the author simply as “the psalmist,” rather than presuming the historical accuracy of the superscriptions. As expressions of the heart in worship, the psalms are written in poetry, because poetry is better suited to accomplish their purpose than is prose. Craigie (1983: 36) distinguishes between these two modes of literature: “Whereas the language of prose is utilized primarily toward direct communication, poetic language is characterized by a more transcendent quality. There are aspects of