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

Chapter 6: Composition of Psalms 3-8this category, they set about sorting them based on hook words/themes,trying to ensure that each one linked naturally with the psalm before and afterit. 145In this way, the editors created an opening collection to the Psalter thatcoheres loosely around themes related to the psalmists’ conflicts with theirenemies. At the same time, each psalm has verbal and thematic hooks linkingit to the one before and the one after it.145 The presence of psalms with prominent references to enemies in other parts of the Psalterdoes not undermine this hypothesis because (a) various collections may have been made atdifferent times by different compilers and (b) the editors may have categorised these psalmson the basis of other themes (e.g., Ps 97 contains a reference to “his foes” שָ‏ יו]‏ ‏,[קָ‏ but wasclearly grouped with the other kingship of Yahweh psalms because of the many themes itshares with Pss 95-99; cf. Howard 1997).294