Federico G. Villanueva

The Uncertainty of a Hearing: a Study of the Sudden Change of Mood in the Psalms of Lament (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum) Federico G. Villanueva

An interesting feature in the lament psalms is the sudden change of mood. Unfortunately, as the term that has come to be associated with the subject indicates - 'Certainty of a Hearing' - the change of mood is understood only in terms of a movement from lament to praise. This has led to a redefinition of lament in terms of petition and an overemphasis on praise. The present book seeks to redress this one-sided emphasis by drawing attention to the other movements in the Psalter - the reverse movement from praise to lament, return to lament after praise and the alternation between the two. We do not only have a 'Certainty of a Hearing'; we also have an 'Uncertainty of a Hearing'.