Smith DTh Thesis (final).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-81998; Broyles 1999; Hughes and Laney 2001), remains uncertain. Althoughsome worshippers may well have used it this way, it does not seem to me likean ideal choice for generalised use in morning worship. 25 Psalms 4 and 5 bearmarks of being evening and morning prayers respectively. Keil and Delitsch(2002) admit to expecting to find morning and evening prayers at thebeginning of the Psalter.The two Psalms forming the prologue, which treat cognatethemes, the one ethical, from the standpoint of the ‏,חכמה and theother related to the history of redemption from the standpoint ofthe ‏,נבואה are now followed by a morning prayer; for morningand evening prayers are surely the first that one expects to findin a prayer- and hymn-book.Perhaps this expectation influenced interpreters to see it as a psalm adoptedfor use in morning worship.25 Goldingay, by contrast, feels that “the generality of its language would make it also usableby individuals within the community who were under attack from others” (2006:109) andWilcock (2001:27) can “see how this psalm could have developed from a personal prayer ofDavid’s, to a ‘royal’ psalm for a time of political crisis, then to a general prayer for protection,then to a particular psalm for morning use.”93