New Testament Relevence of the Psalms of Solomon
In light of discussions elsewhere in this website study at least one aspect of the Psalms of Solomon can be seen as relevant to New Testament interpretation. The notion of covenantal nomism would bear heavily upon Pauline use of the term "law" in his epistles. There are two specific places where the Law is mentioned in these Psalms. The first of these two is in 4:8, where it says:
And the devout will prove their God's judgment to be right when sinners are driven out from the presence of the righteous, those who pleasemen, who deceitfully quote the Law.
The second places is found in 14:1-3:
The Lord is faithful to those who truly love him, to those who endure his discipline, To those who live in the righteousness of his commandments, in the Law, which he has commanded for our life. The Lord's devout shall live by it forever.
Though it would be too much to say that the author(s) were preoccupied with the Law, it is at least possible to perceive their attitude toward the Law. By comparing their attitude toward the Law with Paul's inspired comments, may help to provide a better insight into Paul's perspective toward those he addressed regarding this subject.
Two other observations from the Psalms of Solomon that make an impact upon one's understanding of the New Testament are the matter of the Pharisees-Sadducee distinctions and also the doctrinal area of Christology. On the matter of the Pharisee-Sadducee distinction, this collection of psalms has traditionally been understood to support the idea that they give insight into the mind of the typical Pharisee of the Second Temple period. The dualism of the "righteous" and the "sinner" that pervades these psalms have been thought (since Wellhausen) to be a recognition of the doctrinal divide between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.1 The psalms, in this case, are written from the perspective of the "righteous" Pharisees and the opponents are the Sadducees. But this identification has recently been called into question. Alternatively, since there are many points of contact with the Qumran texts, Hann has proposed that these psalms depict a proto-Essene group of disenfranchised priests decrying the Hasmonean priesthood.2 Further investigation into these psalms will perhaps provide a greater insight into the interpretation of the gospels and specifically as it pertains to Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees.
On the matter of Christology, the last two psalms in the Psalms of Solomon are the most significant, though there are messianic references throughout. Below are some selected verses from these two final psalms that carry a strong messianic expectation by the authors.
PssSol 17
1Lord, you are our king forevermore...
3But we hope in God our savior,... and the kingdom of our God is forever over the nations in judgment.
4Lord, you chose David to be king over Israel, and swore to him about his descendants forever, that his kingdom should not fail before you.
21See, Lord, and raise up for them their king, the son of David, to rule over your servant Israel in the time known to you, O God.
22Undergird him with strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers to purge Jerusalem from gentiles who trample her to destruction...
24To shatter all their substance with an iron rod; to destroy the unlawful nations with the word of his mouth
26He will gather a holy people whom he will lead in righteousness...
28He will distribute them upon the land according to their tribes; the alien and the foreigner will no longer live near them.
30And he will have gentile nations serving him under his yoke and he will glorify the Lord in (a place) prominent (above) the whole earth. And he will purge Jerusalem...
31(for) nations to come from the ends of the earth to see his glory, to bring as gifts her children who had been driven out, and to see the glory of the Lord...
32And he will be a righteous king over them, taught by God. There will be no unrighteousness among them in his days, for all shall be holy and their king shall be the Lord Messiah.
34The Lord himself is king, the hope of the one who has a strong hope in God.
42This is the beauty of the king of Israel which God knew, to raise him over the house of Israel to discipline it.
45May God dispatch his mercy to Israel; may he deliver us from the pollution of profane enemies;
46The Lord Himself is our king forever.
PssSol 18
5May God cleanse Israel for the day of mercy in blessing, for the appointed day when his Messiah will reign.
6Blessed are those born in those days, to see the good things of the Lord which he will do for the coming generation;
7(which will be) under the rod of discipline of the Lord Messiah, in the fear of his God, in wisdom of spirit and of righteousness and of strength.
The above verses are a very important window into the mind of pre-Christian Jews and their messianic understandings. Clearly, they had a fairly well-developed Christology. The understanding reflected in the Psalms of Solomon should be seriously weighed in New Testament interpretation, especially that which patently addresses messianic issues. Of particular focus should be those psalms which the New Testament writers cite from the Hebrew Psalter which they interpret as a messianic reference to Jesus.
Notes
1Craig A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992): 38.
2Michael Lattke, "Psalms of Solomon," in Dictionary of New Testament Background, eds. Craig A. Evans and Stanley Porter (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000): 855.
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