Forschungen zum Alten Testament 2. Reihe Herausgegeben von Konrad Schmid (Zürich) · Mark S. Smith (New York) Hermann Spieckermann (Göttingen) 83 Catherine Petrany Pedagogy, Prayer and Praise The Wisdom of the Psalms and Psalter Mohr Siebeck Catherine Petrany, born 1981; MA in Systematic Theology and PhD in Biblical Studies at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York; currently Assistant Professor of Theology at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. e-ISBN PDF 978-3-16-154273-2 ISBN 978-3-16-154272-5 ISSN 1611-4914 (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 2. Reihe) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliogra- phie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2015 by Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, Germany. www.mohr.de This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to reproduc- tions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen on non-aging paper and bound by Buchbinderei Nädele in Nehren. Printed in Germany. Preface This study presents a revised version of my doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of Theology in 2014 at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. A portion of chapter three appeared previously in The Shape and Shaping of the Book of Psalms: The Current State of Scholarship, edited by Nancy deClaissé-Walford. I am grateful to Professor Konrad Schmid, Profes- sor Mark S. Smith and Professor Hermann Spieckermann, editors of the For- schungen zum Alten Testament II series, for accepting this work for publica- tion. I especially would like to thank Professor Smith for his detailed com- ments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. I am also grateful to Dr. Henning Ziebritzki, Editorial Director for Theology and Jewish Studies at Mohr Sie- beck, for his help throughout the publication process. Many thanks as well to Susanne Mang and Tobias Stäbler for their help in the preparation of this volume. I would like to acknowledge the Catholic Biblical Association of America for awarding me the Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm., Scholarship during my graduate studies. This scholarship made my doctoral research possible, and I am very grateful for the association’s generosity and support. Many individuals at Fordham University contributed to this study. First, I am deeply grateful to Professor Harry Nasuti, my mentor, for his essential guidance throughout this research project and for inspiring me to love and study the psalms in the first place. In addition, Professor Mary Callaway and Professor Karina Martin Hogan, members of my dissertation committee, provided thoughtful comments throughout the dissertation process and have been truly generous dialogue partners. Thanks are also due to Professor Larry Welborn and Fr. Joseph Lienhard, S.J., for their kindness and support throughout my time at Fordham. Lastly, Anne-Marie Sweeney and Joyce O’Leary helped me in innumerable ways during my graduate studies and I am so thankful to them. In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to my current colleagues and wonderful support system at St. Vincent College, especially Dr. Jason King, Dr. Christopher McMahon, Fr. Nathan Munsch, O.S.B., and Dr. Patri- cia Sharbaugh. I am also grateful to Fr. Rene Kollar, O.S.B., for his encour- VI Preface agement and his generous offer to obtain funding for the indexing of this manuscript. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude and love to my family and friends, particularly my parents Stephen and Nancy-Ann and my grandparents John and Geraldine. Thank you to Nicholas for being my everyday joy. I dedicate this book to my grandparents, Ronald and Grace, who experi- enced every part of my graduate studies with me and made writing this book possible. Contents Preface ....................................................................................... V Contents ................................................................................... VII Introduction ................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1 ..................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1: History of Scholarship on Wisdom in the Book of Psalms ................................................................. 5 1. Wisdom in Individual Psalms ...................................................................... 5 Twentieth Century Foundations: Hermann Gunkel and Sigmund Mowinckel .................................................................................................. 5 Form-Critical Debate: Wisdom Psalms ..................................................... 13 2. Wisdom in the Psalter ................................................................................ 21 Redaction-Critical Approaches: The Psalter as a Wisdom Book .............. 22 Canonical Approaches: Multivalent Functionality of the Psalter .............. 28 3. The Present Approach ............................................................................... 34 Identifying Modes of Speech in the Psalms: Recent Approaches ............. 35 Aims and Method of the Current Study .................................................... 38 4. Conclusion ................................................................................................. 41 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 2: Communicative Orientation: Wisdom and the Psalms .......................................................................... 42 1. Speaker and Audience in Biblical Wisdom ................................................ 44 Horizontal Orientation: Parental Imperative ............................................. 45 Horizontal Orientation: Third-Person Statements ..................................... 53 Vertical Orientation: Agur’s Prayer .......................................................... 59 Vertical Orientation: Prayer and Praise in Ben Sira .................................. 62 2. Speaker and Audience in the Book of Psalms ............................................ 69 Vertical Orientation: Supplication and Prophetic Address ....................... 70 Horizontal Orientation: Identified Audience ............................................. 74 VIII Contents Third-Person Statements in the Psalms ..................................................... 78 Ambiguous Orientation of Speech ............................................................ 80 3. Conclusion ................................................................................................. 83 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................... 85 Chapter 3: Wisdom and Instruction in Non-Wisdom Psalms .... 85 1. Psalm 25: Wisdom in an Individual Lament Psalm ................................... 88 2. Psalm 62: Wisdom in a Psalm of Trust ..................................................... 96 3. Psalm 92: Wisdom in a Thanksgiving Psalm ........................................... 103 4. Psalm 94: Wisdom in a Mixed Genre Psalm ........................................... 109 5. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 116 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................. 119 Chapter 4: Wisdom and Instruction in Wisdom Psalms ........... 119 1. “Recite Aloud, Day and Night”: Psalm 1 ............................................... 120 Didactic Profile of Psalm 1 as an Individual Composition ..................... 131 Didactic Profile of Psalm 1 within its Immediate Context ...................... 131 2. “Be Silent and Wait for the Lord”: Psalm 37 ......................................... 137 Didactic Profile of Psalm 37 as an Individual Composition ................... 131 Didactic Profile of Psalm 37 within its Immediate Context .................... 146 3. “Hear This…My Mouth Utters Wisdom”: Psalm 49 ............................... 155 Didactic Profile of Psalm 49 as an Individual Composition ................... 155 Didactic Profile of Psalm 49 within its Immediate Context .................... 161 4. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 168 Chapter 5 ................................................................................................. 171 Chapter 5: Wisdom and Instruction in the Psalter .................... 171 1. Analysis of Psalm 73 ............................................................................... 173 The Problem: Verses 1–12 ...................................................................... 176 The Response: Verses 13–16 .................................................................. 179 The Encounter: Verse 17 ......................................................................... 184 The Change: Verses 18–28 ..................................................................... 186 Communicative Structure and Pedagogical Profile of Psalm 73 ............. 189 2. Psalm 73 and the Psalter ......................................................................... 193 Psalm 1 to Psalm 73 ................................................................................ 195 Psalm 73 to Psalm 145 ...........................................................................