Recherche – Detailansicht

Ausgabe:

Juli/August/2021

Spalte:

689-691

Kategorie:

Altes Testament

Autor/Hrsg.:

Brodersen, Alma, Neumann, Friederike, u. David Willgren [Hgg.]

Titel/Untertitel:

Intertextualität und die Entstehung des Psalters.

Verlag:

Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2020. VIII, 236 S. = Forschungen zum Alten Testament. 2. Reihe, 114. Kart. EUR 79,00. ISBN 9783161563430.

Rezensent:

W. Dennis Tucker, Jr.

The essays in this anthology were first presented in 2018 at a confer-ence at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. Some essays call into question the methodology employed in Psalterexegese (i. e. diachron reflektierte Synchronie) while others reinforce its interpretive value. As a unifying feature, the essays focus on matters of intertextuality and questions concerning the origin of the Psalter. While the editors of the volume acknowledge that intertextuality can reflect a »reader-oriented« methodological approach to a text, they contend that in considering the origin of the Psalter, intertextual questions are best framed within the context of an »author-centered« approach. Attention to »text-text« references should be considered as well as »topic-topic« references; both likely reflect varying aspects of professional scribal learning as well as non-professional oral tradition.
In Section 1, »Methodological Reflection«, Alma Brodersen (»Quellen und Intertextualität. Methodische Überlegungen zum Psalterende«, 7–31) analyzes Pss 146–150 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls. She challenges earlier claims (Zenger) that intertextual references in the collection prove conclusively that the five psalms function as a literary unit appended to the end of the Psalter. She contends that the intertextual references are not sufficient to support those claims, but perhaps do explain why the psalms were juxtaposed. David Willgren (»A Teleological Fallacy in Psalms Studies? Decentralizing the ›Masoretic‹ Psalms Sequence in the Formation of the ›Book‹ of Psalms«, 33–50) argues that recent approaches in Psalterexegese (Hossfeld and Zenger) are methodologically flawed. Chief among his critiques is that current ap­proaches conceive of the formation process as too linear, »so that all states of formation are seen eventually leading to what is now the ›Book‹ of Psalms« (35). As a result, the »final product« (MT Psalter) is interpreted »to an extent that cannot be substantiated by the manuscripts at hand« (35). Drawing from insights derived from the New Philology, Willgren turns to consider the psalms manuscript evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The differences that exist do not represent »variants«, but rather »variance«. Johannes Bremer (»Ar­mentheologie und Intertextualität. Zum Zusammenspiel von Thema, Textbezügen und Entstehung des Psalters«, 51–72) contends that theology of the poor represents a central theme in the Psalter, but even more, that the terminology associated with the poor may be instructive in assessing the development of the Psalter itself. Bremer considers the »intertextual interplay« in selected examples (Pss 25 and 34; 14 and 53; and 107) as evidence that Armentheologie was instrumental in the shaping of the Psalter. Bremer posits that the increased influence of the language of the poor is the result of the socio-economic conditions experienced during the Achae-menid and Hellenistic periods.
Section 2 focuses on »Theological Perspectives« and begins with Martin Leuenberger’s contribution (»Eine zionstheologische Fortschreibung in Pss 46, 48 und 76. Intertextuelle Befunde und redaktionsgeschichtliche Auswertungen«, 75–92). He assesses the nature of text-text intertextuality in three Zion psalms and its implica-tions for the development of the Psalter. In the post-exilic period, additions were made to Pss 46 and 48 (46:9–12; 48:10–12) in order to emphasize YHWH role in establishing world-wide peace. This same theme appears in Ps 76, creating deliberate »text-text relationships« (83) between all three psalms. This revision of Zion theology has implications for the editorial placement of the three psalms in their respective collections. Friederike Neumann (»Ein Loblied Jerusalems. Der theologiegeschichtliche Hintergrund von Psalm 147 und dessen Be­deutung für den Abschluss des Psalters«, 93–118) points to a number of texts from the prophetic corpus (Joel 2:21–24; Am 9:13–15; Zeph 3:14–20) and the Psalter (81; 102) that inform Ps 147. The eschatol-ogical hope rehearsed in the earlier texts has been adopted but transformed so that it now speaks of the present. Neumann argues that this type of reception and transformation of traditions re-presents another form of intertextuality (112). Markus Saur (»Der gerechte König. Überlegungen zum Zusammenhang von Königspsalmen und JHWH-König-Psalmen«, 119–35) considers the »dual concepts of kingdom in the Psalter«, the Davidic kingdom and the Divine kingdom. This connection is established through shared lexemes and the proximity of relevant psalms (e. g., 144; 145). Saur observes that this same duality occurs in the post-exilic prophetic corpus (e. g., Mic 2:12–13; Zeph 9:9–10) and likely reflects a significant trajectory in post-exilic theology. Nancy Rahn (»Reich Gottes in der Liturgie. Liturgische Kontextualisierungen von Psalm 145 als Zeugen seiner Intertextualitätsgeschichte«, 137–52) considers the appropriation of Ps 145 in Jewish and Christian liturgies. In this way, Ps 145 functions as the source text for a number of intertexual (text-text) connections. Such intertextuality extends the idea of divine rule into the present moment of the worshiping community.
The final section addresses compositional questions. Bernd Ja­nowski (»›Was ist der Mensch, dass du seiner gedenkst?‹ Psalm 8 und seine intertextuellen Bezüge«, 155–83) explores Ps 8 with attention to numerous intertextual references, most notably Gen 1. Di-vine power is announced through the »mouths of children and in­fants«. This theme of »mouth« appears throughout Pss 3–14 where its usage elsewhere in the collection stands in stark contrast to Ps 8. Janowski argues that Ps 8 functions as the central text in the sub-collection as evident by the intertextual connections in that collection. Kathrin Liess (»›Und all sein Tun geschieht in Treue‹ [Ps 33,4]. Zur Komposition der Teilsammlung Psalm 25–34«, 185–206) assesses the collection both synchronically and diachronically. She identifies a number of theological and anthropological themes that bind the collection together. Diachronically, Ps 29 was placed be-tween Ps 26–28 and 30–32. In a subsequent stage, Psalms 24 and 35 were added as framing psalms, with Ps 33 added last. Johannes Schnocks (»Psalm 40 and the Construction of Individual and Collective Identity«, 207–19) considers the role of Ps 40 within the final collection in Book 1 based on its intertextual references to Ps 70.
These essays raise important methodological questions for the future of Psalms research and demonstrate that while Psalterexegese remains a helpful analytical tool for research, questions concern-ing manuscript evidence and the diversity of traditions merits renewed attention.