From Thanksgiving to Lament: The Shape of Psalm 120
Psalm 120 does not follow the usual form-critical view of the lament. Instead of moving from lament to praise, this psalm begins with thanksgiving and ends with lament. To make sense of Psalm 120, some scholars emphasize the thanksgiving part (v. 1) while viewing the lament (vv. 2-7) as a past recol...
| Published in: | Vetus Testamentum |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
[2020]
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| In: |
Vetus Testamentum
Year: 2020, Volume: 70, Issue: 3, Pages: 479-497 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Psalmen 120
/ Textual structure
/ Thanks
/ Lament
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
individual lament
B Form Criticism B certainty of a hearing B Thanksgiving to lament B Thanksgiving psalm B Songs of Ascents |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Psalm 120 does not follow the usual form-critical view of the lament. Instead of moving from lament to praise, this psalm begins with thanksgiving and ends with lament. To make sense of Psalm 120, some scholars emphasize the thanksgiving part (v. 1) while viewing the lament (vv. 2-7) as a past recollection of the situation before the thanksgiving. Others opt to highlight the lament, interpreting the thanksgiving as a recollection of a past answer to prayer. This paper demonstrates that Psalm 120 represents in miniature form what we find in Psalms 9/10 and Psalm 40 where the lament is preceded by thanksgiving. It argues that Psalm 120 is a literary composition in which the thanksgiving and lament are deliberately juxtaposed, and in this sequence, to express a sense of the tragic. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5330 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Vetus Testamentum
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685330-12341408 |