Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 3. Susan Gillingham

Psalms Through the Centuries, Volume 3 - Susan Gillingham


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omits such maternal implications. The ‘gates of Zion’ in verse 2 become ‘the gates of the houses of study that are fixed in Zion’, a particular reference to specific places for the study of the Law in the Diaspora. The end of verse 4 (‘This one was born there’) has a particular Davidic/Messianic reading in that Targum reads it as ‘this king was anointed there’.232 Verse 5 (‘This one and that one were born in it/her’) now reads ‘King David and Solomon his son were anointed there’.233 Later Jewish interpretation, represented by *Rashi, tends to look forward rather than back: making it clear that this is a promise that all exiles will be escorted home, Rashi argues that those coming to Zion from outside are only assimilated or converted Jews. This could be about proselytes, but it is not about the Gentiles.234

      FIGURE 5 Interpretation of singing of Psalm 87 in its earliest setting.

      Reproduced with the kind permission of David Mitchell, Director of Music in Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Brussels; website https://brightmorningstar.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Ps-087.pdf

      Of course, the alternative Jewish depiction in art is to read Zion literally, as the city of Jerusalem. Moshe *Berger’s image is of the ‘gates of Zion’ (verse 2) which are depicted abstractly, shining in blue and white with red, symbolising a portal to heaven through which the prayers of the people ascend to God and the blessing of God descend to the people.244

      The key theme in the reception of this psalm, shared by both traditions, is Zion, whether interpreted literally or allegorically. A key difference is how one reads the female imagery and the


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