본문 바로가기
  • Home

Understanding the Addition of the Psalm-headings in the Psalms

손세훈 1

1그리스도대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

There are several distinguishable elements in the Psalm-headings. Some are relatively easy to define, while others get steadily more obscure. Psalms are not only poetical but musical. Several musical instruments are mentioned in the Psalms. Musical directions are given in the headings of many psalms, especially in the first three books: often the directions simply say 'for the chief musician', but some times they are considerably fuller, though difficult to be understood. And the situational context(Sitz im Leben) of final form can reasonably be placed between the time of the Chronicler and Maccabaean period. The intention of this study is to show the correlation between Psalm-headings and the Psalms' main text. Until now, most of scholars have not concerned about the meaning of the Psalm-headings in the Psalms. It is because the Psalm-headings in the Psalms had been edited in the latter period, while other versions were explaining the historical situation in the texts. Nevertheless, there is a reason to have a total of 116 headings in the Psalms (in its own way). Although the Psalm-headings in the Psalms had been edited in the latter period, it could catch a glimpse of the editor's theological perspective. It seems that the editor wanted to have readers understand deeper meaning. The writer came to a result as following:1) The concern to the tune- When compared the tune with text, the tune of Psalm-headings became a source of understanding the Psalms' text. (Pss. 7, 9, 16, 22, 32, 42, 44, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 74, 78, 81, 84, 88, 89, 142). 2) The concern to the figures and historical context -In the Psalm-headings the figures and the historical context greatly helped to understand the psalmist's context(Pss. 3, 7, 52, 57, 59, 60). As a result, Psalm-headings of the Psalms give a clue to the understanding on the text and a particular figure or a historical context in it.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.