| Although much attention has been given to the form- and rhetorical-critical study of the elements found in the biblical laments, the character and function of the negative petition, speech in the negative imperative, has received little mention. This dissertation has undertaken a broad study of negative petitions in the biblical psalms of lament in an effort to ascertain two things: (1) the matters that the psalmist typically petitions against, and (2) what role this element typically plays in the rhetorical strategy of these prayers.;To accomplish these tasks two corpora of negative petitions (psalmic and extra-psalmic) were established, based upon a fixed set of criteria, and compared. The topics that the psalmists typically petition against were found to fall under three major headings: (1) Petitions Against Attitudes God May Hold, (2) Petitions Against God's Actions or Inactions, (3) Petitions Against What God May Allow or Forbid.;The second goal was to analyze the rhetorical function of the negative petition as it is associated with other form-critical elements in the laments. Working on the premise that the focal point of the lament is the petition for deliverance and that all form-critical elements contribute to a rhetorical flow which builds to this ultimate goal, it was noted that certain elements are frequently associated with other elements so as to sharpen the argument by means of creating a contrast that leads to a heightening, intensification and/or obligation. Although numerous associations were noted, only those related to the use of the negative petition were thoroughly discussed and analyzed.;Some significant findings include: associated negative and affirmative petitions often serve to support one another and are employed together in several easily recognizable ways; negative petitions frequently share vocabulary with the complaint as they attempt to fend off impending negative outcomes should the current distress not be challenged in anyway; negative petitions reposition praise, as does the complaint, but in their own unique and subtle way. Also studied were the address, oracles, certainty of a hearing, statements of confidence and trust and vow to praise. |
