A Doe’s Call Grows into Lament: The Comparison with the Doe in Psalm 42:1 and its Meaning for the Description of the Næpæš

Abstract

This paper questions the conventional interpretation of the doe-comparison in Ps 42:1 based on linguistic indications and a biological phenomenon. When the verb ערג is considered as a form of crying out and not of longing, it can be recognised that the næpæš is not only trying to reach God but is also constructively influencing the praying person towards this goal. This leads to a new perspective on the self-perception of the praying person and the role of the næpæš throughout the prayer. After initially rejecting the needs of the næpæš, in the last stanza, the praying person is finally transforming the performative screaming into formulated prayer: lament, petition, and praise. By turning to lament they are taking up the doe’s call and vindicating the næpæš’s intentions as essential and justified expressions of the self.