PEACE OF PSALMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1934, Page 5

PEACE OF PSALMS

IN WORLD LITERATURE While it is but right and fitting that the Psalms should be treated* primarily as the product of Hebrew religious thought, it must he recognised that the Psalter was part of a World-Literature, says “The Scotsman.” The Hebrews were in some ixotable respects unique, but they lived in contact with other peoples, and were not influenced by the world of theii’ surroundings. How far the Hebrews were affected in the composition of their psalms-literature by external influences it would be difficult to say; but in this and othex- respects they exhibited an individuality which witnesses a striking independence, even though they may, to some extent, be indebted to others for thought and literary structure.

As is natural enough, two opposing views are held regarding this matter; it is maintained, on the one hand, that the Hebrew psalmists were largely indebted to Babylonia and Egypt, and, on the other, that no external influence is to be discerned in the Psalms

Sacred poetry is a means of expressing the relationship between man and the Deity—the nature of the Deity may, for the moment, be left aside; the belief in this relationship was common to the Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, and others, as well as to the Hebrews; all alike felt impelled to approach their deities with petitions for wants, with the thanksgiving for petitions granted, with prayers for help in time of need and for averting evil, with, the offering of propitiatory gifts, and also for the purpose of honouring them with praise. With such a background common to all there would seem to be no reason for postulating any borrowing of one from the other; the initial impulse was universal.

On the other hand, while each individual race would, according to its own genius, in course of time build up its own literature of sacred lyrics, contract between the peoples would bring to each some knowledge of their respective literatures; in such circumstances influence of some kind, conscious oi’ unconscious, could hardly fail to exercise itself. And when, as in the case of Babylonia and Egypt, their literatures were much older than that of the Hebrews, it is within the bounds of probability that, in some respects, the early Hebrew psalmists would have been indebted to the more ancient compositions. We have, moreover, the analogy of Babylonian sacred legends and of the Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom literature to go upon. These are factors which should be taken into consideration. All the books of the Old Testament are examined in the light of modern knowledge and thought.