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

Chapter 4: Analysis of Psalms 3-8dependence of such small children, as Wilson (2002:202) explains: “Forchildren (and especially ‘toddlers and nursing infants’) the ‘mouth’ is thesource of nourishment. Toddlers and nursing infants are particularlydependent on others for food and protective care.” 91The portrait of human frailty is strengthened by the psalmist’s choice ofparallel terms used for humankind. He avoided both אִ‏ יש and בֶ‏ ש ‏,ּגֶ‏ terms that91 Verse 3 has been interpreted in a variety of ways. Aside from the view expressed by Wilson(2002), Maré (2006:932) summarises several other scholarly proposals as follows:Eaton (2003:81) argues that “the context suggests that these ‘babes’ are theweak and humble worshippers, whose inadequate singing of God’s glory isyet used by him to still the avenger”. Mays (1994a:66) states that it should beunderstood as hyperbole – every human sound is a response to the universalreign of God and the revelation of his majesty. Children can also beunderstood as a symbol of the weak and powerless (Müller 1988:36).Dahood holds to the view that the psalmist is so overwhelmed by God’smajesty that he can only babble like an infant (1965:49). Vos and Olivier(2002:1437) believe that the babes and children are not a metaphor for thesuffering and scorned people of God, but a reference to those who testify ofGod’s power.For the purposes of this study, there is no need to commit to a single interpretation of verse 3.Its meaning and significance can be left open.174