Psalm 31 reads like two self-contained prayers (vv. 1–8 and 9–18), with additions of praise (vv. 19–22) and an exhortation (vv. 23–24). Its process of composition is difficult to determine. It could be an authored piece or an edited piece, where separate prayers and a subsequent thanksgiving were spliced together. These segments do complement one another somewhat, as noted below. Another factor, however, needs to be considered. The terms and phrases of the psalm are highly formulaic (i.e., consisting of stock phrases). And the imagery jumps from one sphere to another: refuge and asylum (vv. 1, 20), military conflict (vv. 2–3 and possibly v. 21), hunting (v. 4), economic recovery (“redeem” or “buy back,” v. 5), sickness (vv. 9–10), social alienation (vv. 11–13), and the underworld for the e…