![]() ![]() 12 The enemies in Psalm 35 are not foreign enemies. Psalm 35 belongs to the group of the most troublesome parts of the Bible. 11 The structure is also complex and there is no unanimous agreement among scholars as to its division into the stanza. The text is corrupt in many places, the syntax and the metaphors portrayed are difficult to understand. This is a complex poem that begins with the images of war. Although the book of Psalms is one of the most loved and read books of the Bible, Psalm 35 is certainly not one of them because it contains words of hate instead of love. call Psalm 35 "Psalms of zeal." 9 Oduyoye includes this chapter as one of the "The Psalms of Satan." 10 The above titles by various commentators can be categorised into two: deliverance or assistance and crisis of enemies or persecution. While Kraus titles it "Plea for Yahweh's Assistance against False and Hostile Witnesses," Craigie gives it "A Royal Psalm for International Crisis." 2 While Weiser titles it, "Lament of one of the Quiet in the Land." 3 deClaisse-Walford, Jacobson, and Tanner title it "Fight for Me, Save me." 4 While Ross titles it "Hated Without a Cause." 5 Mays calls it "You Deliver the Weak." 6 Schaefer titles Psalm 35, "Do not let them Rejoice over Me." 7 According to Anderson, the title is "A Prayer for Deliverance." 8 Brueggemann and Bellinger Jr. Psalm 35 has been given different titles by different commentators. Keywords: Africa, Hermeneutics, Psalms, Old Testament, Incantation, Psalm 35. Psalm 35 is also read in order to motivate God to perform a miracle as he has done originally with the people of ancient Israel. Psalm 35 is, therefore, read, memorized, chanted, sung or inscribed in parchment to express the African faith, and their personal origin from God. Although there are similarities and differences between Psalm 35 and Yoruba ofo oro ogede, the similarities actually influence Yoruba Christians and non-Christians to use Psalm 35 like ofo or madarikan, orogede with a firm belief that it contains a more mysterious power from God than the Yoruba ofo, ogede and madarikan. The purpose of this article is to discuss how Psalm 35 is used in a Yoruba context to meet the peculiar need of Yoruba people against enemies. However, in a Yoruba context, Psalm 35 is one of the favourites because of its use for purposes of defence, victory, and protection. In the Western context, it is not one of the favourites of the Psalms. Psalm 35 appears to be one of the scariest Psalms because of the various expressions of hate and the Psalmist invoking wrath and death on his enemies. Reading Psalm 35 in Africa (Yoruba) Perspective
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