Constructing and deconstructing power in Psalms 107-150

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The psalms in book 5 of the Psalter construct a subtle anti-imperial ideology in response to threats posed to Israel from empires both past and present. The ideology of power articulated in selected psalms in book 5 stands in stark contrast to the ideology promulgated in particular by the Persian Empire. Throughout book 5 the psalmists employ various images and metaphors in an effort to deconstruct the power associated with nations and empires. In addition to deconstructing the power of nations and empires, these psalms also seek to construct a particular identity for the people of God, one that stresses the powerlessness of human strength in the face of empire. In light of such powerlessness, the psalmists point to the Divine King, "the maker of heaven and earth", as the source of hope for the "poor servants of Yahweh". (back cover).