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

Chapter 5: Concatenation in Psalms 3-8and morning hymns; their headings point strongly to the editors’ agendahaving to do with their formal usage. Looking at these two psalms in isolation,a strong case can be made for this as the editorial basis of arrangement.However, when the broader context of Psalms 3-6 is taken into account, thecase weakens in comparison with the case for thematic concatenation. Sincethe wider context is the topic of chapter 6, I shall discuss contextual influencesthere.Thematic links (including verbal and structural similarities) seem to provideadequate grounds for the editors to have placed Psalm 5 immediately afterPsalm 4. The psalms both portray the wicked as deceivers, sharing therelatively rare lexeme כָ‏ זָ‏ ב (31:6:2). They describe the righteous using the rootsmanner. and depict their relationship with Yahweh in a similar חסד and קדרMost significantly, the endings of the two psalms are strikingly similar,covering three themes—joy ‏,[שמח]‏ protection and relationship with Yahweh—and both endings use the key phrase י אַ‏ ָ ה יחוה ‏.כִ‏ In the entire Psalter, noother psalm’s ending is as similar to that of Psalm 4 in content and tone as theending of Psalm 5.‏,קדר)‏ These links are not as impressive as they might seem. The linking wordsand themes (e.g., deception, rejoicing, protection) are ‏(אַ‏ ָ ה יחוה and שמח ‏,חסדcommon in the Psalter. There are also some notable differences between the205