David as One of the 'Perfect of (the) Way': On the Provenience of David’s Compositions (and 11QPs a as a Whole?)

The present study takes another look at the debate surrounding the “sectarian” vs. “canonical” nature of 11QPs a ( 11Q5 ). It specifically investigates the question of possible sectarian terminology in David’s Compositions ( DavComp ), focusing particularly on the comment expressed there that David was “perfect in all his ways.” A comparison of this terminology with its pattern of use elsewhere in the Qumran literature suggests that it reflects a sectarian presentation of David and, thus, of DavComp as a whole. If correct, this would in turn have impact on the understanding of 11QPs a as a whole, given the importance usually ascribed to DavComp in the debate over the nature of 11QPs a .