[ Links ], Strickland, Wayne. [ Links ], Wendland, Ernst R. Analyzing the Psalms. Notes, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical on the Book of Psalms. Psalms may depict reactions of unbelief, but also reactions that are normative. They would rather resolve to taking pills than trust God. Thus, examining Psalms 69, 109, and 137 as exemplars of imprecatory psalms, we will ask whether the view of God’s justice in these psalms is aligned to the view of God’s two-sided justice that encompasses the whole Psalter. 2 Imprecatory prayers are relevant to New Testament believers. 41 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 405. I also examine the steps required to lead a congregation in reconsidering these psalms and the type of prayer they employ. 23 William L. Holladay, Long Ago God Spoke: How Christians may Hear the Old Testament Today (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1995), 308. 13 Daniel Simango, "An Exegetical Study of Imprecatory Psalms in the Old Testament" (PhD. 28 Augustine. 62 Herbert Lockyer was a Baptist. 34 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 400. 16 See Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," 38. Isa 26:11; Jer 11:20-22; Jer 17:18; Jer 18:21 cf. Geerhardus Vos says that it is right for saints to pray imprecatory prayers because these prayers, like the psalmic imprecations, are an appeal to the justice of God.75 However, he cautions Christians not to offer petitions to God for the physical death of their enemies because they do not know which wicked persons, in the secret counsel of God, are reprobates and which are included in the election by grace.76 Believers may pray for severe temporal judgments upon the enemies of God, but they must leave to God the application or outworking of such petitions. How does a teaching like that go with a psalm like this: O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! The same element runs strongly through the final verses of Deut 32 (vv. Imprecatory Psalm. Matt 11:20-24; 23:13-39; Day acknowledges that these examples are not identical to imprecations, but the cry of "woe" in the Ancient Near East bore a measure of semantic overlap);84 (d) Scripture also records a situation in heaven, where there is no sin, but God's people cry out for vengeance and are comforted by the assurance of its near enactment (Rev 6:9-11). They invite us to pray on behalf of others, as they evoke in us an awareness of the wickedness that is in the world. Luc also compares judgment predictions in prophetic utterances with the imprecations in the Psalms and he discovers a striking similarity between the two.38 He argues that "we should not place a sharp distinction in function between the imprecation and judgment predictions. Several explications of psalmic imprecations in terms of covenantal curses usually point to the pentateuchal roots of these imprecations. Linda M. Maloney (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1996), viii. Imprecatory passages have shocked some modern editors into performing “psalmectomies” on psalter hymnals, excising these verses altogether! The article concludes by suggesting that the deadlock in approaches could be resolved by an in-depth exegesis of the specific psalms taking into account the divergent presuppositions of contemporary interpreters. The imprecatory psalms are some of the most shocking words in the Bible. 20 For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your name in vain. 6, 8, 12) which reflects the covenant structure: the relationship between God and his people, then the law of God (vv. 50 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics," 174-5. You hate all who do iniquity.”. Explain what an imprecatory psalm is and how these align with other segments of the Old Testament (for instance, oracles of judgment in the prophets). The imprecatory Psalms, he points out, are prayers, calling upon God to remedy those injustices which neither we as individuals, nor the state, are competent to remedy. 2 (New York: Abingdon, 1962), 48-49. Westminster Theological Journal 4 (1942):123-38. 19 Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 41. 78 Christopher K. Lensch, "Prayers of Praise and of Imprecation in the Psalms," WRS Journal 7 (2000): 20. 5:6; 11:5–6); (3) the principle that God’s covenant love for the people of God necessitates intervention on their part (Pss. the songbook of Israel) since some of the imprecatory psalms reflect covenant theology and structure.46 He uses Psalms 5 and 109 to illustrate his point. "The Ethical Problem of the Imprecatory Psalms." 43 Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," 41 44 Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," 41-42 45 Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," 42 46 Allan M. Harman, "The Continuity of the Covenant Curses in the Imprecations of the Psalter," The Reformed Theological Review 54 (1995): 66-72 47 Harman, "The Continuity of the Covenant Curses," 65, 69, 72. Pages 341-55 in A Survey of the Old Testament. 51 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics," 178-9. It has often been pointed out that the imprecatory psalms seem difficult to reconcile with this New Testament teaching.65 Day observes that imprecatory psalms "naturally evoke a reaction of revulsion in many Christians."66. Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 341. Walter C. Kaiser (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1972), 113; Ernst R. Wendland, Analyzing the Psalms (Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1998), 48; Hendrik G. L. Peels, Shadow Sides: the Revelation of God in the Old Testament (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2003), 90. [ Links ], Harman, Allan M. "The Continuity of the Covenant Curses in the Imprecations of the Psalter." Ps 28:5; 64:5; 69:6; 74:10; 79:6-10; 83:2; 109:27; 137:3).42. Martin argues that there are "not more than 18 psalms in the whole Psalter that contain any element of imprecation. The psalm is primarily a series of supplications with elaborations explaining the circumstances that have produced these prayers (vv. Secondly, there are similar words and concepts in both passages (e.g. Merely to attribute all the imprecations as vindictiveness, hatred, and malice is not plausible within such a framework. We are now in an era of the common curse (sin and death) and common grace (God’s gracious providence in restraining the effects of the curse). 5:7; 59:10, 16–17); and (4) the principle of prayer that believers trust God with all their thoughts and desires.”1Brand, Chad, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen, Trent C. Butler, and Bill Latta, eds. The psalmists spoke of God’s righteous judgment in the Old Testament context. [ Links ], Delitzsch, Franz. Reformed scholars like Vos, Lensch, and Peels emphasise the continuity between Old and New Covenant, the latter being a further administration of the same covenant.93 They see no tension between the Testaments. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either,”. 39 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 402. diss., North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2012. [ Links ], Zenger, Erich. 26 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 398. 36, 39, 40 and 41). What is the flat earth theory? He calls for justice against his and God's enemies, knowing that vengeance belongs to the Lord and that he will repay (2 Tim 4:22). T. "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms." [ Links ], Okorocha, Cyril. The imprecations were appropriate for Old Testament believers, therefore they are also appropriate for New Testament believers. But in the New Testament context, it is not the time of God’s judgment. Introductory issues regarding these psalms abound, such as their definition and scope and the question whether they constitute a specific genre or subgenre within the Psalter. They were not mere spiritual forces. 83 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics." 32:35; Ps. The mere definition of imprecatory psalms and the scope of these psalms make the study of these psalms a challenging enterprise. The Psalms offer language for occasions when evil has gone unchecked and we desire for God to step in and do something. Instead, they should pray according to God's will knowing that justice belongs to him and that he will repay. Psalms are independent literary units that have grown out of, and speak to, a wide range of individual and communal human experience. The New Testament believer is of a different covenant, hence he/she should not make imprecatory prayers. "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms." "According to this view, evil spiritual forces are personified as evil men. Augustine. Laney calls the present time the "Church-age"89 and Luc calls it the "Messianic era. Psalm 5:5, “The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes. 4 For example Johannes Geerhardus Vos, "The Ethical Problem of the Imprecatory Psalms," WTJ 4 (1942): 123-38; Carl J. Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (1981): 35-44; John N. Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics" (PhD. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1998. Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, 14 From men with Your hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. "69, Luc also argues that it is inappropriate for a New Testament believer to pray imprecatory prayers.70 He sees psalmic imprecations as prophetic and therefore argues that the imprecations, just like judgment proclamations, cannot be pronounced by Christians on their contemporary enemies because of two reasons.71 Firstly, the psalmic imprecation had a historical context. 5 See Chalmers Martin, "Imprecations in the Psalms," in Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation, ed. diss., North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2012), 18, 284. 24 William L. Holladay, 308. They were characterised by falsehood, treachery, cunning, greed, hatred, cruelty, arrogance and pride.56 The enemies in the imprecations are stereotypes of the reprobates who need to be punished by God. "Psalms." "53, Chalmers Martin argues that the imprecations in the Psalms are not longings for vengeance but express the longing of Old Testament saints for the vindication of God's righteousness. See Ben Witherington, The Living Word of God: Rethinking the Theology of the Bible (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2007), 25. 9:17-18; 83:2-5; 129:1 and 137:3, 7).41 Frequently, the psalmist's desire is for God's glory to be manifested because his enemies have ridiculed and reviled God for not protecting his people (e.g. The Imprecatory Psalms are little studied, usually avoided, and are difficult to understand. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2001), 1-205; John N. Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics," Bibliotheca Sacra 159 (2002): 166-85; Cyril Okorocha, "Psalms," 606. “It is important to recall the theological principles that underlie such psalms. Day mentions the following psalms as imprecatory psalms: Psalms 7, 35, 52, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 94, 109, 129, 137 and 140. Some regard the imprecatory prayers as irrelevant in the sense that the ethics reflected in these prayers may not be applied to New Testament believers. Let those be turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt.”, Psalm 71:13, “Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed. Therefore, from the New Testament perspective, the enemies in the imprecatory psalms are the enemies of Christ.74 Christ teaches the believer to love his/her enemies and pray for those who persecute him/her (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:26). Theology and Ethics. Soundings in the Theology of Psalms is the second of several "Soundings" volumes to be published by Fortress Press. Once I started praying using imprecatory Psalms even before I had read this book both my depression and anxieties lifted up. 1978. Curated Resources Widmer, Standing in the Breach, 416. Firstly in context - David felt powerless in the face of oppression and he cried in confidence to God. 80 Lensch, "Prayers of Praise and of Imprecation in the Psalms," 20. Email: paul.kruger@nwu.ac.za 1 John H. Walton, "Psalms," in A Survey of the Old Testament, ed. Rom. The latter are the underlying reasons, the rationale or motivation behind the genre. [ Links ], ________. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? 2 vols. The psalmist asks or prays "for judgment on the wicked, usually the perceived enemies of the psalmist." [ Links ], Barnes, Albert. An overview of the study of imprecatory Psalms: reformed and evangelical approaches to the interpretation of imprecatory Psalms  Simango, Daniel ; Krüger, P. Paul ( The Old Testament Society of Southern Africa (OTSSA) , 2016 ) 32 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 400. The Book of Psalms is a sizable collection of musical poems and prayers of diverse authorship and form. Reflections on the Psalms. The psalmists felt that their faith in God's goodness and righteousness was put to a severe strain and so they want God to reverse the situation as this would set their doubts and the doubts of others forever at rest.54, Martin also connects the cries for vengeance to zeal for God and his kingdom. Worshipper invokes God's wrath and judgement against God's enemies. Simango identifies imprecatory Psalms by considering the number of scholars who classify them as imprecatory psalms since more research regarding the criteria for identifying these psalms is necessary.13 He regards the imprecatory psalms as individual or communal laments.14. [ Links ], Tournay, Raymond Jacques. So, You Want To Downplay Doctrine? Some contain elements of imprecation and other material such as blessings, appeal, adoration, worship, and more. 3 Day, “The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics,” 168. 23 The New Testament exhorts believers to love their enemies, but the psalmists hate their enemies and their sin instead of distinguishing the sinner from sin.24, Some scholars see the psalmic imprecations as prophetic predictions, thus implying that these are divine announcements and not personal sentiments. Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (1981): 35-45. Although the Old Testament imprecatory psalms are specifically set within the framework of monotheism and the worship of Yahweh, they may reflect not only many traits but also motivations of general Ancient Near Eastern imprecations. They do not seek personal vengeance; rather they leave vengeance to God, as God has demanded. 55 Martin, "Imprecations in the Psalms," 123-4. There are various opinions with regards to the number of imprecatory psalms. 73 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 408. 53 Vos, "The Ethical Problem of the Imprecatory Psalms," 137. 66 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics," 166. The dividing line between evangelical and reformed scholars who favour a prophetic interpretation of the imprecatory psalms (section D, subsection 2) and those who favour a covenantal interpretation largely corresponds to the dividing line between scholars who insist that these psalms do not offer ethical guidelines to the New Testament believer (subsection 1) and those who do see an abiding ethic in these psalms (subsection 2). 63 Vos was a member of the Christian Reformed Church ( http://www.bsmi.org/vos.htm). Tagged in: church, culture, imprecatory psalms, psalms, religion, theology, worship Posted by Caleb Wait Caleb Wait (MATS, Westminster Seminary California) is a … 13:16), which incidentally also have a covenantal basis.47. Various reasons are given as to why the psalmists turned to imprecations when they were wronged, ranging from a desire to get even with their enemies to zeal for God's honour. The covenants serve as the general biblical basis for the imprecations when the concerns are violated (e.g. The New Testament does not encourage believers to pray imprecatory prayers. Words were thought to have effectuating power. He has cut in two the cords of the wicked. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either,” (Luke 6:27-29). In this present period, the attitude of the believers is determined by the words: "Bless those who persecute you; bless do not curse" (Rom 12:14). 49 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics," 171-2. [ Links ], Craigie, Peter C. Psalms 1-50. The subsequent two sections give a brief survey and assessment of solutions offered by scholars to these two issues: • The basis of the imprecatory prayers in the psalms; and. You are permitted to use outside scholarly sources and the Bible in your responses. The characterising element of imprecatory psalms is a cry for divine vengeance, an appeal to God to pour out his wrath on the psalmist's enemies. There are royal psalms, Zion psalms, and wisdom psalms. The answer to the question what moved the psalmists to pray for vengeance, is thus not a very simple question to answer. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. There seems to be no consensus among scholars with regards to the exact number of imprecatory psalms. Western Reformed Seminary Journal 7 (2000):17-21. Biblical basis of the imprecatory Psalms : special attention to Psalms 109 and 35. The Book of Psalms is a sizable collection of musical poems and prayers of diverse authorship and form. He demonstrates that in Psalm 5, God is addressed as "my King and my God" (v. 2) and by his covenant name (vv. As a sample, Psalm 69:24 states toward God, "Pour out Your indignation on them, and let Your burning anger overtake them." 183. The Psalms in Israel's Worship, trans. Jer 50:27; Dan 4:23; Jer 13:10; Mal 2:12).40, Thirdly, like other prophetic judgments the psalmic imprecations depend on prior biblical teaching for their authority, especially that of the Pentateuch. Understanding the Psalms of Divine Wrath. Rudolf Kittel argues that imprecatory psalms express sentiments that originated from men who thought of revenge.15 This view implies the imprecations in the psalms are personal sentiments and should not be treated as inspired words.16 The imprecation cannot be applied to someone other than the intended person in his/her personal context. Laney argues that the imprecations in the Psalms are based on the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3), in which God promised to curse those who cursed Abraham's descendants. Pages 229-279 in Five Views on the Law and Gospel. Indeed, the implication is that, in its appropriate place, such utterances are commendable (cf. 1980. . Sigmund Mowinckel interprets the imprecations in the Psalms are curses uttered against evil or demonic powers "which manifests themselves in illness and all kinds of evil"59. The Psalms in Israel's Worship. the imprecatory psalms and the Pauline and Petrine curses of Gal. See https://almanac.logos.com/AlexT.Luc. 84 Day, "The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics." diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 2001. 8:13). According to Peter Craigie, the argument is that the psalmists made these utterances when facing extremely painful realities of human life. In the imprecatory psalms, David is invoking the sanctions of the covenant, not simply expressing his private vengeance. But when Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he speaking of what we, as Christians, are supposed to do. 10:9-11, 18; 12:5; 55:9-11; 94:5-7; 79:6, 12, 2,7; cf. Is it true and is it biblical? There is a close connection between the notion of the covenant and that of the kingdom since Yahweh, in terms of covenant terminology, is the Great King. 94 Wendland, Analyzing the Psalms, 48. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion The imprecatory Psalms, he points out, are prayers, calling upon God to remedy those injustices which neither we as individuals, nor the state, are competent to remedy. A list of the imprecatory Psalms are 5, 17, 28, 35, 40, 55, 59, 70, 71, 79, 80, 94, 129, 137, 139, 140. This explains why imprecatory prayers are less common in the New Testament in comparison to the Old Testament. "73 The same is true of the psalmic imprecations. 1 Imprecatory prayers are irrelevant to New Testament believers, Laney argues that it is inappropriate for a believer to pray imprecatory prayers and thus to call down God's judgment on the wicked. Encountering the Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 228. [ Links ], Kittel, Rudolf. [ Links ], Chakam, Amos. It's a shame that so many Christians are taught to deny/disown their feeling and leave the imprecatory Psalms alone. 74 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 409. In the preaching of the Gospel, judgment is executed by the salvation of all who believe and the total expiation of all their sins. God's justice calls for fulfilment even in the Old Testament and even more during the lifetime of the suppliant. (Procedure at the end of this article) Though it... “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. As part of my doctoral studies on suffering for righteousness in the book of Psalms (before I had to abandon them because of health issues), I had to wrestle through what biblical scholars call "The Imprecatory Psalms." Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.”, Psalm 94:1-2, “O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! "22 William Holladay echoes the same point when he argues that the imprecations display "a very different spirit" to the teaching of the New Testament. The Springfielder 39 (1975): 88-102. The characterising element of imprecatory psalms is a cry for divine vengeance, an appeal to God to pour out his wrath on the psalmist's enemies. major themes of Deuteronomy 11–30.4 I refer to this as “retribution theology.” Psalms 14 and 53 are almost identical and add wisdom theology, respectively, to Books 1 and 2, while Psalm 19B contains several Torah keywords—following the creation meditation of 19A—that also appear in the longest Torah-wisdom Psalm 119. “Imprecation” is the calling down of curses or divine judgments on someone. Evangelical scholars are divided on this issue of the ethical problem of imprecatory psalms. David was a prophet in the wider sense of being a spokesman for God and an official teacher of his will. Alex Luc is a Baptist too. 86 Peels, Shadow Sides: the Revelation of God in the Old Testament, 101. Judgment comes on Israel's enemies "in accordance with the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant. This does not diminish God's honour and justice, and his destruction of evil. 37 Luc, "Interpreting the Curses in the Psalms," 401. As modern interpreters, we cannot question the authors themselves about their motivations. : ( 1 Chr 25:2, 5 the other psalmists ( e.g has gained traction in recent.! Must `` be understood and interpreted in light of the covenant Curses in the New Testament Rev. Abingdon, 1962 ), 18, 284 tell what is the concern for social justice and Bible! Therefore from these Psalms. email us at info @ carm.org can... by Matt Slick | Jun 13 2016. Classical Reformed theology and value of the Old Testament, '' in Classical Evangelical in. Testament God is a musical accompaniment to a poem that are faithful to biblical theology, 2020 Questions. In contradiction to the justice of God a paradigm that recognises the Psalter. pages in!, ed literature of the Law of Christ, an understanding reflected in the sense. 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