Skrif en Kerk Volume 19 Issue 3 (1998)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/11600

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Jy is net 'n sandkorrel, maar so is alle mense - Nadenke oor Psalm 131
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Viviers, Hendrik
W S Prinsloo has convincingly proved that humbleness and surety is what Psalm 131 is all about. His "text-immanent" approach allowed him to have an excellent grasp of this text and all texts that he studies. Utilising a newcomer on the methodological scene, namely Robbins' socio-rhetorical analysis, it is remarkable how Prinsloo's insights into Psalm 131 could be used as basis for the "widening of interpretive horizons" on this psalm.
Jy was baie na aan my hart (2 Sam 1:26)
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Van Zyl, A.H.
In this lament song on Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam 1:19-27), the author succeeded through sound- and wordplay to pay tribute and honour to both heroes. He effectuates this by skillful artistic arrangement of different words and phrases. Ultimately, the focus is placed on David's beloved friend, Jonathan.
Liturgie in die spieël van die Psalms
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Vos, C.J.A. (Casparus Johannes Adam), 1945-
The basic premise of this article is that meditation on the psalms leads us to look at them from a liturgical perspective. Since the liturgy is an expression of various acts and experiences of faith, the psalms - which are also an interpretation of acts of faith and lived faith - are a rich source of liturgical inspiration. This article illustrates the way the psalms provide the building material for various liturgical procedures. We shall be reading Psalm 24 very attentively with a view to sermon writing. This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof W S Prinsloo, an outstanding reader and exegete of the psalms.
The message of a number Psalms as interpreted in Syriac Psalm headings
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Van Rooy, Harry F.
Following the view of Theodore of Mopsuestia, the translator(s) of the Peshitta Psalter did not accept the historicity of the headings of the Psalms in the Hebrew Psalter. In some manuscripts the Peshitta Psalms do not have headings at all, while in other manuscripts headings are supplied. This paper makes a few remarks on the study of the headings of the Psalms in Syriac and discusses the headings of a number of Psalms in different Syriac traditions, with special attention to the headings in the Syriac manuscript 12t4. These headings can be regarded as a summary of the exegesis of the particular Psalm and they represent different schools of exegetes with widely different interpretations of most of the Psalms.
Quest for justice as reconciliation of the poor and the righteous in Psalms 37, 49 and 73
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Irsigler, Hubert
The typical antithesis of the wicked and the righteous emerges in different literary works of post-exilic Israel. It is frequently combined with the motif of the shalom of the (rich and) wicked. Their fortune provokes envy and very serious challenges for the faith of those who understand themselves as the poor and the righteous. The heavy social crisis in the Persian period of the 5th and 4th century BC as well as the crisis of wisdom in this time appears as a global background of this topic. My paper examines the pursuit of justice, ie of God's justice and of the fulfilment of the frustrated religiously legitimated expectations of fortune, in the Psalms 37, 49 and 73. The intention is to realize the conflict situation presupposed by the texts and to profile the specific strategies and purposes of overcoming the conflict. The quest for justice doesn't intend a reconciliation of the poor and the rich or the wicked and the righteous. However, it leads to a "reconciliation" of the tempted pious, to a new trust in YHWH, to a new hope, and to a renewed capability of communal life.
Worstel met God : argumenteringstrategieë en hul sosio-retoriese funksie in Psalm 13
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Coetzee, J.H. (Johannes Hendrik)
The psalm is approached from the assumption that it was prayed loud in public in order to be overheard by friend and foe alike. The argumentation strategies in the prayer are investigated and their junction in the rhetorical situation exposed. The prayer has both a socio-rhetorical and a religiorhetorical junction, the latter which is of primary importance.
Moses versus die Messias : 'n Samaritaanse tradisie
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Breytenbach, A.P.B. (Andries Petrus Bernardus), 1944-
Eschatological expectations among Jewish and Samaritan groups offer a vast field of study. One of the intriguing aspects is the way in which the profile of messianic figures is influenced by the expectations of opposing groups. In orthodox Samaritan theology Moses, being revered as the sole medium of God's revelation, is put up against figures like Dositheus. Messianic claims of the Dositheans are countered by the laudation of Moses. The same trend is followed in the controversy against the Christian messiah: Epithets of a polemic nature in the honor of Moses are encountered in abundance. Even theologumena like the pre-existence of the messiah are attributed to Moses. A poem called "The hymn of the birth of Moses" from the Samaritan Liturgy offers a text-book example of this polemical profiling of Moses, the absolute Prophet.
Psalm 126 : 'n perspektief vanuit die hede na die verlede en die toekoms
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Snyman, S.D. (Stephanus Daniel), 1954-; Snyman, Fanie, 1954-
W S Prinsloo's synchronic textimmanent exegesis of Psalm 126 results in a two part division of the psalm (verses 1-4 and 5-6). In this contribution his results are questioned and a three-part division (a possibility Prinsloo did not consider) is proposed, consisting of verses 1-3, 4 and 5-6. The result of the present investigation confirms (also from a synchronic textimmanent approach applied to the text) the perspective of past (verses 1-3), present (verse 4) and future (verses 5-6) in the psalm.
Ps 100 als Auslegung von Ps 93-99
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Jeremias, J.
Ps 100 is composed as the climax of the group Ps 93-99 praising God's kingship over the universe. Quite unusually, its form is determined by tricola throughout, probably answering the traditional tricola of Ps 93. Its wording is full of citations of Ps 95-98 (99) which are combined with each other in order to interprete Ps 93-99 as an invitation to the nations to acknowledge YHWH and to participate in Israel's worship.
Psalm 44 : "Why do you hide your face, o God?!"
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Human, Dirk J.
Since the appearance of Hermann Gunkel's form critical categories, Psalm 44 has mostly been identified by scholars as the first Communal lament of the Psalter. This genre classification has, since then, been refined, but didn't change the view on this Volksklage much. Modern research on the psalm can mainly be confined to the issues of the structure, the historical setting (Sitz im Leben) and theology of the poem. On the structure and historical setting of Psalm 44, a variety of interpretation possibilities are offered. The exegete's imagination, though, is captured by the enigmatic theological problem posed by the text. This problem reflects the tension between faith in God on the one hand and the reality of life on the other, where the faithful believer is often afflicted, humiliated or injured. Then he experiences God's absence or hiddenness, despite his own faithfulness to Him. The literary feature of contrast seems to play a significant role in Psalm 44. In the text strategy of this artistic composed poem, this feature is revealed in the psalm's language and structure, in order to display the secret and mysterious image and activity of God. This article attempts to illustrate how this literary feature contributes to the understanding of the theological problem experienced by the psalmist.
To honour Yahweh in the face of adversity : a socio-critical analysis of Psalm 131
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Botha, Philippus Jacobus
Psalm 131 is analysed in respect of its poetic features and a probable social background. The social model which regards honour and shame as pivotal values in Mediterranean societies is used to try to determine what impact it was most probably supposed to have on the community of believers which included it into the Psalter and, consequently, its meaning for us today.
Psalm 5 : a theology of tension and reconciliation
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Prinsloo, Gert Thomas Marthinus
Psalm 5 is one of the less known psalms. Yet, it is an extraordinary poem. The most conspicuous characteristic of Psalm 5 is the tension between Yahweh, the righteous and the wicked. This tension is skilfully expressed in the poetic structure of the psalm, where strophes concerning the relationship between Yahweh and the righteous on the one hand and Yahweh and the wicked on the other hand, appear in juxtaposition. Tension is created between the three role players. The aim of this article is to determine the theological relevance of these tensions. This aim is reached via a detailed analysis of the intratextual relations in the poem. In the process problems concerning the strophic structure, genre and social setting of the psalm receive attention. The conclusion is reached that the tensions are used to clarify the relationship between God, the righteous and the wicked, thus serving as dominant interpretational key to determine the theology of the psalm.
Johannes Brahms, agnosticism and some other wisdom
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Loader, J.A. (James Alfred), 1945-
The use made of the biblical text in the cycle Vier ernste Gesange by Johannes Brahms is investigated. The German text of Qohelet. Ben Sira and 1 Corinthians and the impact of their reciprocal relationship as Opus 121 are shown to illustrate the aspect of creativity on the hermeneutical level and a possible meaning of agnosticism on the theological level.
Psalm 6 : van wanhoop tot geloofsekerheid
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Da Silva, A.A. (Andrew Anthony)
Psalm 6 is the first of seven psalms of penance. The aim of this article is to indicate how the author of Psalm 6 moved from crippling despair to a liberating religious assurance, by shifting his focus from the suffering he experienced in his own life, to God's loving deeds toward him. The method used to achieve this goal comprises the following steps: translation; syntactic, and stichometric analyses; segmentation; and stilistic analysis.
Psalmist als Hizkia, zoon van David. Een intertextuele lezing van Psalm 138 en Jesaja 36-38
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Beuken, W.A.M. (Wim A.M.), 1931-
Recent research into the Psalms has shown that the 'I' of the laments and the psalms of praise should not be explained in biographical or functional programmatic (cult or court) terms, but should be viewed rather as a metaindividual and paradigmatic figure. Thus the psalmist of one psalm is akin to that of another, their ego being formed according to literary norms. This insight justifies an intertextual reading of the psalms and other biblical texts. Against the background of 2 Chr 32:25, in which Hezekiah is accused of ingratitude, the present study endeavours to show that Psalm 138, a song with royal characteristics, can be read as a song of thanksgiving and placed on the lips of Hezekiah. Semantic correspondences with 1saiah 36-38 are both strong and persuasive.
Prof W S Prinsloo en die omdigting van die Psalms
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Cloete, Theunis Theodorus
Respect and appreciation is paid to Professor W S Prinsloo in this article. He was an exegete who not only opened new theological insights through his approach to the text, but also gave literary guidance. As exegete, he looked at the structure of the Psalms through a literary eye.
Ongebluste vlam - die eksegese van 'n vriendskap
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Spies, Lina
In 1983 I was nominated as poet by the Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church to the commission for reworking the Biblical psalms to singable church hymns. The exegetist with whom I was to work, was Professor Willem Prinsloo of the theological faculty of the Dutch Reformed Church at the University of Pretoria. In this article I wish to commemorate our cooperation, especially on Psalm 42, and our friendship. I got to know him as a brilliant scholar of the Old Testament, who could bring to light the Hebrew poem that every psalm essentially was, revitalising its significance to let is come fully into its own. He was a kinderd spirit and a loyal friend to me. His tragic death, which I here attempt to comprehend in the light of the Bible and A Alvarez's The Savage God, detract nothing from the meaningfulness of his life and career.
Willem Sterrenberg Prinsloo gesien deur die oë van 'n kollega
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Vosloo, Wil
The sudden and tragic death of Professor W S Prinsloo raises many questions that cannot be answered. However, he should be remembered for the huge contribution he has made in the field of Old Testament studies in South Africa. As editor of this journal he was outspoken about the necessity that church and university, theology and science need one another and that theologians are scientific in their research even though it is done from an ecclesiastical viewpoint. As dean he combined strictness with empathy and as a preacher he integrated solid exegesis with spiritual dedication.
"Obiit" : Professor Willem Sterrenberg Prinsloo - 5 Oktober 1997
(Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, 1998) Van der Watt, P.B. (Philip Blignaut); Van der Watt, Flip
The death of Professor W S Prinsloo on the 5th of October 1997 had immense consequences. This defecit was an incountable loss for the Old Testament scholarship and science in South Africa. Prinsloo was a competent scholar who had a wide range of international scholarly contacts. He served the Old Testament study with research, lectures and writing. His contribution to the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria cannot be over estimated. In addition to his lecturing responsibilities, his service as dean can be described as monumentous. The Faculty of Theology in particular and the University of Pretoria in general could be grateful for, and proud of this great academic.

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