269 SELF-ABASEMENT EXPRESSION THANKS AS AN OF raised about the use of self-abasement in Psalms. This matter cannot be addressed here, but is something that should be explored 38. Likewise, in narrative, a rare example of the obligation side of thanks is found in 2 Kgs 5,17-18. Here, the foreign military captain Naaman promises to worship YHWH because of his healing from leprosy. Naaman’s promise, however, comes after a rebuff by Elisha for his wish to pay for Elisha’s help (vv. 15-16). Paying for a religious service is a common phenomenon (see, e.g. Num 22,7.17.37; 24,10-13; 1 Sam 9,6-10; 2 Kgs 14,1-4; parodied in Ezek 13,19 and Micah 3,5), but Naaman’s commitment to ongoing devotion solely to YHWH indicates he has moved from payment for service to obligation to YHWH in similar fashion to the speakers in the psalms noted above. hdy also appears in Leah’s comment after Judah’s birth, “This time I will praise (hdwa) the LORD ” (Gen 29,35), which functions to provide the reason for the name, Judah. Leah’s language, however, has the effect of ob- ligating her to YHWH. But it is not clear in the patriarchal narra- tives how vows and promises to God were fulfilled. For example, Jacob’s promise to give God one-tenth of all God will give to him (Gen 28,22) is not narrated as being carried out. In Gen 35,6-15, when Jacob finally fulfils his vows in 28,22, all that is narrated is he built an altar (35,7), set up a pillar and poured a libation on it (35,14). An altar presumes that Jacob made sacrifices, but this is not narrated. The key examples of self-abasement being used to express thanks to God in narrative texts are 2 Sam 7,18; Gen 32,10-13[9-12]; and 1 Kgs 3,5-9. However, unlike for self-abasement to humans, ob- ligation to God is presupposed in the context of each text. 2 Sam 7,18 is David’s introduction to his prayer of thanks (2 Sam 7,18-29) after being promised by YHWH that he would found a dynasty (vv. 5-16). “ Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (v. 18) A start towards this is provided in E.J. BRIDGE, “Loyalty, Dependency 38 and Status with YHWH: the use of ‘bd in the Psalms”, VT 59 (2009) 360-378, here 368-374, in which it is argued that the common form of deference Èdb[ (“ your servant”) is used to motivate God to answer requests favourably.