Form And Meaning: Multi-Layered Balanced Thought Structures In Psalm 24:4 -- By: Rodney K. Duke

Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 62:2 (NA 2011)
Article: Form And Meaning: Multi-Layered Balanced Thought Structures In Psalm 24:4
Author: Rodney K. Duke


Form And Meaning:
Multi-Layered Balanced Thought Structures In Psalm 24:4

Rodney K. Duke

Summary

The complex literary artistry of Psalm 24:4 reveals it to be the focal point of this song of procession to worship. Standing in a catechism-like section, this verse provides the answer to the question about those qualified to approach God. This text exemplifies how artistic form was used to set this verse apart, complement the content, and highlight its theological message. It employs four levels of balanced thought structures that emphasise the total purity that is expected from one who would draw close to God. Theologically this verse functions as a call to holiness in response to God’s grace.

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose And Target Audiences

The purpose of this paper is to identify how some of the poetic forms in Psalm 24, with particular emphasis on verse 4, provide insight into the psalm’s meaning and enrich its theological message.1 Such formal structures do not function in isolation as abstract aesthetic entities. Rather, formal structures work symbiotically with content to create the full rhetorical impact, the ‘meaning’ of a text, including its aesthetic beauty. One must pay attention to form as much as to content, since function generally follows form. In this case, various poetic forms in

Psalm 24 provide insight into the psalm’s thematic structure, as well as insight into the heart of its message. It is not new to biblical scholarship to look for formal features. Botha, for instance, also observed several of the features found in Psalm 24.2 The contributions of this paper either push such observations further or differ in terms of their function: by showing how specific formal elements of Psalm 24, particularly in verse 4, work together to create a total rhetorical impact; by presenting the thesis that complex structures indicate a focal point of thought; by viewing changes in patterns as rhetorical section dividers, rather than as indicators of disunity; and by reflecting on some of the theological implications of this text. For the sake of clarity, the body of the paper is confined to an exposition that focuses on form and function, is written for a general audience, and may be read for continuity without referring to the notes. And, ...

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