Page:04.BCOT.KD.PoeticalBooks.vol.4.Writings.djvu/521

 David's settlement at that time at Mahanaim in the mountains of Gilead. The Korahite, however, as is to be assumed in connection with a lyric poem, speaks out of the depth of his own soul, and not, as Hengstenberg and Tholuck maintain, “as from the soul of David.” He merely shares David's vexation, just as he then in Psa 84:10 prays for the anointed one. This Psa 84:1-12 breathes forth the same feelings, and even in other respects bears traces of the same author; cf. אל חי, Psa 84:3; Psa 42:3; משׁכּנותיך, Psa 84:2; Psa 43:3; מזבּחותיך, Psa 84:4; Psa 43:4; and the similar use of עוד, Psa 84:5; Psa 42:6, cf. Isa 49:20; Jer 32:15. The distinguishing features of the Korahitic type of Psalm meet us in both Psalms in the most strong and vivid manner, viz., the being joyous and weeping with God's anointed, the praise of God the King, and the yearning after the services in the holy place. And there are, it is true, thoughts that have been coined by David which we here and there distinctly hear in them (cf. Psa 42:2., Psa 84:3, with Psa 63:2); but they are reproduced with a characteristic beauty peculiar to the author himself. We do not, therefore, in the least doubt that Psa 42:1-11 is the poem of a Korahitic Levite, who found himself in exile beyond the Jordan among the attendants of David, his exiled king. Concerning Psa 43:1-5 Eusebius has said: ὅτι μέρος ἔοικεν εἶναι τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ δεδήλωται ἔκ τε τῶν ὁμοίων ἐν ἀμφοτέροις λόγων καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐμφεροῦς διανοίας, and an old Midrash reckons 147 Psalms, taking Psa 42:1 together as one, just as with Psa 9:1, Psa 32:1. The similarity of the situation, of the general impress, of the structure, and of the refrain, is decisive in favour of these Psalms, which are commonly reckoned as two, being one. The one Psalm consists of three parts: thrice his pain breaks forth into complaint, and is each time again overcome by the admonitory voice of his higher consciousness. In the depicting of the past and the future there is unmistakeable progress. And it is not until the third part (Psa 43:1-5) that complaint, resignation, and hope are perfected by the language of confident prayer which supervenes. The unity of the Psalms is not affected by the repetition of Psa 42:10 in Psa 43:2, since Psa 42:11 is also a repetition of Psa 42:4. Beside an edging in by means of the refrain, the poet is also fond of such internal links of connection. The third part has thereby come