wilson, evidence of editorial division in the hebrew psalter

8/12/2019 Wilson, Evidence of Editorial Division in the Hebrew Psalter

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336 JOHN J. SCULLION

Mrchen or fairy-tale has no place as a descriptive term of a

biblical genre; there are however some few Mrchen traits in the Old

Testament. Sageor folk-story describes a very substantial par t of

biblical narratives; in fact with appropiate qualifying adjectives it

could describe virtually all biblical narrative which is in a real sensecieine Sammlung von Sagen", though with the Sagen re-worked

from a religious standpoint and oriented towards Israelite belief at

various stages of Israel's jagged religious pilgrimage. In addition

there are original stories composed by various writers out of the

material of Sagen.The Legende or legend I would prefer not to use

for biblical narratives because of the meaning and associations of

this already well-established hagiographical form.

The whole of this area has been described as a labyrinth. True.

But biblical scholars should not continue wandering in the

labyrinth to which they have made no small contribution; rather

they should unite in a common effort to move out of it. This article

is offered as a modest contribut ion to the common effort.


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Vtus Testamentum XXXIV, 3 (1984)

EVIDENCE OF EDITORIAL DIVISIONS IN THE

HEBREW PSALTER

by

GERALD H. WILSON

Athens, Georgia

In the last hundred years, Psalms scholarship has tended to focus

its attention on the isolation and comparison of psalm-types and on

the related attempt to discern the original social matrix of each

" t y p e " (under the influence of Hermann Gunkel and Sigmund

Mowinckel). This narrow focus, which has produced an abundance

of illuminative data, has had the unfortunate effect of deflecting

concern from the study of the editorial organization of the Psalter as

a whole. As a result there is a generally pessimistic evaluation of the

importance of the final arrangement of the Psalter. While there is

agreement that the canonical Psalter brings together a number of

earlier psalms collections, the internal arrangement of these

collections, as well as their position in relation to one another is

largely dismissed as the result of "accidental" juxtaposition.

In this article I will set out evidence of purposeful editorial activi

ty within the text of the canonical psalter. I intend to demonstrate

several techniques of organization employed there to group psalmstogether as well as to indicate disjuncture between groupings. It is

my contention that the editorial activity thus demonstrated is not

limited to isolated instances of organizational concern imbedded in

an otherwise disorganized psalter. Neither does it reflect casual

editorial attempts to connect together previously unrelated collec

tions. Rather , this evidence supports a cont inuing, purposeful

editorial attempt to bring meaningful " shap e" to the whole Psalter.

I will discuss three methods of grouping psalms and of indicatingdivision between groupings. These include: 1) the use of " au thor"

d i i i h l h di 2) h f i f


3/18

338 GERA LD H. WIL SON

A. Author Changesas an Indication ofDisjuncture

The primary organizational concern for Books I through III ofthe Psalter (Ps. iii-lxxxix) is ostensibly authorship. This is clearly

demonstrated in Book I (iii-xli) where every psalm is attributed to

David, either explicitly in its superscript or by implied combination

with its predecessor (Ps. x, xxxiii).1 This strong interest in author

ship continues into Book II where Ps. xlii/xliii-xlix are attributed to

the Qprahites and Ps. li-lxv and lxviii-lxx/lxxi belong to David. The

three exceptions (Ps. 1, lxvi-lxvii, lxxii) will be discussed later.

Authorship remains an organizational factor through the end ofBook III. Here Ps. lxxiii-lxxxiii are attributed to Asaph while Ps.

lxxxiv-lxxxv, lxxxvii-lxxxviii (separated by Ps. lxxxvi, the only

Davidic psalm in this book) are connected with the Qprahites.

Beyond Ps. lxxxix the picture changes considerably. Of the re

maining 61 psalms, by 19 bear attributions of authorship. (This is

astounding in comparison with Ps. iii-lxxxix where only six psalms

have no author indicated and four of these may well have been com

bined with preceding psalms.) Of the 17 psalms attributed toDavid, only six (ci, cui, cxxii, cxxiv, cxxxi, cxxxiii) stand singly (of

these cxxii, cxxiv, cxxxi, cxxxiii may participate in some internal

organization of the syr hmHwt psalms). The other 11 form two

groups (cviii-cx and cxxxviii-cxlv), while only Ps. ex (to Moses) and

Ps. exxvii (to Solomon) are attributed to others.

Several observations can be made about this preoccupation with

authorship. First authorship cannot be considered the primary

organizational concern of the Hebrew Psalter. While there are anumber of large groupings, in no case are all the psalms of a par

ticular author brought together into a single collection.

1. For the Asaphite psalms, Ps. 1 stands isolated from the rest

(lxxiii-lxxxiii).

1 In the first three books of the Psal ter there are only four psalms which are com

pletely "untitled" (x, xxxiii, xliii, and lxxi). For each of these there is strongmanuscript tradition for combination with the immediately preceding psalm (ix,

xxxii, xlii, and lxx). Other factors suggest that the lack of any heading in these in


4/18

EDITORIAL DIVISIONS IN THE HEBREW PSALTER 3 3 9

2. The Qprahi te psalms are divided into three groups in Books II

(xlii/xliii-xlix) and III (lxxxiv-lxxxv and lxxxvii-lxxxviii).

3. The only two Solomonic psalms (lxxii and cxxvii) are widely

separated.

4. The Davidic psalms, after forming two extensive collections in

Books I and II, are sparsely scattered through Books III (only Ps.

lxxxvi), IV (only ci and ciii) and V (cviii-cx, cxxii, cxxiv, cxxxi,

cxxxiii, cxxxviii-cxlv).

Author-changes do serve, however, to mark strong disjunctions

within the first three Books. This is most noticeable when theseabrupt changes coincide with the 'Yearns" between the Books. Let

me offer a few examples. The first Davidic collection (Ps. iii-xli)

corresponds to Book I. With the opening of Book II we have an

abrupt change of authorship to the "Sons of Oprah".2At the end of

Book II we observe another author-change. The second Davidic

collection extends from Ps. li to lxx/lxxi. Following this, Book II

ends with a single Solomonic psalm (lxxii) and Book III opens with

the Asaphite collection (lxxiii-lxxxiii). Finally, the transition fromBook III to Book IV is also marked by authorship change. Book III

closes with the Qprahite group lxxxvii-lxxxviii and Ps. lxxxix which

is bound closely to them by the similar superscript it shares with Ps.

lxxxviii.

Ps. lxxxviii ... mskyl Ihymn h^zrhy

Ps. lxxxix mskyl Pytn h?zrhy

Book IV then opens with the single Mosaic Ps. xc.This correspondence of authorship-change with the book divi

sions and the doxologies which serve to mark them is hardly for

tuitous. It must represent conscious editorial activity either to in

troduce such author-changes in order to indicate disjuncture be

tween such divisions or to make use of such existing points of dis

juncture in the division of the Psalter.

The use of author-groups to indicate disjuncture is conspicuous

by its absence in Books IV and V of the Psalter. As I have mentioned, the boundary between Books III and IV is indicated by author-


5/18

340 GERAL D H. WILSO N

paucity of non-Davidic authors in Ps. xc-cl. Apart from the Mosaic

Ps. xc which opens Book IV, the only non-Davidic author men

tioned is Solomon for Ps. cxxvii, which is a fixed part of the hmHwt

collection. For obvious reasons, author-change can no longer serve

as an effective indicator of disjuncture. In this segment, therefore,

we find another method employed for this purpose. I will return to

this later.

B. Genre Groupings

1. To Indicate Disjuncture

There are in the psalm-headings a number of terms which are

clearly distinguished and generally accepted asgenre categories. The

major distinguishing characteristic of these terms is that they never

occur together in the same superscript. The terms isolated in this

fashion are: 1.sgywn(Ps. vii); 2.mktm (6 psalms); 3. tplh(5 psalms);

4. mskyl (13 psalms); 5. thlh (Ps. cxlv); 6. hllwyh (16 psalms).

To these must be added two terms which frequently occur in combination with one another and occasionally with some other term:

7. mzmwr (57 psalms); 8. syr (30 psalms).

It is clear that these last two are by far the most frequent and

perhaps the most general of the genredesignations included in the

superscripts. This may explain their combination with other terms

contrary to the general rule.3

3

Besides the regular association of syr and mzmwr, I note here four possibleviolations of the general rule, all but one of which seem to me highly questionable

a) Ps xlv ImnshH-ssnym Ibny qrh mskyl syrydydt

Th is is the most probab le example Perhaps the exp lanation is to be found in the

combination of the general term syr with the t erm ydydt m order to bring more

specificity to the designation

b) Ps lx Imnsh H-swsn c

dwt mktm Idwd llmd

c) Ps lxxx Imnsh H-ssnym cdwt Psp mzmwr

The question here is whether cdwt isagenredesignation ("tes timony" *) or serves to

qualify swsnlssnym which precedes in both cases While the dat a are amb iguous , I

think the latter is more likely

d) Ps lxxxviii syr mzmwr Ibny qrh Imnsh H-mhlt lcnwt mskyl Ihymnh ^zrhyThis superscript appears to be the conflation of two originally separate headings

which should be divided between Ibny qrh a nd Imnsh The major violation of three


6/18


An examination of consecutive superscripts reveals numerous

groupings based ongenreclassifications.

1. mzmwr'

a. Ps. iiivi

iii mzmwr Idwdbbrhw ...

iv Imnshbngynwt mzmwr Idwd

Imnsh D

/hnhylwt mzmwr Idwd

vi Imnshbngynwt c

l hsmynyt mzmwr Idwd

b . Ps. xixxxiv

xix Imnsh mzmwr Idwdxx Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

xxi Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

xxii Imnsh H ^ylt hshr mzmwr Idwd

xxiii mzmwr Idwd

xxiv Idwd mzmwr

c. Ps. xxixxxxi

xxix mzmwr Idwd

xxx mzmwr syr hnkt hbyt Idwdxxxi Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

d. Ps. xxxviiixli

xxxviii mzmwr IdwdIhzkyr

xxxix Imnsh lydytwn mzmwr Idwd

xl Imnsh Idwd mzmwr

xli Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

e. Ps. xlviili

xlvii Imnsh Ibny qrh mzmwrxlviii syr mzmwr Ibny qrh

xlix Imnsh Ibny qrh mzmwr

1 mzmwr Psp

li Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

f. Ps. lxiilxviii

lxii ImnshHydwtwn mzmwr Idwd

lxiii mzmwr Idwdbhywtw ...

lxiv Imnsh mzmwr Idwdlxv Imnsh mzmwr Idwd syr


7/18

342 G E R A L D H. WILSON

lxvii Imnshbngynwt mzmwr syr

lxviii Imnsh Idwd mzmwr syrg. Ps. lxxvlxxvii

lxxv Imnsh H tsht mzmwr Psp syr

lxxvi Imnshbngynwt mzmwr Psp syr

lxxvii Imnsh H ydytwn Psp mzmwr

h. Ps. lxxxiilxxxv

lxxxii mzmwr Psp

lxxxiii syr mzmwr Psp

lxxxiv Imnsh HhgytytIbny qrh mzmwrlxxxv Imnsh Ibny qrh mzmwr

i. Ps. cviiicx

cviii syr mzmwr Idwd

cix Imnsh Idwd mzmwr

ex Idwd mzmwr

j . Ps. cxxxixcxli

cxxxix Imnsh Idwd mzmwr

cxl Imnsh mzmwr Idwdcxli mzmwr Idwd

In several of the groups given above it is apparent that most of the

psalms included correspond in two or more elements of their

superscripts. See especially group a (Ps. iiixi) where the common

phrase is mzmwr Idwd for all four psalms. The same is true for group

b {Imnsh mzmwr Idwd for Ps. xixxxii). Again in group c the phrase

mzmwr Idwd is common to all three psalms as well as the four includ-

ed in group d. The same phenomenon can be observed throughout

the rest of these groups. This multiple correspondence over a

number of consecutive superscripts certainly affirms the purposeful

intent behind the juxtaposition.

2. mktm

Ps. lvilx

Ivi Imnsh Hywnt rhqym Idwd mktm b^hz ...

lvii Imnsh H tsht mktm bbrhw ...

lviii Imnsh l tsht Idwd mktm

lix Imnsh H tsht Idwd mktm bslh


8/18


statements as well. All these correspondences eliminate any

possibility of chance juxtaposition.

3. mskyl

a. Ps. xlii/xliii-xlv

xlii/xliii Imnsh mskyl Ibny qrh

xliv Imnsh Ibny qrh mskyl

xlv Imnsh H ssnym Ibny qrh mskyl syr ydydt

b. Ps. lii-lv

lii Imnsh mskyl Idwd bbw* ...

liii Imnsh H mhlt mskyl Idwdliv Imnsh bngynt mskyl Idwd bbw

D ...

lv Imnsh bngynt mskyl Idwd

c. Ps. lxxxviii-lxxxix

lxxxviii ... mskyl Ihymnh zrhy

lxxxix mskyl Pytn h?zrhy

If the tendency to juxtapose compositions whose superscripts have

one, two, three or more terms in common is clearly established, the

failure of the editor(s) to pull together all similar superscripts is

equally well demonstrated. Thus, outside the group o mktm psalms

(lvi-lx) there is the isolated example in Ps. xvi (mktm Idwd), and

beside the two groups of Ps. xlii/xliii-xlv and lii-lv, we find in

dividual occurrences of mskyl in Ps. xxxii, lxxiv, lxxviii, and cxlii.

There is no attempt to group together all occurrences of any single

term or of any identical combination of terms. Genre does not con

stitute a primary editorial principle for the organization of the

Psalter, even if one abandons these biblical genredesignations in

favor of the categories of the modern form-critic. A glance at a few

genrecategories not covered above makes this plain.

1) The "Psalms of Ascents". I will begin with the one apparent ly

complete genre collection. The presence of this one group of psalms

(cxx-cxxxiv) emphasizes the lack of such concern in the rest of the

Psalter. It is an anomaly, probably to be explained as a previously

existing collection which has been incorporated as a whole into the

Hebrew Psalter.

2) The "Enthronement" Psalms There is no agreement on the exact


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344 GERALD H . WILSON

elude psalms widely separated from this core group (certainly Ps.

xlvii and probably Ps. cxlix5).

3) The "Royal" Psalms. This category includes compositions

which are thought by some to have functioned in ' Ceremonies

whose central figure was the king".6 While there is relatively close

agreement as to the number and identity of the psalms in this

category, they are widely distributed throughout the Psalter and

show no editorial concern to group or otherwise mark them out.

This is in contrast to the Mesopotamian catalogues which regularly

juxtapose ' ' royal" hymns in a larger list or " l u m p " them together

in a summary line.7 In either case, these catalogues are careful to

distinguish "royal" hymns from other categories, a concern which

is absent from the Hebrew Psalter.

4) hllwyh Psalms While these psalms are brought together in

several groups, their actual position is not so much a matter ogenre,

as of function. They serve to mark editorial divisions within the last

Books of the Psalter. This function will be more clearly described

later.

Summary: when one surveys these genre categories in terms of

their distribution, it is clear that, while there are clumps and

clusters of psalms in the same category, none (with the exception of

the "Ascent" Psalms) forms a complete collection. I hasten to add

that this does not mean there is no editorial concern expressed

through their arrangement.

2. To Bind Psalms-groups TogetherI have indicated how author-changes are used to indicate points

of disjuncture in the Psalter, especially those marking the bound-

5 J D W Wa tts , "Yahweh Mlak Psalms", Theologische Zeitschrift 21 (1965),

pp 341-8, Gerhard von Rad Old Testament Theology 1 (Edinburgh, London and

New York, 1962), 363, 14, E tr of TheologiedesAlten Testaments 1 (Munich,

1957), 3606 Q uo ta ti on from von Ra d, 319, 1 (German origina l, 317), wher e he

also lists thecontents of the cat egory as Ps n, xvm , xx, xxi, xlv, lxxii, lxxxix, ci, ex,cxxxii A Weiser, Die Psalmen(4th edn, Gottmgen, 1955), 29, E tr ThePsalms

(London and Phi lad elp hia , 1962), 45 , inclu des Ps n, xvm, xx, xxi, lxxn, lxxxix,


10/18


aries between the first four Books. The editorial use of genre

categories in the superscripts is related to that phenomenon, but

differs in thatgenre designations serve to bind together, to ' 'soften"

transition between groups of psalms. I will begin with several clear

examples of this "binding/sof ten ing" technique.

1)Ps. xlvii-li. In the middle of the Book II , there occurs an abrupt

transition from the first Qprahite collection (xlii/xliii-xlix) to the

second Davidic collection (li-lxx/lxxi). This transition involves two

author-changes since a single Asaphite psalm (1) intervenes. A look

at the superscripts, however, indicates the use ofgenre categories in

Ps. xlvii-li bridges this disjuncture, softens the transition and binds

the collections together.

xlvii Imnsh Ibny qrhmzmwr

xlviii syrmzmwr Ibny qrh

xlix Imnsh Ibny qrhmzmwr

1 mzmwr Psp

li Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

The effective term in this instance ismzmwr which is not used in the

Qprahite collection before Ps. xlvii and does not appear again after

this group until Ps. lxii. Here, however, the term occurs in five con

secutive superscripts, precisely spanning the point of transition.

2) Ps. Ixii-lxviii. Here again is an example of a point of disjunc

ture which is bridged by the use of genrecategories. Th e second

Davidic collection begins at Ps. li and extends to Ps. lxx/lxxi with

the single major break at Ps. lxvi-lxvii, which bear no attribution of

authorship in their superscripts. This would seem to represent a

serious breach in the Davidic collection, if it were not for the bind

ing action of the genre categories in the headings of Ps. Ixii-lxviii.

lxii Imnsh H ydwtwn mzmwr Idwd

lxiii mzmwr Idwd bhywtw ...

lxiv Imnsh mzmwr Idwd

lxv Imnshmzmwr Idwd syr

lxvi Imnsh syr mzmwrlxvii Imnshbngynwt mzmwr syr


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346 GERAL D H. WILS ON

secutive usage ofsyrandmzmwras well as the repetition of the initial

phrase Imnsh which also bridges the gap. Once the transition is ac

complished and Davidic attribution re-established in lxviii, neither

mzmwr nor syroccurs again in this collection. The effect is to bind

these non-Davidic psalms tightly into their context and to "sof ten"

the transition across the disjuncture. In this instance the binding

operation creates or preserves an apparent thematic unity which af

firms the purposefulness of the juxtaposition. Ps . lxv-lxviii form a

closely related unit of praise of YHWH which stands out in contrast

to its surroundings (uniformly prayers for deliverance). This con

gruence of theme for these psalms confirms the reality of the bind

ing technique which is employed there.

3) Ps. Ixxxii-lxxxv. In Book II of the Psalter, there is an abrupt

transition from the Asaphite collection (lxxiii-lxxxiii) to the second

Qorahite collection (lxxxiv-lxxxviii). After severalgenredesignations

are applied in lxxiii-lxxx (mzmwr: lxxiii, lxxvii, lxxix, lxxx; mzmwr

... syr: lxxv, lxxvi; mskyl: lxxiv, lxxviii), nogenre is noted for lxxxi.

Then, just at the point of transition, there are four consecutive

psalms (lxxxii-lxxxiii Asaphite; lxxxiv-lxxxv Qorahite) which bear

the term mzmwr in their superscripts.

lxxxii mzmwr Psp

lxxxiii syr mzmwr Psp

lxxxiv Imnsh cl hgytyt Ibny qrh mzmwr

lxxxv Imnsh Ibny qrh mzmwr

The effect again is to soften the transition between these two

author-groupings and to bind them more closely together.

4) Ps. Ixxxvii-lxxxix. At the very end of Book III, there occurs a

group of three psalms which offers an interesting example of this

binding technique. Ps. Ixxxvii is attributed in its superscript to the

"Sons of Qorah". Ps. lxxxix, just at the end of Book III, is at

tributed to ^etn the Ezrahite. This abrupt author-change is bridged

in an unusual way by the presence ofPs. lxxxviii which bears a dual

superscript.


12/18


The superscript of Ps. lxxxviii presents several problems. First, as it

now stands, it contains threegenre categories in a single heading; a

very questionable state of affairs. Second, it is the only superscript

to exhibit two author references (Ibny qrhand Ihymn h?zrhy). Finally,

the term Imnsh, which here stands in the middle of the superscript,

occurs some 55 times in the psalms-headings. This is the only in

stance in which it does not occupy initial position. Perhaps the pre

sent extended superscript is an attempt to preserve alternative

traditions about the authorship of this psalm (comparable to the

ketblq

er and the editorial juxtaposit ion of certain psalms without

superscripts to indicate combination). Regardless of its origin, the

effect of the superscript is quite clear. The first half binds Ps.

lxxxviii with what precedes (the Qorahite collection) while the se

cond half, with its use of the terms mskyland h^zrhy, binds it to Ps.

lxxxix as well.

All these examples have been taken from within the book divi

sions of the Psalter. At each point of disjuncture indicated by

author-change, the occurrence of the same genre

categories in consecutive headings spans the gap, softens the harshness of transition

and binds the whole more closely together. What, however, is the

situation at the points of major disjuncture: at the boundaries be

tween the books? At those points,genredesignations do not come in

to play as a softening, binding technique. The move from Book I to

Book II offers an exception to which I will return at the end of the

article.

1. Ps. IxxlIxxi-lxxiii. Here at the transition from Book II to BookIII, we encounter an abrupt transition through two author-

changes.

lxx/lxxi Imnsh Idwd Ihzkyr

lxxii Islmh

lxxiii mzmwr Psp

There is no repetition or correlation ofgenre designations to bridge

the gap. The disjuncture is allowed to stand without resolution.Coupled with the presence of the doxology in lxxii 18-19 and the

i i l ii 20 hi di j i di l f l


13/18

348 GER ALD H . WIL SON

Ixxxvii Ibny qrh mzmwr syr

lxxxviii syr mzmwr Ibny qrh Imnsh H mhlt Pwnt mskyl Ihymn

h?zrhy

lxxxix mskyl Pytn h?zrhy

xc tplh Imsh^ys h ^Ihym

Again no attempt is made to soften the abrupt transition from

lxxxix to xc, or to bind these psalms together. The unresolved dis

juncture combines with the doxology of lxxxix 53 to indicate a ma

jor new section.

3. Ps. civ-cx. For completeness I include the transition betweenBook IV and Book V. Ps. civ and cv bear hllwyh postscripts and evi

both superscript and postscript. Ps. cvii bears no superscript or

postscript while Ps. cviii introduces a group of three consecutive

Davidic psalms, all bearing the term mzmwr in their headings.

civ hllwyh

cv hllwyh

evi hllwyh hllwyhcvii

cviii syr mzmwr Idwd

cix Imnsh Idwd mzmwr

ex Idwd mzmwr

There is clear disjunction here and the disjunction is emphasized

rather than softened by the headings.

4.Ps. xxxviii-xlvi. I have left this group until last since it presents a

slightly different phenomenon from the others previously cited.

Here, at the generally accepted point of transition from Book I to

Book II, marked by a doxology in xli 14, one would expect to find

no resolution of the disjuncture as in the previous cases. Indeed, the

break is clearly indicated by author-change and genre-change.

However, the consecutive repetition of the initial phrase Imnsh in

eight consecutive superscripts (Ps. xxxix-xlvii) does have a slight

softening effect.

xxxviii mzmwr Idwd Ihzkyr


14/18


xlv ImnshHssnymIbny qrh mskyl syr ydydt

xlvi Imnsh Ibny qrh H Hmwt syr

xlvii Imnsh Ibnyqrh mzmwr

In summary, while the analysis of the distribution ofgenreterms

in the psalms-headings reveals the existence of clusters of terms

scattered throughout the Psalter, there is no evidence of any consis

tent attempt to group all psalms bygenrecategories (as in Mesopota-

mian catalogues). There is evidence, however, of the editorial use

of these genre terms and clusters to assist in the organization of the

Psalter. Basic divisions of the psalms are indicated by the disjuncture (in the Psalms-headings) of author attributions and genre

designations. Such disjuncture is most noticeable at the "seams" of

the Psalter: at the book divisions.

In contrast to this "divisive" function of the Psalms-headings,

genre terms are used within these larger segments to bind together

and to "soften" the transition between groups of psalms. The

widespread and consistent nature of this phenomenon militates

against any chance distribution of the psalms and supports the ideaof purposeful, editorial activity behind the organizational process.

C. OrganizationalTechnique in Books IV-V

I have already indicated that the lack of author-designations in

Books IV and V of the Psalter prohibits their use as indications of

organizational intent. The same is true ofgenrecategories which are

also severely limited here. With the exception of the syr hmHwtpsalms (cxx-cxxxiv) there is no attempt to usegenre terms to group

psalms. What we find instead is the appearance of a new and totally

different phenomenon to indicate boundaries between psalms-

groups.

1. The Use of hllwyhPsalms to Conclude Segments

In Mesopotamian hymns and catalogues, "praise" and "bles

sing" (Hallel and Doxology) frequently conclude documents or sec

tions within documents. It is not surprising then to discover a

similar technique employed in the Hebrew hymnic literature. In


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350 GERALD H. WILSON

CV hllwvh

evi hllwyh-hwdw ... doxology-hllwyh

b Ps. cxi

cxi

cxii

cxiii

cxiv

cxv

cxvi

cxvii

-cxvii

hllwyh ..

hllwyh ..

hllwyh ..

. hllwyh

. hllwyh

. hllwyh

e. Ps. cxxxv (stands alone)

cxxxv hllwyh .. hllwyh

d Ps. cxlvi-cl

cxlvi hllwyh .. hllwyh

cxlvii hllwyh .. hllwyh

cxlviii hllwyh .. hllwyh

cxlix hllwyh .. hllwyh

ci hllwyh .. hllwyh

A survey of these groupings underlines a similarity of function. Th e

first appearance of a group o hllwyh psalms in the Psalter (Ps. civ-

cvi) coincides precisely with the conclusion of Book IV indicated by

the "doxology" at the end of Ps. evi. The last grouping of such

psalms (cxlvi-cl) occurs at the very end of the whole Psalter. This

fact suggests that groups of hllwyh psalms mark the conclusion of

segments of the Psalter at least in the last two Books.

Comparison with data from the Qumran Psalms Scroll (11 QPs a)would seem to support this hypothesis. There hllwyh psalms group

ings stand at two clear points of disjunction: 1) just before the con

cluding discussion of David (2 Sam. xxiii 1-7; "David's Composi

ti on s" ) and 2) jus t before the "Psalms of Ascent" (exx-exxii). The

indications are strong that the other occurrences of hllwyh psalms

groupings in both texts exercise this same "conc ludi ng" function.

The similar use of "Praise" (hllwyh) psalms in Hebrew psalms

manuscripts as well as in other Mesopotamian hymnic texts shouldlead us to accept these groupings of hllwyh psalms in the Hebrew


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EDITORIAL DIVISIONS IN THEHEBREW PSALTER 351

2. The Use ofhwdw Psalms to Introduce Segments

It should be noted that each of the first three groups of hllwyh

psalms mentioned above is followed immediately by an additional

psalm introduced by thephrase:

hwdw lyhwhky twb kyPwlm ksdw

"Praise YHWH for he isgood, for hismercy is for ever."

Such juxtaposition seems at first to be part of the technique in

dicating closure of the preceding section. In fact, H. G. M.

Williamson, in hisbook Israelinthe BooksofChronicles (Cambridge,

1977),pp .47-8, citesPs . evi,cvii, cxviii, andexxxviasexamplesof

hllwyh andhwdw combined in the same psalm. He calls this com

bination " a standard expression intemple worship" andwould like

to trace itsoriginsto Ps. c 4f.

bw*scryw btwdh hsrtyw bthlh

hwdw Iwbrkwsmw

ky twb yhwh Pwlm hsdw

He further suggests this combination ohllwyhandhwdw " isclearly

a form of words that was familiar to the authors of Chr. and

Ezr.-Neh" (p. 47).

1 Chr. xvi 41 Ihwdwt lyhwh ky Pwlm hsdw

2Chr . 13 Ihllwlhdwt lyhwh ... wbhll lyhwhky twb ky Pwlm

hsdw

2 Chr. vii 3 whwdwt lyhwhky twb kyPwlm hsdw

2 Chr. xx 21 mhllym ... hwdw lyhwh kyPwlm hsdwEzr. iii lOf. bhll wbhwdt lyhwhky twb kyPwlm hsdw

Williamson limitshisdiscussion tosingle psalms which combine

both hllwyh andhwdw superscriptsandmust resort tolimited tex-

tual traditions for most of his examples. Regardless of the forced

nature of his evidence, Williamson makes a significant contribu-

tion, especially when histhesis is extended toinclude groupingsof

consecutive psalms. O neclear example is thegroupingofPs.civ

cvcvi mentioned above. Inthis groupingwehave the combination

of hllwyh and hwdw psalms at the conclusion of a segment of the


17/18

352 GERA LD H. WILS ON

Psalter. With the addition of Ps. cvii, however, the picture changes

considerably.

civ hllwyh

cv hllwyh

evi hllwyh-hwdw ... doxology-hllwyh

cvii hwdw

Here we have the addition of another psalm beginning with the

characteristic hwdw phrases. While one might expect this psalm to

form part of the conclusion to the preceding segment, the doxology

at the end ofPs. evi, marking the end of Book IV, clearly makes this

impossible. Perhaps this supplies the key to the function of the

hwdw Ps. cxviii and exxxvi as well. Both immediately follow hllwyh

groupings. The situation with Ps. cvii implies that these psalms

(cxviii and exxxvi) do not form part of a conclusion, but introduce

the segments which follow. All these factors confirm that the con

junction of hllwyh and hwdw psalms in these texts is not coinciden

tal, but is the result of conscious arrangement according to accepted

traditions and serves to mark the "seams" of the Psalter as a whole.

Concluding Observations:

1. The abrupt author-changes, unrelieved by any binding effect

of ^ -des igna t ions , precisely at the accepted divisions between the

Five Books, confirms these breaks as real, intentional, editorially

introduced divisions and not accidental ones as some have sup

posed.2. The fact that markedly different binding techniques are

employed in Books I through III as compared to Books IV and V

suggests that the first three Books must have enjoyed an indepen

dent existence at some point in time. It further indicates that a

later, editorial movement was necessary to bind this independent

unit with the more heterogenous materials in Books IV and V.

3. More works remains to be done to clarify:

a. The proper social matrices of these two redactionalmovements.


18/18

^ s

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