“My Heart Grew Hot within Me:” Anger at YHWH in the Psalms Restricted; Files Only

Wrenn, Rachel (Spring 2021)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/1g05fc92x?locale=en
Published

Abstract

This study explores how individuals express anger at YHWH in the Psalms. The study begins by arguing for the necessity of careful accounting of biblical emotion and noting the tendency of biblical scholars to assume anger at YHWH in the Psalms. The study then demonstrates that anger is communicated both explicitly and implicitly in the Hebrew Bible. This study then analyzes the explicit expression of anger in the Psalms by charting the occurrences of words that reference anger in the Psalter. Drawing on prototype theory, this study uses insights from the occurrences of explicit anger to demonstrate where implicit anger occurs in the Psalms. The study then uses the prototypical script of anger to demonstrate the presence of implicit anger at YHWH in Psalms 4, 10, 39, 73, 94, and 139. The study concludes with an individual examination of each of the above psalms using a literary, final form approach, an analysis that centers on the question of the author’s expression of anger. In sum, the Psalms witness to the implicit expression of anger at the deity by individual speakers, an expression that demonstrates that those of inferior status do express anger in the Bible, albeit implicitly.

Table of Contents

List of Tables

 

Chapter 1 – Introduction............................................................................................................1

  I. Can Humans Express Anger at YHWH?..................................................................................1

          I.A The Psalmist’s Absent Nose.........................................................................................1

           I.B Bruce Baloian and Human Anger at YHWH..................................................................2

           I.C Ellen van Wolde and the Hierarchical Nature of Biblical Anger.......................................3

           I.D Matthew Schlimm and Human Anger at YHWH............................................................7

           I.E Anger at YHWH: An Emic Understanding.....................................................................9

                       I.E.1 Anger at YHWH in Genesis 4:5-6

                       I.E.2 Anger at YHWH in 1 Samuel 15:10-11

                       I.E.3 Anger at YHWH in 2 Samuel 6:6-10 // 1 Chronicles 13:9-13

                       I.E.4 Anger at YHWH in Jonah 4:1-4

                       I.E.5 Anger at YHWH in 2 Kings 19:27-28c // Isaiah 37:28-29c and Proverbs 19:3

                       I.E.6 Anger at YHWH in Isaiah 45:24

                       I.E.7 Anger at YHWH in Job 18:4

                       I.E.8 Anger at Divine Enemies in Jeremiah 15:17

                       I.E.9 Anger at Other Deities in Isaiah 8:21

           I.F Implicit Anger at YHWH.............................................................................................20

           I.G Anger at YHWH in the Psalms.....................................................................................21

  II. Psalms Scholars on the Psalmist’s Anger at YHWH................................................................22

           II.A Anger Assumed..........................................................................................................22

                       II.A.1 Walter Brueggemann

                       II.A.2 Other Assumptions of Anger in the Psalms

           II.B Anger Not Discussed..................................................................................................26

                       II.B.1 Bernd Janowski

                       II.B.2 Other Psalms Scholars

                       II.B.3 Amy Cottrill and the Royal Setting

           II.C Conclusion.................................................................................................................32

Chapter 2 – Emotion and Anger in the Bible.................................................................................34

Introduction.................................................................................................................................34

  I. Studying Emotion in the Bible

           I.A The Fraught Nature of Emotion in Emotions Studies.........................................................34

           I.B Emotion as a Socially Constructed Phenomenon...............................................................35

I.C The Fallacy of Emotion as an Interior Phenomenon................................................................37

  II. Studying Anger in the Bible: Defining the Term.........................................................................42

  III. Describing Biblical Anger........................................................................................................45

III.A Words that Explicitly Reference Anger..................................................................................45

III.B The Prototypical Script of Biblical Anger: Causes and Outcomes, Those Who Express Anger and Those Who Receive It..........47

III.C Associative Networks of Biblical Anger.................................................................................50

III.C.1 Jealousy – קנא

III.C.2 Evil and Sin – רעע, חטא, and Related Words

III.C.3 Extreme Violence – הרג, שמד, חרם, כלה

III.C.4 Fire – אש and Related Terms

III.C.5 Pour Out – שפך and נתך

III.C.6 Dispute and Contend – ריב, דין, and למה

III.C.7 Turn – שוב

III.C.8 Qualifiers: מאד, גדל, ארך, and קצר

         III.D Summary...................................................................................................................58

  IV. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................59

Chapter 3: The Prototypical Script of Anger in the Psalms...............................................................61

Introduction.................................................................................................................................61

   I. Analysis of Words that Explicitly Refer to Anger in the Psalter.....................................................61

I.A Words that Explicitly Refer to Anger in the Psalter..................................................................61

                       I.A.1 אף

                       I.A.2 חמה

                       I.A.3 חרה

                       I.A.4 חרון

                       I.A.5 עברה

                       I.A.6 אנף

                       I.A.7 זַעַם

                       I.A.8 התעבר

                       I.A.9 כעס

                       I.A.10 קֶצֶף

                       I.A.11 זלעפה

                       I.A.12 כַּעַס

                       I.A.13 קצף

                       I.A.14 רגז

                       I.A.15 זעם

                       I.A.16 שטם

                       I.A.17 Summary

           I.B False Positives for Anger.............................................................................................74

                       I.B.1 False Positives of כעס

                       I.B.2 False Positives of רגז

                       I.B.3 False Positives of אף

                       I.B.4 False Positives of חמה

           I.C Idiomatic and Non-Idiomatic Meanings......................................................................77

                       I.C.1 אף: Nose and Anger

I.C.2 זלעפה: Anger and Scorching Wind

I.D Explicit Anger and Psalm Genres.....................................................................................81

II. Individuals Who Become Angry and Those Who are the Object of Anger................................82

II.A Individuals Who Become Angry in the Psalms..................................................................82

II.B Objects of Anger in the Psalms........................................................................................83

           II.B.1 Anger at the Community and the Community’s Enemies

II.B.2 Anger at the Psalmist and the Psalmist’s Enemies

II.B.3 Anger at YHWH and YHWH’s Enemies

II.B.4 Anger at the Wicked in General

           II.B.5 Instances Lacking a Clear Object of Anger

II.C Summary........................................................................................................................89

III. Causes and Outcomes of Anger in the Psalms.......................................................................89

      III.A Causes of Anger in the Psalms...................................................................................89

           III.A.1 Anger Caused by Perceived Wrongdoings against YHWH     

           III.A.2 Anger Provoked by Divine Absence?

III.A.3 Anger at the Exaltation of the Righteous

III.A.4 Anger without an Obvious Cause

III.B Outcomes of Anger in the Psalms....................................................................................93

III.C Summary......................................................................................................................93

IV. The Shape of Anger in the Psalms........................................................................................93

IV.A Book I

IV.B Book II

IV.C Book III

IV.D Book IV

IV.E Book V

IV.F Summary

 V. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................98

Chapter 4: Human Anger at YHWH in the Psalms.................................................................99

Introduction.................................................................................................................................99

  I. Anger at YHWH in Psalm 37................................................................................................100

           I.A Genre of Psalm 37.....................................................................................................100

           I.B Structure and Translation of Psalm 37.......................................................................102

           I.B.1 Structure of Psalm 37

           I.B.2 Translation of Psalm 37

I.C Anger at YHWH in Psalm 37....................................................................................104

  II. Anger at YHWH in Psalm 4.................................................................................................109

           II.A Scenario of Psalm 4..................................................................................................110

           II.B Structure and Translation of Psalm 4.......................................................................112

           II.C Anger at YHWH in Psalm 4.....................................................................................113

  III. Comparison and Conclusion...............................................................................................122

III.A Comparing Anger at YHWH in Psalms 4 and 37...................................................122

         III.B Conclusion...............................................................................................................123

Chapter 5: Associative Networks of Anger in the Psalms......................................................124

 

Introduction...............................................................................................................................124

  I. Implicit Communication in the Psalms.................................................................................124

  II. Associative Networks: Anger Communicated Implicitly in the Psalms..............................128

II.A Adapting Schlimm’s Work on Associative Networks for the Psalms......................129

II.B Associative Networks of Explicit Anger in the Psalms............................................132

II.B.1 Evil and Sin – רעע, חטא, און, פשע, נקם, נטר, עצב

II.B.2 Dispute (ריב), Contend (דין), and Question (למה and Other Interrogatives)

II.B.3 Words Related to Fire

II.B.4 Jealousy – קנא

II.B.5 Words of Extreme Violence – הרג, כלה, חרם, שמד, קטל

II.B.6 Pouring Out – נתך and שפך

II.B.7 Return, Curb – שוב

II.B.8 Qualifiers – מאד, גדל, ארך, קצר

II.B.9 Summary

  III. Conclusions.........................................................................................................................149

Chapter 6: Identifying Implicit Anger in the Psalms: Case Studies.....................................150

Introduction...............................................................................................................................150

  I. Anger at YHWH Due to Divine Inaction against the Wicked..............................................151

           I.A Divine Inaction: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 94.........................................................151

                       I.A.1 “Rise Up, O Judge of the Earth!” YHWH’S Neglect, Divine Wrongdoing

                       I.A.2 “He Does Not See, Yah!” Quoting the Wicked to Express Implicit Anger

                       I.A.3 “How Long?” Expressing Implicit Anger through Accusatory Questions and

                         Ambiguity

                       I.A.4 YHWH Reigns?: Implying Anger through Disruption of Structure

                       I.A.5 Conclusion

           I.B Divine Inaction: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 10.........................................................164

                       I.B.1 “Why, YHWH?” Expressing Implicit Anger with Accusatory Questions

                       I.B.2 “There Is No God!” Quoting the Wicked to Express Implicit Anger

                       I.B.3 YHWH’s Wrongdoing: Danger Rather than Shelter

                       I.B.4 Unraveling Order: Implying Anger through Disruption of Structure

                       I.B.5 “Why Do the Wicked Say?” Quoting the Wicked to Express Anger

                       I.B.6 Conclusion

           I.C Divine Inaction: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 73.........................................................173

                       I.C.1 YHWH’s “Goodness” and Divine Wrongdoing

                       I.C.2 Pouring Out and Envy: Communicating Anger through Associative

                         Networks

                       I.C.3 “How Can God Know?” Quoting the Wicked to Express Implicit Anger

                       I.C.4 One Reading of the Latter Half of the Psalm: The Appropriateness of

                         Implicit Anger

                       I.C.5 An Alternate Reading of the Latter Half of the Psalm: Continued Anger

                       I.C.6 Conclusion

  II. Human Anger at YHWH Due to Divine Attack..................................................................183

           II.A Divine Attack: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 39..........................................................183

                       II.A.1 “I Muzzled My Mouth:” Avoiding the Explicit Expression of Anger

                       II.A.2 “My Heart Grew Hot within Me:” Anger Signaled by Internal Heat

                       II.A.3 Anger Implicitly Communicated through Rhetoric

                       II.A.4 Divine Wrongdoing: Excessive Violence in a Brief Life

                       II.A.5 Expressing Implicit Anger through Interrogatives

                       II.A.6 Implicit Anger Signaled by a Request for Separation

                       II.A.7 Conclusion

           II.B Divine Abandonment: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 4................................................196

                       II.B.1 Expressing Implicit Anger by Addressing the Listeners

                       II.B.2 Signaling Implicit Anger through Interrogatives

                       II.B.3 Signaling Implicit Anger by Quoting the “Many”

                       II.B.4 Conclusion

  III. Divine Attack and Divine Inattention to the Wicked: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 139......201

           III.A Divine Attack: Anger at YHWH in Psalm 139.......................................................202

                       III.A.1 YHWH’s Wrongdoing: Ambiguous and Oppressive Presence

                       III.A.2 YHWH’s Wrongdoing: Ambiguous Descriptions of YHWH’s Hand

                       III.A.3 YHWH’s Wrongdoing Communicated Implicitly through Ambiguous

                         Words

                       III.A.4 Implicit Anger Signaled by an Attempted Separation

                       III.A.5 Divine Wrongdoing Communicated through Ambiguous Praise

           III.B Divine Inaction against the Wicked........................................................................212

                       III.B.1 Anger Implied through Associative Networks of Anger: קטל, -ה, and עצב

           III.C Conclusion...............................................................................................................215

  IV. Conclusion...................................................................................................................................215

Chapter 7: Conclusions and Implications...............................................................................216

Bibliography...............................................................................................................................220

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