Using Different Methods to Interpret a Text

PSALM 18: A DUAL INTERPRETATION THROUGH HISTORICAL AND LITERARY LENSES Student’s Name Course # and Name Date Psalm 18: 1-50 could be seen as a poetic supplementation of thanksgiving and triumph for the king, David, at his deliverance from all his enemies, among them King Saul. This is a psalm with rich imagery and theological reflection; thus, it is a historical testimony and a masterpiece of literature at the same time. In this paper, two methods will be used: one considering the historical interpretation of the text and another concerning the literary interpretation. By such means, complementary insights appear, which lock in both the historical fullness of the psalm while disclosing its artistic and theological fullness. Historical interpretation places Psalm 18 into its particular historical and cultural context. The psalm's superscription ascribes it to David on the day when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. This setting places the psalm in a critical period in Israel's history when David made the transition from fugitive to king. By including the psalm in 2 Samuel 22, its association with David's life story is emphasized, while its value as a royal thanksgiving hymn is underlined (Goldingay, 2006).[J. Goldingay, Psalms: Psalms 1-41 (Baker Academic, 2006), 2006.] Through this lens of the passage of history, this psalmist expression is reflected in both David's personal experiences in life and the collective identity of Israel. In his life, there were major trials, including the persecution of Saul and the challenges of uniting the tribes of Israel. These find an expression in such lines as "The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me" (Psalm 18:4). These vivid pictures doubtless reflect his near-death experiences, such as his fleeing from the searching forces of Saul at a time when his "life was now Valueless in his sight" 1 Samuel 19.11-18. Recalling deliverance is not only a celebration of David's survival but reinforces similarly the overall story of Israel's dependence upon God, in whose hand victory and safety reside.[Zondervan, NIV, holy Bible (Zondervan, 2011), 2011.] [Ibid.] The psalm also reflects ancient Near Eastern conceptions of divine intervention. An imagery of God as a warrior in verse such as, "Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth" (Psalm 18:8) reflects common theophanic descriptions in Israel's sacred texts. This mode of presentation fuses David's deliverance with seminal moments in Israel's history, such as the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31) . In putting his salvation into these broader frames ...