Psalm 3

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psalm 3,6 on a tombstone

The 3rd psalm is a psalm of David and belongs in the series of lamentations of an individual.

structure

The Old Testament scholar Hermann Gunkel divides the psalm in the following way:

  1. Verse 2f: Lament (first stanza)
  2. Verses 4-7: trust (second and third stanzas)
  3. Verse 8: plea and certainty of hearing (fourth stanza)
  4. Verse 9: Confession

Dating and explanation

The indication of the psalm heading “ From David. When he fled from his son Absalom . “(Cf. 2 Sam 15–18  EU ) is classified as a secondary, ie later supplement. On the one hand, because David's constitution there (deeply offended) is not reflected in the psalm. On the other hand, because Mount Zion was not yet the “ holy mountain ” in David's time (verse 5b). That is why Hans-Joachim Kraus writes : "It is not possible to set the psalm in time, but one can think of pre-exilic times."

Overall, this psalm is about the knowledge and trust of the personal salvation of those who count themselves among YHWH's people and call on him. “But you, YHWH, are a shield around me, my glory, and who lifts up my head.” (Verse 4): This is the emphatic prayer of those in distress who turn to YHWH. "So this is the lesson from the Psalm," writes Martin Luther in his interpretation, "that no one should fear or despair too much, it always goes so badly."

It should not be overlooked that while this psalm invites one to consider oneself as one of YHWH redeemed. But the psalmist does not put the words in the mouth of an anonymous person praying, but in the mouth of David (v. 1). King David is thus the hermeneutical key of the Psalm. The reader is encouraged to watch as God Himself rescues someone like David, who was in dire straits at the time, and later exalts him to be king over all Israel.

Rabbinical literature

The Babylonian Talmud discusses why the psalm is entitled "Psalm" ( מִזְמֹור mizmôr ) and not "lament" (קִינָה qînāh ) carries:

““ A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom. ”( Ps 3,1  EU )“ A psalm ”? "A lament" it should be called! Rabbi Shimon at Abishalom said: “A parable: Whom is this matter like? A person to whom a promissory note was issued. Before he redeemed it he was sad, after he redeemed it he was glad. So does David. When the saint, praised be he, said to him: “I will see to it that evil will rise against you from your own house” ( 2 Sam 12.11  EU ), he was sad. He thought, "Maybe it's a slave or a bastard " who will have no mercy on me. When he saw that it was Absalom, he was glad. ""

- Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, chapter 1, page 7b

In the Talmud, the psalm is traced back to David according to its title. The agency tries to find something positive about the situation in which David found himself. Accordingly, David was initially worried when he did not yet know from which side he was threatened with disaster. He was less afraid of Absalom because he was hoping for milder treatment from his own son. Therefore the psalm is not a lament.

Web links

Commons : Psalm 3  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hermann Gunkel : The Psalms 6 1986, 13.
  2. ↑ Hans-Joachim Kraus : Psalms 1-63. 1st volume, Neukirchen-Vluyn 1972, p. 25.
  3. ↑ Martin Luther : Dr. Martin Luther's Complete Writings, St. Louis 1880, p. 1375.
  4. ↑ See: Howard N. Wallace, Psalms. Readings. A New Biblical Commentary (Readings), Sheffield 2009.
  5. ↑ Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, Chapter 1, page 7b , on sefaria.org.il (Hebrew and English).
  6. ↑ Babylonian Talmud, Berachot Tract, Chapter 1, page 7b , on Internet Archive (German translation).