Botha, Philippus Jacobus2019-06-122019-06-122018Botha, P.J. 2018, 'Psalm 4 and the poor in the post-exilic province of Judah : a textual and contextual reading', Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 23-39.0259-0131http://hdl.handle.net/2263/70178This 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.enStellenbosch University, Department of Ancient Studies. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.JudahPlight of poor peopleJewsYahwehPsalm 4Humanities articles SDG-01SDG-01: No povertyArticle