Psalms and Wisdom Literature Midterm

-spring 2025 with Mrs. Petrany

individual lament

form of psalm genre that includes reference to the individual usually through first person singular

communal lament

form of psalm genre that includes some reference to community, usually through first person plural

-invocation (ask for help)

-complaint

-petition

-expression of trust

-expression of praise

What is the form of a communal/individual lament? (5)

-penitential psalm

-imprecatory psalm

-psalm of trust

What are the subgenres of the individual lament?

penitential psalm (type of lament)

form of psalm genre that includes acknowledging sin and asking for mercy

imprecatory psalm (type of lament)

form of psalm genre that asks for vengeance against enemies

psalm of trust (type of lament)

form of psalm genre that expands the expression of trust and may leave out the invocation/complaint/petition altogether

hymn

form of psalm genre that has an initial call to praise, with the reasons for praise being God’s attributes and God’s specific acts on behalf of Israel and the world, concluding the reference to praise

Zion psalms (type of hymn)

form of psalm genre that focuses on Zion/Jerusalem as a way of praising God

Wisdom

form of psalm genre with content markers such as moral admonitions, beatitudes, and speaking to God in the third person

national festivals addressing national calamities (famine, war)

What is the historical setting for a communal lament?

originally used in worship services and then as devotional prayers of the individual

What is the historical setting for an individual lament?

instruction

form of psalm genre that was addressed from father to son through a greeting, motivation, and the content of the lesson

-neighborly relations

-debt

-laziness

-confidence

-relationship with God/faithfulness

-women/adultery

-identity

-speech

-creation

What were topics of the instruction in Proverbs 1-9 between the Father and the Son?

The Father wants his son to live a Godly life and to follow the covenant. He says that if you act in one way, then a certain life will follow from it.

What does the Father want from the Son overall in Proverbs 1-9?

-indicative: statements and declarations

-imperative: commands and instructions give motivation

How do Proverbs/Sayings/Aphorisms offer didactic function?

ABBA structure; “Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever”

What is chiasm parallelism?

The second line builds off the first line; “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men / to see if there were any that did understand and seek God”

What is synthetic/stair step parallelism?

-Isaac

-Ishmael

Who is Abraham the father of? (2)

-a great name

-rest from enemies

-everlasting reign

What three things does God promise David?

-commits adultery with Bathsheba

-kills her husband Uriah

How does David break his covenant with God?

King Solomon

Who is the author of the Book of Proverbs?

King Solomon

Who builds the first temple in Jerusalem?

Agur

Who is the sage and compiler of chapter 30 of the Book of Proverbs?

-a warning that divine wisdom is more important and greater than human wisdom because we are limited

What does Agur warn about in chapter 30 of Proverbs?

-addressed in Proverbs 31

-instruction on how to be a good king (to Lemuel)

-instruction on how to find a good wife/queen

Who is Lemuel’s mother?

-last chapter; chapter 31 of the book of Proverbs

-final closing on the book of educating young royals and growing their wisdom

What does Woman of Worth say?

Theological Anthropology

the study of humanity’s relationship with God and how that relationship informs our understanding of human nature

-Book of Job

-Book of Proverbs

-Book of Psalms

-Song of Songs

-Ecclesiastes

What are the five wisdom books?

-palace (royal scribes)

-temple (priestly scribes)

-school (teacher)

-household (women)

What is the social setting of the wisdom tradition? (4)

-to form character and educate

What is the purpose of the wisdom tradition?

-Book 1: emphasizes God’s presence

-Book 2: Focuses on God’s guidance

-Book 3: reminds us that God is all around us

-Book 4: focuses on God’s superiority

-Book 5: focuses on God’s involvement with us

What is the five book structure of the Book of Psalms?

-historical method (world behind the text)

-literary method (world within the text)

-theological method (world beyond the text)

What are the three methods of reading the Bible?

-events: people interpret events in its history as occurrences of God’s self revelation

-oral traditions: pass on religious meaning through mouth to inspire, teach and orient in the community

-written tradition: record oral traditions to preserve and organize them

-canons established: through a communal process and selection of certain written traditions as inspired by God

What is the transmission process of the Bible? (4)

sefer tehilim

book of psalms/praises in hebrew

-Kingdom of Priests: Israel has a mission to reveal God through obedience of the Torah and exclusive following of God alone

-Holy Nation: Israel is set apart from the other nations

Overall, it is a deliverance narrative in which the Israelites were brought out of Egypt and a covenant was formed on Mount Sinai through Moses. More specifically, a reciprocal covenant (participatory) and not promissory.

What does the kingdom of priests and holy nation in Exodus 19:6 mean?

United Monarchy

period when the twelve tribes of Israel were ruled by King David and King Solomon (one monarch) around 1000 BCE to 922 BCE

Babylonian Exile

period when the southern kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem) falls to Babylon; the Jerusalem Temple is destroyed and the residents are exiled to Babylon

587-586 BCE to 539 BCe

When was the Babylonian Exile

1000 BCE to 922 BCE

When was the United Monarchy