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

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8Whether or not it was used in morning worship in the temple we cannot sayfor certain. The fact that it celebrates Yahweh’s protection through the nightindicates that it serves the literary function of a morning prayer. In this sense,the designation “morning prayer” is definitely appropriate.4.1.4 Structural analysisThe traditional view of the structure of Psalm 3 holds that it “falls naturally intofour sections, which (with the exception of the third section) are ended by theword SELAH” (Craigie 1998:72). The fourfold strophe division sees the actionunfolding something like this:• Strophe 1: Surrounded by enemies vv. 2-3• Strophe 2: Seeking after Yahweh vv. 4-5• Strophe 3: Sustained by Yahweh vv. 6-7• Strophe 4: Saved by Yahweh vv. 8-9Due to their similarity in subject, commentators and expositors often combinestrophes 2 and 3, resulting in a standard introduction (vv. 1-2), body (vv. 3-6)and conclusion (vv. 7-8) movement within the psalm (e.g., Ross 1985; Broyles1999). The primary reason for the four-strophe arrangement is the threefolduse of סֶ‏ לָ‏ ה (“selah”) at the end of verses 3, 5 and 9, which is interpreted as amusical pause signalling a structural break.94