c. Another argument is drawn from the titles and the way in which the psalms are assigned in
PSALMS, BOOK OF
PSALMS, BOOK OF
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CTonps to various authors, those in Books i.-iii. Caving for the most part some kind of designation, wliUst tliose in Books iv. and v. are generally anonymous.
d. The editorial note in Ps 72°° ' The prayers of David, tlie son of Jesse, are ended,' seems to prove conclusively that the compiler of the collection in question knew of no other Davidic psalms, wliereas several that are found in later books are ascribed to David.
e. Tlie rarity in Books iv. and v. of the musical notes and directions so common in the earlier books points to a dill'erence in the history of their com- pilation.
/. Another argument has been drawn from the general character of the subject-matter in tlie various collections. It is thus expressed by Kirk- patrick : ' Speaking broadly and generally, the psalms of the First Division (Bk. i.) are personal, those of the Second (Bks. ii. and iii.) national, those of the Third (Bks. iv. and v.) lituitjical. There are numerous exceptions ; but it is in the First Division that personal prayers and thanks- givings are chiefly to be found ; in the Second, prayers in special times of national calamity (44. 60. 74. 79. 80. 83. 89), and thanksgiving in times of national deliverance (46-48. 75. 76. 65-68) ; in the Third, psalms of praise and thanksgiving for general use in temple services' (95-100. 105-107. 111-118. 120-136. 146-150), Jntrod. pp. xlii, xliii.
Is it possible, then, more minutely to trace the stages by which the various sections of the Psalter assumed their present shape? It is noteworthy that in Bk. i. all the psalms are assigned to David, with the following exceptions: Ps 1 is introductory, and was probably prehxed to the collection as a suitable preface. The absence of a title to Ps 2 seems to point to a separate history, and perhaps accounts for its liatHng been joined in many copies to Ps I. Ps 10, which is anonymous, belongs to Ps 9, as is seen by the acrostic arrangement. Ps 33 is assigned to bavid in the LXX, but it was originally anonymous, and ai)pears to be of dis- tinctly later date than the rest.
In Bks. ii. and iii. all the psalms bear titles excei)t Ps 43 (which, as the refrain shows, is part of 4-^) and 71. They fall, not quite symmetrically, into groups. Eight jisalms together (42-49) are assigned to 'the sons of Korali,' and a supplement of a few Korahitic psalms is found in 84. 85. 87. One psalm 'of Asaph ' (50) stands alone, followed later by a group of eleven Asaphic psalms 73-83. Ten psalms of David are found together (51-70, all Daviilic except 66 and 07) ; Ps 86, which is also a.scribed to David, may be shown to be a mosaic of sentences adopted from other psalms. One psalm (72) is assigned to Solomon, one to lleman, and one to Ktlmn.
In Bks. iv. and v., on the other hand, the rule is that the psalms are anonymous, the only exceptions being that the 90th psalm is a.scribed to Moses, the l'27th to Solomon, whilst a few additional ones, 17 in all, bear the name of David.
The history to which these facts appear to point may be sketched somewhat as follows. The earliest collection consisted of Ps 3-41 or the bulk of the Psalms now so numbered, bearing generally the name of David. The significance of that designation will be considered later ; enough now to say that it does not necessarily imply that David himself was the author of every psalm — and to these were added Ps I and 2 ami probably some others. The next in order were Levitical collections I Korahito' or ' Asapbitc.'and these werecomliined in due course by an ' Klohistic' editor, who added a few ' Davidic' and other psalms. A conjecture of F.wald is sup[iortc<l by many mudenis, that Ps 61-72 originally stood after I's 41, forming one
collection of 'Davidic' psalms, with the editorial note 72-'" found naturally at its close. The Leviti- cal ps:ilms would then follow in their order — Koraliite 42-49, Asaphite .50. 73-83, Korahitic supplement 84-89. W. R. Smith marks the follow- ing stages in the process of forming the Psalter as it now exists : —
a. The form.ition of the first Davidic collection, with ita closiiif^ doxoloiry, Ps 1-41.
b. The second collection with doxolo^ and subscription, Ps 51-72.
e. The twofold Levitical collection (Ps 42-49. 60 and 73-83).
d, Elohistic redaction and oonibination of /t and c.
e. Atii-Ution to (/ of non-Klohistic sunplenient and doxolocy. Ps 84-S9. (SeeOTJC 201).
Without adopting this precise arrangement, which has, however, much to recommend it, it may be assumed that by some such process — probably one not so accurate and precise as modern critics theoretically constnict — the psalms in the first three books were gathered and arranged. Ps 90- 150 are viewed by most modern scholars as one division or collection, but certain lines of stratifica- tion may easily be perceived in it. One exquisite little group of psalms is found in 120-134, the 'Songs of Ascents,' which in all probability at one time existed as a .separate ' hymn-book.' Another break is found in the doxology appended to Ps 106, whatever may have been its precise history. Then Ps 92-100 possess a character of their own, and groups of Hodu and Haltchijah psalms may be discerned, though it is not likely that these ever existed as S(!parate collections.