“Dele vem minha esperança”: um estudo teológico bíblico do salmo 62 e uma aplicação no Pontificado do Papa Francisco

Abstract

This study sets out to translate and interpret Psalm 62, a text composed in Hebrew during the first millennium before Christ. In particular, it seeks a more accurate understanding of what the psalmist says in verse 6 of his poetic prayer: “O my soul, be only still with God, for my hope comes from him!” Above all, there is an interest in discovering the theological reflection that accompanies the word “hope”, a keyword for Judeo-Christian spirituality. After all, every human being needs hope. In other words, being hopeful is a constituent part of human existence. However, while the question of hope itself unites people, the answers do not. In this sense, it can be seen that hope is often cultivated by private interests and even aggression, which is not at all respectful of everyone’s dignified survival. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to establish a qualified dialog about who and/or what deserves to become the target of hopes to be cultivated by human beings. Psalm 62 makes one such proposal. Respecting the relative autonomy of this ancient poem, its artistic language and its literary-historical context, the following investigation therefore looks for the hope of the one who prays here. In fact, it is precisely prayer, the moment when human beings open themselves up to dialogue with God, that seems to be a privileged space for critically reviewing what is worthy of becoming hope