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

Chapter 6: Composition of Psalms 3-8his house by his steadfast love and in reverence (see Ps 5:8, the epicentre ofthe chiastic pattern). The surrounding psalms might then indicate that this isGod’s call regardless of whether the worshipper is surrounded by a mightyarmy (Ps 3) or a band of deceitful politicians (Ps 4), regardless of whetherhe/she is guilty (Ps 6) or guiltless (Ps 7). While this kind of speculation makesfor interesting sermons and great devotional readings, it is difficult to judgewhat was or was not in the minds of the editors when they arranged thesepsalms.Liberal speculation of this kind is not likely to advance our understanding ofthe editors’ communicative intent. It is tempting to try to fit a series of psalmsneatly into a particular “movement” or “motif”, but I cannot but wonder whetherthe messages we “discover” in this way do not often originate more in ourinterpretive responses than in the redactors’ communicative agenda. I do notquestion an interpreter’s right to draw personal inferences from the wayhe/she perceives the significance of a particular psalm’s placement; in fact, Ithink the nature of the psalms invites readers to play an active role in“creating” their own meanings and responses from their dialogue with the text.However, to move from such personal meanings to generalisations about theeditorial purpose of a psalm or group of psalms seems to be a step fraughtwith the danger of reading our personal meanings into the editors’ intentions.My preference is for researchers investigating the editorial agenda reflected in289