The 'Uncertainty of a Hearing'

An interesting feature in the lament psalms is the sudden change of mood. Unfortunately, as the term that has come to be associated with the subject indicates - 'Certainty of a Hearing' - the change of mood is understood only in terms of a movement from lament to praise. This has led to a redefinition of lament in terms of petition and an overemphasis on praise. The present book seeks to redress this one-sided emphasis by drawing attention to the other movements in the Psalter - the reverse movement from praise to lament, return to lament after praise and the alternation between the two. We do not only have a 'Certainty of a Hearing'; we also have an 'Uncertainty of a Hearing'.