms 90–150 and Psalm 1, OTS 63, Leiden 2014. VESCO, J.-L., Le Psautier de David traduit et commenté, LeDiv 210.211, Paris 2011. WATSON, W.G.E., Classical Hebrew Poetry: A Guide to Its Techniques, JSOT.S 26, Sheffield,1984. WEISER, A., The Psalms: A Commentary, OTL, London 1962 (German orig., Die Psalmen, Das Alte Testament Deutsch 14, 15, Göttingen 1963). WÉNIN, A., Le livre des Louanges. Entrer dans les Psaumes, Écritures 6, Bruxelles 2001. ——, D’Adam à Abraham ou Les errances de l’humain: lecture de “Genèse” 1,1–12,4, LiBi 148, Paris 2007. WILSON, G.H., The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter, SBL.DS 76, Chico (CA) 1985. ZENGER, E.: see HOSSFELD, F.-L.

INDEX OF QUOTED AUTHORS

Alonso Schoekel, 12, 37, 64, 101, 128, 175, 181, 206, 219 Amzallag, 186 Barbiero, 20, 202, 219, 226, 227 Beaucamp, 173, 186 Beauchamp, 27, 216 Booij, 183 Bovati, 135, 262 Carniti, 12, 37, 64, 101, 128, 175, 181, 206, 219 Cole, 7 Dahood, 7, 49, 50, 82, 101, 173, 189, 206, 261 deClaissé-Walford, 7, 19, 37, 40, 43, 64, 101, 126, 181, 183, 186, 189, 190, 195, 206, 217, 219 Delitzsch, 7, 40, 50, 206 Dhorme, 72, 101, 206, 217, 219 Emerton, 186 Hakham, 37, 50, 109, 154, 161, 206, 217 Hossfeld, 19, 30, 37, 43, 49, 50, 64, 101, 109, 127, 128, 153, 162, 183, 184, 186, 190, 205, 206, 219, 220 Irhoven, 84 Joüon, 11, 153, 161, 166, 175 Kaiser, 109 Kraus, 19, 37, 40, 49, 64, 101, 126, 161, 175, 183, 206, 208, 219

Lipínski, 173 Lorenzin, 64, 101, 183, 206, 219 Lund, 165 McCann, 7 Meynet, 11, 12, 15, 54, 64, 114, 135, 172 Mowinckel, 173 Osty, 49, 72, 101, 162, 172, 206, 219 Parker, 126 Pavan, 8 Pyles, 195 Ravasi, 7, 20, 29, 37, 39, 43, 49, 50, 64, 67, 69, 82, 84, 101, 109, 126, 128, 154, 162, 181, 183, 184, 189, 190, 206, 208, 217, 219 Tournay, 162, 171, 263 Trotter, 126 Van der Lugt, 9 Vesco, 37, 43, 64, 101, 109, 126, 128, 183, 189, 190, 195, 206, 214, 219, 223 Watson, 189 Weiser, 12, 40, 49, 101 Wénin, 73, 137 Wilson, 7 Zenger, 19, 30, 37, 43, 49, 50, 64, 101, 109, 127, 128, 153, 162, 183, 184, 186, 190, 205, 206, 219, 220

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................. Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................... Glossary of Technical Terms ......................................................................

7 11 13

WHY THE LORD REJECTED HIS PEOPLE First Section: Ps 73–78 .........................................

17

I. Why do you reject us? The First Sequence: Ps 73–77 ................................................................

19

1. Psalm 73 ............................................................................................. 2. Psalm 74 ............................................................................................. 3. Psalm 75 ............................................................................................. 4. Psalm 76 ............................................................................................. 5. Psalm 77 ............................................................................................. 6. The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 73–77) .....................................

19 29 37 43 49 56

II. Because your fathers did not keep the covenant with God The Second Sequence: Psalm 78 ............................................................

63

1. Introduction: Two opposing generations (78:1b–8) ........................... 2. The first subsequence (78:9–31) ........................................................ A) The children of Ephraim forgot the wonders of God (78:9–16) .. B) They defied God who was angry with Israel (78:17–31) ............. C) The whole of the first subsequence (78:9–31) ............................. 3. They did not believe but God remembered them (78:32–39) ............ 4. The penultimate subsequence (78:40–66) .......................................... A) Israel did not remember the salvation of God (78:40–55) ........... B) They tempted the Most High who rejected Israel (78:56–66) ...... C) The whole of the penultimate subsequence (78:40–66) ............... 5. Conclusion: Two opposite tribes (78:67–72) ..................................... 6. The whole of second sequence (Ps 78) ..............................................

63 67 67 70 74 77 79 79 82 84 86 88

III. The Whole of the First Section (Ps 73–78) ..........................................

95

268

The Psalter. Book Three (Ps 73–89) GOD WOULD INSTANTLY SUBDUE THEIR ENEMIES Second Section: Ps 79–83 .....................................

99

I. How long will the nations insult us? The First Sequence: Ps 79–80 ................................................................

101

1. Psalm 79 ............................................................................................. 2. Psalm 80 ............................................................................................. 3. The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 79–80) .....................................

101 109 116

II. If you would listen to me, I would instantly subdue your enemies The Second Sequence: Psalm 81 ............................................................

119

III. The nations will know your name forever! The Third Sequence: Ps 82–83 ...............................................................

125

1. Psalm 82 ............................................................................................. 2. Psalm 83 ............................................................................................. 3. The Whole of the Third Sequence (Ps 82–83) ...................................

125 131 138

IV. The Whole of the Second Section (Ps 79–83) ......................................

141

WHY HAS THE LORD REJECTED HIS MESSIAH? Third Section: Ps 84–89 .......................................

151

I. Why do you reject me? The First Sequence: Ps 84–88 ................................................................

153

1. Psalm 84 ............................................................................................. 2. Psalm 85 ............................................................................................. 3. Psalm 86 ............................................................................................. 4. Psalm 87 ............................................................................................. 5. Psalm 88 ............................................................................................. 6. The Whole of the First Sequence (Ps 84–88) .....................................

153 161 175 183 189 197

II. Because your children did not keep my covenant with David The Second Sequence: Psalm 89 ............................................................

201

1. The first subsequence (89:2–38) ........................................................ A) The first passage (89:2–5) ............................................................ B) The second passage (89:6–15) ..................................................... C) The third passage (89:16–19) ....................................................... D) The fourth passage (89:20–38) ..................................................... E) The whole of the first subsequence (89:2-38) ..............................

201 201 203 206 207 212

Table of Contents

269

2. The second subsequence (89:39–52) .................................................. A) The first passage (89:39–46) ........................................................ B) The second passage (89:46–47) ................................................... C) The third passage (89:48–52) ....................................................... D) The whole of the second subsequence (89:39–52) ...................... 3. The whole of the second sequence (Ps 89) ........................................

217 217 219 220 223 224

III. The Whole of the Third Section (Ps 84–89) ..........................................

229

THE WHOLE OF THE THIRD BOOK Ps 73–89 ............................................

233

A. Composition ........................................................................................... 1. Some Figures ...................................................................................... 2. Relations between the Extreme Sections ........................................... 3. Relations between the Central Section and the Other Sections ..........

235 236 236 248

B. Context

.................................................................................................

254

C. Interpretation ..........................................................................................

255

Conclusion ................................................................................................... Bibliography ................................................................................................ Index of Quoted Authors .............................................................................

259 261 265

RHÉTORIQUE BIBLIQUE Series edited by Roland Meynet and Pietro Bovati 1.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile selon saint Luc. Analyse rhétorique, Éd. du Cerf, Paris 1988.

2.

PIETRO BOVATI – ROLAND MEYNET, Le Livre du prophète Amos, Éd. du Cerf, Paris 1994.

3.

ROLAND MEYNET, Jésus passe. Testament, jugement, exécution et résurrection du Seigneur Jésus dans les évangiles synoptiques, PUG Editrice – Éd. du Cerf, Rome – Paris 1999.

RHÉTORIQUE SÉMITIQUE Series edited by Roland Meynet with Jacek Oniszczuk 1.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Luc, Lethielleux, Paris 2005.

2.

TOMASZ KOT, La Lettre de Jacques. La foi, chemin de la vie, Lethielleux, Paris 2006.

3.

MICHEL CUYPERS, Le Festin. Une lecture de la sourate al-Mâ’ida, Lethielleux, Paris 2007.

4.

ROLAND MEYNET, Traité de rhétorique biblique, Lethielleux, Paris 2007.

5.

ROLAND MEYNET, Appelés à la liberté, Lethielleux, Paris 2008.

6.

ROLAND MEYNET, Une nouvelle introduction aux évangiles synoptiques, Lethielleux, Paris 2009.

7.

ALBERT VANHOYE, L’Épitre aux Hébreux. « Un prêtre différent », Gabalda, Pendé 2010.

8.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Luc, Gabalda, Pendé 20113.

9.

MICHEL CUYPERS, La Composition du Coran, Gabalda, Pendé 2012.

10. ROLAND MEYNET, La Lettre aux Galates, Gabalda, Pendé 2012. 11. ROLAND MEYNET, Traité de rhétorique biblique, Gabalda, Pendé 20132. 12. ROLAND MEYNET – J. ONISZCZUK, Exercices d’analyse rhétorique, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 13. JACEK ONISZCZUK, La première lettre de Jean, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 14. ROLAND MEYNET, La Pâque du Seigneur. Passion et résurrection de Jésus dans les évangiles synoptiques, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 15. MICHEL CUYPERS, Apocalypse coranique. Lecture des trente-trois sourates du Coran, Gabalda, Pendé 2014. 16. ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Marc, Gabalda, Pendé 2014.

RHÉTORIQUE BIBLIQUE Series edited by Roland Meynet and Pietro Bovati 1.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile selon saint Luc. Analyse rhétorique, Éd. du Cerf, Paris 1988.

2.

PIETRO BOVATI – ROLAND MEYNET, Le Livre du prophète Amos, Éd. du Cerf, Paris 1994.

3.

ROLAND MEYNET, Jésus passe. Testament, jugement, exécution et résurrection du Seigneur Jésus dans les évangiles synoptiques, PUG Editrice – Éd. du Cerf, Rome – Paris 1999.

RHÉTORIQUE SÉMITIQUE Series edited by Roland Meynet with Jacek Oniszczuk 1.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Luc, Lethielleux, Paris 2005.

2.

TOMASZ KOT, La Lettre de Jacques. La foi, chemin de la vie, Lethielleux, Paris 2006.

3.

MICHEL CUYPERS, Le Festin. Une lecture de la sourate al-Mâ’ida, Lethielleux, Paris 2007.

4.

ROLAND MEYNET, Traité de rhétorique biblique, Lethielleux, Paris 2007.

5.

ROLAND MEYNET, Appelés à la liberté, Lethielleux, Paris 2008.

6.

ROLAND MEYNET, Une nouvelle introduction aux évangiles synoptiques, Lethielleux, Paris 2009.

7.

ALBERT VANHOYE, L’Épître aux Hébreux. « Un prêtre différent », Gabalda, Pendé 2010.

8.

ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Luc, Gabalda, Pendé 20113.

9.

MICHEL CUYPERS, La Composition du Coran, Gabalda, Pendé 2012.

10. ROLAND MEYNET, La Lettre aux Galates, Gabalda, Pendé 2012. 11. ROLAND MEYNET, Traité de rhétorique biblique, Gabalda, Pendé 20132. 12. ROLAND MEYNET – J. ONISZCZUK, Exercices d’analyse rhétorique, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 13. JACEK ONISZCZUK, La première lettre de Jean, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 14. ROLAND MEYNET, La Pâque du Seigneur. Passion et résurrection de Jésus dans les évangiles synoptiques, Gabalda, Pendé 2013. 15. MICHEL CUYPERS, Apocalypse coranique. Lecture des trente-trois sourates du Coran, Gabalda, Pendé 2014. 16. ROLAND MEYNET, L’Évangile de Marc, Gabalda, Pendé 2014.

RETORICA BIBLICA Series edited by Roland Meynet, Pietro Bovati and Jacek Oniszczuk

EDIZIONI DEHONIANE ROMA 1.

ROLAND MEYNET, Il vangelo secondo Luca. Analisi retorica, ED, Roma 1994.

2.

PIETRO BOVATI – ROLAND MEYNET, Il libro del profeta Amos, ED, Roma 1995.

3.

ROLAND MEYNET, «E ora, scrivete per voi questo cantico». Introduzione pratica all’analisi retorica. 1. Detti e proverbi, ED, Roma 1996.

EDIZIONI DEHONIANE BOLOGNA 4.

ROLAND MEYNET, Una nuova introduzione ai vangeli sinottici, EDB, Bologna 2001.

5.

ROLAND MEYNET, La Pasqua del Signore. Testamento, processo, esecuzione e risurrezione di Gesù nei vangeli sinottici, EDB, Bologna 2002.

6.

TOMASZ KOT, La fede, via della vita. Composizione e interpretazione della Lettera di Giacomo, EDB, Bologna 2003.

7.

ROLAND MEYNET, Il vangelo secondo Luca. Analisi retorica, seconda edizione, EDB, Bologna 2003.

8.

GIORGIO PAXIMADI, E io dimorerò in mezzo a loro. Composizione e interpretazione di Es 25–31, EDB, Bologna 2004.

9.

ROLAND MEYNET, Una nuova introduzione ai Vangeli Sinottici, seconda edizione rivista e ampliata, EDB, Bologna 2006.

10. ROLAND MEYNET, Trattato di retorica biblica, EDB, Bologna 2008. 11. JACEK ONISZCZUK, La Prima Lettera di Giovanni, EDB, Bologna 2008. 12. ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, ed., Retorica biblica e Semitica 1. Atti del primo convegno RBS, EDB, Bologna 2009. 13. ROLAND MEYNET, Chiamati alla libertà, EDB, Bologna 2010. 14. ALBERT VANHOYE, L’epistola agli Ebrei. «Un sacerdote differente», EDB, Bologna 2010. 15. JACEK ONISZCZUK, La passione del Signore secondo Giovanni (Gv 18–19), EDB, Bologna 2011. 16. ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, ed., Retorica biblica e Semitica 2. Atti del secondo convegno RBS, EDB, Bologna 2011. 17. ROLAND MEYNET, La lettera ai Galati, EDB, Bologna 2012. 18. GERMANO LORI, Il Discorso della Montagna, dono del Padre (Mt 5,1–8,1), EDB, Bologna 2013.

RHETORICA SEMITICA Series edited by Roland Meynet SPANISH 1. R. MEYNET, Llamados a la libertad, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2008. 2. A. VANHOYE, Un sacerdote diferente. La epístola a los Hebreos, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2011. 3. R. MEYNET, Una nueva introducción a los Evangelios Sinópticos, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2012. ENGLISH 1. R. MEYNET, Called to Freedom, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2009. 2. M. CUYPERS, The Banquet. A Reading of the Fifth Sura of the Qur’an, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2009. 3. R. MEYNET, A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2010. 4. A. VANHOYE, A Different Priest. The Epistle to the Hebrews, Convivium Press – G&B Press, Miami – Rome 2011 (Association of Catholic Publishers Finalist for 2012: “Excellence in Publishing Awards”).

RETORICA BIBLICA E SEMITICA Series edited by Roland Meynet and Jacek Oniszczuk 1.

JACEK ONISZCZUK, Incontri con il Risorto in Giovanni (Gv 20–21), G&B Press, Roma 2013.

2.

ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, Esercizi di analisi retorica, G&B Press, Roma 2013.

3.

ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, ed., Studi del terzo convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, G&B Press, Roma 2013.

4.

ROLAND MEYNET, Luke: The Gospel of the Children of Israel, G&B Press, Roma 2015.

5.

ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, ed., Studi del quarto convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, G&B Press, Roma 2015.

6.

ROLAND MEYNET, Les huit psaumes acrostiches alphabétiques, G&B Press, Roma 2015.

7.

ROLAND MEYNET, Le fait synoptique reconsidéré, G&B Press, Roma 2015.

8.

ROLAND MEYNET, Il vangelo di Marco, G&B Press, Roma 2016.

RHETORICA BIBLICA ET SEMITICA Series edited by Roland Meynet, Jacek Oniszczuk († 2017), and then by Francesco Graziano 9.

ROLAND MEYNET, Les psaumes des montées, Peeters, Leuven 2017.

10. MICHEL CUYPERS, Le Festin. Une lecture de la sourate al-Mâ’ida, deuxième édition, Peeters, Leuven 2017. 11. ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, ed., Studi del quinto convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, Peeters, Leuven 2017. 12. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. Cinquième livre (Ps 107–150), Peeters, Leuven 2017. 13. JACEK ONISZCZUK, Incontri con il Risorto in Giovanni (Gv 20–21), 2° edizione, Peeters, Leuven 2018. 14. ROLAND MEYNET, Il vangelo di Marco, Peeters, Leuven 2018. 15. JACEK ONISZCZUK (†), «Se il chicco di grano caduto in terra non muore...» (Gv 11–12), Peeters, Leuven 2018. 16. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. Premier livre (Ps 1–41), Peeters, Leuven 2018. 17. MASSIMO GRILLI – † JACEK ONISZCZUK – ANDRÉ WÉNIN, ed., Filiation, entre Bible et cultures. Hommage à Roland Meynet, Peeters, Leuven 2019. 18. FRANCESCO GRAZIANO – ROLAND MEYNET, ed., Studi del sesto convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and Semitic Rhetoric, Peeters, Leuven 2019. 19. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. Troisième livre (Ps 73–89), Peeters, Leuven 2019. 20. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. Deuxième livre (Ps 42/43–72), Peeters, Leuven 2019. 21. PIETRO BOVATI – ROLAND MEYNET, Il libro del profeta Amos. Seconda edizione rivista, Peeters, Leuven 2019. 22. FRANCESCO GRAZIANO, La composizione letteraria del Vangelo di Matteo, Peeters, Leuven 2020. 23. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. Quatrième livre (Ps 90–106), Peeters, Leuven 2020. 24. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Psautier. L’ensemble du Livre des Louanges, Peeters, Leuven 2020. 25. ROLAND MEYNET, Le Cantique des cantiques, Peeters, Leuven 2020. 26. ROLAND MEYNET, La Lettre aux Galates. Deuxième édition revue, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 27. ROLAND MEYNET, La Pâque du Seigneur. Passion et résurrection de Jésus dans les évangiles synoptiques. Troisième édition revue, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 28. ROLAND MEYNET, Traité de rhétorique biblique. Troisième édition revue et amplifiée, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 29. ROLAND MEYNET – JACEK ONISZCZUK, Exercices d’analyse rhétorique biblique. Deuxième édition revue, Peeters, Leuven 2021.

30. FRANCESCO GRAZIANO – ROLAND MEYNET – BERNARD WITEK, ed., Studi del settimo convegno RBS. International Studies on Biblical and62 Semitic Rhetoric, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 31. ROLAND MEYNET, Qohélet, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 32. ROLAND MEYNET, The Psalter: Book One (Ps 1–41), Peeters, Leuven 2021. 33. ROLAND MEYNET, The Psalter: Book Two (Ps 42/43–72), Peeters, Leuven 2021. 34. ROLAND MEYNET, Comment? Les Lamentations de Jérémie, Peeters, Leuven 2021. 35. ROLAND MEYNET, The Psalter: Book Three (Ps 73–89), Peeters, Leuven 2021.