Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27+29 (2a)

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 89:1)

Psalm 89, in its final form, is a royal prayer psalm. It has three distinct sections: a hymn celebrating Yahweh’s right to cosmic kingship (vv. 1–18); a prophetic oracle outlining the Davidic covenant (vv. 19–37); and a lament over the king’s battle defeat (vv. 38–51). The last verse is a doxology for Book III of the Psalter (note that each Book closes with a doxology) and not, therefore, a constituent part. The lament appears to have been written in light of the oracle. It shares much of its key terminology, and the actions attributed to Yahweh in the lament are the reverse of those attributed to him in the oracle. Since the lament section does not pick up terms or motifs found in the hymn, we can account for its inclusion only by assuming that it was integrally joined to the oracle.

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