Kingship and the Psalms

Introduction

John Eaton, Kingship and the Psalms, Studies in Biblical Theology 2d ser., 32 (London: S.C.M. Press, 1976). Cult-Functional Approach

Summary

Key Arguments

[Extensive royal interpretation]:The speaker in many, if not most, of the psalms is the king. {rank: "r1"}

[Limited royal interpretation]:The number of royal psalms is limited to a few. {rank: "r1"}

<Davidic Superscriptions>:"The heading לדוד ('of David') stands over seventy-three psalms (eighty-four in the Greek) and is by far the most frequent of the headings" (Eaton, 20).
 +> [Extensive royal interpretation]

<The King and Temple Music>:Scripture sees "the temple's music as a whole as taking its rise from the king" (Eaton, 21).
 + "The inspired musical service was said to have been assigned to the various guilds by David and his officers" (1 Chron. 25:1-8; 15:16f).
 + "The instruments of the 4,000 priestly musicians were said to be made or invented by David" (1 Chron. 23:5; 2 Chron. 29:26f; Neh. 12:36; Amos 6:5).
 + "It is likely that, with the building of the temple and the flowering of kindred arts, the Psalter owes much to (Solomon's) reign" (Eaton, 21).
  + Solomon wrote many "songs" (1 Kings 5:12)
  + Solomon's name heads Pss. 72 and 127.
 + "King Hezekiah, to whom is attributed a psalm in Isaiah 38, is also represented as renewing the Davidic appointments of psalmody" (2 Chron. 29:25-30) (Eaton, 21).
 + <Kingship and religion>:"That the psalmic prayers and praises of kings should form the main part of the corpus of classical psalmody of the royal temple is wholly to be expected" (Eaton, 22).
  + Modern studies of kingship have shown the responsibility of the king in religion.
 +> [Extensive royal interpretation]

<Clarity and Similarity>:The clear presence of royal psalms in the Psalter and the many similarities they share with other psalms whose 'situations' are less clear, makes it likely that these other psalms are also royal.

(1) [Situation of the King]:"Of all the proposed 'situations', only that of the king is known for certain to exist in the Psalter" (Eaton, 22).
(2) [Homogeneity of Psalms]:"Notwithstanding the scope for classification and the pleasing freshness of so many psalms, there is a prevailing similarity (among the Psalms) which is in accord with an origin within a restricted range of royal and national cultus" (Eaton, 22).
  + [Continuity across genres]:There is "continuity between Gunkel's national psalms, royal psalms, and 'psalms of the individual', especially with regard to the portrayal of enemies" (Eaton, 23).
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(3) [Extensive royal interpretation]

<"I" and "We">:"The special problems presented by psalms where 'I' and 'we' alternate can be resolved by taking account of the representative character of the king" (Pss 9-10; 22; 44; 60; 66; 75; 102) (Eaton, 23).
 +> [Extensive royal interpretation]

<Royal Motifs>:"Throughout the 'psalms of the individual' there occur motifs or expressions which are royal or at least specially appropriate for the king" (Eaton, 23).
 +> [Extensive royal interpretation]
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 + "All nations attend to the psalmist's thanksgiving (Pss. 18:50; 57:10; 138:1, 4; 119:146)" (Eaton, 23).
 + "His deliverance has vast repercussions (22:28f)" (Eaton, 23).
 + "He invokes a world-judgment to rectify his cause (7:7, 9; 56:8; 59:6; 59:9; cf. 43:1)" (Eaton, 23).
 + "He depicts himself as victorious over the nations through God's intervention" (118:10-12; 9)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He confronts armies (3:7; 27:3; 55:22; 56:2f; 59; 62:4; 109:3; 120:7; 140:3, 8)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He is like a bull raising horns in triumph (92:11; 1 Sam. 2:1)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He is God's son (2:7; 27:10)" (Eaton, 24).
 + He "has a specially close relationship to the national God" (Eaton, 24).
  + "His offerings are on a lavish scale (27:6; 61:9; 66:15f; cf. 1 Kings 3:4)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "Yahweh's 'pleasure' rests on him (18:20; 22:9; 41:12)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "Yahweh's honor is bound up with the psalmist's fate ('for thy name's sake', 23:3; 25:11; 31:4; 109:21; 143:11)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "The psalmist is designated Yahweh's servant (19:12, 14; 27:9; 31:17; 35:27; 69:18; 86:2, 4, 16; 109:28; 143:2; 119 often)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "He calls God 'my God', 'God of my salvation', 'my King' etc." (Eaton, 24).
  + "He resides in God's house (23:6; 27:4; 41:13; 61:8)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "He speaks of 'my people' (59:12; cf. 144:2; 78:1)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "God extends his hand to deliver, support or take the hand of the psalmist (18:36; 41:13; 63:9; 73:23; 80:18; cf. Isa. 41:10; 45:1)" (Eaton, 24).
  + "The psalmist is at God's right hand, or God is at his (110:1, 5; 139:10; 16:8?)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "The speaker vows continued psalmody" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He stands before the vast festal congregation (22:23, 26; 40:10f)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "His head is raised on high" (Eaton, 24).
 + "His glory receives special mention" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He is blessed with superabundant life" (Eaton, 24).
 + "His designations of God as his helper are often related to warfare" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He describes God in terms which seem designed to match the king's own work" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He is called with some emphasis צדיק, 'the righteous one', חסיד, 'the faithful one' or 'covenant partner'" (Eaton, 24).
 + "Enemies, military and national in character, aim at him personally rather than at his country and people" (Eaton, 24).
 + "He is recipient of God's counsel (16:7; 73:24; cf. 20:5; Isa. 11:2; Ps. 32:8?)" (Eaton, 24).
 + "His prayers are availing" (Eaton, 24).
 -->

 <Democratization>:Royal motifs might be used of ordinary people.
 <_ "In view of all that is here said about the royal basis of the Psalter, it is reasonable to regard royal items as evidence of royal psalms unless in a particular case there is adequate reason to the contrary" (Eaton, 24).
 _> <Royal Motifs>

<Lends Cohesion>:"In many cases the royal interpretation is especially to be preferred because it allows the psalm as it stands to be seen as a consistent and meaningful whole" (Eaton, 25).
 +> [Extensive royal interpretation]

<Unexplainable Gap>:"The narrow identification of royal psalms leaves an astonishing gap. There would be scarcely any royal petitions or intercessions... For a collection stemming from the royal temple, this is incredible" (Eaton, 25).
 -> [Limited royal interpretation]