Psalms 69:33-34 in the light of the poor in the Psalter as a whole

Abstract

The Psalter has very often been regarded as the prayer book of the poor. In the Psalms God is portrayed as the saviour of the poor, their hope, their stronghold and liberator – whether these are prayers of an individual or prayers of the community. The high concentration of the term(s) for the “poor” in the Psalter, in relation to the rest of the books of the Old  Testament (OT), indeed indicates a profound affinity for the “poor” in the Psalter , which is an indication that the Psalter underwent a redaction of the “theology of the poor”. In this article the focus will be on Psalm 69, as it seems to have undergone a “redaction of the poor”. The main focus will be on the verses 33 and 34, as they, specifically, contain terminology of the “poor”. Special attention will also be given to the different terms used for the poor in this text.