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Interpreting ‘Torah’ in Psalm 1 in the light of Psalm 119This article argued that Psalm 37 and Proverbs 1–4 served as sources for the composition of Psalm 1. The emphasis in both donor texts on the righteous people’s inheriting the Promised Land seems to have imprinted also on Psalm 1, a factor that could change our understanding of it. All three contexts in turn played a role in the composition of Psalm 119, but whilst the author of this long psalm also understood the ‘Torah’ of Yahweh as the incarnation of true wisdom, it seems that ‘Torah’ also subsumed the Promised Land for him. The investigation showed that ‘Torah’ in Psalm 1 should be understood as an arch-lexeme for all the religious texts its author used to compose, similar to what was the understanding of the author of Psalm 119 a little later.
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Psalm 137: 'n (On)Christelike Psalm?Christians tend to be horrified and embarrassed by the bloodthirstiness of Psalm 137, especially in the light of Jesus' command to forgive one's enemies. A prayer, which rejoices in the cold blooded murder of innocent children, seems totally unchristian. However, the psalm is part of the Christian canon, and therefore it cannot be ignored. It is the aim of this article to show that Psalm 137 can and should take its rightful place in the life and worship of the Christian Church.
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Violence and hatred in Psalm 137: The psalm in its ancient social contextPsalm 137 has become notorious for the brutality and bloodthirstiness that characterise its last verses. In the face of many past criticisms which rejected the Old Testament as a book of violence, both Christians� and� Jews need to take texts such as Psalm 137 seriously and interpret them against the� social� and cultural customs of their time. Before Psalm 137 can be judged against the ethical norms of modern societies, the text must first be understood in its ancient context. The aim of this paper is to show that a better understanding of the socio-cultural background of the Psalm may enhance our understanding of vv. 7-9, as well as of the Psalm as a whole. The hypothesis is that the social values of honour and shame feature so prominently in the Psalm that they form a key to the interpretation of the poem.