The Formation of Psalms 1-3 and the Arrangement of the Hebrew Psalter

Eric McDonnell offers a detailed analysis of the literary functions of the three psalms that open the Masoretic Psalter, employing diachronic, comparative and literary-theoretical methods. Beginning with a discussion of the preface in the sense articulated by Jacques Derrida and Gérard Genette, the author distinguishes primary, introductory and prefatorial functions that texts may assume at the threshold of larger compositions. On this basis, Ps 1 and 2 appear as a two-part prefatorial paratext shaping the literary and theological orientation of the emerging Psalter, while Ps 3 serves a different function by introducing the general form of the individual lament, reflecting an early preexilic stage of the collection. A comparative examination of the Gilgamesh Epic, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and Sirach shows how ancient textual collections reuse traditional materials to advance new literary and ideological purposes, a process described as iterative play in conversation with Derrida and Hans-Georg Gadamer. The author then reviews three influential accounts of the literary development of the Masoretic Psalter and presents an alternative reconstruction that builds on the preceding analyses. Eric McDonnell thus highlights the close relation between synchronic readings and diachronic analysis and demonstrates how both perspectives contribute to understanding the shape and shaping of the Masoretic Psalter.