One thing God has spoken; two things have I heard: Reading Psalm 62.11-12 within its oral, textual, and interpretive traditions.

摘要

The poetry of the Psalms has a unique place in the Bible and a long history of transmission through both oral and textual media in many languages, as well a rich interpretive tradition. The depth of this tradition becomes evident in this study of Psalm 62.11-12. These two verses contain, in microcosm, some of the loftiest themes of the entire Bible, and studying the processes involved in composing, recording, copying, translating, transmitting, and interpreting these verses reveals numerous facets of these verses' literary and theological impact over the centuries. This work begins with a study of oral composition techniques and the context of Psalm 62.11-12 within the larger body of ancient Near Eastern literature. Next, the focus moves to the development of writing and writing technologies, considering how these changes in media affect the transmission of texts. With these oral and textual considerations in mind, two readings of the verses are presented, with reference to two ancient manuscripts: the tenth century Hebrew Aleppo Codex and the fourth century Greek Codex Sinaiticus. The final chapter surveys a number of English translations and commentaries on Psalm 62.11-12 and notes patterns of influence that emerge.