PSALM 32

This is one of those psalms which has a superscription attached to the beginning, in this case reading “Of David. a Maskil." The first of these notifications can be taken as meaning that David was the author of it or that it was written in the style of David. The second word is a Hebrew one indicating knowledge, in other words, a Wisdom Hymn. But other scholars over the years have given different labels to the class of literature indicated here. These include Penitential Psalm and Psalm of Thanksgiving. Holladay notes that this same superscription appears in a total of thirteen different psalms and says, “Scholars have suggested in view of the meaning of the verb associated with this word, that it means a 'didactic song'...or else an 'artistic song'...”

My own feeling is that some scholars go overboard trying to pigeonhole portions of Scripture into discrete categories and proceed to argue among themselves as to who has done the best job of classification. This is like putting pins into specimens of insects and affixing them to a board in neat and orderly rows. Hardly my idea of the Bible as the living Word.

Related to the background issue of class of psalm is the question of the context in which it was sung or recited by ancient Jews. Anderson feels it is the psalmist's song of thanks in Temple worship, possibly “connected with the bringing of sin offering or with the rites of purification (cf. Lev. 4:27-5:19; 14:1-57).”

I always begin my studies of any discrete portion of Scripture by looking at the way it is divided up into separate paragraphs, or sub-sections. Again, as with trying to label passages in the Bible, one must stay humble in doing so. But the fact is that just relying on one particular English translation to properly “divide the Word of God,” those sub-sections may lead you astray in your understanding, as the following examples demonstrate:

Source                                Separate Paragraphs

Living Bible                      1-2; 3-5;              6; 7-9;          10-11

M'Caw & Motyer              1-5;                     6-11

Baigent, Anderson            1-2; 3-5;              6-7;      8-9;  10-11

NIV                                   1-2; 3-4; 5;          6-7;      8-10;     11

NEB                                  1-2; 3-7;                           8-11

JB                                     1-2; 3-4; 5;           6-7;      8; 9; 10; 11

RSV, NRSV, TEV            1-2; 3-4; 5;           6-7;      8-9; 10-11

In this particular case, there is a lot more agreement than one usually gets from such a comparison. But even in this case, you can see that The Living Bible is alone in lumping together verses 7-9 as a discrete section. And then the analyses by New English Bible and M'Caw & Motyer are so broad in scope as to be practically useless as a sure guide to the flow of the psalm.

Fortunately, in the case of Psalm 32, we have an added guide as to some of the paragraph divisions in that there is the strange word word “Selah” appearing at the end of verses 4, 5 and 7. Kselman's comments are typical of most commentators in considering it “a Hebrew term, of unknown meaning, appearing only in Psalms (and the psalmic Hab 3). It often separates subunits of psalms, and is most likely a musicological term [i.e. it may cue performers to play at that point].” Others feel that a pregnant pause is to be observed when reading or singing. In either case, we are safe in using it to discard the proposed breakdowns above by The Living Bible, Baigent, and Anderson since they happen to ignore those dividing indicators.

That leaves us with a reasonable consensus of vv. 1-2; 3-4; 5; 6-7; 8-9; and 10-11. With that in hand, the overall symmetrical arrangement of Figure 1 can be constructed as a possibility.

                                           Figure 1: Literary Structure of Psalm 32

    A. Opening Address to Audience (1-2)

            B. Psalmist's Initial Condition (3-4)

                    C. Forgiveness Following Confession (5)

            B'. Psalmist's Subsequent Peace (6-7)

    A'. Closing Address to Audience (8-11)

                        1. Contrast 1 (8-9)

                        2. Contrast 2 (10-11)

Note that this results in the sort of literary symmetry found throughout the Bible, in this case taking the form of what is technically called a chiasm, a mirror-image configuration. Also note that Figure 1 is perfectly consistent with the broad outline found in NEB. Additional confirmation that Section C (v. 5) is the intended point of emphasis for the whole composition is the comment of Seifrid. He calls the confession of sins in Psalm 32:5 “a central theme of the psalm.”

In addition, Figure 1 clearly indicates that there is a purposeful contrast between the author's pitiful condition before confession (B) and his greatly improved status afterward (B'). Another form of symmetry consistent with Figure 1 is seen in the fact that B-C-B' is the center section addressed to God, leaving the opening (A) and closing (A') to be directed toward the psalmist's audience. And a third point of symmetry is found in the occurrence of the divine name YHWH only in the opening, closing, and center sections of the poem.

As a final indicator of literary structure there is a common Hebrew technique known as “inclusio.” That term simply means that the starting and concluding verses of a passage of Scripture act as boundaries with similar language or theme. Thus, in this case we can consider the comments of Anderson regarding these two points in Psalm 32:
On v. 1: “This joyful exclamation is based on personal experience but has a universal application.”

On v. 11: “This joyful service of God is not an optional extra, but it is of the essence of all true service.”

And Tanner adds, “The true happiness of vv. 1-2 can only be found in the Lord who forgives and restores God's own. Just as in Psalm 1, this psalm makes a way of life outside of trust in God the foolish choice.”
So the psalm begins and ends on a note of joy.

As with many passages in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, Psalm 32 is not free from problems in establishing the original text or in interpreting it properly. Thus, we run into the following uncertainties:

Verse 4 – Hulst explains, “The word lasad occurs also in Num 11:8 where it means a kind of cake or dainty. Here, the word apparently means 'sap, marrow, juice'. (= 'my life-moisture'), if the text has been handed down correctly. The verb hapak means 'to be changed, turn', and is probably best rendered here 'to dry up'. The translation, however, is not certain.”

Verse 6 – A footnote in NRSV points out that the phrase they translate as “at a time of distress” reads in the Hebrew “at a time of finding only.”

Verses 8-9 – Tanner points to an additional translation difficulty for verses 8-9 in that the identity of the speaker is not clear. It could be the Psalmist or God. Thus, “The argument [for God] is twofold. First, it is common form for an oracle to follow thanksgiving, and second, the I and singular you language exclude the 'they' from vv. 6-7 from being the focus here. However, psalms often change from the plural to singular person and back again without explanation. Second, Psalm 51 makes the same move, going from forgiveness to warning others so they will not follow the same path.”

NEB actually omits the last phrase in v. 9 as being intrusive since its meaning is in doubt.

Use in the New Testament

 “Paul cites 32:1-2 in Romans 4:7-8 using the interpretive principle called 'building a father from two passages.' In this particular case the uncircumcised Abraham (Gen. 15:6) and the circumcised David (Ps. 32:1-2) establish the general principle that the righteousness of God is graciously given to the circumcised Jew and to the uncircumcised Gentile apart from works...” (Holladay)

And Seifrid states, “Paul differs from the Hebrew Scriptures in shifting the singular forms in the first verse [Ps. 32:1] to a plural..., and the psalm itself shifts to a plural in its final verse (32:11). The introduction of the plural into the first verse of the citation therefore makes the universality of the psalm explicit and invites the readers to find themselves in the experience of David...”

Conclusion

“In the psalm the forgiveness of sins brings healing to both body and mind, deliverance in times of distress, and the guidance and loving care of the Lord (Ps. 32:3-11)...It is the forgiveness of sins which effects all the benefits that Ps. 32 describes.” (Seifrid)

And as Tanner puts it, “This psalm celebrates what is the very heart of the Christian tradition, God's grace and forgiveness that allows for us to know true happiness...Psalm 32 gives us just that opportunity to be glad and rejoice and shout, for God does reckon us righteous!”