02_Booij_351_351_374 20/11/15 12:44 Pagina 369 369 PSALM 118 AND FORM CRITICISM 369 they are situated quite generally in a festal liturgy of thanksgiving or votive offerings 77. Actually these psalms, or most of them, appear to be related to the feast of Succoth 78; that festival is also the background of Isaiah 12; 25,1-5. The relation of Psalm 118 to the autumnal festival has been discussed. In Psalm 66 payment of vows is announced after it was mentioned that the people have been “brought out to saturation”. The psalm would have suited Succoth after a year of great blessing. Psalm 67, as we saw, is related to Succoth by the notion of divine judgment. In Psalm 107, the manifold thanksgivings to which people are called fit in with this festival as conclusion and highlight of the cultic year. During the “festival of YHWH”, in my view, Psalms 124 and 129 were sung in processions to the sanctuary 79. Isa 12,3, interrupting the escha- tological praise, seems to hint at another ritual of this festival, namely the daily libation of water from Shiloah on the altar 80. The song of praise in Isaiah 25 comes after the announcement of the eschatological kingship of YHWH in Isa 24,23; the idea of YHWH’s kingship, as noted, was related to Succoth. Psalms 65 and 98 need some special attention. In Psalm 65, verse 14 pictures the pastures clothed with flocks and the valleys decked with grain (see also v. 10b); therefore the psalm has been related to springtime and Pesach 81. Verses 10-11, however, speaking of showers from the heavenly channel, make one think of the winter season. In fact, verses 10-14 do not clearly reflect an actually existing state of affairs. They picture, rather, a wonderful “year of YHWH’s bounty” Psalms 51–100 (WBC 20; Dallas, TX 1990) 139, 155; EATON, Psalms, 239, 240, 245. Cf., however, JOÜON – MURAOKA, Grammar, § 123r, and Hos 10,4; Ps 17,5. 77 See H. SCHMIDT, Die Psalmen (HAT I/15; Tübingen 1934) 121, 123, 124, 125, 197, 212; TATE, Psalms 51–100, 147 (on Ps 66); K. SEYBOLD, Die Psalmen (HAT I/15; Tübingen 1996) 253, 256, 259, 427-428, 459. 78 Thus OESTERLEY, Psalms, 317, 452, 479, on resp. Psalms 67; 107; 118; EATON, Psalms, 239 (on Psalm 65). GUNKEL, Einleitung, 64, 315-316, took the view that collective songs of thanksgiving were occasioned by deliverance from temporary distresses, such as the threat of crop failure or defeat. Special days of thanksgiving are supposed to be their setting in life. 79 See BOOIJ, “Psalms 120–136”, 242-243, 245-248. 80 See m. Sukkah 4:9. 81 See e.g. KIRKPATRICK, Psalms, 360; GUNKEL, Psalmen, 274; SCHMIDT, Psalmen, 123.