April 24, 2004

Psalm 5: Literary Context (2)

In my previous entry on Psalm 5, I noted the common themes surrounded morning and evening in the set of laments in Psalms 3-7. I also suggested that we read Psalm 8 as a hymn of praise in response to God's faithfulness to answer the prayers of the laments in Psalms 3-7. These groanings of David are not merely individual, they are connected to the groanings of all creation for redemption (Romans 8:18ff), since the throne of David represents the throne of (new) Adam.

I then asked the question whether or not we are warranted to further this connection between David and Adam by noting that there are 5 laments preceeding Psalm 8, just as there are 5 days preceeding the creation of man in Gen 1.

Here now is further evidence connecting David's prayers (Psalms 3-9) to the creation account at the beginning of the Torah:

  1. Note that there are a total of 7 psalms with superscripts (Psalms 3-9), bracketed by psalms without superscripts (Psalms 1-2 & 10), just as there are 7 days of creation.
  2. As we had already noted, there are an unusual number of references alluding to morning and evening in this set of laments (esp. psalms 3-6).
  3. Like day 6, Psalm 8 focuses upon God's exaltation of man over the earth, and like day 7 (the Sabbath), Psalm 9 focuses upon the exaltation and kingship of God upon his throne.
  4. Remember also, that the Psalter as a whole is divided into 5 books, just as there are 5 books of Torah, beginning with Genesis.

As I had noted in my previous entry, the superscripts unite psalms 3-7 in a chiastic pattern (A-B-C-B-A). but the superscripts of Psalms 8 & 9 are also similar to each other:

  1. (8.1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
  2. (9.1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MUTH-LABBEN. A PSALM OF DAVID.

Thus psalms 8-9 as hymns of praise, are set apart as a doublet from the psalms of laments (3-7), as days 6 & days 7 are set apart in God's creation account in Gen 1 & 2.

Can you think of any other connections?

Posted by Eric Pyle at April 24, 2004 1:44 PM