The Beatitude אַשְׁרֵי and the Confession of Sins in Psalms 32–41

Abstract

Different from the general opinion that Pss 25–34 and 35–41 represent individual cycles of poems, this article argues that the concluding cycle of Book I of the Psalter starts with Ps 32. The cycle Pss 32–41 is determined by the beatitude אַשְׁרֵי, which opens Pss 32 and 41. The cycle as a whole consists of eleven poems and represents a poetic tryptich: with its 42 poetic lines the alphabetic acrostic Ps 37 takes a central position and is framed by panels of five poems on both sides.