Abstract:
Book V of the Psalter (Pss 107-150) is an interesting collection of
psalms. After the opening Ps 107, celebrating God’s rescue of humanity
from various dangerous situations, psalms attributed to David appear
again after a virtual absence since Book II. These Davidic psalms (Pss
108-110 and 138-145) “frame” a grouping of festival psalms that are
introduced by two brief alphabetic acrostics (Pss 111 and 112).
Seemingly tucked away just after the Songs of Ascents (Pss 120-134),
and before the resumption of psalms of David, lie Psalms 135-137, two
magnificent community hymns followed by a heartfelt community
lament. This essay explores the role of these psalms in the “shape” and
“shaping” of the story of the Psalter. It will conclude that the psalms
offer a highly stylized recitation of Israel’s history that made a world for
the postexilic community, recounting Yahweh’s work in creation,
summarizing the Pentateuchal stories of the ancestors (Pss 135-136)
and providing a snapshot of exilic life in Babylon (Ps 137). Their
assurance of Yahweh’s presence and provisions allow David, in Psalms
138-145, to lead the postexilic people in blessing, praise, and thanks to
the sovereign God.
