The Hallelujah Psalms in the context of the Hebrew Psalter

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate and discover the function of fifteen Hallelujah Psalms (Pss. 104-106; 111-113; 115-117; 135; and 146-150) in the context of the Hebrew Psalter. Their form and setting-in-worship were examined in chapter 2. They are typical of the hymns of praise in their form: imperative introduction, body, and conclusion. Their setting seems to reflect the corporate worship in the postexilic Israelite community.;Chapter 3 presented the editorial arrangement of the Hallelujah Psalms in the Hebrew Psalter. The Hallelujah Psalms are concentrated in the fourth and fifth books of the Psalter. Each segment of the Hallelujah Psalms was editorially arranged to mark off a larger segment or block of psalms: Pss. 104-106 for Pss. 90-106; Pss. 111-117 for Pss. 107-117; Ps. 135 for 120-135; and Pss. 146-150 for Pss. 1-150. The three Hodu Psalms (Pss. 107, 118, and 136) were attached to the Hallelujah Psalms to embrace their marking function in the Psalter. This marking function is strengthened by the evidence of the Hallelujah Psalms in the Qumran Psalms Scrolls. This study noted that an independent Hallelujah collection might be added to the fifth book of the Psalter.;Chapter 4 analyzed the redaction in the Hallelujah Psalms. It was seen that the word hallelujah itself is not an integral part of the psalm. The fluidity of superscriptional and subscriptional arrangement in the Hebrew, Greek, and Qumran Psalms suggests that the Hallelujah Psalms are redactional in the present Psalter. The sequence of certain verbs and expressions before and after the word hallelujah is also redactional.;Chapter 5 drew the intertextual relationship of the Hallelujah Psalms. They are connected by common themes and motifs: YHWH's mighty works in creation; his steadfast love and faithfulness to his covenant; his saving works in the exodus and wilderness; his gracious works in helping and caring for his creatures; and thanksgiving for his universal power over all the deities, gods, and rulers. They are presented in a crescendo pattern: they become more and more hallelujah-intensive as they appear to the end of the Psalter. Their overall function is to enhance the ordinary hymns of praise.