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

Chapter 2: History of Psalms Studiesthat Psalms 1-2 together form a programmatic editorial introduction to thePsalter. 11 Later studies, most notably by Miller (1993), Zenger (1993), Cole(2002; 2005) and Botha (2005a), corroborated this view, which has now beenwidely accepted by scholars. Botha conducted an in-depth analysis ofideological links between Psalms 1 and 2. On the basis of six importantideological links he discovered, 12 Botha concluded that “Psalm 1 was seen tobe compatible with Psalm 2 because it displays the same ideal of honourableexistence within a theocratic society, based on dedication to Yahweh’sdecrees and his promises of intervention to establish justice” (p. 202).11 Recently, Botha (2005b) has argued that Psalm 1 may originally have been added as anintroduction to Books I-III rather than to the whole Psalter. He disputes that the reference totorah in Psalm 1:2 should be taken to mean “that ‘the Torah of Yahweh’ . . . would now beunderstood to include the Psalter itself” (p. 503), as is now widely held amongst psalmsscholars.12 The six links are as follows: (a) the pious believer in Ps 1 parallels the anointed of the Lordin Ps 2; (b) the mockers and scoffers of Ps 1 parallel the rebel kings of Ps 2; (c) delighting inthe torah in Ps 1 parallels drawing strength of the Lord’s decree in Ps 2; (d) the stability of thefruitful tree (person) in Ps 1 is echoed in Ps 2 by the anointed king who is assured thatYahweh has established his rule; (e) the wicked are scattered in Ps 1, whereas they aredashed to pieces in Ps 2; and (f) those who dissociate themselves from the wicked (Ps 1) andassociate themselves with the Lord’s anointed (Ps 2) will be blessed.53