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

Chapter 5: Concatenation in Psalms 3-8Book I and 12 in the Psalter, meaning the probability of it occurring inconsecutive psalms by chance is 1 in 82 for Book I and 1 in 169 for thePsalter. The second is (6:4), וְ‏ אַ‏ ָ יהוה 111 which echoes כִ‏ י־אַ‏ ָ ה יחוה (5:13; cf. 3:4and 4:9). Although not a shared lexeme, the use of the homonyms שושְ‏ שָ‏ י in 5:9and קושְ‏ שָ‏ י in 6:8, both in the sense of “my enemies”, deserves to be notedsince קשש appears to be a key link word for Psalms 6-8.5.3.2 Other linksHistorical links. There are no historical links between Psalms 5 and 6. Notonly is nothing concrete known about the occasion on which they werewritten, but the implied circumstances of the author were very different inPsalm 6 from Psalm 5. In Psalm 5 the author seems assured of his favourablestanding before Yahweh, but the writer of Psalm 6 attributes his anguish tothe Lord’s discipline.Functional links. The two psalm headings are strikingly similar. As was thecase with Psalm 4, both psalms belonged to the music director’s collectionThus there is a ‏.(מִ‏ זְ‏ מוש לְ‏ דָ‏ וִ‏ ד)‏ David” and both were labelled “a psalm of ‏(לַ‏ מְ‏ נַ‏ ֵ ַ (111 In the Masoretic Text, the Ketiv reading is אַ‏ ָ יחוה ‏,וְ‏ but the Qere reading is the lengthened‏.וְ‏ אַ‏ ָ ה יחוה form208