Progeny and future generations in the Book of Psalms

Abstract

Psalms were written by individuals who had an acute sense of being the heirs of a long and rich tradition, bearers of a promise made to their forefathers. This means that they themselves were the future generation of all their ancestors, who often feature as an important familial entity. At the same time, the speakers of the psalms perceive themselves as the ancestors-to-be of the future generations that will issue from them. The Book of Psalms, therefore, presents an acute awareness of a heritage that others have handed down and that must be passed on to others along a chronological continuum. Indeed, this is one of the cornerstones of Jewish spirituality which places emphasis, not on one’s eventual destination from a Jenseits perspective, but a Diesseits orientation where a sense of tradition and continuity ensures the well-being of all Jewish generations. [excerpt]