Psalm 119: The Exaltation of Torah

TLDR: Freedman as mentioned in this paper analyzed both the macro-and micro-structures of the psalm and drew theological conclusions, concluding that it is a magnificently prepared and balanced Psalm in praise of Ord.

Abstract: Psalm 119: The Exaltation of Torah, by David Noel Freedman. Biblical and Judaic Studies from the University of California, San Diego 6. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1999. Pp. vii + 94. $19.50 (cloth). The artificial and laboriously overdone style of Ps 119 has contributed to a lack of close reading of the psalm and to a negligence of the importance of its content. David Noel Freedman has attempted to rectify both counts of the present situation in his new book that analyzes both the macro- and micro-structures of the psalm and draws theological conclusions. He believes that the psalm, when given close and careful attention, bears the marks of an incredible and intricate balance and detailed artistry. Freedman's book seeks to demonstrate that a detailed analysis of the structure of Ps 119 in relation to the other acrostic psalms in the Psalter shows that Ps 119 is a magnificently prepared and balanced psalm in praise of Ord. His method bears strongly on his past work in Hebrew poetry and on his particular method of analyzing Hebrew meter on the basis of syllable counting. His method also reflects his belief that the Scriptures were prepared and compiled with an awareness of the canonical structure and with careful attention to quantitative balance. The book is divided into four chapters, the two middle of which have appeared earlier as an essay and article. Chapter 1 analyzes the phenomenon of alphabetic acrostic psalms. Freedman attempts to show that the eight acrostic psalms (Pss 9/10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145) are structured and arranged in an intentional way such that each psalm is paired with another and the structure of the group leads to a conclusion or quantitative summation in Ps 119. Chapters 2 and 3 are the heart of the book and provide the structural analysis for Ps 119. Chapter 2 focuses on the form and occurrence of the eight key words-tord and its seven synonyms. Freedman concludes in this chapter that the eight key words are distributed throughout the psalm so that, while there is little consistency in the distribution from line to line or stanza to stanza, the larger context of the psalm reveals an incredibly detailed and balanced work. Chapter 3 shifts the focus to the meter of the psalm. Freedman begins with the famous statement by Eusebius that the Song of Moses (Dent 32) and Ps 119 are in heroic meter consisting of hexameters with sixteen syllables. After presenting the intricacies of his metrical counting system, Freedman concludes that while there are too many variations in the meter to agree with Eusebius, the larger structure of the psalm reveals that on average the numbers given by Eusebius are accurate. In addition, the variations in line length seem to be arranged so that long lines are paired with shorter lines with a resulting overall balance in meter. Chapter 4 is a brief theological conclusion. In it Freedman discusses tort as apotheosis in the same way that wisdom has been so considered in Proverbs. Based on the theology of the psalm, Freedman offers a setting for it during the time of Ezra or Nehemiah. Freedman's apotheosis of torts is supported by much of the work done in the past decade on the book of Psalms. Particularly, J. Clinton McCann in his A Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms (Nashville: Abingdon, 1993) presents the Psalms as a book of instruction, and James L. Mays discusses the issue in his commentary and, more to the point, in "The Place of the Torah-Psalms in the Psalter" (BL 106 [1987]: 10-12). One facet of the work of these two that is latent but vital in the work of Freedman is the concept of the unity of the Psalter. …