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

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8143:20:2, v. 2b; literally, “those who are pursuing me”), he compares them toa lion about to “tear” ‏,טָ‏ שַ‏ פ)‏ 25:4:1, v. 3a) him apart and “rip” ‏,פָ‏ שַ‏ ר)‏ 10:2:1, v. 3b;NIV) him to pieces. This image graphically depicts “the ruthlessness of theenemies and the terror experienced by the psalmist as a result of their attack”(Curtis 1997:288).In strophe 2 (vv. 4-6), the psalmist laments his innocence by calling downcurses upon himself if he be found guilty. The strophe consists of a compoundconditional sentence beginning with four protases 75 (vv. 4-5) and ending withfour apodoses (v. 6). The four protases all name sins the psalmist may befound to have committed; the four apodoses state how he should be handedover to his pursuers if found guilty of any of the sins listed in the protases.Now I shall scrutinise the terminology in both halves of the strophe.What alleged crime had aroused the hostility of the psalmist’s pursuers? Thefour conditional clauses appear to describe a single offence; their depiction ofit moves from general to specific. First he refers to it simply as “this [thing]” (v.21:3:1) ‏,ףָ‏ וֶ‏ ל)‏ “guilt” 4a). Then he mentions “guilt on my hands” (v. 4b, NIV);75 The conditional particle אִ‏ ם only occurs in the first three clauses (vv. 4-5a), but the wawcopulative וָ‏ אֲ‏ חַ‏ לְ‏ קָ‏ ה extends the conditional force to the fourth clause (v. 5b; cf. Andersen andForbes 2005).158