02_Booij_351_351_374 30/10/15 13:01 Pagina 362 362 THIJS BOOIJ 362 Apparently in favour of Gunkel’s opinion is the fact that the passages in the first person singular have elements that are traditional in songs of the individual: the speaker is pictured as having been surrounded by enemies (vv. 10-12) 50; the enemies are referred to, once, in the singular (v. 13) 51; the righteous are said to rejoice in the speaker’s salvation (vv. 15-16) 52. The text in the singular, as a whole, is reminiscent of the individual’s thanksgiving song; the account of distress and deliverance, as found in vv. 5-18, is characteristic of that type of song 53. It is beyond doubt, moreover, that at the greatest of the annual festivals private persons used to honour YHWH for his help with songs of praise and offerings of well-being (cf. 1 Sam 1,3-5.21). From Psalm 107 it can be inferred that such acts might be introduced by expressions of communal praise. Precisely on this point, however, Gunkel’s view is unconvincing. In the situation underlying Psalm 107 there is a multitude of people who thank God for his help in distress. It is scarcely plausible that the cultic thanksgiving of a single ordinary Israelite would be introduced by the praise of the congregation or framed in an impressive liturgy such as that of our text. That the first person singular should refer to a king is implausible in view of the date of the psalm. Verses 10-14, mentioning hostility, struggle and triumph, may suggest a victorious commander as their speaker. It is doubtful, however, if victories gained in the battlefield were ever celebrated at Succoth. The idea of “chastising” in v. 18, moreover, cannot be easily incorporated within a commander’s victory song. Nor can this proposal be plausibly associated with Nehemiah. Confessing the guilt of the Israelites, Nehemiah, indeed, speaks of his own sins and those of his family (Neh 1,6-7). There is no indication, however, that he himself has been “severely chastised”. So the case of the psalm’s speaker is not likely to be that of Nehemiah. The remaining option is that the first person singular refers to the community here, which, in fact, suits the data mentioned at the beginning of this section. In Old Testament texts, as is well- known, singular forms may indeed refer to a social group or a 50 Cf. Pss 3,7; 17,9.11; 22,13.17; 109,3; 140,10. 51 Cf. Pss 17,12-13; 35,8; 55,14.21-22. 52 Cf. Pss 32,11; 35,27; 40,17; 64,11; 69,33. 53 See Pss 18,5-20.38-46; 30,2-4; 34,5.7; 40,2-4; 116,1-11; also Ps 66,16-20.