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

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8A. Invocation: appeal for mercy (6:2-4)B. Supplication: prayer for healing (6:5-6)C. Complaint: lament over illness (6:7-8)D. Confidence: assurance of healing (6:9-11)63 Ryken (1992:240-241) lists the standard components of an individual lament as (a) “aninvocation or introductory cry to God”, (b) “the lament or complaint”, (c) “petition orsupplication”, (d) “a statement of confidence in God” and (e) “vow to praise God”. Kelly(1984:377), who bases his description on Westermann (1981), lists the constituent elementsof an individual lament as “(1) address, with an introductory cry for help and of turning to God;(2) lament, involving three subjects; namely, God, the sufferer, and the sufferer’s foes; (3)confession of trust, often introduced by the waw adversative (“but”), in which the petitionerexpresses confidence in the Lord; (4) petition for God to take whatever action the situationmay demand; (5) declaration of assurance of being heard; and (6) vow of praise.” Rykencondenses Kelly’s “confession of trust” and “declaration of assurance” into his “statement ofconfidence in God”. The two schemes show that the constituents are stable, although theirpresence and order may fluctuate. Kelly cautions: “It should be noted that only a few of thepsalms of this type contain all of these elements. The possibilities of variation are extremelywide.”141