Pan-Psalter Occurrence Scheme of ‘Jacob’ and ‘Covenant’

Abstract

Recent doctoral research on the Psalter continue to reinforce the idea that the 150 individual psalms are not haphazardly arranged and that various editorial techniques have been employed to shape the Psalter. In this article, I propose a novel editorial technique that has hitherto not been recognized or systematized in the literature on Hebrew poetry or the Psalms—the ‘Pan-Psalter Occurrence Scheme’—a careful use and placement of certain words/phrases across the entire Psalter such that all their sequential occurrences reflect a well-designed schema. Two lexemes, יעקב‎ (‘Jacob’) and ברית‎ (‘covenant’) are studied. The occurrences of these words are found to develop along a linear dimension (metanarrative) and display remarkable concentric arrangements. The POS technique suggests that the entire Psalter is indicative of intentional and careful macrostructural design. This article will contribute to our knowledge of ancient poetic editorial techniques underlying the composition of the Hebrew Psalter.