Maranatha Baptist University Dr. Preston Mayes Watertown, WI Fall 2017 GOT 712 EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF POETRY - PSALMS Instructor Information: Office Hours: 1:30-2:30 daily Office Location: Third Floor of Main Building Phone Numbers: Office 920-206-2361 Cell and Text 920-206-8816. Textbooks: Required: 1. C. Hassell Bullock. Encountering the Book of Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001. 2. Tremper Longman III and Dan Allender. The Cry of the Soul. Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1994 3. Students joining the class virtually must have a computer (check with the MBU IT department for minimum system requirements), a video camera and a headset with a microphone. Course Description/Prerequisites: A study of exegetical methods for Psalms giving special emphasis to poetic structure and content of the various types of Psalms and their role in the life of the believer today (3 hours). Course Prerequisite: GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. Institutional Objectives: This course addresses the following institutional objectives: 1. Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate competence in written, oral, and aesthetic communication. 2. Critical Thinking: Students will apply a framework for logical decision-making in various contexts. 6. Biblical Knowledge: Students will acquire skills related to biblical study methods, interpretation, and doctrine. 7. Biblical World View: students will articulate a world view that will tie all fields of study to the Scriptures to the praise of His glory. 8. Biblical Application: Students will use discernment in moral situations by applying biblical precepts and principles to contemporary issues and lifestyle choices.
Course Goals: 1. To gain a basic understanding of how Hebrew poetry should be read and interpreted giving special attention to parallelism and imagery. 2. To gain an understanding of methods employed in the exegesis of Hebrew poetry, giving special emphasis to the syntactical differences between poetry and prose. 3. To become acquainted with the relevant literature on the book of Psalms and on Hebrew Poetry. 4. To acquire a working understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of the 7 types (subgenre) of Psalms. 5. To understand the abiding importance of the Psalms for the spiritual and emotional stability of the believer. An important corollary of this goal is to apply the psalms for preaching, counseling, and personal life in a hermeneutically and dispensationally appropriate manner. Course Objectives: 1. Students should be able to list the basic characteristics of Hebrew poetry (show what distinguishes poetry from prose in the OT). Students should also be able to list and identify the poetic devices used in Hebrew poetry. 2. Students should be able to identify the types of parallelism and poetic imagery employed in any given passage in the book of Psalms. 3. Students should be able to list and identify the basic characteristics of the 7 classes of Psalms (hymn, lament, thanksgiving, confidence, remembrance, wisdom, kingship). 4. Students should demonstrate working understanding proper exegetical methods for the psalms by writing an exegetical paper on a Psalm. Course Requirements: 1. Reading a. Required Readings - Read the course texts according to the schedule. b. Read 25 pages in each of the following commentaries (preferably from the Psalm that you are doing for your exegetical paper): Expositor s (VanGemeren), TOTC (Kidner), WBC (Craigie, Tate, or Allen), Goldingay, Harman, NIVAC (Wilson), Ross and Terrien. Some of these may have more or less on your Psalm depending on their length, so 25 pages is an overall guide. Just make sure to read at least 150 total pages and do some reading in each of the above. 2
2. Translation: Weekly translations will be given from the Psalms. Note the following guidelines: a. Translations should be done in chart format and follow the Hebrew parallelism. b. In a separate column, parse each verb and indicate waw conjunction usage if it is not a simple/conjunctive waw. c. In a third column, indicate the parallelism/imagery (if any is present) b. You may use any English helps, computer programs, etc. that you wish for all assignments. The goal is not to produce a polished translation or to increase your reading speed, worthy as those goals might be. Rather, the goal is to produce a working translation of the passage that reflects some understanding of the underlying Hebrew Syntax and Poetic structure. That working translation then becomes the basis of class discussion. 3. Exam: There are unit exams, but no final exam. Exams include a mixture of objective and subjective questions. 4. Exegetical Paper: This assignment will employ the methodology taught in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis with some special modifications for exegesis of the Psalms. You may not do a Psalm that was covered in class lectures. Paper Methodology. You should deal with the following elements in your Psalm in the following order. My recommendation is that you deal with a Psalm that is 10-15 verses in length, or that you choose a section of a Psalm that is a complete paragraph of 8-10 verses in length. a. Context Study. Historical Context: This section will vary depending on the Psalm. Some Psalms will require none for there is no particular historical context indicated. Some will require a limited amount depending on the topic addressed and on the Psalm heading. You will be deciding just how much is necessary here in conference with the teacher. Literary Context: 1. Begin with a 1-2 paragraph summary of the subgenre of the Psalm. Also identify any departures from the usual pattern. 2. Next, include a block diagram working translation of your passage. The translation should identify all verb tenses and waws (exception simple waws operating within phrases need not be indicated). As an additional step, also identify all parallelism (internal and external) and imagery. Put the entire section in a 3 column table (first column is translation, second is parallelism, third is imagery). 3. The third part varies. Option 1: If you are working on a complete Psalm, assess any canonical connections that you find between 3
b. Word Study: this Psalm and other Psalms (see Wilson s commentary). Option 2: If you are working on 10-15 verses within the Psalm, discuss the preceding context first (what is the Psalmist talking about-both a general summary of content and observation of Hebrew forms). Next, state and prove where the paragraph/section within which you are working begins; then, state and prove where it ends. This middle section requires sensitivity to theme and extensive use of Hebrew. Finally, discuss what the Psalmist is talking about in the immediate following context (general content and Hebrew). For both options: End with a discussion of initial exegetical observations. These will involve waw usage, verb tenses, and the nature of the parallelism and imagery that you observed in the block diagram. Choose five words to study following the general methodology used in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. All of the following must be studied if they occur in the Psalm you are working on: Required source: Gordon R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible. JSOT Sup 157 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1993). This work investigates within its semantic field (all the other required words), so it will be helpful for any of the above. You should review enough of the work to understand Clark s methodology, but pay particular attention to chapters 6 and 11. c. Significance: Again, use the same methodology that was used in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. In this case, however, you will need to adjust the way you formulate significance statements for genre. Poetry contains some commands, but much more of it is devoted to describing the emotions and thoughts of the psalmist. Furthermore, imagery and parallelism require a slightly different approach. You should have 12-15 significance statements built in stair step fashion. Some will be factual, some will address matters of trans-dispensational significance. d. Synthesis: Follow the methodology used in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. Remember, this is the point at which you should check your work using commentaries. e. Applications from the Text. Follow the methodology used in GOT 616 Hebrew Exegesis. Remember, application should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive and should involve making legitimate points of contact between the original audience and the modern audience. It will also need to consider the subgenre in which you 4
are working. In laments, the challenge is to understand the correspondence between their terminology and labels, most of which use terminology from psychology. It is important to draw this connection if it exists because many people think in terms of these labels. Since the Bible does not use that language, it can seem irrelevant for dealing with these types of issues. The truth is that it is extremely relevant to all of them. In addition to counseling works, note: Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling, 2 nd ed., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. We also have The Journal of Pastoral Practice and The Journal of Biblical Counseling on Galaxie Theological Journals available through the Cedarholm Library. These searchable resources should be particularly helpful for you. f. Outline. Organize all the work into a sermon outline that you could preach or teach. This involves taking the work you did in steps a-e and packaging it for effective delivery (an proposition with main points, explanations, application, etc.). The only completely new work at this stage should be to add an appropriate introduction and conclusion. Paper form requirements: a. For format requirements, see the GOT 616 course notes. b. All format issues not specifically addressed in the GOT 616 course notes should use the usual MBS format guide. A FINAL NOTE: This paper is designed to move you through the steps of exegesis all the way through to contemporary applications of the text. Contemporary preaching and counseling tends to suffer from one of three shortcomings, particularly in the themes addressed by Psalms. First, some discussions of the Psalms major on exegetical issues without ever bringing the application to bear. This has the effect of making them seem irrelevant to modern life. Second, some works (counseling books in particular) major on practical applications without discussing the exegesis on which they are based. This gives the impression that the work does not have any solid exegetical basis in scripture (and sometimes, it may not). The goal in this paper is for you to demonstrate how your applications actually issued from the text you chose. Finally, some preaching does not give attention to the Psalm as a unit of thought. Unless time constraints prohibit it, preaching should deal with the movement from one section to another within the Psalm. Course Grade A 94 B+ 88 C+ 79 D 64 A- 91 B 85 C 76 F 0-64 B- 82 C- 73 10% Reading 25% Exams 25% Translations 40% Research Paper 5
1. On the grading scale: A indicates that the work was superior in comparison with the general seminary and graduate school population. B indicates that the work was good work, on par with that done by the average seminary student. C generally indicates that the student grasped the essential concepts vital for the completion of the assignment, but that the work was lacking in some area. D and F indicate that the student did not complete the assignment at an adequate level. 2. Program Grade Requirements: In order to graduate, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (including a maximum of two Cs) in any MA program, or a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the MDiv program. 3. Late Penalty The standard seminary 4% late penalty applies to all class assignments THE POLICY: You are now studying at a graduate level; expectations are, therefore, high. The Seminary expects you to perform your academic work in a timely fashion. The development of time management skills while in Seminary will greatly benefit you in the future, both in your personal life and in your ministry. Ministry involves managing numerous activities at one time. You are preparing for a life ministry which will focus primarily on serving people. This demands a serious consideration of your own schedule and the schedules of those whom you serve. To encourage you in the development and strengthening of your time management skills, the Seminary has established a Late Academic Work Policy. This policy is the minimum penalty for work not turned in on time. The professor may impose a greater penalty, but not a lesser. Work not turned in on the day it is due will have its grade reduced 4% for each calendar day that it is late. The Seminary realizes that serious extenuating circumstances, such as a lengthy illness or a death in the family, may prevent some students from completing class projects on time. Requests for appropriate extensions for these types of serious circumstances may be made to the Seminary Academic Senate, via a written petition submitted to the Seminary Office. Extensions will only be given for valid excuses. Everyone is busy; therefore, being busy is not an excuse for an extension. Projects turned in under an allowed extension will not be graded higher than a B. 4. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Research papers must be completely new papers written by the student for this course (you may not turn in a reworked paper from another class). Turning in a paper written by someone else is adequate grounds for dismissal from the seminary. Students may not use or consult papers written by students in previous or present Exegesis of Poetry classes. Students should also be careful to guard against other forms of plagiarism. These include (but are not limited to) failure to use quotation marks around quoted material and the use of incomplete paraphrases. If you paraphrase an author, you may not use either language or sentence structure of the original source. Students should do their own preparation for tests and quizzes. It is acceptable to engage in group study efforts, but only after you have done your own initial work by filling out study guides, preparing you own essay responses, etc. 6
The use of notes, books or other materials during tests is generally not allowed unless specified in the assignment. Failure to observe good academic ethics may jeopardize your enrollment in the seminary. Available Services ADA Policy- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, the law requires that all students with disabilities be given a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Student Success Center director at learning.assistance@mbu.edu. Technical Support: If you need technical support due to problems with virtual class software or the MyMaranatha site, email support@mbu.edu or call 920-206-2322. Library Resources: By clicking on Library from within the course website, you gain access to the MBU Library. It includes full text articles from most of the best theological journals and over 100,000 ebooks. Tentative Schedule Due Date Material Covered Assignment Due Reading Due Aug. 28 Syllabus Aug. 30 Defining Hebrew Poetry Sept. 1 Parallelism & Imagery Bullock, 14-34 Sept. 4 Poetry Identification Practice 1 Bullock, 36-56 Sept. 6 Poetry Identification Practice 2 Sept. 8 Test Poetry Sept. 11 Reading/applying Psalms Bullock, 85-118 Sept. 13 Read Timothy Ralston, Preaching the Psalms: Sermonic Forms. In Interpreting the Psalms for Teaching and Preaching, 30-46 [ebook in CLRS]. Sept. 15 Sept. 18 Psalms of Praise Psalm 8 (9 verses) Sept. 20 Bullock, 121-34 Sept. 22 A & L, 13-53 Sept. 25 Psalms of Lament Psalm 3 (8 verses) Sept. 27 Bullock, 135-50 Sept. 29 A & L, 55-78, 191-220 Oct. 2 Psalms of Thanksgiving Psalm 32 (11 verses) Oct. 4 Bullock, 151-64 7
Oct. 6 Devotional 1 A & L, 107-32 Oct. 9 Psalm of Trust Psalm 126 (6 verses) Oct. 11 Bullock, 165-76 Oct. 13 A & L, 79-105, 133-61 Oct. 16 Imprecatory Psalms Psalm 35:11-21 Bullock, 227-38 Oct. 18 Read Gordon Wenham, Psalms as Torah, 57-76 Oct. 20 A & L, 163-89, 221-59 Oct. 23 Test 2 Psalm Types Oct. 25 Wisdom Psalms Psalm 1 (6 verses) Oct. 27 Bullock, 199-212 Oct. 30 Torah Psalms Psalm 119 (selected verses) Nov. 1 Bullock, 213-26 Nov. 3 Psalm 19:1-6 Nov. 6 Psalms of Heavenly King Nov. 8 Psalm 2 (selected verses) Bullock, 187-98 Nov. 10 Psalms of Earthly King Bullock, 177-86 Nov. 13 Shape of the Psalter Devotional 2 Bullock, 57-82. Nov. 15 NT and OT use of the Psalms - Messianic and paradigmatic Psalm 22 Nov. 17 Test 3 Psalm types Nov. 20 Thanksgiving Nov. 22 Break Nov. 24 Nov. 27 Context and Word Studies Nov. 29 Psalm 40 Dec. 1 Psalm 78 Significance Dec. 4 Psalm 25 Revised Devotionals Synthesis Dec. 6 Dec. 8 Psalm 31 Application Complete Research Paper and 150 pages of commentary reading due Mon. Dec. 11 at 5:00 8
Selected Bibliography Books marked with + are recommended. Books marked with * are recommended, but also contain some theologically objectionable elements (normally relating to critical scholarship). Commentaries *Allen, Leslie C. Psalms 101-150. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 21. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983. Alexander, Joseph A. The Psalms, Translated and Explained. 1850; rpt. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d. +Craigie, Peter C. Psalms 1-50. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983. Dahood, Mitchell. Psalms, 3 volumes. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1965-70. +Goldingay, John. Psalms. 3 vols. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006-08. +Harman, Allan. Psalms. Scotland: Christian Focus Publications: 1998. Hengstenberg, Ernst W. A Commentary on the Psalms, trans. P. Fairbairn. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1876. +Kidner, Derek. Psalms (2 volumes). Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1973-75. Leupold, Herbert Carl. Exposition of the Psalms. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1959. Maclaren, Alexander. The Psalms (3 volumes). The Expositor's Bible. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1893. Morgan, G. Campbell. Notes on the Psalms. New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1947. Perowne, John J.S. The Book of Psalms (2 volumes), 1878; rpt. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966. +Ross, Allan. A Commentary on the Psalms. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2012-16. *Tate, Marvin E. Psalms 51-100. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 20. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990. 9
*Terrien, Samuel. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. Eerdmans Critical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. +VanGemeren, Willem. "Psalms." The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991. +Wilson, Gerald H. Psalms Volume 1. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. Other Works on Psalms Alden, Robert. Psalms: Songs of Devotion. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.. Psalms: Songs of Dedication. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.. Psalms: Songs of Discipleship. Chicago: Moody Press, 1976. Anderson, Bernhard W. and Steven Bishop. Out of the depths : the Psalms speak for us today. 3rd ed., rev and expanded. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000. Bullock, C. Hassell. Encountering the Book of Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001. Clarke, Arthur G. Analytical Studies in the Psalms. Kilmarnack: John Ritchey, n.d. Davis, John J. The Perfect Shepherd: Studies in the Twenty-Third Psalm. Winona Lake, Ind.: Brethren Missionary Herald, 1979. Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from Psalms. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016 McCann, J. Clinton. A Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993. McCann, J. Clinton, and James Howell. Preaching the Psalms. Nashville: Abingdon, 2001. Meyer, F.B. The Shepherd Psalm. New York: H.M. Caldwell Co., n.d. Robinson, Haddon W. Psalm Twenty-Three. Chicago: Moody Press, 1968. Spurgeon, C.H. The Treasury of David. Various Publishers. Interpreting Poetry Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. N.p.: Basic Books, 1985. Berry, Donald K. An Introduction to Wisdom and Poetry of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1995. 10
Fee, Gordon D. and Stuart, Douglas. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982. Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1993. LaSor, William Sanford; Hubbard, David Alan; and Bush, Frederic Wm. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982. Mackey, Peter. The Centrality of Metaphors to Biblical Thought: a Method for Interpreting the Bible. Lewiston, NY: The Edward Mellon Press, 1990. Longman, Tremper, III. Literary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation, vol. 3. Edited by Moises Silva. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987. Ryken, Leland. How to Read the Bible As Literature. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Sandy, D. Brent & Ronald L. Giese, Jr. Cracking Old Testament Codes. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995. Watson, Wilfred G. E. Classical Hebrew Poetry: A Guide to its Techniques. JSOT Supplement Series, 26. Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1984.. Problems and Solutions in Hebrew Verse: A Survey of Recent Work. Vetus Testamentum 43 (July 1993): 372-84. A Few Key Journal Articles Hawkins, Roderick A. "The Imprecatory Psalms." Calvary Baptist Theological Journal (Spring 1992): 39-56. Laney, J. Carl. "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms." Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (January-March 1981): 35-44. Langley, Ken. "Genre-Sensitive Use of the Psalms in Counseling." The Journal of Biblical Counseling (Spring 2002): 38-45. Mays, James Luther. "The Place of the Torah-Psalms in the Psalter." Journal of Biblical Literature 106 (1987): 3-12. Minter, Steven Shelby. The Qualifications for Worship in Psalms 15 and 24:3-6. Th. M. Thesis: Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005 [MBU electronic resource]. 11