‘Like the snail that dissolves’: Construction of Identity of Psalmist and Enemy in the Lament Psalms of the Individual

The paper explores how the psalms of lament of the individual constructed the identity not only of the Israelites who used them in worship but also of their antagonists. It starts with a critique of Amy Cottrill’s Language, Power, and Identity in the Lament Psalms of the Individual, which is critical of the psalmist’s non-specific presentation of the enemies that ‘obscures the humanity of the one he prays against’. This alleged dehumanisation of the enemies is explored further through the dialogical framework of Martin Buber’s ‘I-Thou’. A consideration of Buber’s two basic word pairs, ‘I-You’ and ‘I-It’, prompts the question of whether the psalmist treats the enemies as ‘You’ or ‘It’. Further arguments based on the social setting of the lament psalms lead to the conclusion that they construct an identity of a psalmist who is in real relationship with both God and the enemy and who treats them as genuine relational beings.

ALLAH MENDENGAR SERUAN DAN TEMPAT BERLINDUNG: Penelitian Puitis Mazmur 5

Abstrak: Pembacaan Mazmur 5 dengan menggunakan metode penelitian puitis (poetic criticism) menyingkapkan pesan berbeda dengan metode pemberian makna teks oleh para penafsir mazmur ratapan (lament psalm) sebelumnya. Metode penelitian puitis memperhatikan keluhan pemazmur, perasaan pemazmur yang disebabkan keluhannya, pengertiannya dan pengakuannya tentang Allah di dalam keluhannya dan perubahan suasana teks (mood) dalam menguak pesan mazmur ratapan. Penerapan penelitian puitis terhadap Mazmur 5 menghasilkan pesan tentang Allah yang mendengar seruan dan tempat berlindung. Pengenalan pemazmur akan Allah yang mendengar seruan dan tempat berlindung mengubah ratapan (lament) pemazmur menjadi pujian. Abstract: Reading psalm 5 by using poetic criticism reveals differing message with the methods used by lament psalms’ interpreters when reading psalm 5. The method of poetic criticism takes into consideration the lamentation of the psalmist, the feelings resulted from the lament, the psalmist understanding dan knowledge of God in the midst of psalmist lamentation dan the mood of the text in examining lament psalms. Applying poetic criticism to psalm 5 produces a message concerning God who hears and protects. The personal knowledge of the psalmist of God who hears dan protects radically changes the lament into joy. Kata-kata Kunci: Mazmur ratapan, penelitian puitis, keluhan, perasaan, Allah, perubahan suasana teks (mood), takut akan Allah, ibadah. Kepustakaan Anderson, A.A. The Book of Psalms: Psalms 1-72. Vol. 1. New Century Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1972.Barrett, C.K. The Gospel according to St John: An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text. 2 ed. London: SPCK, 1978.Barth-Frommel, Marie-Claire, dan B. A. Pareira. Kitab Mazmur 1-72: Pembimbing dan Tafsirannya. Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2012.Barus, Armand. Mengenal Tuhan Melalui Penderitaan. Jakarta: Scripture Union Indonesia, 2016._____________. "Menghadapi Kebohongan: Penelitian Puitis Mazmur 4." Amanat Agung 14, no. 1 (Juni 2018): 1-24._____________. "Sembuhkanlah Aku: Penelitian Puitis Mazmur 6." Amanat Agung 12, no. 2 (Desember 2016): 175-206.Blocher, Henri. "The fear of the Lord as the "principle" of wisdom." Tyndale Bulletin 28 (1977): 3-28.Broyles, Craig C. "Psalms Concerning the Liturgies of Temple Entry." Dalam The Book of Psalms: Composition and Reception, disunting oleh Peter W. Flint dan Patrick D. Miller, Jr, 248-287. Leiden: Brill, 2005.Craigie, Peter C. Psalms 1-50. Word Biblical Commentary 19. Dallas: Word Books, 1983.Davidson, Robert. The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1998.Dyrness, William. Themes in Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove: IVP Press, 1979.Eichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961._____________. Theology of the Old Testament. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1967.Goldingay, John. Psalms 1-41. Vol. 1. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006._____________. Psalms 90-150. Vol. 3. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008.Keel, Othmar. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1997.Lee, Sung-Hun. "Lament and the Joy of Salvation in the Lament Psalms." Dalam The Book of Psalms: Composition and Reception, disunting oleh Peter W. Flint dan Patrick D. Miller, Jr, 224-247. Supplements to Vetus Testamentum XCIX. Leiden: Brill, 2005.O’Connor, Michael Patrick, dan Bruce K. Waltke. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2004.Ridderbos, Herman N. The Gospel according to John: A Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1997.Roberts, J.J.M. "Mowinckel’s Enthronement Festival: A Review." Dalam The Book of Psalms: Composition and Reception, disunting oleh Peter W. Flint dan Patrick D. Miller, Jr, 97-115. Supplements to Vetus Testamentum XCIX. Leiden: Brill, 2005.Routledge, Robin. Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008.Schwab, Zoltàn. "Is Fear of the LORD the Source of Wisdom or Vice Versa?" Vetus Testamentum 63, no. 4 (Oktober 2013): 652-662.Villanueva, Federico G. The ’Uncertainty of a Hearing’: A Study of the Sudden Change of Mood in the Psalms of Lament. Supplements to Vetus Testamentum 121. Leiden: Brill, 2008.Waltke, Bruce K., James M. Houston, dan Erika Moore. The Psalms as Christian Lament: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2014.Weiser, Artur. The Psalms: A Commentary. The Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1962.

Membaca Dan Memaknai Mazmur Ratapan 12 Dengan Metode Baca Gali Alkitab

One type of psalm is Lament. Psalms of Lament sung with weeping, weeping driven by the psalmist's sorrow. David wrote many psalms where one of them is lamentation in Psalm 12. In this article the psalmist experienced a change of mood (feeling) from lamenting, joyful hope then again lamenting. The research in this paper used a qualitative approach to library research methods. Literature research requires a study of related literature to guide researchers to achieve the research objectives of the data taken based on selected books. While the interpretation to find the meaning of the text of the Research Team uses the method of Reading the Bible (BGA). The methods of BGA are simple but practice interpretation that was designed initially for Christian quiet times. After Psalm 12 interpreted, the Research Team founded that the psalmist was still lamenting over the situation around him. Even though the psalmist experienced joy because God will save, but the wicked are still there and rottenness still arises among the sons of men. Because God works not based on the presence or absence of the wicked and rottenness among the children of men.

Romans 7 and the Resurrection of Lament in Christ

Relatively little attention has been paid to biblical parallels to the wretched “I” of Rom 7:14–25. A few scholars have observed features shared with the psalms of lament, but these studies have been limited in scope and have proved inconclusive in identifying the “I.” A comparison between Romans 7 and one of the psalms of lament, namely Psalm 119, reveals a number of significant verbal and conceptual correspondences, which throw fresh light onto previously unclear aspects of the “I”’s monologue. In addition, Paul’s wretched “I” is revealed as inhabiting the same symbolic world as the Christ-believers in Rome, experiencing with them the resurrection of lament in Christ.

Psalms of Lament and God’s Silence: Features of Petition Not Yet Answered

As the most prevalent category of psalms, the psalms of lament paint an especially poignant picture of the distress often involved in the life of faith and the petitions of God’s people. Often, these psalms express a desire for God to intervene and make his presence known as it appears to the psalmists that he has remained silent in the midst of present crises. The theological message of these prayers, in conjunction with the message of the Psalter on whole, reflects the dynamic of the prayer relationship the faithful have with God. These prayers in particular, moreover, provide a framework by which God’s people can appeal to God in the midst of his apparent hiddenness, or silence.

A Song of Sorrow and Praise

This paper explores briefly the musical qualities of Jeremiah’s prophecy. It begins with an analysis of the confession presented in Jeremiah 20:7-13, focusing especially on its similarity to biblical psalms of lament. Following this is an argument for Jeremiah’s use of singing to intensify his impassioned words, and a look at the wider place of music in biblical priesthood and prophecy. Through this study, I hope to give support to theologian Oskar Söhngen’s claim: “Only the elevated language of tones is fitted for speaking with God.”

Dangling between death and hope: An HIV and AIDS gender-sensitive re-reading of Psalm 6

The genre of laments (both individual and communal) can be traced historically, even up to today, to periods of crisis. The psalms of lament in the Hebrew Bible point to periods both of national crisis such as wars, exile, and individual crisis, namely attacks from enemies and illness among others. The crisis of the exile was typified by death (in the literal and metaphorical sense), pestilence, disease and war. It was also typified by hope as some of the prophets such as Jeremiah could prophesy both doom (read: death) and salvation (read: hope). If there is any crisis that people of African descent, particularly those located within the sub-Saharan continent, have ever come to experience it is the crisis brought by the pandemic of HIV and AIDS. The pandemic is better approached by scholars who hold the view that it is multisectoral. According to the latter view, the pandemic impacts the social, the economic, the religious or spiritual, and the psychological lives of both the affected and the infected. It is a justice issue. It can thus not be relegated to the individual because it is communal. Is it any wonder that in 2002 the members of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians set out to theologise and conduct God-talk that would be both gender- and HIV and AIDSconscious? In this article, we engage the works of Circle theologians and biblical scholars to see what kind of reading could emerge if we re-read the lament psalm, such as Psalm 6, gender and HIV and AIDS consciously.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In this article, the disciplines of biblical studies, gender studies, and HIV and AIDS studies, among others, converge as the authors draw from Circle theologies and biblical hermeneutics to re-read Psalm 6 through an HIV and AIDS lens. In the process, issues such as patriarchy, poverty and social justice are also dealt with.Keywords: Circle biblical hermeneutica; Psalm 6; HIV and AIDS; Gender-sensitive