God Is No Mans Debtor (128:16)

Bibliography
Kuntz, J. K. The Canonical Wisdom Psalms of Ancient Israel. Rhetorical Criticism. Essays in
Honor of J. Mullenburg, ed. J. J. Jackson and M. Kessler. Pittsburh! Pick"ick Press, #$%&.
'''. The (etribution Motif in Psalmic Wisdom. ZAW )$ *#$%%+ ,,-.--. mvm_cmm_
Macarismes et /saumes de conratulation. RB %0 *#$1)+ -,#.1%. Schmidt, H. 2r3sse und
2l3ck"3nsche im Psalter. TS #4- *#$-#+ #&#.04.
ranslation
#
5ne of the /rocessional sons.
Ho! fortunate is e"eryone !ho re"eres #ah!eh$
!ho !al%s in his !ays& *-6,+
,
#ou !ill certainly eat !hat your toiling han's (ro'uce.
Ho! fortunate you are& #ou !ill get on !ell. *-6,+
-
#our !ife !ill be li%e a fruitful "ine
insi'e your house. *-6,+
#our sons !ill be li%e oli"e shoots
aroun' your table.*-6,+
&
Ta%e note$ this is ho! a man is blesse'
!ho fears #ah!eh. *-6,+
0
May #ah!eh bless you from Zion *-+
so that you see Jerusalem faring !ell
all your life long$ *-6,+
1
so that you see your gran'sons.
May (eace rest u(on )srael. *-6,+
Notes!"o##ents
#.a. 7ee the note on #,4!#.
#.b. 7ee the note on ##,!#.
,.a. 8eb. yk-.a. J. K. Kunt9 *ZAW )$ :#$%%; ,,)+ has defined the /ers/ecti<e of the
retribution motif of the /salm as traditional, as in Pss #, -,, -%, in contrast "ith the realistic
as/ect of Pss -&, ##, and the futuristic one of Pss &$, %-.
&.a. 7ee the note on #,%!- *The follo"in yk
in MT is /roblematic. M. =ahood **salms ))), ,,$+ claims for it an e>clamator?, force
ho". It ma? be a /artial dittora/h of k
thus *8.@J. Kraus, *salmen, #4&#+! cf. the e<idence for its absence noted in BHS. =id
it oriinate in a marinal <ariant of k
in #,%!, *cf. note ,
c
in BHS there+, mis/laced due to the /ro>imit? of k
and hnh
in both #,%!,.- and #,)!&A
&.b. Blessin, here mediated throuh the sanctuar?, is manifested in IsraelCs /h?sical
e>istence, in food and clothin, in the social and economic maintenance of the societ? in
"hich the? li<e, and in the continuance of life from one eneration to the ne>t *C.
Westermann, What +oes the 5T Say about ,o'-, &&+.
&.c. =ahood **salms ))), ,,$+ scans as -6-, re/ointin MT rb,G:
as rb,G
. BHS reards as a tricolon, e<identl? ,6,6,.
0.a. A. A. Anderson **salms, )1$+ scans < 0 as a tricolon -6-6, *similarl? J.
7childenberer, Estu'ios Eclesi.sticos -& :#$14; 1)&+, but structurall? the t"o latter cola
must rank as a bicolon as a match for < 1 *see DormE7tructureE7ettin+. It is /ossible that a
short line consistin of a sinle colon is intended *cf. 2. Dohrer, Fber den Kur9<ers,
ZAW 11 :#$0&; #$$.,-1+. It is often su//osed that a second colon has fallen out *e.. BH,
Kraus, *salmen, #4&#G cf. BHS+! attem/ts to restore it include wdq wqm
his hol? /lace *K. Budde, ZAW -0 :#$#0; #%&+ and raw ym h[
maker of hea<en and earth *7. Mo"inckel, Tricola, )0+. K. 7e?bold *Wallfahrts/
(salmen, --+ reards the four "ords lwry
H wyxm
from Iion H Jerusalem as a redactional e>/ansion, but deletion "ould "reck the
careful orderin of the /salm as a "hole. The cola of << 0.1 are sometimes Juled so that
< 0aa ains a /arallel colon and < 1b lies outside the metrical scheme, as at #,0!0b! e.. K.
J. Kissane **salms )), ,1,+ ado/ted the seLuence << 0aa, 0b, 1a, 0ab, 1b.
0.b. The combination of o and im/erati<e here e>/resses conseLuence *,C M ##4f, i+.
1.a. Dor this formula see the note on #,0!0. 8ere it a//arentl? functions as an interal
/art of the /oem *Anderson, *salms, )%#+.
$or#!%tr&'t&re!%etting
Psalm #,) is enerall? classified as a "isdom /salm. Kunt9 *Canonical Wisdom
Psalms, #$4.,#0+ has obser<ed that it contains t"o rhetorical motifs out of a total of se<en
in "isdom /salmod? *the yra
fortunate formula and the simile+, t"o s/ecific "isdom "ords *yra
and rd
"a?G cf. ary
fearer akin to hary
fear+ and t"o thematic elements out of a /ossible four *the fear of Nah"eh and
counsel concernin e<er?da? conduct, here concernin a lare famil? as recom/ense for
de<otion+. 8e further notes the uniLue /attern of de<elo/ment, "hereb? the third /erson
utterance commendin the fear of Nah"eh /asses into a second /erson enumeration of the
re"ards accruin, and then re<erts to a third /erson reinforcin comment *<< #.&G
Canonical Wisdom Psalms, ,#%+. Kunt9Cs obser<ations all a//l? to the first four <erses!
the /salm takes a com/le> turn in << 0.1, "hich ha<e the form of a /riestl? benediction.
8a<e the "isdom elements been taken o<er into a com/osition intended for cultic use or, on
the contrar?, has cultic lanuae been re@used in a non@cultic conte>t of "isdom teachinA
The latter e>/lanation is ad<ocated b? J. Becker *,ottesfurcht im AT, ,%0.%1G cf. 2.
Dohrer. )ntro'uction, ,$,+, the former b? C. Keller *Oes beatitudes de lCAT, in Ma001l
sh201'h :Mont/elier! Causse 2raille Castelnau, #$14; $-.$&G cf. (. K. Mur/h?, Wisdom
Psalms, #1#, #1%+. J. 8. Katon **salms, ,)%, cf. Anderson, *salms, )1$+ has noted that the
fertilit? theme "ould suit the autumn festi<al.
8. 7chmidt *TS #4- :#$-#; #&,+ assined the /salm to a /recise secular settin, the
"elcome i<en to a host at the door of his house. 5n the other hand, K. _ooq:xo *RB
%0 :#$1); -&%.&)+, hel/ed b? his <ie" that the yra
formula "as oriinall? cultic *but see O. 2. Perdue, Wis'om an' Cult, -,) note ,-+,
has described the /salmCs settin as totall? cultic, thouh com/osite. P< #.- are ritual
felicitations "elcomin the faithful on their arri<al at the sanctuar?, "hile << 0.1 are a
benediction introduced b? a rubric *< &G cf. Qum 1!,-+. 7ince both /arts "ere used at the
same ser<ice, the? "ere inscribed on a sinle sheet as an aide@memoire for the officiatin
/riest.
Kraus, ibid., has raised the /ossibilit? that the /riestl? benediction of << 0.1 in<ol<ed a
different s/eaker from << #.&. 7e?bold *Wallfahrts(salmen, 00+ lea<es o/en the suestion
that the /salm "as a /riestl? blessin u/on de/artin /ilrims.
7tructurall? < & a//ears to belon "ith << 0.1 *see belo"+, "hile k
thus (ace _ooq:xo refers back to the /recedin <erses. The /attern of ideal
third /erson s/eech *< &+ follo"ed b? s/ecific second /erson lanuae *<< 0.1+ accords
"ith << #, ,.-. P< 0.1 are not a standard /riestl? benediction, but after < & /ossess a
h?/othetical <alue "ith the im/licit /romise! If ?ou fulfil this condition, ?ou "ill recei<e
such a blessin or, more likel?, Ma? ?ou fall into this cateor? so that ?ou are blessed.
8o"e<er, the references to Iion and Jerusalem, if /art of the basic te>t (ace 7e?bold, seem
too s/ecific to /ermit a totall? desacrali9ed inter/retation. Accordinl?, one should
en<isae a less formal use of the benediction in the course of a tem/le festi<al, in a settin
of /riestl? instruction or e<en non@/riestl? instruction amon /ilrims. Qote "orth? is A.
WeiserCs descri/tion of the /salm **salms, %1%+ as a /arenetic e>eesis of some sort,
de<elo/ed out of the /ractice of /ronouncin blessin and used in communit? "orshi/.
Was the /salm com/osed s/ecificall? for use as a /rocessional son, rather than bein used
secondaril? for this /ur/ose, as most of the /salms in the collection "ereA The inclusion of
< 1b "ithin the /oem, in contrast to #,0!0, su//orts this h?/othesis. It is sinificant that
/romise of blessin is contained in a /rocessional conte>t in Ps ,& *< 0+.
A number of scholars di<ide the /salm after < & *e.. Weiser, *salms, %1%G Katon,
*salms, ,)%G Kraus, *salmen, #4&#.&,G cf. =ahood, *salms ))), ,,$, "ho describes
hwhy ary
fearer of Nah"ehas formin an inclusion "ith < #+. (ather, the break must come
after < -, as its detailed st?listic /atternin re<eals. The /hrase hwhy ady
heralds the beinnin of se/arate stro/hes. The doubled beatitude *
+yda
*?ou are+ fortunate in << #., is matched b? the doubled term of benediction dby
, kdby
blessed in << &.0, in both cases in<ol<in a chane from third to second /erson. The
/air of lines in < -, e>hibitin e>ternal /arallelism *k
, k
like+, corres/onds to the /air << 0ab.b 1, "hich both bein "ith hadw
and see and are linked b? chiastic order *the "ord /la? lwdy
Jerusalem and wl
/eace, wl
and bwf
ood :cf. #,,!).$; and reliious center and communit? in << 0ab, 1a, and the second
/erson references in < 0b, 1b+G moreo<er, ynb
?our sons in < -b is ca//ed b? ynbl ynb
?our randsons in < 1. 5ther corres/ondences bet"een the stro/hes are bwf
ood in << ,, 0, lk
all in << #, 0, and yk
in << ,, &, if it is oriinal in the latter case. 8eb. had
see in << 0.1 i<es an inclusi<e "ord/la? "ith ady
fearer at the head of both the /salm as a "hole and the second stro/he. 7e?boldCs
deletion of < # as a enerali9in e>/ression of << ,, - *Wallfahrts (salmen, --, 1,+ and /art
of < 0 *see QotesEComments, note 0.a as redactional additions lea<es the /salm st?listicall?
im@/o<erished. The careful structurin of the /resent /salm has a rin of creati<e artistr?
about it. It is difficult to belie<e that it "as the "ork of a redactor "hose /rofessed interests
"ere theoloical in nature.
The /salm is enerall? rearded as /ost@e>ilic. The incor/oration of the wl
formula of < 1b into the /oem and /robabl? the mi>ed form of the /salm su//ort this
<ie". In the collection it is a com/anion /iece to Ps #,%, "ith its common interest in the
famil? and hard@"on har<est *cf. Jerusalem, #,)!0. the cit?, #,%!#G yra
, #,%!# and #,)!#G hnh
, #,%!- and #,)!&+, althouh this /salm is less /rofound in outlook than the /re<ious
one.
()planation
8ere is traditional "isdom teachin, /resented e<identl? in the conte>t of a reliious
festi<al at Jerusalem. Before the /ilrims or a re/resentati<e member of their ranks is set
the ideal of a life dedicated to 2od in re<erent obedience to his moral "ill. The beatitude
form, "hich has a "ide@e?ed, ?earnin Lualit? *cf. # Ks #4!)+, is used to commend such a
life st?le.
Oike an? ood teacher and /reacher, the /salmist mo<es Luickl? from the eneral to the
/articular and indi<idual! This ood fortune ma? be ?ours in s/ecific terms. The nature of
the ood fortune continent u/on a reliiousl? moti<ated life is elaborated as achie<ement
in the basics of life, "hich are understood as ood har<ests and a lare famil? of sons.
Banished is the futilit? "hich riml? /er<aded the first half of Ps #,%. Dertilit?, material
and /h?sical, is /romised as an incenti<e to obe?. It is the dream of an? /rimiti<e societ?
strulin for sur<i<al, close to the bread line and <ictim of barrenness and berea<ement.
The botanical similes fill out the /romise "ith emoti<e content. The <ine and oli<e tree,
sources of the sta/le /roducts of Palestine alon "ith cereal cro/s, brouht enrichment to
dail? life and made it "orth li<in *cf. #4&!#0+. The /ictures of Jo? and fertilit? conJured u/
b? the ra/e@laden <ine *cf. K9ek #$!#4+ and the suckers s/rinin u/ round the old oli<e
tree ser<ed to /reach as /o"erful a messae to the mind as an? tele<ision commercial
communicates to the e?e.
The di<ine oriin of such fortune is no" s/elled out, in terms of blessin. Blessin is
the laresse of life in abundance from the enerous hand of Nah"eh himself. 8e is no
manCs debtor! trustin obedience is not o<erlooked. Primaril? blessin is a cultic term! the
sanctuar? "as the medium of its besto"al. At the close of the festi<al the /riest "ould send
the /ilrims back to their homes and labors "ith a benediction from Nah"eh *cf. Qum
1!,-.,%G Ps #,#+, but its fulfillment de/ended u/on each /ilrimCs attitude of heart and life
to his 2od. The ho/e is e>/ressed in < 0 that the indi<idual /ilrim ma? be found fit to
recei<e the eneral /romise of blessin as a realit? in his o"n e>/erience.
=ear to the /ilrim "as the "elfare of Jerusalem'in addition to his o"n "elfare *< ,+
'since "ithin its "alls la? the tem/le *cf. #,,!1.$+. 7eason b? season the /ilrim "ould
return to this earthl? link "ith Nah"eh, to "orshi/ and to recei<e fresh benediction u/on
himself, his "ork and his home. 5nl? if the hol? cit? sur<i<ed and /ros/ered, could he
continue to e>/erience this blessin. 8e "as conscious of an essential bond bet"een his
/ersonal life and this focal /oint of the reliious communit?. Drom the /ri<ate concerns of
the first half, the /salm has mo<ed be?ond "hat miht ha<e seemed a little bo>es
mentalit? to an e>/ression of communal solidarit? relatin to the s/iritual center of the
nation.
P 1a manifests a further e>/ansion of interest. It e>/resses not onl? a "ish for lon life,
but a ho/e for the future of the famil? and so of the communit? at lare, as the closin "ish
makes clear. Dor the communit? not onl? "as the "elfare of its reliious ca/ital necessar?,
but also an unbroken human chain, eneration after eneration. 5nl? thus, from father to
son to randson, "ould Israel li<e on, the co<enant nation committed to "orshi/ and
obe? its Oord, the chosen /eo/le /ri<ileed to enJo? his blessin.
The sim/le /hiloso/h? of the /salm, thouh /resented in seeminl? absolute terms,
recei<es Lualification e<en in the 5T and certainl? in the QT *cf. JobG 8ab -!#%.#)G (om
)!-0.-$+. But for man? it must ha<e /ro<ed a ood "orkin /rinci/le of lifeG such
cateorical /romises of material endo"ment are not absent from the QT *Matt 1!--G , Cor
$!1.#,G cf. Phil &!#$+, des/ite a shift to a less earthl? em/hasis. It is of a /iece "ith the
essence of 5T theolo?, "hich /roclaimed the trianular relationshi/ of Nah"eh, Israel and
the land, and stressed the so<erein beneficence of Nah"eh in rantin and maintainin his
/eo/leCs life in the land. Whate<er Lualifications this black and "hite re/resentation
reLuired and recei<ed, u/on those "ho did enJo? "hat the? "ere tauht to reard as
Nah"ehCs onoin care there e<er remained the onus to brin their firstfruits to the
sanctuar?G here the? "ere to redeem their firstborn in "orshi/ful thanksi<in and "ith
declaration of continued reliance u/on Nah"eh and conformit? to his "ill *cf. =eut ,1!#.
#0+.
he *esilien'e o+
#
#Allen, Oeslie C., Wor' Biblical Commentary$ 3olume 456 *salms 575/587, *=allas, Te>as!
Word Books, Publisher+ #$$).