PSALM 16 AS A POETIC-THEOLOGICAL TEXT: EXISTENTIAL AND COMMUNAL DIMENSIONS OF FAITH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31392/cult.alm.2025.4.47Keywords:
Psalm 16, biblical exegesis, existential hermeneutics, Trinitarian reading, symbolism, spiritual resilience, communal dimension of faithAbstract
The article presents an exegetical and hermeneutical analysis of Psalm 16 as a poetic-theological text of the Old Testament. The study addresses the need to interpret biblical poetry not only within a historical-philological framework but also in its existential and theological dimensions, considering contemporary anthropological challenges. The aim of the research is to determine how the poetic structure of Psalm 16 shapes a model of trust that integrates both personal and communal experiences of faith. The methodology combines historical-philological exegesis, analysis of the Psalm’s symbolic structures (“cup,” “portion,” “right hand,” “Sheol”), and elements of existential hermeneutics. A canonical approach is also employed to examine the development of Old Testament imagery within the New Testament perspective and early Christian reception. The study demonstrates that Psalm 16 constructs a theological model of existential belonging to God, within which the experience of mortality is transformed into confidence and trust. The symbolic imagery functions as a bearer of ontological orientation, uniting individual and communal dimensions of faith. Canonical interpretation further opens the possibility of a Trinitarian horizon in which belonging assumes the character of participation in the life of God. Thus, Psalm 16 emerges as a theologically coherent text that integrates poetic form, existential tension, and Trinitarian perspective, maintaining relevance for contemporary theological discourse.
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