Psalms Ethic

When you read through the book of Psalms, you get a sense that everything will be made right by God and his vengeance. The ethical stance that seems to lie behind the Psalms is one fueled by vengeance, praise, and repentance. That is, if you are clean and virtuous you will be rewarded. If you sin but truly repent you will be rewarded. If you praise God he'll be happy to wreak vengeance upon those who have wronged you in some way and more likely to reward you. Psalm 20 shows this idea of reciprocation: "May He recall all your grain-offerings, and your burnt-offerings may He relish. / May He grant you what your heart would want, and all your counsels may He fulfill." The first verse quoted here is a reminder to God of all that the speaker has done for God to deserve good treatment and help. This sort of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" philosophy is quite different from what comes to mind when we think of a Christian or Jewish ethic.

The typical Jewish ethic that comes to mind is one much concerned with rules and guilt, at least to some extent. There are rules for what to say, do, eat, wear, and so on, which don't seem to be reflected in Psalms, although they may make an appearance in other parts of Jewish holy texts. The guilt for past wrongdoings is evident here, however. There are many passages, for instance in Psalm 32, that reflect this idea of repentance and guilt: "My offense I made known to You and my crime I did not cover. / I said, 'I shall confess my sins to the LORD,' and You forgave my offending crime." The speaker is concerned with the confession and open acknowledgment of sins and with God's forgiveness. This seems to be pretty much in line with what I think of as a Jewish ethic.

The Christian ethic, however, is a little farther from this sometimes violent, vengeful Psalms ethic. Christian ideas are mainly about love and turning the other cheek; it is a very peaceful way in which Christians are supposed to live. There is a strong emphasis placed on forgiveness and repentance for sins, and God is thought to favor his people for no reason other than His love for them: there is no required sacrifice or requisite praise or anything. All this is very different from the Psalms ethic of reciprocation and vengeance. Much of this love philosophy comes from other parts of Christian scriptures, most notably the New Testament, which could explain the disparity. All the same, it is a little strange that Christian ethics should be so different from that expressed in part of their holy texts.