02_Booij_351_351_374 30/10/15 13:01 Pagina 374 374 THIJS BOOIJ 374 I think these are the circumstances under which psalms expressing the community’s thankfulness, or most of them, came into being. These texts speak of exiles who returned (Pss 107,2-3; 147,2), of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, of peace and welfare (Pss 66,12b; 67; 147,2.14). They honour YHWH, who punished his people severely, but did not give them over to “death” (Pss 118,18; 66,9-12; 124,6), was faithful to them (Ps 117,2), had compassion, forgave their sins (Pss 65,4; 103,3.8-12), came to their help (Pss 118,14; 98,1-3; 124). They also give evidence of a regained and even growing national self-respect (Pss 118,22-23; 129,5-8; 147,20) 97. At the great autumnal festival, when the Israelites rejoiced about the blessings of the past year and many paid their vows to God, cultic singers might voice their relief: “Out of my distress I called on Yah; he answered me with great enlargement” (Ps 118,5) 98. Lomanstraat, 32B Thijs BOOIJ NL–1075 RC Amsterdam SUMMARY Psalm 118 was recited in the time of Nehemiah. The speaker in the first person singular passages is Israel’s representative. The psalm, a communal song of thankfulness, belongs to a group of texts related to Succoth (Psalms 65; 66; 67; 98; 107; 124; 129; Isaiah 12; 25,1-5). These texts, dating from the later post-exilic period, do not constitute a well- delineated literary genre. Psalm 118 and Isaiah 12; 25,1-5, however, constitute a special category. Psalm 118,24 refers to Succoth as the time when YHWH judges the world and decides on the nation’s well-being (v. 25) for the year to come. 97 See also Psalms 148,14; 149. 98 Reading hybxrmb (see BHS); cf. hytbhlv in Cant 8,6. For the construction see Ps 20,7; 1 Chr 21,26. See the JPS translation.