Reading Book I of the Psalter through the Ashre sayings

This project attempts to read Book I of the Psalter from the perspective of happiness portrayed in the Ashre sayings. The eight Ashre sayings in Book I demonstrate a prominent structure as they cluster in the beginning (Psalms 1-2) and at the end of the collection (Psalms 40-41), as well as in between the two (Psalms 32-34).; Framing Book I, the first (Psalms 1-2) and the last clusters (Psalms 40-41) of the Ashre sayings present two fundamental clues for happiness in life: delighting in God's instruction and trusting God. Psalms 3-41 develop the issue of sin within the trajectory of the main story of Book I. The godly individual idealized in Psalms 1-2 struggles in the real world due to the wicked enemies and surprisingly due to his own sin and the sickness that comes as a consequence of the sin. The second cluster of Ashre sayings (Psalms 32-34) resolves the issue of sin by declaring God's forgiveness of sin (Psalm 32) and God's election of his own people (Psalm 33) and by offering instructions for wisdom and happiness in life (Psalm 34).; Detailed consideration of composition in this study facilitates the linking of one psalm to other psalms and to other passages in the OT and of one collection in the Psalter to the other collections in relation to the given issues in the Ashre sayings. This study offers evidence of the structural unity and purposeful arrangement of Book I of the Psalter and, consequently, fosters additional holistic readings of the whole Psalter.