Elohim within the Psalms: Petitioning the Creator to Order Chaos in Oral-Derived Literature (The Library of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament Studies)
Overview
The issue of the so-called Elohistic Psalter has intrigued biblical scholars since the rise of the historical-critical enterprise. Scholars have attempted to discover why the name Elohim is used almost exclusively within Pss 42–83, and in particular they have attempted to identify the historical circumstances which explain this phenomenon. Traditionally, an original Yhwh was understood to have been replaced by Elohim.
Frank-Lothar Hossfeld and the late, Erich Zenger propose that the use of the title Elohim is theologically motivated, and they account for this phenomenon in their redaction-historical work. Wardlaw here builds upon their work (1) by integrating insights from Dell Hymes, William Miles Foley, and Susan Niditch with regard to oral-traditional cultures, and (2) by following the text-linguistic approach of Eep Talstra and Christof Hardmeier and listening to canonical texture as a faithful witness to Israel’s religious traditions. Wardlaw proposes that the name Elohim within the Psalms is a theologically-laden term, and that its usage is related to pentateuchal traditions.
- Surveys the history of scholarship regarding the Elohistic Psalter
- Provides a brief overview of pertinent insights into oral cultures
- Proposes a theoretical foundation for understanding literary features within their social, historical, and literary context
- Introduction
- Toward A New Hypothesis Regarding the Use of YHWH and Elohim within the Psalter
- A Reading of Elohim within Psalms 1–41
- A Reading of Elohim within Psalms 42–89
- A Reading of Elohim within Psalms 90–150
- Conclusion
- Appendix: The Meaning of the Name YHWH within the Psalms
His reading of these Psalms in their canonical form is coherent and persuasive, if not comprehensive ... and he has made a valuable contribution to the debate.
—Journal of Theological Studies
- Title: Elohim within the Psalms: Petitioning the Creator to Order Chaos in Oral-Derived Literature
- Author: Terrance Randall Wardlaw, Jr.
- Editors: Andrew Mein, Claudia V. Camp
- Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies (LHBOTS)
- Publisher: T&T Clark
- Publication Date: 2016
- Pages: 208
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Psalms
Terrance Randall Wardlaw, Jr. is a linguist and translator with SIL International.