Re-interpretation of Ps. 4.2.
Upon further reflection on Ps. 4.2 I have realized there is another, very different, interpretation of this verse, and it has rather significant effects on how one reads entirety of the Psalm. How/why I came to this is because, to the best of my knowledge, laments that incorporate this “How long….” are always addressed to God (or to his heavenly angel). However, here, the question is directed at those who have caused the injustice (I’ll call them “the vain ones”). What could this mean?
1) What I realized is that this verse could be read not as a statement of anguish (which, if directed at God, it would be) but of sarcasm. It is as if the righteous man were asking, rather confidently, “How long are you going to continue to act like fools?” Read this way, verse 1 is seen not as a frenetic firing off of a plea for deliverance, but a very confident directive sent to God.
a. In addition, the confidence expressed in vs. 1 would naturally give birth to this sarcastic “how long…” of verse 2. Seen from this perspective vs. 1 is so sure that the prayer will be answered that sarcasm towards the vain men is (one of the) only a natural possibilities.
b. There is much to be said for this. In the apocalyptic books (like Daniel, portions of Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Revelation, among others), this sense of utter sarcasm is one of the pervading spirits of the book. As the visionary looks down from heaven upon the earth there is the same mocking coldness toward those who are the objects of God’s wrath. It emerges from the same place as what we call “sarcasm” and embodies a profound sense of appropriateness and assurance that the Lord’s judgment is perfect, complete and final.
2) Verse 3, in this interpretation, would not be a transitional verse, but simply one completely in line with vs. 1-2. There would, in other words, be no development, or such stark contrast between them. This would not be a Psalm about a righteous man who “finds his assurance”. He had it all along.
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