the composition of the book of psalms - Protestantse Theologische ...

FIVE BOOKS OF PSALMS? 679Do the doxologies occur at the end of collections of psalms? In thecase of the doxologies of Psalms 41 and 72 this is particularly likely.Psalm 41 is the last of a long series of psalms that the superscriptionsascribe to David. The first of these psalms is Psalm 3 7 . After Psalm 41we find another series of psalms, ascribed to the sons of Korah. Thisshort collection finishes with Psalm 49. In the case of the doxology atthe end of Psalm 72 it is made quite clear that it denotes the end of aכלו תפלות דוד בן ישי collection of psalms. It is followed by the colophon“The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended”. The fact that thecolophon follows the doxology suggests that the doxology was added atan earlier stage, or possibly at the same stage as the colophon. It wascertainly not added later than the colophon. This may imply that originallythe doxology was not the conclusion of the so-called second bookof psalms, but only of the second collection of psalms of David (Psalms51–65, 68–70 and some attached psalms not ascribed to David) 8 .It is more debatable whether the doxology at the end of Psalm 106marks the end of a collection of psalms. The correspondences with theother doxologies are conspicuous, especially with 41,14. Therefore,many scholars assume that the doxology at the end of Psalm 106 doesmark the end of a book of psalms 9 . However, the correspondence withthe other doxologies is the main argument in favour of this view. Theadditional reasons to regard Psalm 106 as the last psalm of a collectionof psalms are much more dubious. Both Psalm 106 and Psalm 107 beginas follows: הודו ליהוה כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו “Give thanks to YHWH, forhe is good; yes, his steadfast love endures for ever” (cf. also 105,1). It isclear that 107,3 refers back to the prayer in 106,46 10 , and there are additionalreasons to see Psalms 106 and 107 as psalms belonging to onecollection 11 .III. THE DOXOLOGIES IN THE OLDEST MANUSCRIPTSIt is remarkable that in all the oldest manuscripts, the textual layoutsuggests that the four doxologies are part of the psalm. The doxologies7. Only in the case of Psalm 33 a superscription is missing.8. See GESE, Die Entstehung der Büchereinteilung (n. 4), p. 59. Comparable colophonsare found in Job 31,40 and Jer 51,64.9. See L.C. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150 (WBC, 21), Waco, TX, Word Books, 1983, p.50: “V 48 is unrelated to the psalm: it forms a closing doxology to the fourth book of thePsalter”. See also the literature mentioned in note 3.10. See DAY, Psalms (n. 1), p. 112.11. See the article by E. ZENGER in the present volume.