Psalm 39 is a peculiar, late post-exilic wisdom composition which reflects the style of a supplication of a sick person, but actually rather constitutes a meditation on the transitoriness of human life. It has been neatly integrated into the conclusion of Book I of the Psalter by a late post-exilic redaction, but displays antithetic views with regard to expectations about retribution expressed in other psalms ostensibly from the same post-exilic era. This article explores its possible purpose in view of its form, its integration into Book I of the Psalter, and particularly its contrastive stance towards Pss 34 and 37. Its criticism of the doctrine of retribution renders it very similar to Ps 73 and the Book of Job, and the psalm is therefore compared to these texts as well.

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Psalm 119 (118) und seine Theologie: ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der anthologischen Stilgattung im Alten Testament

Psalm 39 and its Place in the Development of a Doctrine of Retribution in the Hebrew Bible

Psalm 53 is an adapted version of Ps 14, crafted to fit in among a cluster of psalms consisting of Pss 52–55. Each of these psalms is described in their respective headings as a “Maskil,” while Pss 52 and 54 each also have a biographical link to the time of persecution of David by Saul. It is argued that various contexts have to be taken into consideration for a full understanding of Ps 53: the differences between Pss 14 and 53; Ps 53’s links to the cluster of Pss 52–55; the connections it has with Proverbs, and the connections it has with the history of David in 1 Samuel via the two biographical notes in the cluster which seem to apply to it as well. When all these contexts are taken into consideration, Ps 53 appears to be an explication of certain texts in Proverbs, as if applying the truths of wisdom teaching to the experiences of David. A INTRODUCTION

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Psalm 53 in canonical perspective

This chapter demonstrates that Psalm 19 serves as an important link merging the Torah theology of Psalm 119 with other wisdom literature from the Hebrew Bible. As such, the psalm can rightly be seen as a precursor for the teaching of Ben Sira. The first part of the chapter discusses some textual observations on Psalm 19 that investigate its literary unity and the underlying concept of Torah and wisdom. The second part focuses on the relationship between Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. It argues that Psalm 19 represents a sapiential exegesis of Psalm 119. The third part deals with the literary traces of Psalm 19 in the post-biblical wisdom of Ben Sira. Finally, the results allow for some concluding remarks, seeing Psalm 19 as part of an exegetical discussion that aims at understanding Torah in the framework of a sapiential worldview. Keywords: Ben Sira; Hebrew Bible; post-biblical wisdom; Psalm; sapiential exegesis; Torah

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Half Way between Psalm 119 and Ben Sira: Wisdom and Torah in Psalm 19

\nThis essay is concerned with the meaning of torah and its relationship with wisdom in late Second Temple Judaism. It has been previously argued that, as the Mosaic torah had gained dominance, the wisdom school absorbed and accommodated the Mosaic torah tradition, and yet maintained all the essential elements of the sapiential tradition. Through a study of two Jewish apocalypses, 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch, the essay discovers not only the sapientialization of the Mosaic torah, but also the total submission of the wisdom tradition under the authority of the Mosaic torah tradition to gain legitimacy. It argues that this is done through a submission of sapiential revelations to the Mosaic revelation received at Sinai, and a portrayal of wisdom recipients and apocalyptic visionaries as types of Moses. This process reflects religious innovation under the disguise of compliance with established, older traditions.

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Psalm 119 (118) und seine Theologie: ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der anthologischen Stilgattung im Alten Testament

Citations

Psalm 39 and its Place in the Development of a Doctrine of Retribution in the Hebrew Bible

Psalm 53 in canonical perspective

Half Way between Psalm 119 and Ben Sira: Wisdom and Torah in Psalm 19

Torah as Wisdom in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch