02_VanWieringen_179_197 15/07/14 12:15 Pagina 181 PSALM 65 181 In verse 5, this movement is continued. After having introduced God, to whom the prayer is directed, and his location in Zion, as well as the praying men and, subsequently, the psalmist himself by using the grammatical “I”-form, God’s location becomes accessible to everyone. In this way, verse 5 forms an inclusion with verses 2- 3, framing verse 4. Just as the text develops from the universal in- dication of “all flesh” in verses 2-3 into the concrete “we” of the community in verse 4, the general “he” in verse 5a-b develops into the concrete “we” of the community in verse 5c-d. Whereas in verses 2-3 the movement is made, twice, from a general everyone ― “all flesh” (v. 3b) and “he whom you choose” (v. 5a) ― to the communal “we”, in verses 6-9 the reverse move- ment is made. In verses 6-7 this movement is expressed in the route from “our deliverance” (v. 6b) to “all ends of the earth” (v. 6c) and to “the sea of the remote ones” (v. 6d). The extremities of the mainland, surrounded by seas, are the most remote parts of the earth. Even there the liberating power of this God in Zion is noticeable. Even there one can rely on being answered, on forgiveness and being cho- sen and on the development of the community of the faithful. Verses 8-9 concretize this movement. Firstly, the mountains have been fixed. The mountains are the pillars of the earth: the earth will not collapse. God guarantees the foundation and the continuity of the world men live on. Furthermore, God calms the bristling na- tions, just as a wild sea is calmed down. This implies that not only the mainland resting on the pillars of the earth is safe, but also the land of Israel. Just as firmly as the earth is established, just as safe is the Land (Israel) from all the bristling nations 5. Just as the psalmist mentions all people twice in verses 3b and 5a, so he mentions the extremities twice in verses 6c-d and 9. At “the extremities of the morning” and “the extremities of the evening” (v. 9), i.e. the eastern edge and the western edge of the earth, God’s power and might are present as well. By using this repetition, the psalmist emphasises that even the extremities know God and are filled with awe, because of which they are full of joy. 5 Cf. O. KEEL, Die Welt der altorientalischen Bildsymbolik und das Alte Testament. Am Beispiel der Psalmen (Zürich 1972) 154, who points out the difference between the threat of chaos for the entire world and the threat of the nations for Zion.