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Old Testament Essays

On-line version ISSN 2312-3621
Print version ISSN 1010-9919

Old testam. essays vol.24 n.2 Pretoria  2011

 

The canonic responsa reading of Psalm 114 and its theological significance

 

 

Nissim Amzallag; Mikhal Avriel

Israel

Correspondence

 

 


ABSTRACT

The redundancy between vv. 3, 4 and 5, 6 of Ps 114 requires us to ask if it was written to be performed by two choirs singing antiphonally the same text with a 2-verse delay. Setting Ps 114 in such a canonic responsa fashion yields a highly integrated structure of three composite strophes developing together a theme totally obscured by the linear reading: the future of the pre-Israelite cult of YHWH after the covenant between the god and his new people. All these features, together with the many unresolved problems inherent in the linear reading, suggest that Ps 114 was indeed designed to be performed in a canonic responsa manner. The theological implications of this reading of the psalm are discussed.


 

 

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Correspondence:
Nissim Amzallag
Shani-Livna 13, 90411, Israel
Email: nissamz@bgu.ac.il

Mikhal Avriel
Ben Gurion 62, Kfar Saba 44204, Israel

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