Psalm 11

Psalm 11 is the 11th psalm from the Book of Psalms. In the Septuagint and Vulgate it is numbered as Psalm 10. Its authorship is traditionally assigned to king David, but most scholars place its origin some time after the end of the Babylonian captivity.[1]

This article uses the Hebrew (Masoretic) Psalms numbering. Psalm 11 in Septuagint/Vulgate numbering would correspond to Psalm 12 in Hebrew numbering.
The psalm in the 9th-century Utrecht Psalter, where the illustration of the text is often literal

Structure

The shape of the Psalms differs from the usual scheme, [2] for which the Old Testament scholar Hermann Gunkel finally assigns as a "confidence Psalm in the form of conversation." Erhard S. Gerstenberger calls the psalm a "disputierendes prayer" within the genus of Lamentations of an individual.[3] Hans-Joachim Kraus has the Psalm as a song of prayer.[4]

Usually, the Psalm is organized as follows:[5]

  1. Verse 1a: trust in YHWH
  2. Verse 1b-3: Rejecting the advice of well-meaning friends
  3. Verse 4-7: YHWH as fair judge and legal helpers of the persecuted

A division into verses is sometimes not done.[6]

Interpretation

The psalm is strongly individual. Klaus Seybold calls this the personal testimony of persecution, who have opted for the legal process[7] Hermann Gunkel agrees calling it the subjective response of a single poet to an involuntary emergency. Oswald Loretz called the Psalm a product of postexilic scriptural scholarship that seeks to streamline the texts of the tradition to interpret.[2][6][8]

The psalm leads off with a question that is put to the writer's soul: 'Why should I flee like a bird to the mountains?' Barnes and many others see the fleeing as negative and running away rather than trusting God. [9]. The Psalm is a resolve to trust God. There is an irony in that David often did flee from Saul to the mountains, but in the long run became King in Jerusalem in 1 Sam chapters 21 through 23.[10] Additionally there is a contrast, the wicked shoot arrows at the righteous in Psalm 11, but in Psalm 7 God readied his bow and arrows for the wicked.[11] There is also a tension: God feels far away and unresponsive - but He is not and that tension will appear in later Psalms as well, such as Psalm 22.

Uses

Catholic Church

According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for Office of Prime. This psalm was traditionally performed at the Office of Prime on Wednesday.[12]

In the current liturgy, Psalm 11 is, most solemnly recited or sung during vespers on Monday of the first week.[13]

References
  1. Morgenstern, Julian. "Psalm 11." Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 69, no. 3, 1950, pp. 221–231.
  2. Hermann Gunkel, Die Psalmen. vol 6. (Auflage, Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht, Göttingen 1986), p 40.
  3. Erhard S. Gerstenberger, Psalms. Part 1 (Ps 1–60) with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry. (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1988), p.78.
  4. Hans-Joachim Kraus,Psalmen 1–59. 7. Auflage, (Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2003), p228.
  5. Vgl. Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalmen 1–59. 7. Auflage, (Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2003), p229.
  6. Oswald Loretz, Psalmstudien. Kolometrie, Strophik und Theologie ausgewählter Psalmen. (de Gruyter, Berlin 2002), p. 106
  7. Klaus Seybold: Die Psalmen Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 1996, p 60.
  8. Erhard S. Gerstenberger, Psalms. Part 1 (Ps 1–60) with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 1988, p78f.
  9. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/psalms/11.htm
  10. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+21&version=ESV
  11. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+7%3A12&version=ESV
  12. traduction par Prosper Guéranger, Règle de saint Benoît, (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p46.
  13. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
  • Psalm 11 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
  • Psalm 11 King James Bible - Wikisource
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