“ Land ” as a Topic in the Book of Psalms?

This essay focuses on land conceptions in the Psalter, dealing with Psalms reflecting on Israel’s history regard land as an integral part of remembrance and Y HWH as a powerful and mighty saviour. As he was able to fulfil his promise of land in former times, he is now able to rescue from distress and to grant land for the psalmist’s and subsequent generations. The essay distinguishes between a universal-cosmologic and a particular conception of “land”. Whereas a universal -cosmologic understanding is prevailing, few psalms refer to a particular understanding (i.e., Pss 25; 37; 61; 69). These psalms witness to a conception of “land as reward” in tight connection to a God -fearing life. This thesis of “land as reward” suggests a “metaphorical” application of the concept; further it is accompanied with notions of Zion theology and the theology of poor and poverty.

‫לכם‬ ‫נתן‬ ‫אבתיכם‬ ‫אלהי‬ ‫יהוה‬ ‫אׁשר‬ ‫הארץ‬ ("so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that YHWH, the God of your ancestors, is giving you," Deut 4:1); ‫הארץ‬ ‫כי‬ ‫לרׁשתה‬ ‫בא-ׁשמה‬ ‫אתה‬ ‫אׁשר‬ ("For the land you are entering to take over," Deut 11:10); ‫וחצי‬ ‫הׁשבטים‬ ‫לתׁשעת‬ ‫בנחלה‬ ‫הזאת‬ ‫את-הארץ‬ ‫חלק‬ ‫ועתה‬ ‫צויתיך׃‬ ‫כאׁשר‬ ‫בנחלה‬ ‫ליׂשראל‬ ‫הפלה‬ ‫רק‬ ‫המנׁשה׃‬ ‫הׁשבט‬ ("Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you.And now divide this land as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh," Jos 13:6b-7).The importance of the theme of "land" for Penta-and Hexateuchal theology seems obvious. 12Furthermore, questions of possession, loss, and repossession of "land" play an essential role in Israel's and Juda's history, just as "land" offers the base for the formation of Israel's and Judah's identity according to the historical books and the prophetic literature.
Even though the Psalter also bears witness to aspects similar to Pentateuch and prophetic literature, wisdom literature is different: In their diversity, each of the [wisdom -J.B.] books serves as a reminder that revelation does not replace human experience in the life of the believer.Wisdom literature tells of the human search for a better understanding of God, the world, and human beings.[…] The blessed person is the one who finds his 'delight in the law of the YHWH,' as underlined in the first Psalm (Ps 1:2, cf.Ps 119:1).With regard to the Land, Wisdom literature portrays a man who shares the human condition and who is deeply rooted in a very specific Land.Wisdom literature stresses the universal rather than the particular.In contrast with the historical books that tell the particular and contingent history of Israel, Wisdom deals with human experience that is relevant always and everywhere.Land is, therefore, omnipresent, as it is in the saga of creation, because it is the very space for human existence. 13 this context, this contribution will focus on "land" as a topic in the Book of Psalms.In so doing, it wishes to honour Prof. Dr. Phil Botha, as this topic not only combines two research fields of the present author, but also incorporates one of Phil's main areas of research, which he forwarded admirably by a huge number of outstanding publications with a topic of high importance 12Here, I may refer to my ongoing second book project on the conception of land in the Pentateuch.In a first synchronic survey I point out divergent conception of land as they are inherent to the texts.In a second step I ask for the diachronic redaction history: In which way can the focus on land contribute to the diachronic redaction process of the Pentateuch.
Alain Marchadour and David Neuhaus, The Land, the Bible, and History: Toward  the Land That I Will Show You (New York, NY: Fordham University Press, 2007), 43-44.not only for the history of Israel and Judah but also for the country he is working and living in.
The question I wish to address is whether the topic of "land" can make a contribution towards the Psalter's theology.In the following, I will focus on the texts themselves (Section B).Due to the numerous attestations 14 and the fact that the topic of land cannot be limited to a single genre (e.g., psalms of lament, hymns) or psalm books or groups (e.g., the psalms of David, the so-called Korahand Asaphite psalms), I will cluster my analysis focusing on psalms recollecting Israel's history (Section B.1), attestations referring to a universal-cosmologic conception of "land" (Section B.2), and to a particular understanding of the concept "land" in a limited number of specific psalms (Section B.3; i.e., Pss 25;  37; 61; and 69).A conclusion (Section C) will summarise and discuss the question of metaphorical understandings of "land" as it addresses the abovementioned question on the possible contribution of the term to the Psalter's theology.

Psalms recollecting history
Due to the prominence of the "land" motif in the Pentateuch and former prophet narratives, and the foundational role of "land" in the history of Israel and Judah, it stands to reason to focus on those psalms reflecting Israel's history separately, i.e., Pss 78; 105-106; and the twins 135 and 136, the more so as they are "key texts" for a theology of the Psalter. 15In so doing, we witness a first understanding of "land" in the psalms, for the heritage of the land serves as an important memorandum for Israel. 16 This is in particular witnessed in Psalm 78, occurring at the centre of the Asaphite-collection, which altogether reflect a high interest in Israel's and 14 Cf.fn.8-11.15 Gärtner, Geschichtspsalmen, 373-391.In her conclusion Gärtner claims that the psalms recollecting Israel's history are "hermeneutische Schlüsseltexte im Psalter" (373).
Die Funktion des Rekurses auf die Landnahme … ruft in der gegenwärtigen Lage das Volk auf, auf Gott zu vertrauen und ihn nicht zu vergessen, denn das hieße, die gleichen Fehler zu begehen wie die Generation der 'Väter' … 21 As a history recollecting psalm, Psalm 105 also focusses on "land" in its recapitulation of Israel's history and the remembrance of God's deeds on its behalf.As key word, ‫ארץ‬ appears ten times in the psalm (vv.7, 11, 16, 23, 27,  30, 32, 35, 36, 44).According to Dietmar Mathias, the mention of land in vv.8-11 and 42-45 constitutes an inclusio, itself framed by ‫זכר‬ (vv.8, 45). 22Due to this inclusio, the promise of land to ‫עמו‬ ("his people," v. 43) is related to the covenant made with Abraham (vv.8-11): ‫דור׃‬ ‫לאלף‬ ‫צוה‬ ‫דבר‬ ‫בריתו‬ ‫לעולם‬ ‫זכר‬ 8 ‫ליׂשחק׃‬ ‫וׁשבועתו‬ ‫את-אברהם‬ ‫כרת‬ ‫אׁשר‬ 9 ‫עולם׃‬ ‫ברית‬ ‫ליׂשראל‬ ‫לחק‬ ‫ליעקב‬ ‫ויעמידה‬ 10 ‫נחלתכם׃‬ ‫חבל‬ ‫את-ארץ-כנען‬ ‫אתן‬ ‫לך‬ ‫לאמר‬ 11 8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. 10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 11   Leiden: Brill, 2009), 183-196 (183-184); Gärtner, Geschichtspsalmen, 377-378.‫הללו-יה׃‬ ‫ינצרו‬ ‫ותורתיו‬ ‫חקיו‬ ‫יׁשמרו‬ ‫בעבור‬ 45 42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. 43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; 44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for--45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws.Praise the LORD.(NIV) These promises and their remembrance in Ps 105 determine the structure of the psalm, and in so doing lead to its theology: The act of remembrance, beginning in the time of the patriarchs (cf.after vv.8-11 also vv.12ff.) until the time of Moses and the implied land distribution (v.44) is framed by the promise of land.This stresses the relevance of "land" up to the time of the psalmist.
Like the psalm's vision of an inherited Promised Land, they [the psalmist's generation -J.B.] have the hope of a future land, where they will serve Yahweh by being devoted to his Tôrāh, his precepts and laws (v.44).… Yahweh remained faithful to his promise (word) over many generations, also for the current post-exilic community.Hope is created by the notion that, what Yahweh did for Israel in the beginning of their history, He will do for the Abrahamic post-exilic community.… The text visualizes life in the Promised Land as a life of faithfulness to Yahweh's Tôrāh.By means of an inclusio the psalm builds a frame for depicting Yahweh as universal God, one who should be made known among nations (1) and one who determines the fate of nations (44).It underscores the notion of a universal God. 23e psalmist, therefore, refers to dtn/dtr theology (cf. the combination of ‫נתן‬ and ‫)ירׁש‬ 24 as well as to priestly theology (cf. the conjunction of the land promise and the order to keep ‫ותורתיו‬ ‫.)חקיו‬ 25 Psalm 135 in v. 12 refers to the land as ‫,נחלה‬ which is included in the psalm's reflection on the heritage of land: 23 Human, "Pentateuchal 'History' as Source for Israelite Praise," forthcoming.Cf. also Miller, "Land in the Psalms," 184-187.
‫עצומים׃‬ ‫מלכים‬ ‫והרג‬ ‫רבים‬ ‫גוים‬ ‫ׁשהכה‬ 10 ‫כנען׃‬ ‫ממלכות‬ ‫ולכל‬ ‫הבׁשן‬ ‫מלך‬ ‫ולעוג‬ ‫האמרי‬ ‫מלך‬ ‫לסיחון‬ 11 ‫עמו׃‬ ‫ליׂשראל‬ ‫נחלה‬ ‫נחלה‬ ‫ארצם‬ ‫ונתן‬ 12 10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings -11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan -12 and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.(NIV) The sequence vv.10-12 recollects the gift of land once to Israel, from the conquest of the east-Jordan territory, the realms of Sihon and Og (cf.Num 21) until the west-Jordan conquests as they are witnessed in the Book of Joshua.In so doing, standing in opposition to Ps 136, it reveals a Hexateuchal concept. 26ut both of the twins refer to God as a powerful sovereign over the nations.The sequence recounts YHWH's powerful acts, referring to the last of the ten plagues, the affliction of the firstborn (vv.8-9).Not Israel, but he himself struck down many nations and killed Sihon, Og and all Canaanite kings (vv.10-11).The description of God's powerful deeds (cf.also Ps 136) expresses the picture of the saviour-God as it is reflected in the fifth Book of Psalms, culminating in the gift of the land as an inheritance according to v. 12. 27 Psalm 136 mentions the gift of ‫ארץ‬ as ‫נחלה‬ in vv.21-22: ‫חסדו׃‬ ‫לעולם‬ ‫כי‬ ‫לנחלה‬ ‫ארצם‬ ‫ונתן‬ 21 ‫חסדו׃‬ ‫לעולם‬ ‫כי‬ ‫עבדו‬ ‫ליׂשראל‬ ‫נחלה‬ 22 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. 22an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.(NIV) ‫ארצם‬ here refers again to the land of Sihon and Og, which is the land of the Amorites (v.19) and Bashan (v.20).The Transjordan land Yhwh donates ‫)נתן(‬ as ‫נחלה‬ in favour of his servant ‫.)עבדו(‬In so doing, the psalm refers to the donation of Transjordan as heritage to his servant Israel.Again, the verses reveal Yhwh's powerful deeds once in favour of the Exodus-generation now in favour of the generation of the psalmist (cf. the fourfold structure: great kings, mighty kings, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan). 28YHWH, as sovereign powerful victor, donates "their" land as inheritance.Israel, however, as YHWH's ‫עבד‬ stayed, are staying, and will continue to stay under YHWH's protection and care.The following verses focus on this theme: YHWH remembers Israel in his lowly state ‫לנו(‬ ‫זכר‬ ‫,שבׁשפלנו‬ v. 23a) and rescues him from his oppressors ‫מצרינו(‬ ‫,ויפרקנו‬ v. 24a). 29cussing on the psalms recollecting Israel's history altogether, we see land as an integral part of the reflection on history, 30 including references to the Exodus as well as to dtn/dtr and priestly theology.In so doing, the donation of land is the goal of God's acts as saviour, he is the Lord of the land, which he donates as ‫.נחלה‬He is able to withdraw and to assign by powerful deeds, and he is the one who is able to settle Israel in his place.The message seems clear: God already in former times had the power to promise the land and to exalt and guide his people to live and rest in the Promised Land.The one who once had the power to do it, continues to have it.
The Korah-psalm 44 is not usually regarded as one of the poems reflecting on Israel's history.Nevertheless, ‫ארץ‬ is mentioned in vv.2-4 in the context of what YHWH had done for his people in the past: Miller, "Land in the Psalms," 188.
Bremer, "'Land' as Topic in Psalms?" OTE 32/2 (2019): 687-715 697 Here, the use of verbs and the conception of theology offered are in line with dtn/dtr theology, which is also the case for v. 4b ("for you delighted in them").
According to Kathrin Liess, the land topic in Ps 44 has a twofold function: to evoke trust in a mighty God and to call upon God's mighty help in the days of the speaker (vv.24-27).
Also the mention of ‫ארץ‬ in the Korah-psalm 85:2 is a fictive retrospect in favour of a prophetic vision of Jacob's future: 34 The topic introduced in its first verses (vv.2-4) guides the reader through the whole psalm.Jahve hat dem Lande sein Erbarmen wieder zugewandt: das jetzt verwüstete und verödete, in dem nur noch Trümmer an die frühere Herrlichkeit erinnern, ist dann wieder wie einst von den blühenden Städten und fruchtbaren Äckern bedeckt. 35nkel futher talks about a "Wende des Geschicks" and a "Wiederherstellung des Volkes." 36Following his interpretation, Walter Brueggemann and William H. Bellinger Jr. claim these verses depict "an assertion that YHWH is a God who forgives." 37The verses state the final result as the psalm's first sentence after its superscription in v. 2a: YHWH (again) is favourable to his land.Ps 85 links God's relation to his people to the land.So, the fate of the land is linked to the behaviour of the people.This is reflected at the end of the psalm: His people shall not turn again to folly (v.9).So ‫,)אך(‬ the Lord's salvation is at hand for those who fear him (v.10a) and "his glory may dwell in our land" (v.10b).Here, the speaker refers back to the land and v. 2a, and he again refers to it in v. 13.There will be ‫חסד-ואמת‬ ("mercy and truth," v. 11a), ‫וׁשלום‬ ‫צדק‬ ("righteousness and peace," v. 11b), ‫מארץ‬ ‫אמת‬ ("truth from the land," v. 12a), ‫צדק‬ ("righteousness," v. 12b), ‫טוב‬ ("good," v. 13a), and as a kind of consequence: then ‫יבולה‬ ‫תתן‬ ‫ארצנו‬ ("our land will yield its increase," v. 13b)."Land" in Ps 85, except for the reflection on YHWH's leading character in v. 14, is the poem's framing object rather than merely a topic in the psalm, on which God's favour (v. 2) appears.Butand this is different to Ps 44 in the first group of Korah psalmseven though YHWH's returning to his people and his land also here is a reflection on God's saving power, it is linked to the behaviour of his people, notably their fear of God, as it is stated in v. 10a.
Only a single reference to "land" can be found in Ps 60,4: ‫כי-מטה׃‬ ‫ׁשבריה‬ ‫רפה‬ ‫פצמתה‬ ‫ארץ‬ ‫הרעׁשתה‬ 4 2 You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.(NIV) The single "land"-notation in v. 4a is part of the speaker's accusation against God (vv.3-5).He was the one who rejected ‫,)זנח(‬ who broke defences ‫,)פרץ(‬ and was angry, ‫,אנף(‬ v. 3b) -and the one who caused the land to quake.According to the speaker, it was YHWH who brought him in the situation of distress.This will change in v. 6: ‫סלה׃‬ ‫קׁשט‬ ‫מפני‬ ‫להתנוסס‬ ‫נס‬ ‫ליראיך‬ ‫נתתה‬ ("But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow").At the end of the psalm in v. 14 he will declare: ‫באלהים‬ ‫צרינו׃‬ ‫יבוס‬ ‫והוא‬ ‫נעׂשה-חיל‬ ("With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies"). 38rueggemann and Bellinger, Psalms, 367.The topic of this contribution does not lead to a satisfying discussion on Ps 60. 39 What is clear, however, is that vv.3-5 are a theological reflection on history.They reveal God's power and might over the world order.

2
A universal-cosmologic conception of "land" Besides the recollection of history, the majority of attestations (as noted above) 40 mention "land" as -and this is a central aspectpertaining to YHWH as its proprietor in a universal-cosmologic understanding not limited to any kind of particular conception.According to these psalms, YHWH is the ‫על-כל-‬ ‫גדול‬ ‫מלך‬ ‫הארץ‬ ("great King over all the earth", Ps 47:3).We witness this as a common motif in any book, group and sub-group: e.g., Ps 24:1 states: ‫ומלואה‬ ‫הארץ‬ ‫ליהוה‬ ‫בה‬ ‫ויׁשבי‬ ‫תבל‬ ("The earth is YHWH's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it").After the ascription to David, the psalm in a form characteristic of "hymnic praise" states YHWH as the proprietor of the earth and all beings. 41The universal aspect is directly expressed also by ‫תבל‬ and the collective statement "all who live in it."Verse 2 adds YHWH as the one who founded the ‫תבל‬ on the sea (v.2a), and as the one who established it on rivers (v.2b).This opening is a "crucial interpretative move for readers," 42 and a sign of the "divine victory over chaos."43 Similar is Ps 89:12.The verse declares: ‫ומלאה‬ ‫תבל‬ ‫ארץ‬ ‫אף-לך‬ ‫ׁשמים‬ ‫לך‬ ‫יסדתם׃‬ ‫אתה‬ ("The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it").Also here YHWH is claimed as founder of (the God is declared as the one who turns "a fruitful land into a salt waste" (Ps 107:34a) and "the desert into pools of water, the parched ground into flowing springs."(Ps 107:35).The verses are part of vv.33-41, which can be labelled as "A Hymn on the Power of God": 45 Following the four narrative portions of the psalm, the psalmist offers a poem that celebrates the awesome power of God over all aspects of creation.… Verses 33-34 open the final hymn with a stark reminder of Yahweh's power.… According to the psalmist sources of complete continuous water ('rivers' and 'springs') can be dried up by Yahweh, and land that is fruitful can be made nothing more than a 'salt waste'.Such imagery is meant to highlight Yahweh's role as 'master of life and death.' 46 The whole psalm, including the four rescue narratives in the preceding verses, claims YHWH's unique divinity and universal creative power to change nature and history.In so doing, Ps 107 refers to his power on the land according to a universal-cosmologic understanding. 47is picture is present also in Pss 108; 113; 119: 123, again in the "historical" twins Pss 135 and 136 as mentioned above, and in the final Hallel.Especially in the fifth book, the focus on land reveals conclusions about God as mighty and as the one who wields power over people and the earth and land itself.This fits to the theology of the fifth book. 48 universal-cosmologic understandings of ‫,ארץ‬ the YHWH-king-psalms 91-100 offer a collective understanding of land or earth for every human being: ‫כל-הארץ׃‬ ‫ליהוה‬ ‫ׁשירו‬ ‫חדׁש‬ ‫ׁשיר‬ ‫ליהוה‬ ‫ׁשירו‬ ("Sing to YHWH a new song; sing to YHWH, all the earth," Ps 96:1, cf.further Pss 97-99).

A particular understanding of "land"
At this stage, we have to distinguish between a universal-cosmologic and a particular understanding in cases where "land" does not mean "earth."But whereas universal-cosmologic conceptions could be observed as "common", "land" in a particular way is focused in limited palms only, i.e., Pss 25; 37; 61; and 69.

Psalm 25:13 states:
‫ארץ׃‬ ‫יירׁש‬ ‫וזרעו‬ ‫תלין‬ ‫בטוב‬ ‫נפׁשו‬ 13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.(NIV) Land is promised to the offspring of the one who fears YHWH (v.12).The sequence vv.12-14 describes what happens to ‫יהוה‬ ‫ירא‬ ‫האיׁש‬ ("the man who fears YHWH"): YHWH will show him the way to go ‫יבחר(‬ ‫בדרך‬ ‫,ורנו‬ v. 12b, cf.Ps 1), then he will abide in prosperity ‫תלין(‬ ‫בטוב‬ ‫,נפׁשו‬ v. 13a), and his children shall take possession of (the) land ‫ארץ(‬ ‫יירׁש‬ ‫,וזרעו‬ v. 13b).Verse 14b further adds: "to them he makes known his covenant" ‫להודיעם(‬ ‫.)ובריתו‬The verses are not about the land; rather, v. 13 is a climactic parallelismus membrorum: ‫וזרעו‬ corresponds with ‫,נפׁשו‬ and ‫תלין‬ ‫בטוב‬ corresponds with ‫ארץ‬ ‫.יירׁש‬The parallelism is a central point, for the inheritance of the land is interconnected with the spending of the days in prosperity and the descendants are interconnected with the one who fears God. 49 opposition to psalms referring to a universal-cosmological understanding (as noted above for e.g., Pss 24:1; 98:12; 107:34-35), Ps 25:13 presents a particular understanding of "land" (in so doing, MT refers to "land" but not "the land").Obviously, there is neither a specific land meant, nor does ‫האיׁש‬ (v.12) refer to a specific person.Moreover, vv.12-14 are not dealing with his children but with ‫יהוה‬ ‫ירא‬ ‫האיׁש‬ (v.12).Rather than to mention the offspring as beneficiary, there is a reference to the promises of land in the book of Genesis (Gen 12:7; 13:18), due to the fact that the possession of land directly leads to a possibility to subsist, the mention of the offspring is a sign of enduring ‫,טוב‬ at least for the succeeding generation.This is what Ps 25 expresses by its reference to "land." Psalm 25 is a didactic acrostic, in which the speaker describes himself as ‫ו‬ ‫יחיד‬ ‫עני‬ ("lonely and afflicted," v. 16) and talks about ‫ופׁשעי‬ ‫נעורי‬ ‫חטאות‬ ("the sins of my youth and my transgressions," v. 7) and ‫עניי‬ ("my affliction," v. 18).
It thus seems that the author of Ps 25 also had a didactic purpose in mind, but chose to present himself as an example of the ideal believer whose conduct and disposition he is propagating. 50alm 34 offers several formal similarities to Ps 25: 51 49 Botha, "The Relation between Psalms 25 and 37", OTE 20 (2007): 543-566 (551-552).50   Botha, "The Relation between Psalms 25 and 37," 549.

51
Regarding formal similarities, both are acrostics.Moreover, in both of them the ‫-ו‬ verse is missing and at the end of the psalm a further ‫-פ‬verse is added.Cf. also the similar opening words in Pss 25:12 and 34:13; 25:15 and 34:16; 25:16 and 34:17; 25:22  [T]hey share a significant number of less common words and expressions and the same alphabetic form; they were both intended as teaching songs, although Ps 25 was moulded as a lament; both were intended to foster a particular attitude of humility, trust in Yahweh and waiting for him to vindicate the righteous; and both display a profound influence from wisdom material with Yahweh taking over the role of the wisdom teacher.They also share another characteristic, namely the influence of Pentateuchal and prophetic material, especially from Jeremiah, but also from Isaiah. 52 can be observed in any of the psalms in which the speaker describes himself by poor and poverty oriented terms ‫ועני(‬ ‫,יחיד‬ v. 16; ‫,עניי‬ v. 18), 53 there is no material understanding of poverty, and his enemies (cf.vv. 2, 19) are characterized generally only and not further specified.The statement about the one who fears YHWH is part of the description of the "ideal person" according to the didactic connection between deeds and consequences. 54Within this connection, the possession of land, although by the offspring, is the consequence for the deed: to fear YHWH.Phil Botha states: A life according to the principles of humility, trust in Yahweh, and waiting for him will guarantee protection against shame; ensure rescue from the enemies, prosperity, and eventual inheritance of the Promised Land (cf.Ps 25:12-13). 55e motif of the fulfilment of promise is witnessed in Pss 61 and 69.According to Ps 61:6, God has (already) given or will for sure give the ‫ירשה‬ (to "me"?): ‫ׁשמך׃‬ ‫יראי‬ ‫ירׁשת‬ ‫נתת‬ ‫לנדרי‬ ‫ׁשמעת‬ ‫אלהים‬ ‫כי-אתה‬ 6 For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given the heritage of those who fear your name.(NIV) "[T]o the one who feels 'at the end of the inhabited world' and surrounded by enemies, God gives a share in the 'land,' in community with those who fear YHWH's name." 56The speaker, whose distress is described in vv.2-3 (his heart is overwhelmed, the rock is too high for him alone), v. 5 declares his demand to abide in YHWH's tent (v.5a) and to find refuge under the shelter of YHWH's wings (v.5b).Verse 6a introduces the "vows" he addresses to YHWH.His trust in YHWH leads to his statement that YHWH will for sure have heard his vows and granted (perfect forms to document his deep confidence) the heritage of those who fear YHWH's name." 57ese Landaussage steht im Kontrast zu der Eingangsbitte V. 1-5.Der Beter, der aus der Peripherie des Landes, vom 'Rand/Ende der Erde' als Bereich des Todes, zu JHWH ruft (V.3), beschreibt mit der Landmotivik seine Rettung als Anteilgabe am Landbesitz der Gottesfürchtigen.Damit wird die Landgabe zum Ausdruck der Rettung aus Todesnot und zugleich der Reintegration in Gemeinschaft, so dass der Landbesitz hier über die Errettung hinaus auch eine soziale Funktion hat. 58clear who is meant by "they."Verse 37 mentions the ‫עבדיו‬ ‫זרע‬ ("offspring of his servants"), who will obtain it, and the ‫ׁשמו‬ ‫אהבי‬ ("those loving his name") who will live in it.This content, especially the rebuilding of the cities of Judah, localize the psalm (and so, too, the secondary addition, vv.35-37) in the exilic/post-exilic era. 62Within this setting, God himself will rebuild the cities of Judah.
In this psalm, the focus is not on the initial acquisition of the land or on its particular definition.It is on the land as land, God's covenantal gift as the place for lively and flourishing existence, in this case attentive to the disparity in people's access to its benefits.… That involves especially reiteration of the need to trust in the Lord and not worry about the wicked.… Both the activity of doing good and the stance of hopeful trust are characteristics that determine whether or not the land that provides the context for fruitful existence is yours. 74 his comparison between Pss 25 and 37, the honoured Phil Botha finally votes for a same or like-minded author or group of authors. 75Concluding, he claims for both psalms: The shared message of the two psalms would have been to propagate quiet trust in Yahweh as refuge and saviour who would soon annihilate is a prosperous wicked people and restore control of the Promised Land to the 'spiritual poor' 76 and repentant people. 77

C CONCLUSIONS
After an introduction (Section A) and focus on "landmarks" (Section B), I finally raise the question: Is there a "theology of the land" in the Psalter?The Psalter offers multiple attestations of "land" in different expressions, 78 referring mostly to universal-cosmologic understandings.First and separately (Section B.1), I treated attestations in psalms reflecting on Israel's history, namely Pss 78, 105, 136 and 137.Added to these are attestations within the two Korah-psalms 44 and 85, and Ps 60, which could also be identified as kinds of historical reflections.
We witness the land topic as an integral part of the recollections and its inheritance as goal of YHWH's saving acts: As God once fulfilled his promise of a peaceful and restful life in the Promised Land, heas a powerful saviourwill do again in favour of the psalmist's and succeeding generations.Before this message, the psalmists refer to dtn/dtr, priestly, and prophetic theology, juxtaposing in opposition the patriarchal and Exodus generations.In so doing, they stress the role of the Torah as it was noted for Ps 105.Ps 85 within the second Korah-group stresses conspicuously the active role of the behaviour of his people and their fear of God.
Besides the recollection of history, the common attestations refer to a universal-cosmologic understanding of "land" within the psalms (Section B.2).These universal-cosmologic attestations we witness in nearly every book, group, or cluster of psalms and in particular in the fifth book.Here, the image of YHWH as owner of the land or the earth fits to the theology of the fifth book as described above.Partly, ‫ארץ‬ as the most common term is used synonymously for "everywoman" and "everyman".Particular conceptions of "land" (Section B.3) we witnessed in limited psalms, namely in Pss 25; 37; 61; and 69, all of which are Davidic psalms.None of them focus on land itself, rather all refer to land and/or the heritage, possession, and living in the land as a kind of "reward."I summarise: According to Ps 25, in favour of the "offspring of the one who fears YHWH".This is interpreted as sign of enduring ‫,טוב‬ at least for the 76 For the discussion of spiritual or economic poverty, I may refer to my own publications: Johannes Bremer, "Jenseits spirituellem oder materiellem Armutsverständnis in den Psalmen: Ein Plädoyer zur bleibenden Dringlichkeit der Rückfrage nach sozio-ökonomischen Verhältnissen," in Armut: Zur Geschichte und Aktualität eines christlichen Ideals (ed.Thomas Möllenbeck and Ludger Schulte; Münster: Aschendorff, 2015), 83-95, and for a broader look, the history of research and discussions Bremer, Wo Gott sich auf die Armen einlässt, 19-59.

78
All attestations are listed in fn.8-11.succeeding generation.Sine qua non is "[a] life according to the principles of humility, trust in Yahweh, and waiting for him". 79Due to the speaker's self-description with poor and poverty related terms, ‫ועני‬ ‫יחיד‬ and ‫,עניי‬ the focus on land is conjunct with the "theology of poor and poverty".
Ps 61 mentions the heritage of those who fear YHWH's name.To the speaker it is granted after his cries and prayers from out of his distress and his vows addressed to God.
According to Ps 69, the beneficiary of the promise of the rebuilding of the cities of Zion, the settlement, possession, and inheritance of the landnoted above also for Ps 25 -is the offspring's generation, which is a prominent motif also in Genesis' land promises.Here, it refers to a cross-generational enduring possession.It goes side by side with the assumption of the motif of land as a "place of rest."Noteworthy, the beneficiary or heir of the land is neither everyone nor Israel, but the offspring of the servant.Here, the topic of land intertwines with the theology of the servants, the theology of the poor and poverty due to the speaker's self-designations as ‫וכואב‬ ‫,עני‬ and the Zion theology.
Finally I took a look at Ps 37 as the most prominent of all the "land psalms".I noted a strong interconnection with the theology of the poor and poverty and referred to a "group of the good."I stated the demand to live in the land as correlated to the demand to trust in YHWH.The heritage then is a reward for those belonging to this group as they are characterized in vv. 3, 9, 11, 22, 27, 29, and 34.All these psalms refer to a particular conception of land and all of them as wisdom psalms have a didactic character.Furthermore, none of them focuses on land itself, rather we witness the heritage and possession of land as a reward for a good and righteous way of living.
To point out a concrete beyond a particular understanding would negate the character of wisdom psalms in particular and of the Psalter in general.Here I refer to my Doktorvater, Frank-Lothar Hossfeld.In conversation with H.G. Hermisson, in 1993 he raised the thesis of a metaphorical understanding of the concept "land".In opposition to a spiritualized understanding, the metaphor still keeps the tension between the meaning of the lexeme and the meaning in its codetermined context. 8079 Botha, "The Relation between Psalms 25 and 37," 552.
senses that the land function as a cipher for divine blessing which could be lost even by those living within its spatial boundaries. 84ain, is there a "theology of the land" in the Psalter?The huge amount of attestations 85 cannot by itself refer to a theology of the Psalter as a book, for they do not coin the Psalter's structure. 86In consequence, the answer seems clear: No.
However, the thesis I present here is the one of land as a reward, for it is reflected in all the attestations for a particular conception of "land" and further in psalms commemorating Israel's history.The thesis matches the idea of a metaphorical understanding of "land".In so doing, the focus on Pss 25; 69; and 37 -at least three quarters of the psalms referring to the particular conceptappear side by side with a "theology of poor and poverty" as it is reflected in the psalms.The inheritance of land as it is mentioned in the psalms as a theological motif joins in the interplay of theological threads I stated above (Section A): the echo on history, the theme of God's presence in space and time, the theology of poor and poverty, and as we have seen at least the canonical importance of the Psalter.In so saying, is there really no "theology of land" in the Psalter?BIBLIOGRAPHY

"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will
Die auf JHWH hoffen," 55.Cf. also Patrick D. Miller, "The Land in the Psalms," in The Land of Israel in Bible, History, and Theology: Studies in Honour of Ed Noort (ed.Jacques T. A. G. M. van Ruiten and Jacobus C. de Vos; VTSup 124; 21Liess, "