* Gf. Couard, ‘ Die Behandlung und Losung des Problems der Theodicee in den Psalmen 37. 39. 73’ in SK, 1901, p. 110 ff.
is a Maccabzean* priest-prince. That the writer believed the Messiah to have made his appearance in the person of this priest-prince can be inferred only from v.! (the seat of honour beside Jahweh) and at all events from v.® (provided that the judg- ment of the nations at the dawn of the Messianic age is what is meant): for the rest, it would be sufficient to understand the sovereign power and the career of victory as extending over only a smaller circle of peoples.
It is noteworthy that in all three psalms we, hear only of the monarchical qualities of this ruler (in Ps 72 of monarchical virtues, in Ps 2 and 110 of warlike achievements), not of any spiritual activity on his part—again an evidence of how wide was the gulf between the picture of the Jewish Messiah and that of the actual Messiah of the New Testa- ment.
But at certain times (especially those when Israel enjoyed outward prosperity, as happened, for in- stance, under the rule of the Ptolemies) or in certain circles the expectation of a personal Mes- siah fell quite out of sight. This is shown by certain passages in which (so also perhaps in Hab 3”) the nation is expressly called ‘the anointed’ of Jahweh: Ps 28° 84! (but hardly 89° 2) ; in 105” the patriarchs are spoken of as Jahweh’s anointed ones. This usage could scarcely have established itself unless the thought of the ‘anointed’ in an individual sense had—at least at times—almost entirely faded away.
But the circumstance last alluded to by no means excludes the possibility that the expectation of a Messianic time always continued as a living and powerful force. It is the object of longing (Ps 14") and of confident hope. With the ery of jubilation, | ‘ Jahweh reigneth’ (47% 931% 97% 99**:),+ the poet transports himself to the time when Jahweh has at last assumed kingly rule on Zion, and advances to execute judgment on Israel’s foes, and showers upon lerask a superabundance of spiritual and temporal blessings.
As in the earlier Prophets, the heathen peoples play a prominent rdle again in the future expecta- tions of the Psalmists. Only, it must be admitted at the outset that this réle is almost uniformly accommodated to the particularistic assumptions which we have already encountered in the Psalms. The Messianic }judgment is indeed, at the same time, what it is primarily to the earlier prophets, a purifying judgment for Israel itself, in which the ungodly perish (1°; even in 7 and 941": Israel may be included) but, as arule, it is meant for ‘the peoples of the world’ (96" 98°), and, amongst these, especially of course for the oppressors and enemies of Israel. The executing of the judgment is almost always looked for from Jahweh Himself. Only in 1495*- does the poet formally revel in the thought that the godly in Israel are to execute with their own hand the long predicted judgment on the heathen and their kings.
Considering the frequency of allusions to the relation of the heathen to the Messianic kingdom, one might expect also some words which, in the spirit of Deutero-Isaiah, should recognize that the heathen have a part in the kingdom of God. But, apart from Ps 22%", where a conversion of the heathen to Jahweh is spoken of, no indubit- able witness to such an expectation can be pro- duced, For the very frequent calls to the heathen to praise Jahweh (47° 66™ 672%. 6833 972 984 100!
* All doubt on this point would be dispelled if the acrostic dis- covered by G. Margoliouth in vv.l-4(v in IY, Din THD, Yin WY, 3 in y3v3; the whole yielding the name jyv) isa real one. In the year 141 B.c. Simon became, by a popular resolution, heredi- tary high priest and prince of the people. ,
+ On this interpretation of the psalms in question, cf. B. Stade, ‘Die messianische Hoffnung im Psalter’ in Zeitschrift fiir Theologie wnd Kirche, ii. (1892) 369 ff.
728 RELIGION OF ISRAEL
117} 138% 148") may quite well be understood in the sense of readily confessing the superior power of Jahweh and the consequent necessity of sub- mitting themselves to serve Him. The same may be the meaning also of passages like 869 967" 10236 23, and certainly of 68° 72°, The gifts brought to the temple by the kings of the heathen are simply the tribute offered by them in testi- mony of their subjection to the supreme God. In view of all this, it cannot be denied that here again we may mark a falling from the level of pro- phetism down to specifically Jewish particularism.
9. The question of personal immortality. — An old controverted question still remains to be dealt with: Are there to be found in the Psalter—in spite of what was said above about Shzo/—pas- sages in which expression is given to the hope of individual immortality? We here leave out of account passages like Ps 31° or 4916 which are put out of court by a correct exegesis [in Ps 31 all that is needed to do this is v.1*]._ On the other hand, it deserves to be seriously considered whether 161°: speaks only of preservation from sudden death and not rather from death altogether, namely, through living to see the Messianic time (cf., for this expectation expressed in Is 258, above, p. 713). And no less may it be considered whether in Ps 17 we are not to think of an awakening in like manner to enter upon the enjoyment of the Mes- sianic age (in the sense of Is 261°). In that case we should have a parallel to the resurrection hope expressed in Dn 12? (see above, p. 715*).* But these two passages in the Psalms would thus stand so isolated, besides being of so doubtful interpre- tation, that we must be content, after all, to return on the question at issue a verdict of non liquet.