02_Booij_351_351_374 30/10/15 13:01 Pagina 353 353 PSALM 118 AND FORM CRITICISM 353 22,23.26-27) or eagerly looking forward to it (Pss 42,6.12; 43,3-5) 10. In Gunkel’s view, Psalm 23, a “psalm of confidence”, and Psalm 26, a “psalm of innocence”, both represent a secondary sub-genre; nevertheless each of them is clearly related to the cultic world (see Pss 23,6; 26,6-8.12). In my view, the original use of psalms was somewhat different from what Gunkel supposes it to have been. On good grounds the Psalter may be said to have had special affinity with the cult. In about sixty of its texts, in one way or another, Jerusalem, the temple, or the temple servants are mentioned. Psalms of a different nature and from different times call up a world in which the blessing of YHWH’s presence is specifically linked with the temple or Zion 11. A considerable number of psalms voices the thoughts and feelings of the religious community or calls the community to praise YHWH. In addition, several psalms refer to cultic acts or are themselves clearly liturgical texts 12. These facts, taken together, justify the assumption that the Psalter represents, basically, official cultic religion. In Israel’s cult-oriented religious world, texts of the Psalter may have had different functions. Collective songs of praise and prayer will generally have been composed for the temple liturgy. Individual songs of prayer may have been sung in the sanctuary by, or on behalf of, people in distress such as those persecuted on account of some alleged offence; perhaps some of these songs were spoken in the house of an invalid on whose behalf a sacrifice was being offered in the temple (cf. Sir 38,11). Individual songs of thanksgiving are likely to have been sung “in the great congregation” (Ps 22,26). “Songs of Ascents” were sung in festal processions 13. I think members of the cultic personnel, especially those charged with the temple music, were involved in the composition of psalms. Anyway, songs such as those mentioned 10 See also Pss 35,18.21.25 (cultic act, quotations); 109,6-19.30 (quotation, cultic act); 116,12-14.17-19 (question, cultic act). Cf. Th. BOOIJ, “Psalm 109:6-19 as a Quotation”, Give ear to my words. Essays in honour of Profes- sor N.A. van Uchelen (ed. J. DYK) (Amsterdam 1996) 91-106. 11 See esp. Pss 23,6; 27,4-5; 36,9; 42,2-3; 46,5-6; 48,4; 52,10; 61,5; 65,5; 76,3-4; 84,2-5.11; 92,13-16; 132,13-18; 133,3. 12 In addition to texts mentioned elsewhere in this paper, see Pss 5,8; 20; 24; 47; 95,2.6; 99,5.9; 100,2.4; 132,7; 135,1-2; 134–136; 138,1-2. 13 See Th. BOOIJ, “Psalms 120–136: Songs for a Great Festival”, Bib 91 (2010) 241-255.