IMPRECATION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN
PSALM 35
by
Frederic
Clarke Putnam, M.Div.
Biblical Theological Seminary, 1978
A THESIS
Submitted
to the Faculty of
Biblical
Theological Seminary
in partial
fulfillment of the requirements
for
the degree of
MASTER OF SACRED
THEOLOGY
May, 1980
Digitized by Ted Hildebrandt and
proofed by Dr. Perry Phillips,
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
iv
INTRODUCTION 1
I.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE IMPRECATORY PSALMS 3
II.
SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETATION OF THE IMPRECATORY PSALMS 10
Introduction 10
Imprecation as Quotation 10
Imprecation as Prophecy 10
Imprecation as Moral Indignation 12
Imprecation as Cultural Phenomena 14
Imprecation as Philosophy 19
Imprecation as Zeal 20
Imprecation as Ethics of the Consummation 22
III.
A STUDY OF PSALM 35 27
The Basis for the Selection of a
Text 27
Introduction to Psalm 35 28
A Literal Translation of Psalm 35 30
Exegesis of Psalm 35 32
Strophe I: Verses 1-10 32
Strophe II: Verses 11-18 45
Strophe III: Verses
19-28 61
Evidences of Trial in Psalm 35 81
Conclusion 85
New Testament Considerations 86
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSION 90
APPENDIX 92
BIBLIOGRAPHY 105
LIST OF
TABLES
1.
Form-critical Analysis
1-A. Form-critical Analysis of
Psalms Identified
as Imprecatory 97
1-B. Form--critical Analysis of
Selected Psalms 101
2.
Legal Vocabulary in Psalm 35 103
3.
Interrelationship of the Parties in Psalm 35 104
Acknowledgments
Although the final responsibility rests upon the author,
without
the help and succour of many
people this thesis would not have been pos-
sible. The library staff of
Biblical Theological Seminary was most
patient with my long-term
borrowing of books for research; the staff of
Tenth Presbyterian Church has
graciously tolerated my constant presence
for study, writing and typing;
Richard C. Wolfe, J.D. deciphered and
transcribed the manuscript
(sic!) into typed form; my professors at Bi-
blical Seminary who have taught
me to desire the proper understanding of
the Word of God and the true
knowledge of its Author; my advisor, Mr.
Thomas V. Taylor, who allowed
me to go my own way in study and guided in
the most gracious way possible;
the other members of my advisory commit-
tee--Mr. James C. Pakala, who
helped with the format of footnotes and
bibliographical entries and
made many helpful suggestions concerning the
body and message of the thesis,
and Dr. Robert C. Newman, whose comments
and corrections were an
invaluable aid in eliminating errors in the text.
Special mention must also be
made of my family: my daughter, Kiersten,
copied and collated the final
copies and was understanding of my absence
and pre-occupation; my wife,
Emilie, has been my constant support, help
and encouragment in ways
innumerable for these many busy months. Above
all, my Lord, Jesus Christ, has
strengthened me and given me the perse-
verance necessary to bring this
work to completion. To Him be the praise!
iv
INTRODUCTION
Problem
This thesis seeks to answer the question: How can the
psalmist
curse his enemies and still
claim to be righteous? At times one verse
contains both a prayer for
their destruction and an assertion of his own
righteousness (or at least of
his innocence). On what basis does the
psalmist write these words?
This thesis, by the approach described
below, will arrive at a
suggested answer for these questions.
It does not attempt to answer the questions of Edwards,
or Vos.1 Neither is
the larger question of the presence of the impreca-
tory psalms in Scripture
addressed.2 The question of this thesis was
answered on the basis of one
particular text, and extrapolation of the
1B.B. Edwards, "The
Imprecations in the Scriptures," Bibliotheca
Sacra 1 (February 1844):
97-110. Edwards shows that the presence of im-
precations
does not negate the doctrine of divine inspiration. Joseph
Hammond,
"The Vindictive Psalms Vindicated," The Expositor, series 1, 3
(1876):
27-47, 101-118, 188-203, 402-471.
imprecations
are comminations (statements of belief), not curses, and
pose
not ethical problem for the Christian. J.G. Vos, "The Ethical
Problem
of the Imprecatory Psalms,"
(May
1942): 123-138. Vos discusses the ethical implications of the im-
precations
for Christians and their use by the Church.
2 There may be only a
fine semantic difference between the problem
of
the presence of the imprecatory psalms in Scripture and the question
of
the psalmist's profession of righteousness in the face of his curses.
In
both cases the presence of the curse raises the question. Therefore,
although
it is necessary to examine some of the proposed answers to the
question
of the presence of the imprecatory
psalms in order to recognize
"what
has gone before," this thesis will address the problem as it is
stated
in the paragraph above. A section dealing briefly with the
question
of the Christian's use of the imprecatory psalms (and of impre-
cations
in general) will be found in the section entitled "New Testament
Considerations,"
pp. 86-89, below.
1
2
proposed solution to every curse
in either the Psalter or all of the
Bible was not considered.
Approach
After a brief introduction to the genre of the individual
lament
and a statement of the problem
in terms of a suggested sub-genre (the
imprecatory lament) various
attempted solutions are discussed.1
Psalm 35 is the passage chosen for exegesis and the
results of
that exegesis were then
compared with certain New Testament considera-
tions because of the apparent
contradiction between them. The question
of the Christian use of these psalms
was considered briefly and these
conclusions were drawn together
to make application to and, hopefully,
give understanding to the
lIt will be noticed that
although many of the approaches examined
quote
from and allude to the psalms and even refer to them, this writer
did
not read one book or article approaching the question from an exege-
tical
base. The only exception to this is a paper: Thomas V. Taylor,
"A
Short Study in the Problem of Psalm 109." (
Press,
n.d.).
I. CLASSIFICATION OF THE IMPRECATORY
PSALMS
Form-critical
analysis of the psalms of lament
It is "by now a dictum of psalter studies that an
investigation
of literary patterns is basic
to programs in these studies."1 Thus does
J.W. Wevers begin his
"Study of the Form Criticism of Individual Complaint
Psalms" in which he
analyzes the general form-critical approach to the
individual psalms of lament. In
seeking to discover, therefore, whether
or not a class of psalms could
be called "imprecatory psalms," we shall
use this approach also,
especially since most of the psalms traditionally
called imprecatory are also
commonly called laments (by followers of
Gunkel as well as by others).2
Wevers has analyzed the individual complaint (lament)
psalm into
five components.3
These are: (1) the invocation of the divine name--both
Myhilox< or hvAhy; are used, the determining factor is direct
address;4
(2) the complaint--the reason
compelling the psalmist to approach God in
1J.H. Wevers, "A
Study of the Form Criticism of Traditional Com-
plaint
Psalms," Vetus Testamentum 6
(1956): 80.
2John H. Walton, Chronological Charts of the Old Testament,
(Grand
Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1978), p. 73. Cf. Ian Ross
McKenzie
Parsons, "Evil Speaking in the Psalms of Lament" (unpublished
Ph.D.
dissertation,
3Wevers, "A
Study," pp. 80f. The components are his but the
examples
are my own, selected intentionally as explained below.
4Psalms 35.1, 17, 22(twice),
23, 24; 55.1, 9; 58.6 (twice); 59.1, 5, 11;
69.1,
16, 29; 83.1(twice), 13; 109.1, 26; 137.7.
3
4
this way;1 (3) the
prayer--that which the psalmist wants the Lord to do
to his enemy, which may or may
not have motivations (reasons why the Lord
should answer his prayer) and
is in either the imperative or the jussive
mood;2 (4) either an
expression of certainty--the psalmist is now sure
that the Lord has heard his
cry--or a vow of that which the psalmist will
do in thanksgiving for God's
gracious intervention (these complete his
analysis, since both may be
present in the same psalm).3 It is worth
noting that the order of the
elements in several of the psalms approxi-
mates the order given by
Wevers.
Brueggeman's analysis differs only slightly:4
(1) the address,
which establishes the
covenantal context of the psalmist's relationship
with God and therefore his
"right to expect action from God;"5 (2) the
complaint or lament, which is
the psalmist's "expression of anguish or
betrayal by God or
others;"6 (3) the petition, in which the psalmist
"requests a solution"
from God to the problem; (4) motivations, which are
1Psalms 35.1a, 3a, 4, 7, 11, 12, 15-16, 17b-c;
55.3, 10-11; 58.2-5;
59.1-4, 6-7; 69.4, 7-9; 83.2-8;
109.2-5; 137.7b.
2Psalms
35.4-6, 8, 19, 25-26; 55.9a,15; 58.6-8; 59.11b-13a; 69.22-28;
83.9-16a,17; 109.6-15,19-20;
137.8-9.
3Psalms 35.9-10; 55.16b, 17b-18a, 23; 59.10;
69.32-36; 109.31.
4Walter Brueggemann, "From Hurt to Joy,
From Death to Life,"
Interpretation 28
(January 1974): 6-8. Both the form-critical analysis
and the examples are his,
although some examples could be added from the
psalms examined above.
5Psalms 4.1; 5.1; 12.1; 16.1; 17.1.
6Psalms 6.2; 13.3; 22.14-15; 38.5-6; 39.4ff;
41.11; 48.11.
5
reasons why God should answer
his prayer;1 (5) the last component of the
lament has three elements: the
"assurance of having been heard,"2 the
"singing of praise and
expressions of thanksgiving in the congregation
because the situation has been
transformed,"3 and the "paying of promised
vows."4 A brief
examination of the psalms considered by Wevers's ana-
lysis (e.g., Psalms 35, 55, 58,
59, 69, 83, 109, 137) shows that these
same elements are also present
in them.
R.E. Murphy, S.J. has outlined Claus Westermann's
approach to the
structure of the individual
lament psalms.5 This form-criticism by
Westermann yields seven parts
of the individual lament:
Address and introductory
cry
Complaint (of the form:
"my enemies...I/me...you")
Confidence motif
Plea ("Hear my
prayer/save me")
Reasons to induce God to
act
Vows to praise
Motif of certainty of
hearing (which blends into factual
praise in pleas that are
answered).6
From the comparison of these three examples with the
contents of
1Brueggemann "From
Hurt," pp. 6-8 lists seven basic motivations:
appeal
to God's reputation (Ps 13.14; 25.11; 57.5); appeal to past action
with
which He should now be consistent (Ps 22.4f; 143.5); the guilt of
the
speaker (Ps 25.11; 38.18); the innocence of the speaker (Ps 26.3-7;
35.7;
69.7); a promise of praise (Ps 6.5; 22.22); the helplessness of the
speaker
(Ps 25.16; 55.18; 69.17; 142.4,6); the trust of the speaker in
the
Lord (Ps 17.8f; 22.9f; 43.2; 57.1; 71.6).
2Psalms 13.5f; 17.15;
28.6; 69.33.
3Psalms 7.17; 16.9-11;
22.22-31; 35.27f.
4Psalms 26.12; 54.6f;
56.12f.
5Roland E. Murphy,
"A New Classification of Literary Forms in the
Psalms,"
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 21
(1959): 87.
6Ibid.
6
of the Psalter, many psalms are
to be classified as individual laments.
Mowinckel claims that many
psalms which use the "I-form" are to be under-
stood as communal laments in
which the king, as representative of the
nation, would pray for the
nation rather than as an individual praying
for his own needs.1
Gunkel and Soggin2 agree that there is no reason
other than compelling
contextual evidence3 to
read the "I-psalms" as
communal rather than
individual.
From these analyses and Gunkel's statement, it is clear
that
the psalms generally classified
as imprecatory may also be called indi-
vidual laments or complaint
psalms. This is demonstrated by a comparison
of the psalms most commonly
advanced as imprecatory with these patterns
adduced by form criticism.
Fifty-two psalms are commonly listed as either
imprecatory or
psalms which contain
imprecations.4 Eight of these are mentioned four
1Sigmund Mowinckel, The Psalms in Israel's Worship, 2 vols.,
trans.
D.R. Ap-Thomas (New York: Abingdon Press, 1962), 2:39.
2Hermann Gunkel, The Psalms: A Form-Critical Introduction,
trans.
T.M.
Horner (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1967), p. 15; J. Alberto
Soggin,
Introduction to the Old Testament, in
Old Testament Library
(Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1976), p. 373.
3Gunkel, The Psalms, p. 33.
4The following statistics
reflect a comparison of lists of psalms
labelled
imprecatory either in part in whole. These lists are found in:
Hammond,"The
Vindictive Psalms," p. 238; Meredith G. Kline, The Structure
of Biblical Authority, 2nd ed. (
1975),
p. 161;
ment (Scottdale, Pa.: Herald
Press, 1971), p. 439; Chalmers Martin,
"Imprecations
in the Psalms," in Classical
Evangelical Essays on Old
Testament Interpretation, ed. Walter C. Kaiser (
House,
1976), pp. 113ff; Charles F. Kent and Frank K. Sanders, ed., The
Messages of the Bible, 12 vols. (
1904).
Vol. 5: The Messages of the Psalmists,
by John Edgar McFadyen,
p.
178; R.H. Pfeiffer, Introduction to the
Old Testament (
Harper
& Brothers, 1948), p. 638; Vos,"The Ethical Problem," p. 123;
"The
Imprecatory Psalms," Presbyterian
Quarterly Review 9 (April 1861):
7
times or more:1
Psalms 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 83, 109 and 137. These psalms
(with the possible exception of
Psalm 137), because of their relatively
close adherence to the
form-critical analysis of the individual lament,
as well as the common element
of the severity of their imprecations, can
be considered a class of psalm
literature--the sub-genre of the impreca-
tory laments.
Both Martin and Mennenga say that we should speak only of
"the
imprecations in the
psalms"2 because they are so scattered in nature
(even throughout the entire
Bible), but in order to consider the question
of this thesis a particular
group of psalms is necessary (and easier) to
work with instead of a mass of
unconnected verses.3
The line of demarcation between these psalms and other
psalms
with some or most of these
elements, however, is the relative severity
of the imprecations contained
within these eight psalms.4 We will thus
consider them a sub-type of the
larger type of laments.
p.
575. Also: H. Osgood, "Dashing the Little Ones Against the Rock,"
Imprecatory
Psalms Viewed in Light of the Southern Rebellion,"
Bibliotheca Sacra 19 (January 1862): 165.
1Four times among these
ten authors who come from extremely
diverse
theological backgrounds.
2Martin,
"Imprecations," p. 113. Cf. Mennenga, "The Ethical
Problem
of the Imprecatory Psalms," Th.M. thesis (Westminster Theological
Seminary,
1959), p. 4.
3Table One shows the
consistent adherence of these psalms to this
form-critical
pattern.
4Admittedly a subjective
criterion, but there is a vast difference
between,
e.g., Psalm 5.10 and 35.1-8 or between Psalm 10.12-15 and
55.5,15.
This consideration and their common classification as impreca-
tory
psalms help to decide the members of this sub-genre.
8
Definition
of the imprecatory laments
What, then, is the definition of an imprecatory lament?
Wevers
tells us that there are three
types of complaint psalms: (1) the psalmist
finds himself falsely accused
and is thus protesting his innocence; (2)
the psalmist is seeking to
cause the curses or actions of his enemies to
fall upon their own heads; (3)
the psalmist is sick with an illness from
his enemies by means of magical
curses or from the Lord as punishment
for his sin.1
Westermann says that the basic attitudes of man to God
must be the determining factor
because they reflect the sitz im leben
of
the psalm.2 Oehler
says that these psalms relate to "the contradiction
existing between the moral
worth of an individual and his external cir-
cumstances."3
Park defines them as those psalms which "contain a wish
or even willingness that moral
agents be chastised or punished; and also
those which express gratitude
for the past afflictive event, or even
submission to it."4
These definitions, however, all erect boundaries
that are too broad to refer
only, or even principally, to our group of
psalms. On the basis of their
general form and of their content within
that general form, we define
them as laments (of the individual) which
contain within them
imprecations of extraordinary degree--the destruc-
tion or annihilation of the
enemies of the psalmist, as well as his own
1Wevers, "A
Study," p. 88.
2Murphy, "A New
Classification," p. 87.
3Gustave Friedrich
Oehler, Theology of the Old Testament,
rev.
ed.,
trans. George E. Day (
n.d.),
p. 558. This, however, could encompass all laments.
4Park, "The
Imprecatory Psalms," p. 165.
9
(possibly tacit) claim to a
right standing before God.1
The
problem of the imprecatory laments
The problem that becomes apparent upon even a casual
reading of
these psalms is the paradox
between the curses rained down on the enemies
by the psalmist and his constant
claim of righteousness, innocence, or
both.2 This is the
problem which this thesis addresses: How can the
psalmist curse his enemies and
still claim to be righteous? It is
obvious that the psalmist does
this--what is his basis for doing it?
In order to answer this
question Psalm 35 will be exegeted, which
exegesis constitutes the third
chapter of this thesis.
1This is a working
definition and is open to change and revision
if
that should prove necessary.
2Cf. Psalm 35,
imprecations: vv 4-6, 8, 19, 25-26; protestation of
innocence:
vv 7aa,
ba,
11-14, 27ab.
Psalm 55, imprecations: vv 9a, 15; pro-
testation
of innocence: vv 14, 20a, 22b. Psalm 58, imprecations: vv
protestation
of innocence: v 10a(?). Psalm 59, imprecations: vv 11b-13a;
protestation
of innocence: vv 3c,4aa. Psalm 69, imprecations: vv 22-28;
protestation
of innocence: v 4. Psalm 109, imprecations: vv 6-15,
19-20;
protestation of innocence: 2b, 3bb, 4aa, 4b.
II. SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETATION
OF THE
IMPRECATORY PSALMS
Introduction
There are as many different approaches to the problem of
the
presence of the imprecatory
psalms in the Bible as there are writers on
the subject. We will consider
seven basic varieties of approaches which
have been or are being
currently suggested by various writers.1
Imprecation
as quotation
Two older authors argue against this interpretation,
which says
that the imprecations in the
psalms are quotations by the psalmist of
the curses of his enemies
against him.2
69.27-28 is a "probable
quote because of verse twenty-six,"3 but this is
not necessary, and is only an
isolated case. It seems that McFadyen is
correct when he says that this
approach only serves to illustrate the
lengths gone to reach a desired
conclusion.4 At any rate, this view is
not held as a viable option
today.
Imprecation
as prophecy
A more common view of the imprecations is that they
consist of
lIt will be noted that
several names arise under different
theories.
Few men attempted to use only one theory to explain the pre-
sence
of the imprecations. Most depended upon several in various com-
binations,
perhaps realizing the truth of Eccl. 4.12b.
2Hammond, "The
Vindictive Psalms," p. 28; McFadyen, The
Messages,
5:
176.
3Hammond, ibid.
4McFadyen, The Messages, 5: 176.
10
11
prophecy, not petition. Thus
the moral problem disappears because the
psalmist only predicts the
result of his enemies' sins against him; he
does not seek it. All of the
Old Testament literary prophets do this
without hesitation and are not
questioned. If this is the case in these
psalms, the imprecations become
a moral force for good--a warning to sin-
ners to compel their
repentance. Thus Oehler says that in the impreca-
tory psalms "the judgment
of God is simply announced,"1 and
DeWitt that
David here acts as a
prophet--all men characterized by these sins must
and will be judged.2
Although he claims that there is "no reason for
the passion of the Psalmist
here," McFadyen states that the ambiguity of
the Hebrew imperfect tense
"allows them to be interpreted as predic-
tions,"3 and
Davies says that the "imperfect is used in several of the
passages, and they cannot be
made optatives without violence to the
text." Davies also says
that they are not "wishes or prayers that such
calamities should overtake
their enemies" (Cf. Psalm 137.8,9; Isaiah
13.16).4
There are several problems with this view. First, even if
they
are interpreted as predictions,
most of the imprecations are not expli-
cable in this way because they
consist of "actual 'proper' prayers
1Oehler, Theology, p. 558.
2John DeWitt, The Psalms: A New Translation with
Introductory
Essay and Notes (New York: Anson D.F.
Randolph, 1891), p. xvi. That
this
is an historic view of the Christian Church can be seen in that
Augustine
saw some of them as "prophecies or predictions of doom, not
prayer
or petition for that doom." Philip Schaff, gen. ed., Nicene and
Post-Nicene Fathers of
the Christian Church,
14 vols. (
tian
Literature Company, 1888), Vol. 3: Expositions
of the Book of
Psalms, by Augustine, p. 308.
3McFadyen, Messages, p. 176.
4W.W. Davies, "The
Imprecatory Psalms," The Old and New
Testa-
ment Student 14 (March 1892): 155.
12
addressed to God."
Therefore this explanation is “contrary to the lan-
guage of the psalms
themselves.”1
Second, even if certain passages are
rendered by the future, others,
in the imperative, remain.2 Driver says
that the jussive is used
"to express an entreaty or request. . . and in
particular blessings or
imprecations,"3 and Gesenius adds that the opta-
tive is (commonly) a combination
of the jussive with .4 For these
reasons this explanation is
rejected as inadequate. A more accurate
approach of this type is found
in Delitzsch's commentary on the Psalms.
He explains that condemnation
for eternity reflects the prophetic spirit5
which is (in the instance of
Psalm 109) the Old Testament type being
raised beyond David to New
Testament fulfillment in Judas Iscariot.6
Even if this were appropriate
at some points it does not do justice to
the nature of the imprecations,
because not every imprecation can be so
raised.
Imprecation
as moral indignation
This approach is a combination of two--the imprecations
as moral
indignation and as personal
desires for vindication. These both arise
from a certain perception of
human nature and so are grouped together.
1Vos, "The Ethical
Problem," p. 126.
2Edwards, "The
Imprecations," p. 100 (e.g., Ps. 5.10; 9.21; 17.13;
55.9;
59.13; 69.23 as listed in Mennega, "The Ethical Problem," p. 30).
3S.R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in
Hebrew, 2nd
ed.
(Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1881), p. 65.
4Kautzsch, E., ed., Gesenius's Hebrew Grammar, 2nd ed.,
trans.
A.E.
Cowley (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1910), p. 321.
5Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, 3
vols.,
(New
York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1867), 1:75.
6Ibid., 3:177.
13
DeWitt expresses this viewpoint
well, if somewhat wryly by saying, "If
the critics of the imprecations
would have enemies like David, they might
not be so hard on him."1
Mickelsen calls the imprecations:
...poetic expressions of
individuals who were in-
censed at the tyranny of
evil, yet whose attitude
towards retribution is
so colored by their sense
of being wronged or of
the blasphemy committed
that they speak out in
language far removed from
the teaching that one
should leave judgment to
God, or from Jesus'
statements on the treatment
of enemies.2
C.S. Lewis's approach to the
imprecations falls into this category--he
saw that "the reaction of
the Psalmist to injury, though profoundly
natural, is profoundly
wrong,"3 and thought that they arise from a con-
fusion on the part of the
psalmist between his desire for justice and
desire for revenge.4
ponents tell us that the
inspiration of these verses is limited to their
having