Zsolt 120.

Egy olyan zsoltrgyjtemny (120134) nyitnya, amelynek minden egyes

darabja a agyomnyosan !zarndoknek"#nek rtelmezett $elirattal %an ellt%a& 'al(sz)nleg
olyan imn*szok gyjtemnye, melyeket a +er*zslembe %ezet, -ton zarndokl(k nekeltek
( 3)& . szablytalan /r*zamok s az inkbb ar0aizl(, mint %al(ban ar0aik*s nyel%ezet
a gyjtemny ksei (a '11& sz& s a $ogsg *tni korszak k2z2tti) keletkezsre enged
k2%etkeztetni& 3ormjban az egyni /anaszdaloz ll legk2zelebb& 4zerkezete5 1#2
(k2ny2rgs)6 3#4 (2n%d ki$ejezse)6 7#8 (/anasz) 1. . zsoltros seglykrst korbbi,
megallgatott k2ny2rgsek ta/asztalatra ala/ozza& 2. 9int sok egyni /anaszdalban, a
zsoltros itt is az ellene irny*l( rossz nyel%ekre /anaszkodik (%2& :solt 3,36 7,8&106 10,86
12,3 stb&)& 3. . !mi lesz a rszed, mi lesz a j*talmad" ki$ejezs rgebbi 2n%d#$ord*latokon
(24m 3,;6 1<ir 2,23) ala/szik& 4. . $egy%ereket mint rt( beszdet megjelen)t, sz(k/ekre
%onatkoz(an ld& :solt 72,46 78,76 =4,4& 5-6. Mesek ... Kedr: kt t%oli n/& . %erset ltalban
-gy rtik5 !+aj nekem, ogy ellenem rosszind*lat- idegenknt bor-t %isel, ellensg k2z2tt
kell laknom"&
>etermination o$ bot te $orm and ba0kgro*nd o$ ?s 120 is am/ered by di$$i0*lty in
assessing its time /ers/e0ti%e and degree o$ meta/or& 1$ te /salm began at % 2 it 0o*ld be
sim/ly 0lassi$ied as te 0om/laint o$ an indi%id*al& . /etition $or di%ine aid against slandero*s
enemies (% 2) and a des0ri/tion o$ is distress togeter @it an assertion o$ inno0en0e (%% 7
8) are 0lear elements o$ a 0om/laint& A*nkel (Die Psalmen, 73B3;) obser%ed tat te
eC0lamation o$ @oe ( D , % 75 0$& +er 1051;6 Eam 751=, et0&) and te eC/ression
(% =5 0$& 123546 12;51, 2) belong to tis $orm& '% 34 may be regarded as an assertion o$
0on$ident tr*st in Fa@eGs %indi0ation o$ te /salmist by /*nising is $oes&
H*t o@ may te $irst line be armonized @it te rest o$ te /salmI A*nkel did so by
re0onstr*ing its %erbs (see JotesKLomments)& . $reM*ent eC/edient is to inter/ret it as an
en0o*raging re$eren0e to ans@ered /rayer in te 0onteCt o$ a /re%io*s sit*ation o$ distress
(e&g& L&L& <eet, Psalms of Ascents, 1B6 >aood, Psalms III, 1;7, 1;=)& .s % 1ab stands in
9
N it is 0ara0teristi0 o$ an indi%id*al tanksgi%ing& 9ost /robably te @ole /salm is to be
0lassi$ied t*s (>& 9i0el, Tempora, 18)& <ra*s (Psalmen, 100B), Oeiser (Psalms, 842),
.nderson (Psalms, B4B), 4eybold (Wallfahrtspsalmen, 74) et al& regard %% 28 as a long
M*otation $rom a /re%io*s 0om/laint, te ans@er to @i0 te /salmist is no@ 0elebrating&
Po@e%er, i$ Fa@e is te s*bje0t o$ te %erbs o$ % 3, as seems most likely, te 0ange $rom
te se0ond /erson reads a@k@ardly a$ter % 2, *nless it re%erts deliberately to te style o$ % 1&
1n tat 0ase %% 34 are to be *nderstood as a tanksgi%ing element rater tan a 0om/laint
one& Ne /re0ise $orm o$ te /salm a//ears to be a tanksgi%ing $or eard /rayer rater tan
$or a trans$ormed sit*ation& Ne sit*ation remains te same, b*t te /salmist as re0ei%ed
/riestly ass*ran0e tat Fa@e as eard is /rayer, and $or tis e gi%es tanks& Ne
0ir0*mstan0es are ten tose o$ =5;11 (B10) a$ter te 0om/laint o$ =52B (18) @ere te
/salmist bids is enemies lea%e im alone sin0e Fa@e as eard is /rayer, and 0on$idently
9N Ne 9asoreti0 NeCt Qo$ te Rld NestamentS (as /*blised in HP4)
asserts teir 0oming do@n$all& 1n similar %ein te enemy or enemies are addressed in % 3 and
teir /ros/e0t o$ re0ei%ing teir j*st deserts is /ro0laimed in %% 34& H*t te sit*ation o$
distress materially, i$ not religio*sly and /sy0ologi0ally, remains *n0anged& N*s %% 78
are an im/li0it a//eal $or Fa@e to a0t in a00ordan0e @it is /romise deli%ered $rom te
san0t*ary, reminding im o$ te dire 0ir0*mstan0es o$ is /ersonal en%ironment& Nese %erses
are not sim/ly a M*otation $rom an earlier 0om/laint b*t re/resent a /ligt @i0 b*t $or te
im/lementation o$ te di%ine ass*ran0e still a@aits im on ret*rn $rom te san0t*ary&
Ne /salm as a disjointed ring on $irst reading& Oat is te $ormal 0onne0tion bet@een
re$eren0es to slander or $alse a00*sationTa standard moti$ o$ 0om/laintTin %% 24, to
$oreigners in % 7 and to @ar and /ea0e in %% =8I Ne armony o$ te $irst and last moti$s
may easily be establised& 1n ?s 37520 s/eaking /ea0e is 0ontrasted @it 0on0ei%ing @ords o$
de0eit, @ile in ?s 2853 @ar is a meta/or $or an eCtreme o$ slandering enmity (2852)& 1t is
/robable tat % 7 is to be s*bordinated to tis general ba0kgro*nd, es/e0ially as it is linked
0losely @it % =, so tat it des0ribes meta/ori0ally te ostility o$ is neigbors, @o bea%e
like /o@er$*l $oreign enemies, sooting %erbal arro@s (0$& 1sa 215186 Ezek 3;53) @i0 are to
be reM*ited by a di%ine onsla*gt (% 4)&
4eybold (Wallfahrtspsalmen, 74) tentati%ely re0reates a /re0ise ba0kgro*nd 0on0erning a
soldier a00*sed o$ treason @ile $igting alongside Hedo*in mer0enaries& Naking U1
s/eak" in % 8 as $orensi0, as in 12857, e des0ribes te 0*lti0 setting in terms o$ attendan0e at
te tem/le $or a di%ine %erdi0t */on te 0arges, and asso0iates te /salm @it te entran0e
/ro0ed*re at te tem/le gate& Pe 0learly as te 0laim o$ inno0en0e o$ % 8 in mind, b*t in $a0t
$or 4eybold tis belongs to te re/ort o$ 0om/laint 0ontained in an o%erall tanksgi%ing,
rater tan s/e0i$i0ally to te setting o$ te tanksgi%ing /salm as a @ole& Pe a//ears to be
straining to dete0t some rele%an0e $or te /salm in its /osition at te ead o$ a series o$
/ilgrim songs (0$& Wallfahrtspsalmen, 80)&
Ne /arti0*lar rele%an0e $or te /salmGs e%ent*al in0or/oration into a man*al o$
/ro0essional songs $or /ilgrims seems to lie in a re#inter/retation o$ % 7& 1t be0ame a %ei0le
$or te omesi0kness o$ de%o*t eC/atriate +e@s& Neir /la0e o$ residen0e in %ario*s /arts o$
te >ias/ora @as no ome a@ay $rom ome ( Usojo*rned as an alien," % 7) and tey
kne@ $rom bitter eC/erien0e te ostility o$ Ceno/obi0 neigbors& He$ore its in0l*sion in te
0olle0tion its 0om/osition @as /robably already 0om/arati%ely late in %ie@ o$ in % =
(and /ossibly , % 25 see JotesKLomments)&
E&+& <issane (Psalms II, 244) di%ided te /salm into an introd*0tory $irst line and t@o
stro/es o$ tree lines, %% 24 0iting /ast /rayer and %% 78 des0ribing /ast distress& Pis
eCegeti0al inter/retation o$ 0ontent @as *sed as te main 0riterion o$ str*0t*re& Nere are,
o@e%er, 0lear stylisti0 /ointers to stro/i0al str*0t*re& 1n %% 1, 7 ) -- ( and in %% 2, =
are 0orres/onding re/etitions& Ne @ea/ons o$ % 4 mat0 U@ar" in % 8& Nese $a0tors
are signs o$ t@o stro/es, %% 14 ($o*r lines) and 78 (tree lines)& Ne $irst stro/e is made
*/ o$ t@o /airs o$ lines, *nited by te re/eated Uslandero*s tong*e&" Ne /rayer o$ % 2 is
ans@ered in % 1, and te M*estion o$ % 3 in % 4& Ne t@o al%es o$ te /salm are skill$*lly
linked by te re/etition o$ % 4Gs U@it" and /l*ral 0onstr*0t $orm in % 7 (and /robably
orginally in % =)& 1n te se0ond stro/e te /resen0e o$ in %% 7, 8 /ro%ides in0l*sion& Ne
se0ond stro/e is made */ o$ a /air o$ lines and a single line& 1t is introd*0ed by te
eC0lamation o$ @oe, eC/lained in te rest o$ te stro/e& 1ts intense U1Ttey" /olarity is
bro*gt to a 0limaC in % 8& .n o%erall $eat*re o$ te /salm is ste/like re/etition in %% 23 and
7= and =8&
Explanation
. @orsi/er as earlier /o*red o*t is 0om/laint in te tem/le and been blessed @it a
/riestly ora0le ass*ring im tat Fa@e as eard is /rayer (0$& =5;10 QB;S6 B75; QBS)&
E%ent*ally no do*bt e @o*ld ret*rn to te san0t*ary to render $*ll tanksgi%ing $or a0t*al
deli%eran0e $rom te sit*ation o$ distress @i0 e le$t at ome& H*t no@ is %oi0e rings o*t in
an interim tanksgi%ing $or te ass*ran0e tat Aod as eard is /rayer and @ill sol%e is
/roblem& 3or te en0o*ragement o$ is $ello@#@orsi/ers e testi$ies to is /ersonal
eC/erien0e o$ Fa@e as a Aod @o listens to /rayer&
Pis /roblem lay in te area o$ so0ial relationsi/s and 0on0erned is a00e/tan0e in te
0omm*nity& Pe @as te %i0tim o$ lying and misre/resentation& Pe ad s*$$ered $rom slander,
/robably $rom one indi%id*al in /arti0*lar& Pe ad do*btless 0ome to te san0t*ary 0o@ed and
dis/irited by tese atta0ks& Jo@ e is emboldened by AodGs /romise o$ %indi0ation& Pe
tr*stingly a00e/ts tat /romise and anti0i/ates is reabilitation in te 0omm*nity tro*g te
eCer0ise o$ di%ine j*sti0e&
Pis /erse0*tor ad taken */on is li/s te sel$#0*rsing $orm*la o$ asse%erationTand
s@orn a lie& Pe ad staked is li$e */on is %i0timGs 0*l/ability and $ate @it te terrible
@ords o$ sel$#destr*0tion5 UAod do so to me and more D" (0$& 1 <gs 2523)& Ne tormentor
m*st bear te destr*0tion @i0 e ad 0alled do@n */on imsel$, no@ tat is %i0tim as
been liberated by te di%ine @ord o$ te san0t*ary& Nr*t and j*sti0e are at stake& Ne Aod
@om te /erse0*tor ad glibly in%oked as g*ardian o$ tese basi0 so0ial %irt*es @o*ld a0t in
$a%or o$ te s*//liant& .rro@s and $irebrands o$ di%ine doom @o*ld be $itting re/risal $or
@o*nding @ords, te missiles o$ %indi0ti%e slander&
Ne /salmist as been s/eaking @it te 0on$iden0e o$ $ait in AodGs re0ent /romise to
im& Pe t*rns in %% 78 to des0ribe is li$e sit*ation in an im/li0it /rayer tat te di%ine @ord
@ill 0ome tr*e tere& Pe as been treated like an enemy, like someone @o does not belong to
te 0omm*nity& 1t as been as i$ e li%ed among ostile $oreigners eM*i//ed and ready to
atta0k and @o*nd& Pe /leads is o@n /ositi%e and /ea0e$*l o%ert*res& . do%e among a@ks,
e as ad no s*00ess in restoring armony, b*t only s*$$ered *nmitigated aggression& Pe as
done @at e 0o*ld (0$& Vom 1251B)& Aod alone 0an 0ange te sit*ation& Holstered and armed
@it te di%ine @ord o$ s*//ort, e @o*ld go ba0k o/ing and tr*sting tat te sit*ation
@o*ld be resol%ed to te glory o$ Aod&
Ne /salm o%ers bet@een di%ine /romise and $*l$ilment, like so m*0 o$ te Hible& +oy
and sorro@ are /oignantly intermingled, eM*ally %alid and as yet *nresol%ed& Ne %irt*es o$
tr*t and onor @itin AodGs 0omm*nity and te o*t@orking o$ j*sti0e as AodGs @ill $or is
/eo/le are te ideals @i0 tis /salm 0elebrates& Ne di%ine /ledge o$ s*//ort $or te
%i0timized, @i0 0ara0terizes so m*0 o$ te la@ and /ro/ets, sines o*t a$res o%er te
li$e o$ an indi%id*al belie%er&
Ne original /salm re0ei%ed added meaning @en it @as sele0ted to o/en a 0olle0tion o$
/ilgrim songs& 4*/er$i0ially it @as trans$ormed, b*t it bro*gt its dee/er signi$i0an0e inta0t
tro*g te trans$ormation& 3or +e@s o$ te >ias/ora, @o li%ed $ar $rom ome and tem/le, it
0ame to eC/ress teir rene@ed 0on%i0tion tat te Aod o$ 1srael @as on teir side and @o*ld
gi%e reso*r0es to 0o/e @it te ostility o$ $oreign neigbors& Ney 0ame as /ilgrims, @eary
o$ li$eGs str*ggles& Neir 0oming to te san0t*ary bro*gt tem rene@al o$ o/e and 0o*rage
to li%e as AodGs /eo/le in an alien land& Nis broadening o$ te /salmGs a//li0ability /re/ared
te @ay $or te
J
N /eo/le o$ Aod to inerit it in t*rn (0$& 1 ?et 15126 251112)&
1

JN Je@ Nestament
1.llen, Eeslie L&5 Word Biblical Commentar : Psalms !"!#!$"& ele0troni0 ed& >allas 5
Oord, 1n0or/orated, 1;;B (Eogos Eibrary 4ystem6 Oord Hibli0al Lommentary 21), 4& 148