Psalm of communal lament
Encyclopedia
The psalms of communal lament are a group of Psalm Forms from the Hebrew Bible, classified by their focus on lament
s expressing deep sorrow for the travails of a nation and as a group asking for God's blessing or intervention. Psalms of communal laments were more commonly found in printed Psalter
s following major natural disasters, plague, or oppression by surrounding nations.
, but includes a corporate form of language and a focus on motivating God to bless the nation and smite its enemies.
A Communal Lament essentially consists of five possible parts:
In addition to the aforementioned elements, a lament may also include a curse of the enemies which the people believe to be the cause of their suffering or a claiming of the people's guilt or innocence in the situation.
, may have been kept for home use rather than in corporate settings, with the exception of Royal Laments - those written by a king for recitation in front of his subjects.
Lament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
s expressing deep sorrow for the travails of a nation and as a group asking for God's blessing or intervention. Psalms of communal laments were more commonly found in printed Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
s following major natural disasters, plague, or oppression by surrounding nations.
Structure
The motifs of the communal lament psalm are very similar to the individual lamentLament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
, but includes a corporate form of language and a focus on motivating God to bless the nation and smite its enemies.
A Communal Lament essentially consists of five possible parts:
- The Address - usually directly to God
- The Lament Proper - a description of the occurrences for which the people are requesting assistance or rescue
- National Confession of Trust - a statement showing the nation's belief that God will hear their prayers
- The Petition Proper and Motivation - a usually very specific statement of what the people want God to do
- Vow of Praise - portion of the lament where the people promise to offer thanksgiving once seeing God's intervention
In addition to the aforementioned elements, a lament may also include a curse of the enemies which the people believe to be the cause of their suffering or a claiming of the people's guilt or innocence in the situation.
List of Psalms of Communal Lament
Using the Hebrew numbering system, the following are traditionally categorized as psalms of communal lament:- Psalm 42
- Psalm 60
- Psalm 74
- Psalm 79
- Psalm 80
- Psalm 85
Purpose & Setting
The reading and reflection on these psalms are intended to express empathy for people suffering as a result of great loss. In many instances, communal laments were used in corporal worship/gatherings, possibly even with royalty present.A Note on Individual Laments
Whereas communal laments speak on behalf of a body of people, a nation perhaps, individual laments are writtin from the perspective of one person, using first person pronouns rather than second person (communal lament). Individual laments, more present than communal laments in PsalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, may have been kept for home use rather than in corporate settings, with the exception of Royal Laments - those written by a king for recitation in front of his subjects.