Psalms and prayers : papers read at the Joint Meeting of the Society of Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentische Werkgezelschap in Nederland en Belgie, Apeldoorn August 2006 – edited by Bob Becking and Eric Peels Populair

Beschrijving

Psalms and prayers :
Papers read at the Joint Meeting of the Society of Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentische Werkgezelschap in Nederland en Belgie, Apeldoorn August 2006

Psalms are to be seen as prayers, it is as testimonies of faith and despair. By applying a multi-dimensional matrix of methods the authors of these essays open perspectives on new insights in these ancient hymns.

The papers collected in this volume were all read at the Joint Meeting of The Society for Old Testament Study (SOTS) and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland en Belgie (OTW), in Apeldoorn, 21-24 August 2006. The Dutch and British Old Testament Societies foster a long tradition of Joint Meetings, of which this was the 13th since the start in 1970, now hosted by the Theological University of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

Reeks: Oudtestamentische studiën, deel 55.

The essays in this volume focus on the interpretation of the Book of Psalms and comparable texts in the Hebrew Bible. A variety of methods is applied to the ancient texts. Some essays concentrate on composition and structure, others on redaction and context. It is of great interest to see that each approach has its strength and its limits: stressing the importance to read the Psalms with a multi-dimensional matrix of methods. By viewing the Psalms as prayers, and thus as expressions of both faith and despair, a perspective on the contents of the ancient hymns and their functions in daily life has been opened. This volume contains various incentives for future research.

Contents:
Introduction / Eric Peels —
Psalms and prayers in the Book of Chronicles / Pancratius C. Beentjes —
“Our father …”: an inherited title and its presence (or absence) in the Psalms? / Adrian H.W. Curtis —
The ark and the cherubim in the Psalms / John Day —
The Hodayot’s use of the Psalter: text-critical contributions (Book I) / John Elwolde —
Psalm 103: design, boundaries, and mergers / Jan Fokkelman —
Are idols hiding in Psalm 139:20? / Jan Holman —
Inside out Psalm 55: how Jonah grew out of a Psalmist’s conceit / Alastair G. Hunter —
The demarcation of hymns and prayers in the Prophets (2) / Marjo C.A. Korpel —
Psalm 69: the petitioner’s understanding of himself, his God, and his enemies / Christiane de Vos and Gert Kwakkel —
Argumenta ad deum in the plague prayers of Mursili II and in the Book of Psalms / Paul Sanders —
The discourse of praying: reading Nehemiah I / Eep Talstra —
Sing to the Lord a new song / Roger Tomes —
The prayer of Isaiah and the sundial of Ahaz (2 Kgs 20:11) / Jaap van Dorp —
King and community: joining with David in prayer / Howard N. Wallace —
Prayer and practice in the Psalms / Gordon Wenham.