PSALM 74
STUDIES IN CONTENT, STRUCTURE,
CONTEXT, AND MEANING
by
Richard W. Engle
Submitted in partial
fulfillment of requirements
for the degree of
Doctor of Theology in
Grace
Theological Seminary
May 1987
Digitized by Ted Hildebrandt,
Title: PSALM
74: STUDIES IN CONTENT, STRUCTURE, CONTEXT
AND
MEANING
Author: Richard W. Engle
Degree: Doctor of Theology
Date: May,
1987
Advisers:
Dr. John. Davis (chairman) Dr. John Whitcomb , Dr. George Zemek
Building on the premise that
"all scripture is
profitable"
and noting that communal lament psalms in gen-
eral
and Psalm 74 in particular have had little definitive
treatment
by conservatives, this work seeks to identify the
role
of Psalm 74 in the community which produced it. This
process
is basic for discerning its subsequent usefulness.
The
proposition of the study is: the present significance
of
Psalm 74 is best articulated on the basis of careful
attention
to the content, structure, and function as indi-
cated
by its own text and context.
Chapters one and two develop a
comprehensive
acquaintance
with the vocabulary, syntax, and structure of
the
psalm. An initial accusatory "why?" sets the tone.
Freighted
imperatives bracketing a "hymn" (vv. 12-17)
indirectly
indict God for not intervening against "enemy"
devastation
of the temple mount. The psalm closes remind-
ing
God of prolonged inaction against His enemies. The
structure
reveals that Psalm 74 has used common language and
motifs
in an uncommon way, thereby producing a prayer that
reflects
a severe disorientation towards God. Chapters
three
and four, concerning context, show that Psalm 74
reflects
a strikingly more dynamic relationship between God
and
community than is the case in polytheistic Sumerian city
laments.
Unique features also surfaced in comparing
selected
biblical psalms with Psalm 74. While Asaph psalms
generally
vindicate God's justice, Psalm 74 raises an
unrelieved
question about it. Also, as a maskil psalm,
i.e.,
instructive (versus skillful) psalm, Psalm 74 suggests
several
insights into the spiritual condition of an
individual
or community under severe distress. In their
diminishing
faith they neither acknowledge personal sin nor
applaud
God's mercy.
The study concludes by outlining the
community's
views
about God and itself as indicated by the psalm's lan-
guage,
structure, and tone. It observes that since Psalm 74
ends
with no clear anticipation of resolution of its con-
cerns,
the interpreter must articulate the enduring values
of
Psalm 74 by referring to similar, but resolved, tensions
in
other biblical psalms. Finally, Psalm 74 is assessed
from
New Testament perspectives (i.e., Heb 4:16; 1 Cor 10-
12-14;
Matt 6:9-13).
Accepted by the Faculty of
Grace Theological Seminary
in partial fulfillment of
requirements for the degree
Doctor
of Theology
John J. Davis
John C. Whitcomb
George J. Zemek
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACCEPTANCE
PAGE iv
TABLE
OF CONTENTS v
LIST
OF ABBREVIATIONS ix
INTRODUCTION
1
The Problematic Nature of Psalm 74 2
The Purpose and Proposition of This
Study 3
The Need for This Study 4
The Procedure for the Study 6
Chapter one 6
Chapter two 6
Chapter three 6
Chapter four 7
Chapter five and conclusions 7
Chapter
I.
THE CONTENT OF PSALM 74 8
Introduction to the Chapter 8
Verse 1 10
Verse
2 21
Verse 3 33
Verse 4 43
Verse 5 47
Verse 6 49
Verse 7 51
Verse 8 54
Verse 9 60
Verse 10
67
Verse 11
72
Verse 12
75
Verse 13
80
Verse 14
89
Verse 15
95
Verse 16
99
Verse 17
101
Verse 18
104
Verse 19
107
Verse 20
115
v
Verse 21 124
Verse 22 136
Verse 23 143
A Summary of findings for Chapter
One 148
II.
THE STRUCTURE OF PSALM 74 152
A Definition of Structure 152
Previous Proposed Definitions 155
Gene Tucker 155
James Muilenburg 157
Claus Westermann 158
Graeme E. Sharrock 158
William A. Young 159
Meir Weiss 160
A Working Definition 161
Past Attempts to Express the Structure
of Psalm 74 162
Two or Three Divisions in the Psalm 163
Four Divisions in the Psalm 164
Meir Weiss 164
William A. Young 166
Five Divisions in the Psalm 167
Folker Willesen 167
Claus Westermann 169
J. P. M. van. der Ploeg 170
Graeme E. Sharrock 171
An Analysis of the Structure of Psalm 74
173
A Translation of Psalm 74 173
Verses 1-3: Introduction 175
Structure of verses 1-3 175
A Summary 180
Verses 4-11: The Present Crisis 181
Structure of verses 4-7 181
Structure of verses 8-9 187
Structure of verses
10-11 189
A Summary 191
Verses 12-17: Past Victories 192
Structure of verses
12-17 192
A summary 197
Verses 18-23: Urgent Pleas 199
Structure of verse 18 199
Structure of verses
19-21 200
Structure of verses
22-23 204
A Summary 208
A Summary Concerning the Structure of
Psalm 74 209
A Summary of Past Proposals 209
Weiss and Young 209
Sharrock 210
van der Ploeg 210
vi
A Summary of the Present
Proposal 211
A working definition 211
A synthesis of findings 212
III.
THE CONTEXT OF PSALM 74: SUMERIAN CITY LAMENTS 214
Purpose and Procedure of Chapter III 214
The Meaning of Context 214
Historical context 214
Biblical context 215
Other contexts 216
Selected
A Sumerian Congregational Lament 217
General Details of Composition 217
Classification of
recensions 217
General Themes Common to Texts A and
Ea 220
Themes in texts A and Ea
220
Relationships to Psalm
74 221
Comparisons of Texts G and Haa:
Evidence of adatation 221
Comparisons Between Psalm 74 and
"Oh Angry Sea" 223
Sumerian City Laments up to the Fall of
Ur III 224
A Lament Concerning Lagas 224
Content 224
Style 225
Theology 226
From Urukagina of Lagas to Ibbi-Sin
of
Lamentation over the
Destruction of
A Survey of the Poem 228
Comparison of a "Lamentation
over the Destruction of
Structure 231
Theology 233
A Summary of Contributions of Chapter III
to Studies in Psalm 74 236
Contributions
from "Oh Angry Sea" 236
Contributions from the
"Lamentations over the Destruction of
IV.
THE CONTEXT OF PSALM 74: BIBLICAL PSALMS 238
Introduction 238
Communal
Lament Psalms 239
Introduction
239
Occasions which call for
public laments 239
1 Chronicles 16:1-5 and
lament psalms 240
Characteristics of
communal lament psalms 243
Psalm 44 243
Synthesis of content 243
vii
Similarities and differences between
Psalm 74 and 44 245
Contributions to an understanding of
Psalm 74 246
Psalm 60 247
Synthesis of content 247
Similarities and differences between
Psalms 74: and 60 248
Contributions to an understanding of
Psalm 74 249
Psalm 79 249
Synthesis of content 249
Similarities and differences between
Psalms 74 and 79 252
Contributions to an understanding of
Psalm 74 253
Psalm 80 254
Synthesis of content 254
Similarities and differences between
Psalms 74 and 80 255
Contributions to an understanding of
Psalm 74 256
Asaph Psalms 256
Introduction 256
1 Chronicles 16:4 and
Asaph Psalms 256
Superscriptions to Asaph
Psalms 258
Psalm
50 259
Location and nature of
Psalm 50 259
Synthesis of content 260
Contributions to an
understanding of Psalm 74 260
Psalms 73 and 75 261
Synthesis of content 261
Contributions of Psalms
73 and 75 to an understanding
of Psalm 74 262
A Survey of Remaining Asaph Psalms 264
Psalm 76 264
Psalm 77 266
Psalm 81 267
Psalm 82 268
Psalm 83 268
A summary of
contributions of Psalms 76, 77, and 81-83
to an
understanding of Psalm 74 269
Maskil Psalms 270
lykWm as a Psalm Title 270
Past proposals as to
meaning 270
The book of Proverbs and
the meaning of lykWm 273
Conclusion 277
Psalm 44 278
The context of Psalm 44 278
viii
How Psalm 44 is a
didactic poem 279
Psalm 78 279
The didactic character
of Psalm 78 279
The explicit lessons of
Psalm 78 280
Psalm 88 280
Synthesis of content 280
Psalm 88 compared to
Psalm 74 280
How Psalm 88 is a
didactic poem 281
Psalm 89 282
Synthesis of content 282
Comparison of Psalm 89
to Psalm 74 283
How Psalm 89 is a
didactic poem 283
Psalm 137, Jeremiah 24, and Exilic
Relationship to Psalm 74
284
Psalm 137 284
A Survey of the Psalm 284
Similarities and differences
between Psalms 74 and 137 288
Jeremiah 24 289
The placement of
Jeremiah 24 289
The good figs as the
exiles 290
The bad figs as
resisting exile 291
Jeremiah 24: A possible meeting
point for Psalms 137 and 74 292
Exilic Judah and Mixed
Interests Among Its
Population
in
Exilic factions during
the seige of 588 B.C 293
Factions relating to
Gedaliah's assassination 294
Contributions of Studies in Psalm
137, Jeremiah 24, and
Exilic
A Note About Possible Liturgical Use of Psalm
74 296
A Summary of Contributions of Communal Lament
Psalms, Asaph
Psalms, and Maskil Psalms to an Understanding
of Psalm 74 299
Communal
Lament Psalms 299
Psalm
44 299
Psalm
60 299
Psalm 79 299
Psalm 80 300
Asaph Psalms 300
Psalm 50 300
Psalms 73 and 75 301
Psalms 76, 77, 82-83 301
Maskil Psalms 302
Psalms 32, 78, 88-89 302
Psalm 74 303
ix
V.
THE MEANING OF PSALM 74 304
The Meaning of Psalm 74 Based upon
Exegesis and
Structure 304
Verses 1, 10-11 and 20: An Axis for
Psalm 74 304
What the community
affirms about God 305
What the community
affirms about itself 306
Verses 2 and 12-17: A Recalling of
the
Distant Past 307
What the community
affirms about God 307
What the community
affirms about itself 309
Verse 3: What the Psalmist Believes
about God 310
Verses 4-11: Implications and
Assumptions about God by
the Community 310
Verses 4-7 310
Verses 8-9 311
Verses 10-11 311
Verses 18-23: Implications by the
Community about God and Itself 312
Concerning God 312
Concerning the community
312
The Meaning of Psalm 74 Based upon
Surveys in Selected
The Meaning of Psalm 74 Based upon
Selected Studies in
Other Biblical Psalms 314
A comparison of Psalm 74
with communal lament psalms and
Asaph psalms
314
A comparison of Psalm 74
with maskil psalms 315
A general statement 316
An assessment of the
prayer of Psalm 74 fromNew
Testament
perspectives 316
Hebrews 4:16 316
1 Corinthians 10:13 317
Matthew 6:9-13 317
Summary and conclusions 318
Concerning Content and
Structure 318
Concerning Sumerian Laments
319
Concerning Biblical
Psalms 319
Concerning Meaning 320
BIBLIOGRAPHY
OF WORKS CITED 322
x
LIST OF
ABBREVIATIONS
AB Anchor
Bible
AM A.
L. Oppenheim, Ancient
ANE W.
W. Hallo and W. K. Simpson, The Ancient
Near East
ANET J.
B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near Eastern
Texts
AUSS
b. Babylonian
Talmud
BDB F.
Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, Hebrew
and
English Lexicon of the Old Testament
BH Biblical
Hebrew
BHS Biblia
hebraica stuttgartensia
BSac Bibliotheca
Sacra
BZAW Beihefte
zur ZAW
ca. approximately
CAD The
Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute
of the
CBQ Catholic
Biblical Quarterly
CHJI W.
D. Davies, L. Finkelstein (eds.), The
Cambrdige
History of Judaism: Vol. I, Introduction, The
Persian Period.
CMHE F. M. Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic
CPAI A.
R. Johnson, The Cultic Prophet in Ancient
CPIP A.
R. Johnson, The Cultic Prophet and
CPTOT J. Barr, Comparative
Philology and the Text of the
Old Testament
xi
DNTT C. Brown (ed.),
Dictionary of New Testament Theology
DWEI P.
D. Miller, The Divine Warrior in Early
ExpTim Expository
Times
GKC Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, ed. E.
Kautzsch, tr.
A. E. Cowley
GNB Good
News Bible
HB Hebrew
Bible
IBH T.
0. Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
ICC International
Critical Commentary
ILC J.
Int Interpretation
JB
JSOT Journal
for the Study of the Old Testament
JBL Journal
of Biblical Literature
JSS Journal
of Semitic Studies
JTS Journal
of Theological Studies
KB L.
Koehler and W. Baumbartner, Lexicon in
Veteris Testamenti
libros
KJV King
James Version
LSJ Liddell-Scott-Jones,
Greek-English Lexicon
LXX Septuagint
m. Mishnah
MT Masoretic Text
NA Neo-Assyrian
NAB New
American Bible
NASB New
American Standard Bible
NB Neo-Babylonian
xii
NCBC R.
E. Clement, M. Black (eds.), New Century
Bible Commentary
NCOT A.
Even-Shoshan, A New Concordance of the
Old Testament
NIV New
International Version
NJPS New
Jewish Publication Society Bible
OTL G.
Wright, J. Bright, J. Barr, P. Ackroyd. (eds.), Old Testament
Library
OTS Oud
Testamentische Studien
PIW S.
Mowinckel, Psalms in
PLP C.
Westermann, Praise & Lament in the
Psalms
RHPR Revue
d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses
RSV Revised
Standard Version
S Seleucid
s The Syriac
Version
SBLASP Society of Biblical Literature
Abstracts and
Seminar Papers
SKL E.
R. Matson, A Word-Study of SKL and Its
Application to the Maskilim
SUBH W. L. Holladay, The
Root SUBH in the Old Testament
TB Tyndale
Bulletin
TDNT G. Kittel and G.
Friedrick (eds.), Theological
Dictionary of the New
Testament
TDOT G. Botterweck,, H.
Ringgren (eds.), Theological
Dictionary of the Old
Testament
TOT
TWOT R. L. Harris, G. L.
Archer, Jr., B. K. Waltke
(eds.),
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
xiii
UT C. H. Gordon, Ugaritic
Textbook
VT Vetus Testamentum
VTSup Vetus Testamentum, Supplements
WUS J.
Aistleitner, Worterbuch der Ugaritischen
Sprache
ZAW Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche
Wissenschaft
ZDPV Zeitschrift
des deutschen Palastina-Vereins
xiv
INTRODUCTION
"Life is tough but God is good."1
These two clauses
dramatize the predicament of
the redeemed sinner. The terms
of the contrast accord well
with the repetitious movement
from lament to praise
throughout the biblical psalter. The
Hebrew title of the book, Tehillim, indicates that the
primary intent of "the
book as a whole is to render praise
to God."2
Exodus 15, one of
strikes this same movement.
Psalm 74 is different. This Psalm lacks both an
explicit vow to praise and a
direct expression of praise. 3
In a book so dominated by the
praise theme, one should ask
how Psalm 74 fits its canonical
context and how it functions
as a worship piece.
Psalm 74 is a communal lament, of which there are at
least five others.4
This Psalm is one of the longest of its
1Ronald B. Allen, Praise: A Matter of Life and
Breath (Nashville: Thomas Nelson,
Publishers, 1980), pp.
33-34.
2Paul D. Miller,
"Enthroned on the Praises of
3Verses 12-17 have strong
elements of a hymn but
they
may not be functioning in this psalm as an unsullied
expression
of praise.
4Pss 44, 60, 79, 80, 137.
1
2
type and will be employed in
this thesis as a reference
point1 to which
other biblical communal laments may be
compared.
The Problematic Nature of Psalm 74
A cursory reading of Psalms 44, 74, and 79 indicates
several features common to all
three psalms. However, a
more careful consideration of
how these psalms arrange the
material common to each of them
suggests a rather different
orientation for Psalm 74 in
comparison with the other two
psalms. Further, there are some
subtle differences of
vocabulary between Psalm 74 on
the one hand and Psalms 44
and 79 on the other. Comparison
of Psalms 60 and 80 with
Psalm 74 tend to confirm the
distinctiveness of Psalm 74
among these communal lament
psalms.
The community in Psalm 74 seems to be struggling
between embracing God in an
appropriate relationship and
accusing God of being less than
faithful to His covenant.
The psalm, as such, comes down
on the side of the latter and
the tension, characteristic of
prayers of complaint, is not
resolved. This lack of
resolution, and the absence of
attitudes on the part of the
suppliant which can lead to
1Psalm 74 has or implies
all of the parts generally
considered
to comprise the communal lament genre. Its
substantial
message and the way it uses the parts is quite
different
from the thrust of other biblical communal
laments. See Chapter II below.
3
resolution, make Psalm 74
uncharacteristic of other psalms
with which it shares obvious
commonalities.
In most psalms of complaint, the one who prays is at
least on the way to a posture
of forthright praise of God.
The believing community in any
dispensation can readily
relate to this kind of a psalm.1
Many have seen the "hymn"
section of Psalm 74 (i.e., vv.
12-17) as the psalm's
redeeming feature. A study of
the structure of the psalm
challenges this notion. If the
hymn is not really praise to
God, then one wonders how to
express the meaning and signi-
ficance of the Psalm both for
its original hearers and for
the subsequent believing
community, which affirms the value
of all the Scriptures. This
dissertation seeks to articulate
legitimate significances of
Psalm 74 for believers today.
The Purpose and Proposition of
This Study
The purpose of this thesis is to determine the role
of Psalm 74 in the community
which produced it. A determi-
nation of the role of Psalm 74
in its canonical context is
foundational for suggesting its
usefulness in post-biblical
times.
The proposition of this study is: The present
significance of Psalm 74 is
best articulated on the basis of
1Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms
(Minneapolis:
Augsburg Publishing House, 1984), p. 78
(hereafter
cited as Brueggemann, Psalms).
Brueggemann
applies the description to
Psalm 88.
4
careful attention to its
content, structure, and function as
indicated by its own text and
context. Defense of this
proposition will proceed as
indicated below under "Procedure
for the Study."
The Need for This
Study
Three recent journals have devoted an entire issue
to Psalm studies.1
Of the several hundred references to
specific Psalms passages, these
issues combine to cite only
a few texts from community
lament psalms. One issue devotes
an article to the New Testament
use of the psalms and cites
no passage from
"pure" communal laments. Among the three
issues, there are about four
citations of these psalms.
Books on psalms studies (excluding commentaries),
Bible dictionaries, and
encyclopedias produced in the post-
Gunkel era have a few
paragraphs on communal laments. To
this writer's knowledge, there
is no serious published work
on this category of psalms.
Individual psalms in this group
have received some attention in
journal articles, multi-
authored works, master's
theses, and doctoral dissertations.
In terms of individual psalms, attention has been
directed to Psalms 1, 23, 119,
and several psalms commonly
1 Paul J. Achtemeir ed. Int 39:1 (January 1985);
Russell
H. Dilday, editor-in-chief, Southwestern
Journal of
Theology 27:1 (Fall 11984); John
T. Willis, "Great Truths in
the
Psalms" The Seminary Review 31:1
(March 1985); the three
articles in this latter issue
develop the title.
5
recognized as messianic. With
regard to categories and
classifications of psalms,
attention has been directed
towards individual laments,
thanksgivings, and hymns.
Psalm 74 has perhaps received more attention than
other psalms thought to be
national laments. With the
exception of Young's
dissertation,1 treatments occur in
articles and short notes in
journals and in brief essays in
multi-authored works. Entrees
in literature indices for
communal laments or individual
psalms in that category are
sparse. One reason for scarcity
of direct attention to
these passages may be that the
New Testament appears to make
sparse use of the psalms of
interest to this study.2
Psalm 74 and its companions
tend to reflect a seemingly
inappropriate spirit towards
God. Perhaps they are not
perceived as
attractive.
No commentator nor critic has questioned whether
these psalms belong in the canon
of Scripture. Since the
New Testament values all of the
Old Testament,3 this writer
1William Arthur Young,
"Psalm 74: A Methodological
and
Exegetical Study" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of
75-13,
849) (hereafter cited as Young, "Psalm 74"). Dif-
ferences
between the present work and Young's dissertation
will
be evident.
2Aland lists Ps 44:22
(Rom 8:36), Ps 74:2 (Acts
20:28);
Ps 79:1 (Luke 21:24, Rev 11:2), 3 (Rev 16:6), 6 (1
Thess
4:5, 2 Thess 1:8), 10 (Rev 6:10; 19:2); Ps 137:8 (Rev
18:6)
in Kurt Aland, et al. The Greek New
Testament 2nd ed.
(Stuttgart:
Wurtemberg Bible Society, 1966), pp. 907-09.
3Matt 5:17-18, 2 Tim 3:16.
6
assumes it is the believer's
responsibility to discern
appropriate values in all of
the Scriptures. These values
should be based upon
hermeneutically sound procedures for
understanding the target
passage. This dissertation seeks
to help fill the lacuna with
reference to Psalm 74 so that
the believer can profit from
this text, and similar texts in
ways implied in 2 Timothy
3:16-17.
The Procedure for This Study
Chapter one
This study will first develop the content of Psalm
74 along grammatical and
syntactical lines. This will
generate basic acquaintance
with the language of the psalm.
The Hebrew text will be pointed
throughout only where
tial for clarity. Verse numbers
are from BHS.
Chapter
two
Chapter two will explore the structure and contours
of the psalm. Form-critical and
rhetorical criticism
procedures will be evaluated
for contributions which they
make to sensing the emphases
and moods of the psalm since
the time of its composition.
The approaches of Westermann
and Weiss will especially be
noted.
Chapters three
and four
Chapters three and four will treat the context of
the psalm. Chapter three begins
by noting the complexity of
7
the phenomenon
"context." Due to this complexity, these
chapters must deal selectively
with the matter. Chapter
three briefly surveys aspects
of Sumerian city laments by
focusing upon some details in
two laments. One of these was
translated by Raphael Kutscher,
"a-ab-ba hu-luh-ha"; the
second lament,
"Lamentation over the Destruction of Sumer
and
compositions demonstrate the
nature and long history of
formal religious response to
national disaster in the Near
East.
Chapter four will focus on a selection of biblical
psalms from each of three classifications,
i.e., communal
lament psalms and Asaph and
Maskil psalms. The first is a
genre to which Psalm 74
belongs. The other two classes are
indicated by the title with
Psalm 74. By focusing upon
these materials and comparing
them to Psalm 74, the dynamic
"humanness" and
uniqueness of the psalm becomes sharper than
if the comparisons were not
made.
Chapter five and
Conclusions
Chapter five will discuss the meaning of the psalm
"then" and
"now." It will attempt to synthesize findings
from the previous chapters and
draw out implications. The
concluding pages will briefly
review the entire dissertation
and summarize factors which
contribute to a full apprecia-
tion of Psalm 74.
CHAPTER I
THE CONTENT OF PSALM 74
Introduction to the Chapter
The purpose of this chapter is to develop a detailed
familiarity with the
vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of
Psalm 74. It is assumed that this
is the foundation for any
discussion about the meaning of
a psalm as a unit and for
suggestions about its
significance in the biblical canon.
The approach will employ
procedures of a grammatical-
historical hermeneutic.
There are numerous translation challenges in the
psalm but the state of the text
itself is stable. Text-
critical concerns arise more
from unusual words or construc-
tions than from variant text
traditions. Suggestions for
emendation cluster around
verses 3a, 5-6, and 12. Briggs
suggests that these contain
glosses, so he simply deletes
the relevant words.1
Others attempt emendation. This study
will address these matters as
they arise.
1Charles August and Emily
Grace Briggs, A Critical
and Exegetical
Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 2 vols.,
ICC
(Edinburgh: T and T Clark, 1907), 2:151 (hereafter
cited as Briggs, Psalms).
8
9
Several passages use common terms in unusual ways
(e.g., v. 1, hml; vv. 4, 23, jyrrc; v.
12, yklm; v. 18,
hvhy). The exegesis suggests implications of these
terms
for understanding the psalm.
Syntactical and lexical
studies contribute to an
appreciation of the mood and con-
cerns of the inner world of
this psalm.1 At the same time,
these studies encourage
comparison of other biblical
materials with Psalm 74.
This chapter also notices arrangement and inter-
relationships of words where
these factors assist in clar-
ifying the meaning of a given
verse. On this dimension as
well as others, there is of
necessity, some repetition
between this chapter and
succeeding chapters. Such overlap
occurs in order to enhance the
clarity of the discussion at
the relevant point. Several
footnote references in subse-
quent chapters will cite
matters developed in this chapter.
1Meir Weiss, The Bible From Within: The Method of
Total Interpretation (Jerusalem: The Magnes
Press, 1984),
pp.
24-26, (hereafter cited as Weiss, The
Bible). Here
Weiss
summarizes what he means by the totality of a poem.
This
chapter on content implements in some measure Weiss's
"imperative
to pay close attention to the text, to every
word,
to the word-order and syntax, to synonyms and
metaphors
[and] to unusual syntactical phenomena." This is
necessary
in order to gain a sense of that of which the
"whole" consists (for quoted material
see ibid., p. 26).
10
Verse
1
Hcnl tHnz Myhlx hml
:jtyfrm Nxcb jpx NWfy
Why,
Oh God, are you perpetually angry?
Why
does your anger smoke against
the sheep of your pasturing?
hml
The urgency of the psalmist stands out as he begins
with an accusatory question, hml.1 When man addresses hml
to God, the question almost
always concerns the apparent
contradiction between God's
calling and His behavior in
relation to Israel.2
Of the forty-six times in which man so
addresses God, most of these
contexts cast reproach upon God
for this experience of
contradiction.3
1See Young, "Psalm
74." Young implies that the
complaint
or reproach notion is inherent in hml. In this,
he
follows Alfred E. Jepsen, "Warum? Eine lexicalisch and
theologische
Studie," in Das Ferne und Nahe Wort,
ed. Fritz
Maass,
BZAW, No. 105 (Bonne: Topelmann, 1967), pp. 106-13
(hereafter
cited as Jepson, "Warum?"). Jepsen's semantic
distinction
between hml
and fvdm
is too categorical. The
idea
of accusation or complaint arises rather from the
context.
2Jepsen,
"Warum?," pp. 106-08. Jepsen seeks to
distinguish
hml for
questions full of reprimand and reproach
(Tadel
and Vorwurf, p. 106) , from fvdm for questions seeking
information
with which he associates amazement or compassion
(Verwunderung, Teilnahme, pp. 107-08).
3Ibid., p. 108. Seventeen
of the forty-six times
where
hml
is so used are in the book of Psalms. Curiously,
fvdm does not occur in the Psalter. James Barr has
tabulated
the uses of hml, fvdm, hm in the Hebrew Bible
11
For Barr, "The most striking fact about 'Why?' in
biblical Hebrew is that it is
overwhelmingly a term of
direct speech."1
This factor can be easily ignored even in
a careful analysis of Psalm
literature. For the ten "Why?"
questions addressed to God in
the psalms, "the psalmists
characteristically complain that
God has neglected them, not
that He has been excessively
generous. . . ."2 This is true
in a high degree for Psalm 74,
but to a lesser degree in
some other "Why?"
psalms. In Psalm 44 the psalmist affirms
his innocence (Ps 44:17ff) and
then asks God "Awake! Do not
he angry perpetually. Why do
you hide your face? . . ."3
Psalm 79 has a virtual
confession of sin (Ps 79:8-9) then
(hereafter
cited throughout this study as HB) in James Barr,
"Why?
in Biblical Hebrew" JTS 36:1
(April 1985):1-33
(hereafter
cited as Barr, "Why? in BH"). Barr cites the
figure
17 on page 9. The article includes a critique of
Jepsen's
earlier essay "Warum?" Jepsen tried to maintain
the
issue of motivation as the distinguishing feature
between
fvdm
and hml.
The former seeks information and the
latter
intends to reproach or accuse (See Jepsen, "Warum?,"
pp.
107-08). Barr shows that Jepsen's "prime example, Exod
2:18-20"
where both interrogatives occur ("Why? in BH," p.
2),
can be explained by other than a semantic principle of
selectivity.
Other principles which may dictate word choice
include
style (p. 10), dialect (p. 14), idiolect (i.e.,
individual
speech habits, p. 16) and the type of sentence
(pp.
19ff). Several other factors include negativity, time
reference,
person, and lexical collocations (pp. 24-27).
1Barr, "Why? in
BH," p. 31.
2Ibid., p. 32f. The
figure, 10, excludes indirect
uses
of hml,
e.g., Ps. 2:1, "Why do the nations rage?"
3Ps 44:24f, . . . jynp-hml :Hcnl Hnzt-lx . . .
The
likeness to Ps 74:1 is notable.
12
the question "Why should
the Gentiles say, 'Where is their
God'?"1 The
psalmist acknowledges God's previous good hand
in Psalm 80:8ff then asks why
He has recently exposed the
nation to invaders.2
Six times in the HB the divine name in the vocative
immediately follows hml. Psalm 88:15 asks why God is angry
and hiding His face.3
The hml comes after a subdued but
explicit reference to God's dsH and hnvmx. Psalm
10:1 uses
hvhy
hml
in asking why Yahweh is at a distance. This
expression is actually in the
middle of an acrostic psalm
(i.e., Pss 9-10 together) in
which David affirms that Yahweh
is a just judge (Ps 9:8-19) and
that the prosperity of the
wicked will not last (Ps
10:3-15). Three times hml plus
vocative divine name are in
narrative units.4
Psalm 74:1 is the only instance in the HB where the
interrogative and divine name initiate its literary unit.
It is the only lament in which
an accusatory complaint marks
the opening and closing of the
psalm.5
1Ps 79:10.
2Ps 80:13.
3This is similar to Ps
44:24f. In terms of gattung,
Ps
88 is an individual lament and Ps 44 is largely communal
lament.
4Exod 32:11; Num 14:3;
Judg 21:3.
5Ps 88 opens with a brief
expression of confidence
and closes in a similar fashion
to Ps 74.
13
Hcnl tHnz
Often an object is supplied to tHnz because the verb
is considered to be transitive.1
Transitive verbs may be
used absolutely, but some have
both a transitive and
intransitive meaning.2
Psalm 44:10 employs the past tense
narration with the same verb tHnz followed by strong v in
vnmylktv. Hnz here
may be intransitive. The sense may be,
"Yes you are angry and
consequently you have humiliated
us."3 By
comparison, Psalm 43:2 expresses the object,
indicating a transitive sense,
"yntHnz hml,
"Why have you
rejected me."4
Hnz in
Lamentations 2:7 has vHbzm as an
object.
Psalm 44:24, :Hcnl Hnzt lx, reads easily as intransitive,
"Do
not be angry perpetually."
If the transitive notion was
intended, the object could have
been expressed. The two
clauses which follow in verse
25 both have expressed
objects.
Analogies between Psalm 74:1 and 44:24 are obvious.
Some have assumed that the
first common plural object should
1E.g., "us" as
in NASB, KJV.
2Reuven Yaron, "The
Meaning of Zanah," VT 13
(1963):237.
This discussion of Hnz has used ideas from
Yaron's
article.
3In addition to Pss 44:10
and 74:1 other possible
intransitive
uses are Pss 44:24; 77:8; 89:39 and Lam 3:31.
BDB,
p. 276 mentions but does not embrace Akkadian zenu as a
useful
cognate.
4The object is expressed
in Ps 60:3, 12 (=108:12)
where
the form is vntHnz.
14
be implied from the sense of
Psalm 74:1b. In that there are
instances where an object of Hnz is expressed, it seems
reasonable to look for an
intransitive idea in the absence
of an object.1 Hnz as
intransitive should be construed as
an adjectival perfect
The adverbial phrase Hcnl is
ambiguous.3 Cognates
to Hcn occur in Syriac, "to shine, be
illustrious, pre-
eminent, victorious," and
in Arabic "be pure, reliable."4
Thomas suggests that some Old
Testament passages, for the
noun Hcn have, rather an adverbial sense "utterly,
com-
pletely," as a corollary
to the noun concept "pre-eminent."5
He favors the superlative sense
for Psalm 74:3, Hcn tvxwm,
"desolations of the utmost
ruins."6 Ackroyd cites LXX,
ei@j
telo<j in support of this notion.7
1Ps 88:15 has ynmm
jynp rytst ywpn Hnzt tml. ywpn
could
be either direct object or adverbial accusative, "with
me."
The parallelism tends to argue for the former but the
data
is not definitive.
2Adjectival perfect
denotes "the state of the
subject
without explicit reference to a past act, . . ." as
noted
in Bruce K. Waltke, "Hebrew Syntax Notes: A Revision
of
Jouon's Grammaire De L'Hebrew Biblique," unpublished
notes,
n.d., p. 18 (hereafter cited as Waltke, "Syntax").
3Young, "Psalm
74," p. 62. 4BDB, p. 663.
5D. W. Thomas, "The
Use of Hcn
as a Superlative in
Hebrew,"
JSS, I (Spring 1956), 107 (hereafter
cited as
Thomas,
"Hcn")
.
6Ibid.
7Ackroyd, P. R. Hcnei@j
telo<j,"
ExpTim 80 (1968),
p. 126 ( ereafter cited as
Ackroyd, "Hcn").
15
While utterly, completely, or to the end may fit
verse 3, all thirty instances
of Hcnl are best taken as
indicating a condition which
has prevailed forr some time and
now seems without termination.
Whereas Mlvf can have either
a positive or negative
connotation,1 Hcn is
almost always
used with reference to a
negative condition, e.g., "Yahweh
will not forget his poor ones Hcnl" (Ps 9:17).2
"Forever"3 is an abstraction foreign
to the thought
world of the Old Testament. The
HB approaches the notion of
eternity by employing concrete
imagery.4 Thus Hcnl in
Psalm
74:1, 10, and 19 is best
translated "interminably or per-
petually." The first colon
of Psalm 74 may be translated,
"Why, oh God, are you
perpetually angry?"
1For a positive use of Mlvf
see Ps
90:9; it is
parallel
to Hcn
and clearly negative in Isa 57:16.
2Hcnl occurs fourteen times
in the Psalms: 9:7, 19;
10:11;
44:24; 74:1, 10, 19; 77:9; 79:5; and 89:47. These
references
are all from lament psalms or complaint sections
of
mixed psalms. In addition, negative connotations are
obvious
in Pss 49:10, 52:7, and 103:9. Only 68:17 uses
in
a positive setting. Similarly, all uses outside the
Psalms,
e.g., five times in Job are in complaint or
judgment-speech
settings. Hcn in Isa 63:3, 6 is
apparently
a
homograph.
3As in NASB.
4A Theological Word Book of the Bible, s.v "Time,
Season,"
by John Marsh, p. 258-67, esp. pp. 265f. See,
e.g.,
hlvf tfbg, "everlasting hills," and Myrh
MrFb
Mlvf-df Mlvfmv . . . vdly, before the mountains
were
brought
forth . . . even from everlasting to everlasting"
(Gen
49:6 and Ps 90:2).
16
jpx Nwfy
All occurences of the verb Nwf are
Qal.l At the
Sinai event, as part of a
theophany, the mountain Nwf
(smoked).2 Psalm
104, a creation hymn, may recall Sinai
thus identifying both the
covenant stipulations and the
created order with Yahweh.3
David uses the language of
Psalm 104:32 as he petitions
Yahweh to touch the mountains
so that they will smoke; i.e.,
he desires a theophany or
divine intervention in his
behalf.4 He equates theophany
with destruction of his
enemies.
Three remaining uses of the verb have Yahweh or His
Jx, anger,5
as the subject and His covenant people as
object. Yahweh's Jx will smoke against Israelites who wor-
ship foreign gods.6
1Exod 19:18; 20:18; Deut
29:19; Isa 7:7; Pss 74:1,
80:5,
104:32, 144:5.
2Exod 19:18, 20:18. These
passages envelope the
decalogue.
3Commentaries on Ps
104:32 note the theophany but do
not
connect creation and Sinai. See, e.g., A. A. Anderson,
The Book of Psalms, 2 vols., NCBC (
Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1981), 2:725 (hereafter cited as
Anderson,
Psalms), and Mitchell Dahood, Psalms
I (1-50),
Psalms
II (51-100), and Psalms III (101-150), The
Anchor
Bible (
1968,
1970). This citation is from Psalms III, p. 47. The
decalogue
in the context of theophany especially notices
creation.
4Ps 144:5. 5See discussion of Jx below.
6Deut. 29:19.
17
The Asaphic singer of Psalm 80:5 addresses Yahweh in
the vocative and asks, tnwf ytm df against the prayers of
your people?" Similarly,
the poet in Psalm 74:1 asks,
hml, why
His anger/nostril Nwfy (smokes) against the sheep
of His pasture. The references
from Exodus 19 and 20,
Deuteronomy 29:19, and Psalms
104 and 144 establish a
conceptual background for the use
of Nwf in Psalms 80 and
74.1 These psalms
see Yahweh's anger against the community
as a judgment theophany. The
community perceived the divine
anger in terms of the
terrifying intensity of theophany.
Jx is
used 270 times in the Hebrew Bible of which 44
refer to human anger and 170 to
divine wrath.2 The dual
normally refers to nostrils or
nose (e.g., Gen 2:7). The
singular Jx means nose in two instances (Gen 24:47 and 2
Kgs
19:28). Each of these records
the placing of a ring in a
human nose, but for opposite
reasons. There is no clear
instance where singular rx should be taken as synechdoche,
i.e., nose, for
"face."3 To sum up, over 60 percent of the
1The eighth use of Nwf (Isa 7:14), is not
relevant
to
this discussion.
2Saphir, P. Athyal,
"The Mysterious Wrath of Yahweh"
(Ph.D.
dissertation, Princeton Theological Seminary, 1964),
p.
10 (used by permission of the author). TDOT, s.v. Jnx,
by
Elsie Johnson, 1:354.
3The dual Mypx is synechdoche for face
several
times.
Finch suggests twenty-one times in Thomas E. Finch,
"A
Study of the Word, 'ap and the
Concept of Divine Wrath in
the
Old Testament" (Th.M. thesis, Dallas Theological
Seminary, 1975), p. 47, n. 3.
18
occurrences of Jx refer to divine anger. In these instances
it should normally be
translated "wrath" or "anger."1 There
is ambiguity in a few poetic
passages.
The verb Jnx occurs
in lament Psalms 60 and 79 and
in a lament section in Psalm
85.2 Elsewhere it is found in
Solomon's anticipatory prayer
and in a lament statement by
Ezra.3 Five times
the verb expresses the Lord's anger
against individuals or the
nation who violated His will in
specific incidents of conduct.4
Covenantal implications of
the verb and its noun are evident.
Jx is
usually paired with a root from the semantic
field of "heat," e.g.
, hrH and hmH.5 This factor
1 Jnx as a verb root from
which Jx
derives, occurs
fourteen
times. God is always the subject. The object is
either
the covenant community or a member thereof. Thus the
verb
is always in a context of covenantal relationship
between
Yahweh and the nation. (The one exception is Ps
2:12,
but here the nations can turn Yahweh's Jx aside by
acknowledging
His king.) By comparison to the verb, Jx is
used
several times relative to Gentiles, e.g., Exod 4:14; Ps
2:5;
Hab 3:12.
2Some regard Ps 85 as a
national lament.
3Respectively, 1 Kgs 8:46
(=2 Chr 6:36) and Ezra
9:14.
4The objects are: Moses
(Deut 1:37, 4:21); the
nation
in the wilderness (Deut 9:8); Aaron (Deut 9:20);
Solomon,
for acknowledging foreign gods (1 Kgs 11:9, cf.
Deut
29:19); the northern kingdom at the seige of
(2
Kgs 17:18).
5TDOT, s.v. Jx, by Elsie Johnson,
1:353-54 and E.
cited
as Erlandsson, "Wrath").
19
illuminates its use with Nwf. Moses warns that hvhy-Jx and
His zeal will smoke against the
arrogant in
ship foreign gods (Deut 29:19).
Later David will describe a
storm theophany of God: There
will arise smoke from His
vpxb
(i.e.,
nostrils) and fire from His mouth will con-
sume."1 The
parallelism strongly indicates nose rather than
anger for Jx.
Referring to the holier-than-thou, Yahweh says,
"These are smoke in my
nose and fire kindling all the day."2
The ambiguous relationship
between nose and anger is evident
in the Hebrew Bible but unique
to Hebrew among the Semitic
languages.3
Many agree that in so many words Jx focuses on
psychosomatic effects of anger.
This assumes that anger is
an emotion.4 The idea of breathing or snorting lies in the
background. The derived
meaning, anger, has largely
superceded the reference to the
nose though the latter still
persists.
1A free translation of Ps
18:9ab to show the
chiasmus: verb-subject-prepositional phrase::subject-
prepositional
phrase-verb. For ambiguous use see Ezek
38:18,
"my fury will come up in my anger," as in NASB. KJV
has
"face."
2Isa 65:5; here Jx could be nose/face or
anger.
3Johnson, Jx, 1:351.
4Erlandsson, "Wrath," p. 112.
20
The divine king (74:12) as shepherd of his people is
found in Psalms 95:7; 100:3;
74:1; and 79:13.1 In these
texts people are designated vtyfrm Nxc. Psalms 95 and 100
exhort the Nxc (community), that since it is dependent on
God, the people should worship
Him. Psalms 74 and 79
complain that since the people
are dependent upon God for
"pasturing,"2
He ought to help them in their distress. The
poet employs the figure in
Psalm 44:12, 23. Here the
complaint is that Yahweh, in
consequence of His anger, has
given the people as sheep to be
slaughtered, i.e., to be
used as food, lkxm. This idea may be implicit in Psalm
74:19.3
1See John Gray, The Biblical Doctrine of the Reign
of God (Edinburgh: T and T
Clark, 1979), p. 266. Under the
general
heading of "The Reign of God in Apocalyptic" Gray
discusses
the convergence of three motifs, chaos, stormy
sea,
and God as shepherd, in enthronement psalms and other
passages.
Psalm 74 utilizes aspects of each of these
motifs.
Concerning the last, Gray states on page 325, "The
Shepherd
is well known in royal texts from the ancient Near
East
as a figure for the king." Additional passages
include,
e.g., Ezek 34:15, 23, 31 (cf. here John 21:15-17,
Pss
23:1; 80:1; and Isa. 53:7.) For a massive treatment of
"shepherd"
as royal terminology, consult Donald L. Fowler,
"The
Context of the Good Shepherd Discourses" (Th.D.
dissertation,
Grace Theological Seminary, 1981).
2By comparison with hfrm,
tyfrm is a
noun of action
pointing
not to the place of feeding but to the shepherd in
the
act of feeding. See BDB, p. 954. Franz Delitzsch,
Biblical Commentary on
the Psalms,
3 vols. (
MI:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1959), 2:329 (here-
after
cited as Delitzsch, Psalms) calls tyfrm
Nxc "a
char-
acteristically
acteristically Asaphic expression."
3Ps 74:19 may imply this
idea, cf. pp. 108-110
below.
21
The Psalm begins with an "accusatory
interrogative,"
probing God with two questions.
The first is a general
question concerning God's
interminable anger. The second
question is more specific and
has an implicit incongruity.
Why is God venting His
theophanic-type wrath against the
sheep He is supposed to feed?
Verse 2
Mdq tynq jtdf rkz
jtlHn Fbw tlxg
:vb tnkw hz Nvyc-rh
Remember
your appointed assembly
which you created long ago
When
you redeemed the tribe which
is your inheritance
Even
Mount
in which you dwelt.
jtdf
rkz
The Qal imperative rkz with
God as subject has an
identifiable matrix of use in
the Bible. A convenient
starting point is the preterite
rkzyv in Exodus 2:24. In
the general context of God's
preparing Moses for the Exodus,
the enslaved Israelites cry to
God for relief, "and God
heard their cry and God
remembered His covenant with Abra-
ham, with Isaac, and with
Jacob," rkz and tyrb both occur.
The first imperative with God as subject is in
Exodus 32. The golden calf has
incited Yahweh's anger in
verse 10, ypx-rHyv. He
wanted to destroy the nation but
22
Moses interceded, "Why Oh
Yahweh does your anger burn
against your people" (Exod
32:11a). In verses l1b-13 Moses
uses three factors to motivate
God not to destroy. (1) God
has brought them out of
should the Egyptians mock God
and say that He brought the
nation to the mountains in
order to destroy them? Verse 12
shares the following words with
Psalm 74: hml, Mtlklv (hlk,
Ps 74:11), Jx. (3)
Remember, rkz,
Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob!1 Here Moses
reminds God of His covenant obligation.
Exodus 2:24 and 32:10-13
combine to form a background for a
major perspective in Psalm 74. rkz, tyrb, Jx, hlk, and hml
demonstrate lexical and
conceptual ties between Psalm 74 and
Exodus material. The covenantal
thrust of rkz in
Psalm 74
is enhanced by its object, jtdf which presumes a community.2
tyrbl
Mbh
in verse 20 further embellishes the covenantal
atmosphere in the psalm.
Following the Lord's instruction to Jeremiah to give
a devastating message of
judgment, the prophet himself
responds to the message of doom
with a communal lament,
1Brevard S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in
(London:
SCM Press, 1962), p. 32 (hereafter cited as
Childs,
Memory). Childs states that l
rkz "is
a technical
term
which bears a specific juridical meaning, . . ." but
only
with God as subject. Moses recounts this Exod 32
prayer
to a later generation (Deut 9:26-27).
2Ibid., pp. 35-36. Childs
mentions that hdf with
rkz is
covenant terminology.
23
"Have you completely
rejected
Remember and do not annul your
covenant with us (Jer 14:19a,
21a). In addition to synonyms,
Jeremiah 14:19-21 and Psalm
74 share the words Cxn, Mw, rkz, and tyrb. Where
God is the
subject, most other uses of
imperative rkz are
either com-
plaints or petitions in behalf
of a threatened or suffering
people.1
Several studies have explored the meaning of rkz in
the HB.2 Pedersen
sought to show that thought and action
were viewed as one in the
Hebrew psychology.3 Barr and
Childs, however, deny the
identity and believe rather that
rkz has a
semantic range that includes the intellectual
aspect of remembering and the
willing-acting aspect.4 While
affirming the distinction,
Child's still asserts "God
1rkz is one of several
imperatives commonly used in
the
petition of complaints. See Herman Gunkel and Joachim
Begrich,
Einleitung in die Psalmen (
and
Ruprecht, 1933), p. 128 (hereafter cited as Gunkel,
Einleitung).
2For bibliography see
TDOT, s.v. rkz, by H.
Eising,
4:64.
3Johanes
vols.
(London: Oxford University Press, 1962) 1:99-101,
106-107
(hereafter cited as Pedersen, ILC).
4Childs, Memory, pp. 22-23; James Barr, The
Semantics
of Biblical Language (
Press,
1961), p. 34. Barr's comments relate to the problem
in
general, not to rkz specifically.
24
remembering always implies His
movements toward the object
of His memory."1
The urgency of the imperative rkz is underlined by
Psalm 88:6 which notes that
those whom God does not remember
are forsaken among the dead and
are like the slain who lie
in the grave.2 As
the psalmist implores God to remember, he
is, in fact, asking God to take
appropriate action to
relieve the distress of the
community.
hdf is
derived from dfy,
"to appoint, designate."3
The noun refers to a
"company assembled together by
appointment or acting
concertedly."4 It is used of the
Leviticus, and Numbers.5 Psalms uses it nine times.6 Psalm
68:31 employs hdf figuratively for a herd of bulls
threatening God's people. This
illustrates the idea of
banding for concerted action.
Six of the Psalms references
use hdf to designate a band opposed to God's people or
His
will. The three remaining uses
designate
1Childs, Memory, p. 34. Paradigmatic examples for
the
close relationship between rkz and action, when God is
the
subject, are God "remembered Noah" and subdued the
waters
(Gen 8:1) and God "remembered Rachel" and caused her
to
conceive (Gen 30:22).
2Ibid., p. 33.
3BDB, p. 416. 4Ibid.,
p. 417.
5hdf
is also
used several times in Joshua 9 and 27.
6Pss 7:8; 22:17; 68:31;
74:2; 86:4; 106:17, 18;
111:1.
25
congregation in the same way as
the three interior books of
the Pentateuch and Joshua. The
immediate context of Psalm
74:2 suggests that hdf intends to recall God's care during
the wilderness period. The
suffix on jtdf
represents God as
the possessor of the
congregation.1
Mdq
tynq
BDB lists two roots for hnq. The
second is the one
from which hnq, "stalk or reed," is derived.2
hnq-I is
the
concern of this study. The
fundamental meaning appears to
be "get, acquire."
This meaning services all but six of the
eighty-four uses of this root.3
Coppes agrees with KB in
supposing a third hnq root meaning "to create."4
The
former, however, says,
"The relation of these two roots
(i.e., to acquire; to create or
the two meanings of the one
root) has been much
debated."5 Each of the six passages
which potentially carry the
meaning "to create" can make
sense with some variation of
the notion "to acquire."6
1Genitive of possession
correlates nicely with the
verb
tynq.
For this use of genitive see Ronald J. Williams,
Hebrew Syntax: An
Outline,
2nd ed. (
cited
as Williams, Syntax). The subjective
genitive, i.e.,
"the
congregation which God has appointed," is tempting.
2BDB, p. 889.
3TWOT, s.v. "hnq," by Leonard J.
Coppes, 2:803-04.
4Ibid., and KB, p. 843. 5Coppes,
hnq,
p. 804.
6Psalm 139:13--you
possessed my kidneys; you
overshadowed
me (reading Nks-I) in my mother's womb (if
26
The plausibility of "create" for these six
instances, all in poetry, is
strengthened by the use of qny
in poetic texts from Ugarit.4
While Psalm 74 includes
motifs from the themes of
creation and the Exodus event
is not always clear which of
these themes lies behind the
poet's choice of words as he
develops his poem. Several
words, as with hnq, can be applied to either of these
events. The dual idea of
originating ("I have produced a
man") and acquiring
("I have gotten a man") are latent in
the first use in Genesis 4:1.
Psalm 139:13 strongly
supports the idea "to
create" as an appropriate rendering of
Nns-II, then "created" as NASB, NIV, is
better).
Genesis 14:19, 22--"Blessed be
El Elyon, possessor
of
heaven and earth." This rendering emphasizes the thought
of
control without specifying how God secured control of the
universe
(NASB and KJV)
Deuteronomy 32:6--"Is he (i.e.,
Yahweh) not your
father,
your possessor? He made you and established you."
The
key words are bx, hnq, hWf, Nvk. The first two terms
could
emphasize control, but in parallel with and
they
probably focus on origination. (For origination in hnq
cf.
BDB, p. 888.)
Psalm 78:54--"He brought them
(His people) unto the
border
of His holy place, this mountain which His right hand
acquired.
Coppes prefers "created" here but acknowledges
that
this is not clear, (cf. Coppes, hnq, p. 804). This
is
the most ambivalent of the six passages which allegedly
support
the idea "to create."
Proverbs 8:22--"'Yahweh
possessed me at the beginning
of
His way, before His works of old" (as in NASB, KJV). The
note
in NIV suggests, "Yahweh brought me forth at the
beginning
of His way," implying not creation, but some idea
like
"at the beginning, His works were clothed in wisdom."
4UT, 51:3:26, 30; 4:32.
27
the root.l Genesis
14:19, 22 pairs nicely with Genesis 1 to
suggest the legitimacy of
"to create."
Mdq may
have either a temporal ("aforetime; ancient
time") or spatial
("in front, east") reference.2 The tem-
poral idea may, in turn, refer
to God (Ps 55:20), the time
of creation (Prov 8:22, 23),
the time of the patriarchs (Mic
7:20), the conquest (Ps
44:2-4), before current stresses
(Lam 1:7, 5:21), or some time
in the indefinite past (Isa
45:21; Lam 2:17).3
The use in Psalm 74:2 refers to the time
when the nation was formed,
i.e., the Exodus. The clause
Mdq
tynq
is an asyndetic relative clause.4
jtlHn Fbw lxg
lxg
differs from hdp in
that the former emphasizes
either the privilege or duty of
redemption.5 The primary
1Harriet Brundage Lovitt,
"A Critical and Exegetical
Study
of Psalm 139" (Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia Univer-
sity,
1964;
rated,
64-11, 304), pp. 138-41. In addition, one may note
that
lxg and
hnq
may be part of a broken pair in Exod 15.
(vv.
12-13) pairs with hnq (vv. 16-17). Both occur in
clauses
and together they envelope an account of the dread
of
the Gentiles as
use
of hnq
here also is ambiguous.
2BDB, 869.
3John Philip LePeau,
"Psalm 68: An Exegetical and
Theological
Study," (Ph.D. dissertation,
1981,
8128429),
pp. 223-224, n. 481 (hereafter cited as LePeau,
"Psalm
68").
4GKC, p. 488, #155n.
5TWOT, s.v. by R. Laird
Harris, 1:144. hdp,
by comparison, stresses
"the transfer of ownership from one
28
feature is the kinsman relationship.1
The four situations
which the root addresses are:
1) freeing encumbered land
(Lev 25:25ff) or a relative who
had sold himself for his
debts (Lev 25:48); 2) redeeming
property or non-sacrificial
animals which had been
dedicated to the Lord (Lev 27:llff);
3) serving as the avenger of
blood, i.e., legally taking the
life of the murderer of his
relative; (4) functioning fig-
uratively in the Psalms and
prophets as a designation of God
as
The responsibilities of the lxg, as such, and the law
of levirate marriage are two
distinct issues. These have
been brought together in Ruth
4.3 God as lxg does
not
involve the levirate custom.
The root with God as subject
focuses on: 1) His special
relationship to
initiated; 2) the fact that He
had already bought His people
out of Egyptian bondage. The
implied question to God of
this third clause is,
"will you not act to preserve your
inheritance for which you have
already paid a price?"
to
another through payment of a price or an equivalent
substitute."
For this statement see, TWOT, s.v. hdp, by
William
B. Coker, 2:216.,
1Harris, lxg, p. 144.
2Ibid., see also TDOT, s.v. lxg, by Helmer
Ringgren,
2:350-55.
3Eryl W. Davies,
"Ruth IV 5 and the Duties of
Goel,
VT 33:2 (1983) :233-34. lxg stresses relationship/
responsibility.
hdp
stresses the act/means of redeeming.
29
Fbw
denoted a rod for beating grain (Isa 28:7). It
was also an instrument for
counting sheep (Lev 27:32) or
disciplining a slave (Exod
21:20) or a son (Prov 23:13-14).
The development of Fbw to denote a sceptre or mark of
authority is understandable
(Gen 49:1). The meaning "tribe"
is derived from the word's
association with rulership. The
idea "tribe" is its
most frequent use.1 Wolf describes the
three instances of jtlHn Fbw as "questionable passages" as
to interpretation of Fbw.2 He hesitantly suggests "Psalm
74:2 probably refers to
In a polemic against idol-makers Jeremiah contrasts
these with Yahweh's people. The
passage (Jer 10:12-16) is
framed by creation themes and
terminology.4 A storm theo-
phany (v. 13) is juxtaposed to
the description of the
idol-maker (14-15). Verse 16
has four cola. The first and
third are in synonymous
parallelism:
.
. . bqfy qlH hlxk xl
jtlHn
Fbw lxrwyv
1TWOT, s.v. "Fbw," by Bruce K.
Waltke, 2:897. See
also
C. Umhau Wolf, "Terminology of Israel's Tribal Organi-
zation,"
JBL 65(1946):45-49 (hereafter cited
as Wolf,
"Terminology").
2Wolf,
"Terminology," p. 46 n. 5. The passages are
Jer
10:16; 51:19; Ps 74:2.
3Ibid.
4The creation of earth
and heaven is described by
using
the roots, hFn, Nvk, hWf (v. 12). Verse 16
alludes
either
to the creation of all things or specifically to
bqfy, with the participle rcvy.
30
qlH and Fbw are both predicate nominatives in the construct.
Their respective genitives may
be construed as appositional:
not like these (i.e., idol-makers)
is the portion
that is Jacob. . . . and
constitutes His inheritance.
In this complex structure Hlq and jtlHn are
broadly synony-
mous.1 Here