Creation, Destruction, and a Psalmist's Plea: Rethinking the Poetic Structure of Psalm 74

This article proposes a tripartite structure of Psalm 74. The proposal is based on various lexical and syntactic features of the psalmist's lament and sheds light on both the interpretation of the psalm as a whole and the interpretation of verses 12-17 in particular. It argues that these verses...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Greene, Nathaniel E. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Scholar's Press [2017]
In: Journal of Biblical literature
Year: 2017, Volume: 136, Issue: 1, Pages: 85-101
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bible. Psalmen 74 / Ugarit / Cuneiform text / Baal, God / Theomachie / Mythology
IxTheo Classification:BC Ancient Orient; religion
HB Old Testament
TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
Further subjects:B Theology
B Canaanite Mythology
B Middle Eastern literature
B Bible. Psalms
B Bible Criticism, interpretation, etc
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article proposes a tripartite structure of Psalm 74. The proposal is based on various lexical and syntactic features of the psalmist's lament and sheds light on both the interpretation of the psalm as a whole and the interpretation of verses 12-17 in particular. It argues that these verses were interpolated to express a particular cosmogonic temple theology. When the psalm is viewed alongside comparable ancient Near Eastern literature from loci such as Ugarit, potential motives for this interpolation become evident. The interpolator sought to sharpen the petition to God by drawing on older, Canaanite mythology in hopes that such rhetorical maneuvers might occasion an acceptable solution to the psalmist's lament.
ISSN:1934-3876
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.15699/jbl.1361.2017.156672