English: The YHWH-m/k-psalms (Pss 47, 93, 96-99) are some of the best-known psalms
in the Old Testament. The identification in these psalms of YHWH I God with the
word mlk (King) (Pss 47:3, 7-9; 93:1; 96:1 O; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1, 4), as well as the
common terminology, themes, images and ideological ideas confirm the strong
link that exists among these psalms.
Since the publication of Mowinckel's Enthronement hypothesis (which he
suggested as the background for the understanding of the YHWH-m/k-psalms) in
1922, the YHWH-m/k-psalms were the subject of a lot of research. Many other
backgrounds for the understanding of these psalms have been suggested.
Despite the great amount of research done on the YHWH-m/k-psalms, there is
still no consensus on how these psalms should be interpreted.
The YHWH-m/k-psalms show various monotheistic characteristics of which the
YHWH-m/k-reference (Pss 47:3; 93:1; 96:10; 98:6; 99:1, 4) forms only one
example. The monotheistic nature of the YHWH-m/k-psalms is the reason why
the psalms in this study were studied against the background of the development
of monotheism in Israel. The Old Testament gives the impression that from very early on monotheism was
part of the religious thinking of Israel and that Israel's monotheistic thinking was
unique within the polytheistic religious thinking of the Old Near Eastern nations.
. '
Old Testament research of the past 30 years showed that a lot of the facts in the
Old Testament were not accurate. In his book In Search of History:
Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History (1983) Van
Seters pointed out that the character and nature of history writing in the Old
Testament was totally different from the way we think about history today. The
Old Testament writers used history to explain the situation in which they were
finding themselves. The Old Testament writers sometimes fabricated events to
explain their situation better. Their version of history is therefore not an exact
version of how things happened in the past. In his book Van Seters (1983) also
indicated that the Babylonian exile was an important stimulus for the writing of
material in the Old Testament. Most of the texts in the Old Testament were
written after the Babylonian exile to put the exile in perspective and to explain it.
Van Seters also indicated that Old Testament texts should be dated much later
than originally thought.
Research on monotheism over the past 30 years has shown that Israel was
initially polytheistic. Like the surrounding nations the Israelites worshipped their
own family gods. YHWH was probably the family god of one of the leaders of
Israel. With the founding of the state, the king ensured that YHWH became the
main god of the state. The position of the king and the finances of the state made
the formation of a YHWH cult with its own priests possible. The rest of the
population saw YHWH as just another god and continued with the worshipping of
their family gods.
From 1000 BC a general development in the direction of monotheism took place
throughout the Ancient Near East. Gradually one god became more important
than the other gods. The most important god (the king of the gods) with time took
on the characteristics of the other gods and became more and more important. The Babylonian exile played an important role in Israel accepting YHWH as their
only god. Away from their country, their family land and the graves of their
ancestors, the Israelite people in exile started to break the bond with their family
gods. They turned more and more to a god ( YHWH) that was not bound to a
specific place. In the exile the people of Israel integrated with the people of the
foreign country. This paved the way for universalism. YHWH is not only the God
of Israel anymore - He became the God of everyone, also the nations.
The monotheistic-universalistic character is an indication of an exilic or post-exilic
origin of the YHWH-mlk-psalms. The themes of happiness, salvation and triumph
over the chaos in the YHWH-mlk-psalms are indications of a post-exilic origin of
the YHWH-mlk-psalms. YHWH is being praised in the YHWH-mlk-psalms
because He ended the exile.
There are many similarities between the YHWH-mlk-psalms and the post-exilic
book of Deutero-lsaiah ( cf Pss 4 7:7, 8-9; 93: 1; 96: 1 0; 97: 1; 98:6; 99: 1 - Is 52:7;
Ps 93:1 - Is 40:12; Ps 93:2 - Is 44:8; 45:21; 48:3, 5; Ps 93:3-4 - Is 51 :9; Ps 96:1
- Is 42:10; Ps 96:2 - Is 52:7, 10; Ps 96:3 - Is 42:12; Ps 96:4 - Is 45:21; 46:9; Ps
96:5 - Is 40:28; Ps 96:7 - Is 42:12; Ps 96:8 - Is 42:12; Ps 96:10 - Is 40:12, 20;
Ps 96:11 - Is 42:10; 44:23; 49:13; Ps 96:12 - Is 44:23; 55:12; Ps 96:13 - Is 40:10;
51 :5; Ps 97: 1 - Is 42: 10, 12; 49: 13; 52:7; Ps 97:3 - Is 42:25; Ps 97:6 - Is 40:5;
Ps 97:7 - Is 42:17; 45:16, 21; 46:9; Ps 97:9 - Is 45:21; 46:9; Ps 98:1 - Is 42:1 0;
52: 1 0; 53: 1; Ps 98:2 - Is 52: 1 0; Ps 98:3 - Is 40:5; 45:22; 52: 1 0; Ps 98:4 - Is
49:13; 52:9; Ps 98:5 - Is 51 :3; Ps 98: 6 - Is 44:23; Ps 98:7 - Is 42:1 0; Ps 98:8 -
Is 44:23, 49:13; 55:12; Ps 98:9 - Is 51 :5). The similarities prove that the YHWHmlk-
psalms and Deutero-lsaiah originated in more or less the same time.
Afrikaans: Die JHWH-mlk-psalms (Pss 47, 93, 96-99) is van die mees bekende psalms in
die psalmbundel. Die identifisering van JHWH I God met die woord mlk (Koning)
(vgl Pss 47:3, 7-9; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1, 4) en die gemeenskaplike
terminologie, temas, beelde en ideologiese vertrekpunte in hierdie psalms,
bevestig die hegte onderlinge band wat tussen hierdie psalms bestaan.
Sedert die publisering van Mowinckel (1922) se troonsbestygingshipotese (wat
hy as agtergrond vir die verstaan van die JHWH-mlk-psalms voorgestel het), was
die JHWH-mlk-psalms die onderwerp van vele navorsing. Verskeie ander
agtergronde en metodes vir die verstaan van hierdie psalms is voorgestel. Ten
spyte van die groat hoeveelheid navorsing wat reeds oor die JHWH-m/k-psalms
onderneem is, bestaan daar steeds nie eenstemmigheid oor hoe hierdie psalms
verklaar moet word nie.
Die JHWH-mlk-psalms toon verskeie monote·istiese eienskappe waarvan die
JHWH-m/k-verwysing (vgl Pss 47:3; 93:1; 96:10; 98:6; 99:1, 4) maar een
voorbeeld is. Die monote"istiese aard van die JHWH-mlk-psalms is die motivering waarom die psalms in hierdie studie teen die agtergrond van die ontwikkeling van
monote"isme in Israel bestudeer word.
Die Ou Testament skep die indruk dat monote"isme baie vroeg reeds deel van die
lsraelitiese godsdiensbeskouing was en dat Israel se monote·istiese
godsbeskouing uniek midde die polite"istiese godsdiensbeskouing van die Ou
Nabye Oosterse volke was. Die resultate van die afgelope 30 jaar se Ou
Testamentnavorsing toon aan dat heelwat van die feite in die Ou Testament nie
"histories" korrek is nie. Van Seters (1983) toon in sy boek In Search of History:
Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History aan dat die
karakter en aard van Ou Testamentiese geskiedskrywing totaal verskillend is van
hoe daar vandag oor geskiedskrywing gedink word. Die Bybelskrywers het
geskiedenis gebruik om die destydse situasie waarin hulle hulleself in bevind het,
te verklaar. Hulle het soms gebeure gefabriseer om die situasie waarin hulleself
in bevind het beter te verduidelik. Hulle weergawe van geskiedenis was dus nie 'n
presiese weergawe van hoe dinge in die verlede gebeur het nie. Van Seters het
ook aangetoon dat die Babiloniese ballingskap 'n belangrike stimulus vir die skryf
van die materiaal van die Ou Testament was. Die meeste tekste in die Ou
Testament is na afloop van die Babiloniese ballingskap geskryf om die
ballingskapgebeure in perspektief te plaas en te verduidelik. Van Seters toon ook
aan dat Ou Testamenttekste heelwat later as wat aanvanklik gemeen is,
gedateer moet word.
Die afgelope 30 jaar se navorsing oor monote·isme het aangetoon dat Israel
aanvanklik ook polite·isties was. Soos die omringende nasies het die lsraeliete
ook hulle eie familiegode aanbid. JHWH was waarskynlik een van Israel se leiers
se familiegod gewees. Met die vorming van die staat het die koning van die staat
gesorg dat sy familiegod (JHWH) die hoofgod van die staat word. Die status van
die koning en die finansies van die staat het die ontstaan van 'n JHWH-kultus met
eie priesters moontlik gemaak. JHWH is deur die res van die bevolking as net nog 'n god beskou terwyl hulle met die verering van hulle eie familiegode
voortgegaan het.
Vanaf die 1 Ode eeu vC het daar dwarsdeur die Ou Nabye Ooste 'n ontwikkeling
in die rigting van monote·isme plaasgevind. Geleidelik het een god belangriker as
die ander gode geword. Die belangrikste god (die koning van die gode) het die
eienskappe van die ander gode begin oorneem en daardeur al hoe belangriker
geword.
Die Babiloniese ballingskap het 'n groat rol in Israel se aanvaarding van JHWH
as enigste god gespeel. Weg van hulle land, hulle familiegrond en die grafte van
hulle voorouers het die ballinge die band met die familiegode begin verbreek.
Hulle wend hulle al hoe meer tot 'n god (JHWH) wat nie aan 'n plaaslike plek
gebonde was nie. Gedurende die ballingskap assimileer die ballinge met die
inwoners van die land. Hierdie toedrag van sake lei tot universalisme en Israel
begin om JHWH met die ander nasies te deel. JHWH is nie net meer die god van
Israel nie, maar word die god van die hele wereld (ingesluit die verskillende
nasies).
Die monoteYsties-universalistiese karakter en die inhoudelike tekens van
blydskap, redding en oorwinning oor die chaos in die JHWH-mlk-psalms,
veronderstel 'n post-eksiliese ontstaansdatum van die JHWH-mlk-psalms. JHWH
word in die JHWH-mlk-psalms geprys omdat Hy die ballingskap beeindig het.
