Psalms 60 and 61: Psalms 60 has the longest and most detailed superscription I've encountered so far. Usually the superscriptions (under the title) give instructions on how to use the psalm, but this one goes further, laying out a historical connection to this community lament after a defeat. It refers to David "when he struggled with Aramnaharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt." Specific stuff, yet the notes in my study Bible say its not possible to say which historical event this psalm is referring to.
Scholars say the superscriptions were added well after the psalms were written, sometime around the time they were collected and ordered and became the 150 psalms we now have, maybe in the 2nd century BCE. Walker-Jones says the psalms give few clues as to their historical context, which is why most scholarly work on the psalms is genre or canonical criticism. I find it interesting that Psalm 60 has such a detailed superscription which the writer intended to relay some historical event, yet we still don't have a clear understanding of what event was intended. In contrast, Psalm 61 has a short, clear superscription: "to the leader, with stringed instruments. Of David."
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Psalm 61 is short yet meaningful to me. As I read it through acouple of times I reinded that God's love and faithfulness is unchanging and steadfast where my times of sorrow or trouble are not. God is my rock upon whom I wait through these times, He has given me plenty of instances of that. We get ourselves into bad times when we start to rely on the wrong things and our own abililties. From the ends of the earth I call to you,
ReplyDelete"I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
I was the anonymous posted below, not sure why my name wasn't attached. Deb
ReplyDeleteThe superscription to Psalm 60 mentions the Aramaeans and the Edomites but the enemies mentioned (in v. 8) are Moab (west of Judah), Edom (south of Judah), and Philistia (east of Judah). In verse 9, it mentions Edom again. It seems as if it was written at a time after Judah and Israel were divided or after Israel had fallen but the description of the kingdom (in v. 7) includes Ephraim, Manasseh, and Gilead (all part of Israel) as well as Judah. The Edomites would have been a direct threat to Judah and the Arameans would have been a more direct threat to Israel. Maybe the mention of the Aramaeans was just to reinforce the idea that it was at the time of the united kingdom.
ReplyDeleteIPF