January 28, 2013
Dr. David Bosworth Publishes "Weeping in the Psalms"
Dr. Bosworth has published "Weeping in the Psalms" in Vetus Testamentum 62 (2013) 36-46. The article correlates modern scientific study of weeping with its use in the Psalter. Research on weeping indicates that crying is a behavior motivated by the need for relationship and care-giving and that tears generate powerful reactions in people that witness them. In the Psalms, speakers draw on the powerful non-verbal eloquence of weeping by mentioning their tears in the contexts of their prayers in order to motivate God to help. This article describes how the motif of weeping functions in the Psalms and analyzes its distribution in the Psalter.