MIDWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FROM RECOLLECTION TO RECOMMITMENT: THE RHETORICAL FUNCTION OF ALLUSIONS TO JUDGES IN PSALMS 68, 83, AND 106 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF MIDWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY OFFICE OF DOCTORAL STUDIES BY MATTHEW E. SWALE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI JUNE 2021 Copyright © 2021 Matthew Ernest Swale All rights reserved To Jackie, my lily among thorns. This dissertation is for you. It would have failed long ago without your beauty, love, and support. What is forgotten in unavailable and what is unavailable cannot be healed. —Henri Nouwen CONTENT ABSTRACT ix PART 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction and Thesis 1.2 Definition of Terms 1.3 Corpus 1.4 State of the Question(s) 1.5 Conclusion 1.6 Plan of Procedure 2 2 2 11 13 30 30 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Select Inner-Biblical Allusion Methodologies 2.3 Relevant Rhetorical Critical Approaches 2.4 Methodology 2.5 Conclusion 32 32 32 54 67 75 PART 2 APPLICATION OF METHODOLOGY 77 CHAPTER 3 PSALM 68 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Review of Literature 3.3 Lexical Evidence 3.4 Contextual Evidence 3.5 Rhetorical Evidence 3.6 Conclusion 78 78 82 86 106 114 152 CHAPTER 4 PSALM 83 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Review of Literature 4.3 Lexical Evidence 4.4 Contextual Evidence 4.5 Rhetorical Evidence 4.6 Conclusion 154 154 154 157 163 170 197 CHAPTER 5 PSALM 106 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Review of Literature 5.3 Lexical Evidence 5.4 Contextual Evidence 5.5 Rhetorical Evidence 5.6 Conclusion 199 199 199 201 206 210 240 PART 3 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS 241 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Thesis 6.3 Implications 6.4 Conclusion 242 242 242 243 253 BIBLIOGRAPHY 255 VITA 280 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to a host of teachers, professors, colleagues, mentors, friends, and loved ones. I could not have conceived of a more godly, theologically rich committee. I am grateful to my doctoral father, Dr. Jason DeRouchie, for elevating this dissertation in every way. You have shown me how rigorous research can increase rather than detract from my delight in God. Words cannot express how much I have benefitted from your gravitas, wisdom, precision, and love for Scripture and its Christ. If I become a twentieth of the exegete, theologian, churchman, missionary, teacher, and writer that you are, I will count it a life well lived. I would like to thank my second reader, Dr. Camden Pulliam, for being the consummate encourager that every doctoral student wishes they had on their committee. You blessed me with your sharp insight and kind words throughout the process. I would like to thank my third reader, Dr. Paul House, for giving me the idea for this study (he may not even remember this!) and for investing consistently in my life for the last decade. I did not deserve the time, energy, and incisive feedback you gave at every stage of this project, but you gave sacrificially, nonetheless. I would like to thank my wife, Jackie (herself a Doctor of Physical Therapy; it only took me a decade to catch up!), whose loving esteem is my greatest earthly possession. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue this degree. You carried the parental load during these doctoral years, and I can never thank you enough. I would also like to thank my parents for nurturing me in the faith and modelling the pursuit of passionate vocation. I would like to thank those whose hopes, fears, pain, anger, rage, longing, joy, memory, and devotion provided the human impetus for the Psalter. God rescued my piety through this ancient collection. I would like to thank the Lord for giving us the Psalms, revealing his love in them, and allowing me these precious years engaging with them. Your love is better than life itself. RESEARCH METHOD This dissertation proposes a methodology consisting of two common allusion identification criteria (lexical and contextual analysis) and adds a version of rhetorical analysis. The added rhetorical steps allow the interpreter to isolate the contribution of the allusion to the text’s rhetorical goals. However, because some scholars label rhetorical criticism subjective, this dissertation appends two measures to this composite methodology. The results of the rhetorical analysis will be compared with the psalm’s (1) role in the final form of the Psalter and (2) use in the NT. The Psalter and NT provide a check-and-balance, external to the psalm, for apprehending the psalm’s rhetorical purpose. Insofar as the proposed allusion contributes to the psalm’s rhetorical purpose, rhetorical analysis strengthens both identification and analysis. ABSTRACT This study addresses two underdeveloped areas in OT scholarship: the use of Judges in Psalms and the use of rhetorical criticism in the analysis of inner-biblical allusion. The proposed inner-biblical allusion methodology employs two standard factors—lexical and contextual affinities—and adds specific rhetorical-analytical steps to analyzing allusions to Judges in Psalms. The study then applies the proposed methodology to the use of Judges 5 in Psalm 68, Judges 4–8 in Psalm 83, and Judges 2, 6–8 in Psalm 106 and notes overlap in the rhetorical goals of each of the three psalms.