CANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

TIME WILL TELL FOR THE PSALMIST: AN EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS OF PSALM 42/43

SUBMITTED TO DR. JOEL M. LEMON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF OT502: INTERPRETATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT II

BY 2082248 APRIL 10, 2014

INTRODUCTION

Reading and analyzing the structure of the Psalms allows for greater understanding of the messages that are driving the text. Structural analysis reveals a variety of ideas, patterns, and themes that constitute the psalms message. However, historical context is the most important aspect for uncovering the texts original meaningthat is, what the text meant in its ancient setting. Focusing on Psalm 42 and 431 and the historical context, I argue that the psalmist is among the exilic community in Babylon feeling distant from God and wanting to soon return to the temple in Jerusalem, but remaining faithful and having hope in God. Thus, Psalm 42/43 employs metaphorical language to describe the psalmists constant longing for God, but utilizes the aspect of timeremembering the past, acknowledging the present, and having hope for the futureand use of a refrain to characterize the psalmists state as one of hope and anticipation for returning to the temple in Jerusalem. To elucidate this claim, I will, throughout the course of this paper, focus on three distinct sections in Psalm 42/43, examining its use of metaphor and powerful imagery, evocative description of the past, present, and future, and the refrain, which functions as the psalmists faithful question and recognition of hope. First, however, I will present a structural outline of Psalm 42/43, discuss its form, and identify key points in the text.

Though they are divided into two, Psalm 42 and 43 are most often read as one unit due to similar language and themes, the refrain in 42.5, 11 and 43.5, and the lack of heading for Psalm 43 in most translations. I argue Psalm 42 and 43 should be read as one unit and when referring to it throughout this paper it will be written as 42/43. The translation being used for this exegesis is the New Revised Standard Version.

I.

II.

III.

42.1-5: The psalmist remembering the past a. The psalmist longing for God in vv.1-3 i. Imagery of water and thirst b. Remembering the past in v.4 c. Refrain in v.5 i. Use of the word in the Hithpolel stem 42.6-11: The psalmist acknowledging the present a. The psalmist being faithful to God in the present b. Acknowledging the present in vv.9-10 c. Refrain in v.11 i. Use of the word in the Hithpolel stem 43.1-5: The psalmist having hope for the future a. Addressing God and asking faithful question b. Having hope for the future in vv.3-4 c. Refrain in v.5 i. Use of the word in the Hithpolel stem Using dramatic imagery, Psalm 42/43 reflects the psalmists experience in exile by

portraying the psalmist as faithful and having hope, coming to God for both questions and affirmations, laments and praises. This contrast between question and affirmation, lament and praise, occurs throughout Psalm 42/43 and binds the two together in a more literary way, since the psalmist feels forgotten while not forgetting to be faithful to God. Nevertheless, the contrast between lament and praise is ultimately what sets this psalm apart.2 While it begins Book II of the five books, analogous to the Torah, Psalm 42/43 also begins to use God (Elohim) more commonly than the Lord (Yahweh).3 Lastly, Psalm 42/43 begins with a superscription designating it for the Korahites, a group of Levite temple singers.4 The aspect of time, as I argue, is the organizing frame of Psalm 42/43. The psalm employs powerful analogies in the first section, remarkable depictions in the second, and explicit
Some scholars suggest that Psalm 42 should be read as a lament and Psalm 43 as a direct petition, but that both Psalm 42 and 43 should still be regarded as a single unit. I argue that the themes and language interwoven throughout both psalms distinguishes them as a single unit, to be read together as one. John Eaton, The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation (New York: T&T Clark, 2003), 179.
4 3 2

See 2 Chr 20.19

imperatives in the third, adding to the dramatic reading of the psalmists despair and hope. And the refrain, which concludes each section, reminds the reader that the psalmist is more hopeful than not. Interestingly, the only occurrences of in the Hithpolel stem are found in Psalm

42/43. I will explain the importance of this in the following section.

TEXT AND INTERPRETATION

42.1-5: The Psalmist Remembering the Past The psalmist begins, in the first three verses, by alluding to and describing the distance from God that is being experienced, a distance so tremendous that the psalmist relates to a deer that longs for water, an absolute necessity. The psalmists soul thirsts for God, making the deity an essential part of life for the psalmist. But in the midst of feeling alone and perhaps desperate, the psalmist is confident; the psalmists soul thirsts for not just any God, but the living God. Once the psalmist says this and thinks of the living God, the question arises in the psalmists mind: When shall I come and behold the face of God? The consonantal Hebrew text of this verse could also mean, When shall I come to see God, making the question feel more direct and desirable. Following this cry, the psalmist, again using the water motif, describes the reality of life in exile and the emotional distress of being distant from God. The aspect of time in the past tense appears first in verse 4, as the psalmist thinks of walking with the crowd and going to the House of God with joyous shouts of praise.5 The psalmist is distant from God and from the temple; what the psalmist must do is retrieve memories. Glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving encourage the psalmist, particularly in a place
5

I prefer the JPS translation of this verse because it is supplied as a response to the previous verse; the psalmist is thinking of the past in response to the people asking, Where is your God?

where they occur less often. With undertones of encouragement and hope, verse 4 and the refrain connect. In response to this wonderful memory, the psalmist, having no explanation for the despair of his/her soul, insists on keeping hope in God. Being a significant feature of the psalm, I must return to and elaborate on the earlier mention of occurring in the Hithpolel stem in Psalm 42/43. When occurs throughout the

Hebrew Bible in books besides Psalms, it is used either in the Qal, Niphal, or Hiphil; while there is a wide variety of meaning, , in the Psalms, conveys a sense of mourning or despair. In in the Hithpolel are found

dealing with Psalm 42/43, one finds that the only occurrences of in Psalm 42/43; thus, there is something distinctive about

occurring only in the Hithpolel

stem only in Psalm 42/43.6 As Waltke and OConnor note in An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, the Hithpael stem, with its morphological complexities, is the reflexive-reciprocal counterpart of the Piel stem and has a number of variants, one being the attested Hithpolel stem.7 This variant is one of geminate roots ( ) and whatever its counterpart, its primary use is in the Hithpolel stemgiven its primary

reflexive or reciprocal.8 Thus, the occurrences of

meaning but variability in translationin Psalm 42/43 demonstrate the psalmist being directly reflexive of him/herself and the despair and silence of his/her soul. For this reason, the refrain, characterizes the psalmist as being faithful to him/herself and God.
6

BDB 1005d. In the Qal: to be bowed down, prostrated, humbled; to bow (in homage); to bow (of mourner); to crouch (of wild beast in lair). In the Niphal: to be prostrated, humbled; to be reduced, weakened. In the Hiphal: to prostrate, lay low (city, walls, etc.). In the Hithpolel: to be cast down, despairing. Bruce K. Waltke and M. OConnor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns, 1990), 424. Waltke and OConnor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, 425-426. On p. 429, Waltke and OConnor breakdown the reflexive use of the Hithpael into direct reflexive, indirect reflexive, benefactive reflexive, and estimative-declarative reflexive. I argue because only occurs in this stem in Psalm 42/43, there is a noteworthy emphasis on the psalmist being directly reflexive of him/herself, questioning the despair and silence of his/her soul.
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42.6-11: The Psalmist Acknowledging the Present9 The second section of Psalm 42/43 begins immediately with the psalmist expressing his/her longing for God by proclaiming that his/her soul is cast down, similar to the refrain. As one may notice, verse 6 is the fourth occurrence of in the Hithpolel stem, not being used in the

refrain.10 In exile, the psalmist keeps hope in God by remembering God (therefore I remember you) in response to the despair of the psalmists soul. Specific locations are givenland of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizarwhich introduce the powerful imagery that follows, suggesting Gods actions are taking place not just at home, but in exile as well. The psalmist describes the relationship between him/herself and God, interestingly linking Gods waves and billows with Gods love. As best put by William P. Brown: Sin and judgment find no place in this psalm. Rather, the psalmist discerns something profoundly liturgical about deep call[ing] to deep, something irresistible in the peals of praise and thanksgiving from the temple.11 The description in verse 7 asserts that Gods waves and billows have gone over the psalmist; in turn, as one reads in verse 8, the psalmist acknowledges Gods steadfast love by day and song by night. As God stirs the stormy waves, so Go commands steadfast kindness.12 The second aspect of time, the present state, appears in verse 9 when the psalmist asks God, Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy
I argue that verse 6 begins, My soul is cast down within me, and verse 5 ends with and my God connected to me help. Again, I prefer the JPS translationwhich is given in the footnotefor all three refrains because it relates more closely to the theme of the psalmist being hopeful in exile: my ever-present help, my God.
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In verse 6:

, imperfect 3 fs. In the refrain:

, imperfect 2 fs.

11

William P. Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor (Louisville: Westminster John Knox,

2002), 133.
12

Brown, Seeing the Psalms, 133.

oppresses me? This verse is a vital part of the passage. Just describing the drastic, powerful ways in which the psalmist experienced Gods steadfast love, the psalmist immediately asks the tough question; by day the Lord commands his steadfast love but has forgotten me? Adversaries taunt the psalmist, like a deadly wound in the body, by questioning the presence of the psalmists God, as they did before. However, in response, the psalmist repeats the refrain, questioning his/her soul and having hope in God. One should note that the refrain in the second section follows the description of the experience in exile, with the significant use of , whereas the

refrain in the first section follows the memory of going to the House of God. In analyzing the refrain, H. Schmidt suggests: Beginning in the abyss of doubtand with the beginning of each strophe once again carried away into it, he lifts himself each time in his refrain to confidence, to a wonderful tranquility13

43.1-5: The Psalmist Having Hope for the Future Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people. The third section begins with an imperative and is the first time the psalmist directly addresses God rather than being passive. It seems as if God has abandoned the psalmist in exile, but still the psalmist declares, For you are the God in whom I take refuge, but asks yet again why God has cast him/her off. As one may have noticed, the psalmists questions in verse 2 come after the first two sections, where the psalmists adversaries have already asked, Where is your God? Thus, the psalmist is wondering, after keeping hope in God, Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy?

13

Luis Alonso Schkel, The Poetic Structure of Psalm 42 -43, JSOT 1 (1976), 9.

Following the psalmists questions in Psalm 42/43 is the third aspect of time in, the future. Here, the psalmist insists on turning hope into a reality. The psalmist demands light and truth from God to lead him/her, especially if when walking mournfully. Because he/she remembers going to and is distant from the temple, the psalmist wants to return to the temple and needs Gods light and truth. As Eaton suggests, the light and truth are imagined as leading the psalmist to testify of his deliverance in the temple.14 In this case, the light and truth will lead him/her to Gods holy mountain and the Gods dwelling-place (Tabernacle), so that the psalmist can visit the altar of God once again.15 Finally, as the psalmist envisions worshipping God at the temple again, the psalmist must ask him/herself the question, Why are you cast down, O my soul? The psalmist is hopeful of returning to the temple, which begs the question of his/her soul, Why are you disquieted within me? Furthermore, the occurrence of in the

Hithpolel is nothing short of significant, as it portrays the psalmist as one who, no matter the circumstances, keeps hope in God.

Theological Significance Like one dying from thirst, the psalmist is dying from his/her thirst, the thirst for the living God. Being in exile separates the psalmist from God and from being at the temple; the vivid memories of going to the House of God with glad shouts and songs torture the psalmist in exile.16 But in the future, perhaps, this may have led to the psalmists deliverance in the temple, after returning

14

Eaton, The Psalms, 181.

For this verse, I prefer the JPS translation because of its use of the future tense. The Hebrew words are in the imperfect, which allows for it to be translated in the future tense. Dwelling -place ( ) can also be translated tabernacle, as footnoted in the JPS. See BDB 1015d. Rolf A. Jacobson, Psalms in The New Interpreters Bible (ed. Beverly Roberts Gaventa and et al.; Nashville: Abingdon, 2010), 321.
16

15

home from exile in 538 B.C.E. After returning to Jerusalem, the psalmist had a new perspective on what it meant to have hope in God. The psalmist in Psalm 42/43 exemplifies what it means to be faithful. From the initial comparison to a deer longing for water, adversaries taunting the psalmist, to feeling alone and forgotten the psalmist has little to no reason to call upon God for help; but the psalmist is one who remains always faithful to the God whom he/she takes refuge in, knowing that the future holds something promisingthe psalmist shall again praise the one who is both help and God. Thus, reminiscence is succeeded by hope, the God of the past becomes the God of the future, rather like the collective hope of the exile expressed by Second Isaiah.17

CONCLUSION

While reading Psalm 42/43, one can imagine the psalmist saying these things. Enemies in exile ask the psalmist where the God in whom he/she trusts and relies on and the psalmist asks the obvious, faithful questionacknowledging the present saying (42.9), Why have you forgotten me? The aspect of time, however, as presented in the psalm, enables the psalmist to keep hope in God, the living God. The memory of being at the temple along with the expectation of returning to the temple in the future allows the psalmist to recollect the power of God during exile; God commands his steadfast love, and at night a prayer to the God of my life. Thus, after reading and analyzing Psalm 42/43, one sees how it employs metaphorical language to describe the psalmists constant longing for God, but utilizes the aspect of time remembering the past, acknowledging the present, and having hope for the futureand use of a

17

Schkel, The Poetic Structure, 10. Cf. Isa 43.3-11, 18-19.

refrain to characterize the psalmists state as one of hope and anticipation for returning to the temple in Jerusalem. This anticipation for returning to Jerusalem has the psalmist asking God a faithful question while also recognizing hope.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berlin, Adele and Marc Zvi Brettler. Psalms Introduction and Annotations. Pages 1328-1330 in The Jewish Study Bible. Tanakh Translation. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Brown, F., S. Driver, and C. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, [1906]. Reprint, [2008]. Brown, William P. Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002. Eaton, John. The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation. New York: T&T Clark, 2003. Jacobson, Rolf A. Psalms. Page 321 in The New Interpreters Bible. Edited by Beverly Roberts Gaventa et al. Nashville: Abingdon, 2010. Schkel, Luis Alonso. The Poetic Structure of Psalm 42-43. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 1 (1976): 4-11. Waltke, Bruce K. and M. OConnor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns, 1990.

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