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

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8The only “missing element” is a final vow to praise Yahweh, but it is notuncommon for a true lament psalm to omit one of the five regularcomponents. 64Clifford (2002:61; cf. Christensen 2005d:7) points out that detailed analysisreveals an amazing symmetry within the psalm. 65 The first and last strophesboth contain exactly 24 words and stand in contrast to each other—in stropheA the psalmist cries out for Yahweh to hear him while in strophe D heconfidently declares that Yahweh has heard him. The second and thirdstrophes each contain 15 words. Strophes A and C both deal with the64 Kelly (1984:377) also sees Psalm 6 as containing four of the standard elements of anindividual lament, but his proposed outline—“address (vv. 1-2a), lament (vv. 2b–3, 6–7),petition (vv. 4–5), and assurance of being heard (vv. 8–10)”—violates the natural strophicdivisions and the perfect symmetry of the four strophes (see Richard 2002:61; Christensen2005d:7).65 This observation of the balanced strophic pattern strongly supports the integrity of thepsalm, which used to be doubted on the basis of the sudden change of tone between verses2-8 and 9-11. For further information regarding this debate, see Briggs and Briggs (1906),Oesterley (1937), Ridderbos (1972), Rogerson and McKay (1977) and Craigie (1998).142