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Zion Theology of Psalm 46 in Its Literary Context

김창대 1

1안양대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

This work is an synchronic attempt to explore the theological intention behind the location of Psalm 46 in Book II, then in the entire Psalter. This study is based on the assumption that the entire book of the Psalms had been canonically shaped by means of an editorial activity which arranged the entire Psalter as a coherent whole. By using the composition method, this study first has dealt with the implications of Zion theology of Psalm 46 in the wider literary context of Book II and in the narrower literary context of Psalms 46-48. Our special attention is drawn to the fact that Psalm 46 is strategically located in Book II for the purpose of conveying the idea that Zion theology of Psalm 46 is presented as a response to the laments of the post-exilic community. In other words, Psalm 46, with its surrounding psalms (especially Psalms 46-48), highlights that Zion where Yahweh is enthroned as eternal king is a secure refuge which cannot be shaken; and, however, it suggests that the recipient of the blessings from that Zion is only the one who behaves according to the moral principles of Yahweh's rule, which are justice, righteousness, and Hesed. In doing so, Psalm 46 serves the function of encouraging the post-exilic community to trust in Yahweh's rule on Zion with an ethical committment to Yahweh's Torah. This finding is more evident when we look at the way that psalms with Zion markers are arranged in the whole Psalter. Due to the constraints of the study, we have called attention to a few important psalms which display the main characteristics of Zion theology of the Psalms. Psalms 1 and 2 contain Yahweh's torah and Zion respectively in such a way that Zion theology of affirming Yahweh's unstable kingship should be understood as connoting human obedience to Yahweh's torah. Also, an overview of Psalms 93-100 (the so-called Yahweh enthronement psalms) lends more credence to our suggestion that Yahweh's rule on Zion demands human moral conduct represented by obeying Yahweh's law with heart. What is noteworthy in the latter psalms is that Book IV of which Psalms 93-100 are part is composed by the Mosaic framework with Mosaic traditions occurring at its beginning and end. This framework entails that Yahweh's rule on Zion as king should be accompanied by human obedience to Yahweh's law. The relationship between Yahweh's kingship in Zion and human responsibility is further supported by the adjacency of Psalm 119 to Psalms 120-134 (Zion pilgrimage psalms)

Citation status

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