The Design of the Psalter

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The Design of the Psalter.jpg

Peter C. W. Ho, The Design of the Psalter: A Macrostructural Analysis (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2019).

Introduction

This book (2019, cf. 2017 dissertation) attempts to consolidate the gains of Editorial Criticism in an effort "to understand the logic and design of the MT Psalter" (2).

See more about and by this author on Academia.edu.

Summary

Peter Ho sets out to answer three questions (p. 5, italics added):

  • "What are the organization techniques of the Psalter?"
  • "How is the Psalter organized macrostructurally?"
  • "Is there a consistent, coherent, and overarching logic to the design and arrangement of the Psalter?"


He concludes that "the logic of the MT-150 is a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337, bold type added). The story of the Psalter is the story of "God's purposes expressed through the prophetic... understanding and unfurling of the Davidic covenant (5).

Photo mosaic

The design of the Psalter may be compared to a photo-mosaic. "The parts, assembled in sequential, parallel, and overlapping installments, bring about an overall architectonic movement and purpose" (338). The overall picture is an unfolding of the Davidic covenant.

Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. The Macrostructure
  3. Concentric and Linear Reading
  4. The Five Davidic Collections
  5. Numerical Devices, Alphabetic Acrostics or Compositions, and Superscriptions
  6. Conclusion

Key Concepts: Linear, Concentric, and Intertextual Reading

"The Psalter is explicated via at least three dimensions of reading: Linear, Concentric, and Intertextual. These three dimensions are intertwined and in sync with each other" (191).

Concentric reading

"A concentric reading is characterized by structural symmetry (e.g., ABC X CBA or ABCD DCBA), and is often called chiasmus. Concentricity usually highlights a significant motif at the center of a structural unit" (135).

Example: The second "Group" of Book/Section I is arranged concentrically with Torah and Kingship at the centre:

Ps. 15 (Entrance liturgy)
Ps. 16 (Confidence psalm)
Ps. 17 (Lament)
Ps. 18 (Kingship psalm)
Ps. 19 (Torah)
Pss. 20-21 (Kingship psalms)
Ps. 22 (Lament)
Ps. 23 (Confidence psalm)
Ps. 24 (Entrance liturgy)

The motifs at the centre of each structure ("Central Motifs") are the most important for discovering the Psalter's message. Concentric structures happen at multiple levels: within a Collection of a few Psalms, within a larger Group of Psalm, or within an even larger Section.

Linear reading

The story of the Book of Psalms is linear. Like any story, it has tension that builds and gets resolved. Central Motifs (e.g., Kingship) identified by a concentric reading, may undergo development across the Psalter's story-line. "A linear reading is defined by a coherent thematic trajectory or the development of a certain motif across the Psalter. Linearity provides the forward thrust along the trajectory" (135).

Figure 47: Concentric and Linear Structures of the Group Central Motifs

Example: The motif of Kingship, the Central Motif of several Groups, gets developed across the Psalter's storyline:

Book I: Davidic Kingship is established.
Books II-III: Davidic Kingship falls.
Books IV-V: Davidic Kingship is re-established.

Intertextual reading

"The Davidic characterization of the Psalms should be read alongside the historical narratives of David in the Hebrew Bible (i.e., I Sam 7; 1 Chron 16; 2 Chron 6)" (81).

Key Arguments

The design of the Psalter is "a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337). This design is revealed through its macrostructure and through the reading-lenses of concentric, linear, and intertextual reading. 


====
title:
     Reception of the Davidic covenant
====
[Davidic covenant]: The Psalter is "a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337).
 + <Intertextual reading>:"The leitmotifs of the Psalter parallel the major motifs of the Davidic covenant" of 2 Sam. 7 (i.e., kingship and Zion temple).

<Macrostructure>: The Book of Psalms is structured in Three Sections (Book I; Books II-III; Books IV-V). "These three Sections trace the establishment, fall, and re-establishment of the Davidic kingship and Zion" (191). The motifs of kinghip and Zion are introduced in the Prologue (Pss 1-2).

(1) [Macrostructure]: "In its entirety, the Psalter is divided into three Sections (Books I, II-III, IV-V)" (133).
 + [Book I]: Book I is a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 3-14; 15-24; 25-34; 35-41).
 + [Books II-III]: Books II-III are a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 42-49; 50-72; 73-83; 84-89).
 + [Books IV-V]: Books IV-V are a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 90-103; 104-119; 120-134; 135-150).
 + [Prologue]: Pss 1-2 are a programmatic prelude to the Psalter.
(2) [Metanarrative]: "These three Sections trace the establishment, fall, and re-establishment of the Davidic kingship and Zion" (191).
  + <Concentric reading>: Each Group is arranged concentrically. The Group Central Motifs in the middle of each Section concern Davidic kingship and Zion.
  + <Linear reading>: The Sections have a linear trajectory. The Group Central Motifs of Davidic kingship and Zion undergo linear development across the three Sections.
----
(3) [Davidic covenant]


Argument Mapn0Davidic covenantThe Psalter is "a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337).n1Macrostructure"In its entirety, the Psalter is divided into three Sections (Books I, II-III, IV-V)" (133).n8MacrostructureThe Book of Psalms is structured in Three Sections (Book I; Books II-III; Books IV-V). "These three Sections trace the establishment, fall, and re-establishment of the Davidic kingship and Zion" (191). The motifs of kinghip and Zion are introduced in the Prologue (Pss 1-2).n1->n8n2Book IBook I is a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 3-14; 15-24; 25-34; 35-41).n2->n1n3Books II-IIIBooks II-III are a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 42-49; 50-72; 73-83; 84-89).n3->n1n4Books IV-VBooks IV-V are a compositional unit consisting of four Groups (Pss 90-103; 104-119; 120-134; 135-150).n4->n1n5ProloguePss 1-2 are a programmatic prelude to the Psalter.n5->n1n6Metanarrative"These three Sections trace the establishment, fall, and re-establishment of the Davidic kingship and Zion" (191).n6->n8n7Intertextual reading"The leitmotifs of the Psalter parallel the major motifs of the Davidic covenant" of 2 Sam. 7 (i.e., kingship and Zion temple).n7->n0n8->n0n9Concentric readingEach Group is arranged concentrically. The Group Central Motifs in the middle of each Section concern Davidic kingship and Zion.n9->n6n10Linear readingThe Sections have a linear trajectory. The Group Central Motifs of Davidic kingship and Zion undergo linear development across the three Sections.n10->n6
Reception of the Davidic covenant


The Psalter is not merely a reflection on the Davidic covenant of the past. Its focus is on the promises of that covenant for the future. The Psalter looks forward to a new Davidic King and a new Zion Temple. "As a whole, the Psalter has. Messianic and eschatological telos" (264). 


====
title:
     Messianic and eschatological telos
====
[Messianic]:"As a whole, the Psalter has a Messianic and eschatological telos" (264).
 + [Davidic covenant]: The Psalter is "a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337).
 + <Davidic collections>: "The five Davidic Collections are carefully designed to identify, first, the establishment of a human monarch who later falls. This is then followed by the establishment of an ideal messianic Davidic king" (264).
  + [DC-I]: "DC-I (Pss 1-41) focuses on Davidic rule in YHWH's house" (264).
  + [DC-II]: "DC-II (Pss 51-71, 86) marks the fall of the Davidic king" (264).
  + [DC-III]: "DC-III (Pss 101-103) marks a turning point in the characterization of David and presents a blameless king" (264).
  + [DC-IV]: "DC-IV (Pss 108-110) deepens the characterization of the Davidic figure" (264).
  + [DC-V]: "DC-V (Pss 138-145) has a central focus on supplication and distress and is framed by motifs of YHWH's kingship" (264).


Argument Mapn0Messianic"As a whole, the Psalter has a Messianic and eschatological telos" (264).n1Davidic covenantThe Psalter is "a reception of the Davidic covenant" (337).n1->n0n2DC-I"DC-I (Pss 1-41) focuses on Davidic rule in YHWH's house" (264).n7Davidic collections"The five Davidic Collections are carefully designed to identify, first, the establishment of a human monarch who later falls. This is then followed by the establishment of an ideal messianic Davidic king" (264).n2->n7n3DC-II"DC-II (Pss 51-71, 86) marks the fall of the Davidic king" (264).n3->n7n4DC-III"DC-III (Pss 101-103) marks a turning point in the characterization of David and presents a blameless king" (264).n4->n7n5DC-IV"DC-IV (Pss 108-110) deepens the characterization of the Davidic figure" (264).n5->n7n6DC-V"DC-V (Pss 138-145) has a central focus on supplication and distress and is framed by motifs of YHWH's kingship" (264).n6->n7n7->n0
Messianic and eschatological telos


Impact

Important Ideas

  • The importance of the Davidic covenant to the Psalter's message.
  • The Messianic/eschatological character of the Psalter's message.
  • The possibility of reading individual psalms in light of the overall message (Sitz im Psalter).
  • The necessity of a macrostructural perspective for understanding the design and logic of the Psalter.

Macrostructural proposals

Visuals taken from Ho's dissertation:

Book I

Figure 12: Gianni Barbiero’s Structure of Book I (with my modifications in Pss 35–41)

Books II-III

Figure 17: A Proposal for the Macrostructure of Books II–III

Books IV-V

Figure 27: A Proposal for the Macrostructure of Books IV–V (Pss 90–119) Figure 28: A Proposal for the Macrostructure of Books IV–V (Pss 120–150)

Consolidation of techniques

"Consolidating the various techniques and approaches to understand the organization is timely and pertinent" (332). Drawing on past work, Ho consolidates "32 organizational principles (13 formal and 19 tacit)" (35). Formal techniques are "in a particular and distinct format," whereas tacit techniques are "less distinctive... associated with motifs and themes" (35). (Techniques marked with an asterisk are those which Ho himself has either found or elaborated upon).

Formal Techniques
Formal Techniques Observations
Book Divisions Major divisions of the Psalter (Pss. 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150).
*Prologue (Pss 1-2) Identifies the leitmotifs in the Psalms and three major divisions. Provides the programmatic outlook of the entire Psalter.
Epilogue Provides closure to the metanarrative of the Psalter (Pss. 146-150).
*Symmetrical/concentric structures at different levels of composition At the highest level, the Psalter is concentrically arranged in three Sections (Books 1, II-III, and IV-V). At the lowest level, they can occur within a poetic phrase.
*Five Davidic Collections Pss 3-41, 51-70, 101-103, 108-110, 138-145. Reveals the metanarrative of the Psalter and how the Davidic covenant develops.
Elohistic/YHWH Psalter The predominant use of elohim over YHWH in Pss 42-83.
*Acrostic & Alphabetic Psalms Their locations mark leitmotifs of the Prologue, the beginning and end of the Psalter, and the seams of literary units.
*Superscriptions (with authorship attribution) Key to the structuring of the Psalter. Such as the psalms of David, Solomon, Moses, Asaph, Korah and the YHWH Malak psalms
*Historical superscriptions These are found in 13 Davidic psalms collaborating with the Metanarrative of the Davidic Collections
*Superscriptions without authorship attribution Key to the structuring of the Psalter. Formulaic phrases that begin a psalm (e.g., hallelujah, hodu in the imperative plural) as a form of special superscription, marking a unit of psalms.
*Postscript (72:20) Marks a structural point in the Metanarrative. Psalm 72:20 identifies a closure of David's kingship when seen in parallel with the Samuel narratives.
Doxological postscripts/motifs Pss 41:14; 72:18-19; 89:53; 106:48 mark the conclusion of a Book.
*Numerical Devices and Symbolism Associated with the number of words or the number of superscription type. Locate certain nexusword and help to locate the structure of the larger collective in collaboration with the Metanarrative of the Psalter.
Tacit Techniques
Tacit Techniques Observations
*Leitmotifs in the Prologue Three main motifs in the Prologue that recur throughout the Psalter: YHWH and the Davidic/Messianic kingship; Zion-temple; YHWH's Torah and Torah-fidelity.
*Central Motifs of a Group The trio-motifs of Kingship, Zion and Torah usually mark the structural center of a Group for emphasis.
Genre Motifs A generalization assigned to the literary form/content of a psalm. A series of psalms arranged as a chiasmus by their genre.
Verkettung ("chain-linking"), concatenation Lexical or certain phonological, semantic, thematic, syntactical, grammatical parallels that connect adjacent psalms (e.g., ashre in Pss 1-2; "righteous" in Pss 111-112).
*Vernetzung ("networking") Lexical or certain phonological, semantic, thematic, syntactical, grammatical parallels that connect and bind a group of psalms (e.g., YHWH Malak psalms; the motif of Zion in Pss 120-134).
*Fernverbindung ("distant-binding") Lexical or certain phonological, semantic, thematic, syntactical, grammatical parallels that connect distant psalms (e.g., "to reject" in Books II-III).
*Composite Psalms Psalms that are composed by reusing existing psalms texts. They indicate a development or re-reading of earlier psalms in a latter context in the Psalter (e.g., Pss 57, 60 in 108).
*Intertextual reading (extratextual references) Reading the Psalms against texts outside the Psalter (e.g., reading the motifs associated with the completion of the temple with the narratives in 1-2 Chronicles).
*Theological development or Metanarrative progression (Steigerung) A development of progression of a motif or concept (e.g., the concept of Zion eventually as a social-reality of peace and bliss).
*Messianic and eschatological perspective The Davidic Collections Pss 101-103 and 108-110 present a different Davidic king who is blameless, afflicted and victorious.
*Shift from individual to communal psalms More individual psalms in the earlier Books compared to later ones.
Interlocking framework One frame "interlocks" with another via the presence of one or more psalms occurring in the other collection (esp. G. Wilson).
Psalms 18-19 in Book I and Pss 18-144 These two psalms mark a decisive change in the use of certain terminologies and motifs. The motifs of deliverance and security are heightened and bounded by these two locations (Pss 18, 144) based on similar terminologies.
*Narrative and prophecy-fulfillment The place of Ps 51 and its role in the Second Davidic Collections unite a unit of text (Pss 51-66, 69).
*Pan-Psalter occurrence scheme (POS) The careful use and placement of certain words/phrases at strategic locations across the entire Psalter to make or reinforce a rhetorical point in collaboration with the Metanarrative of the Psalter.
Figurative/Metaphorical devices The use of the "rock" metaphor occurs only between Pss 18 and 144, binding the kingship psalms.
*Maqqep Counting words linked by maqqep as a single word. Affects the total word count in a psalm.
*Nexusword Nexusword identifies the word(s) at the center of a psalm by word count. Traced across the psalms, they collaborate with the macrostructural shape of the Psalter.
Alternation Alternating motifs and consecutive psalms binding a group of psalms. For instance, the use of "day" and "night" psalms in Pss 3-14 could be a response to Ps 1:2.

References