Psalm 4 and the poor in the post-exilic province of Judah : a textual and contextual reading

Abstract

This paper reviews the interpretation of Ps 4 as a psalm which addresses the plight of poor people in post-exilic Judah as it was proposed by Erich Zenger and recently confirmed by Johannes Bremer. Psalms 1-3 are taken seriously as literary context and, in view of its connections with the preceding psalms, Ps 4 is explained as reflecting a divided post-exilic society in which irreverent Jews probably questioned and ridiculed the dedication to Torah by a minority of faithful of whom some probably also suffered deprivation. It is argued that the editors of the Psalms sought to exhort members of the in-group to hold on to their faith in Yahweh, their only source of true safety and blessing.