02_Booij_351_351_374 30/10/15 13:01 Pagina 372 372 THIJS BOOIJ 372 Ps 66,12 vwna (“humans”: cf. Pss 9,20; 56,2); in Ps 118,7 yanf (“those who hate me”: cf. e.g. Pss 18,18; 35,19; 38,20); in Ps 129,4 ~y[vr (“evildoers”: cf. e.g. Pss 3,8; 7,10; 28,3); in Isa 25,2-3.5 ~yrz and ~ycyr[ (“aliens” and “ruthless people”: cf. Pss 54,5; 86,14; 109,11). Surveying the elements of “form language”, we find them to be similar to elements typifying the songs of the individual, especially the individual thanksgiving song 90. The use of the first person singular in communal songs expressing communal thankfulness is different, indeed, from that in songs of the individual. The representative or corporative speaker, however, is not really characteristic, since he figures in hymns and communal songs of prayer as well 91. Texts expressing the community’s thankfulness have, in fact, no forms that are specifically their own. Moreover, as mentioned above, common forms are only found in groups of texts, while several texts have only one or two such forms. Some texts have none at all. It must be concluded that, by their thoughts and moods and their “form language”, songs expressing Israel’s thankfulness do not convincingly distinguish themselves as a literary type different from other types. They appear to have a common background, however, in the life of the community. Within this group of texts, moreover, Psalm 118 and Isaiah 12; 25,1-5 make up a special category by combining the use of hdy hif‘il with the use of the first person singular and specific confessional formulas. By their context, their form and their extent Psalm 118 and Isaiah 12; 25,1-5 are completely different texts. The elements they have in common make them nevertheless very distinctive expressions of the people’s thank- fulness. VII. Thanksgiving and History Psalms articulating Israel’s thankfulness to God not only appear to be related to the same cultic situation, but seem to have a common historical background as well. There can be no doubt that Psalms 107 (see vv. 2-3) and 147 (see v. 2) came into being after the exile. In Psalm 66 the exile and its aftermath must be presupposed in view of vv. 8-12, a passage reminiscent of Deutero- 90 Cf. GUNKEL, Einleitung, § 7, and see above, section IV. 91 See Pss 44,5; 74,12; 135,5; 146,1-2; Exod 15,1-2.