Nov 25 2009
Describe the change of tone in Psalm 13 taking into consideration existing theories
- Psalm begins with verbs of inaccessibility, then moves to accessibility, followed by the bargaining stage where it concludes with praise.
- Herman Gunkel & Sigmund Mowinkle (Gunkel’s student) created a narrative to deal with the change in tone (sequencing the action):
- The lamenting person first comes to the priest and gives the lament
- After the priest does the pastoral care, then you get the second act (the statement of trust and God has dealt bountifully with me)
- Modern scholars who disagree with Gunkel (e.g., Claus Westmann):
- The statement of trust and affirmation of God’s goodness is necessary (existing at the same time)
- Lament moves you to praise
- Walter Bruegamman:
- 3 types of psalms (in each era you re-appropriate or recast the previous psalms):
- Orientation – monarchy (Begins with Saul from 1030-1010 BCE)
- Disorientation – exile (722 BCE – Fall of Samaria, 587 BCE – Fall of Jerusalem)
- Reorientation – post-exile return (539 BCE – Edict of Cyrus, 520-515 BCE – Restoration of the city wall and the Temple in Jerusalem)
- Allows individual laments to be corporate laments
- 3 types of psalms (in each era you re-appropriate or recast the previous psalms):