Intro to Psalms

Rev. Troy Dennis

Overview

The biblical book of Psalms is a collection of 150 prayers, poems, and songs which span the time period from Moses to the Exile. We might think of it as the hymn book of ancient Israel since many of the individual psalms were used in worship. Through them, their authors expressed deep feelings to God of worship, gratitude, and even anger. For worshippers today they are still inspiring and remind us of God’s strength and love.

Book Divisions

The first thing we notice is that the Psalms are divided into sections. Hebrew manuscripts sort the Psalms into five books: chapters 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150. There appears to be no logical order to the collections.

Authorship

Six authors are named. David is listed with 73 psalms. Asaph, a Levite whose family was responsible for the prophetic and music ministry of the temple (1 Chronicles 25) is listed with twelve psalms (50, 73-83). The “Sons of Korah” are associated with Psalms 42, 44-49, and 84-88. Solomon is credited with Psalms 72 and 127. Ethan the Ezrahite, a wise man against whom Solomon is compared in 1 Kings 4:31, is listed with Psalm 89. Moses’ name is associated with Psalm 90. The remainder are anonymous. We should note that the Hebrew word translated “by” may also mean “to” or “of.” For instance, “by David,” may mean that some were written by him while some others were simply dedicated to him or played in his style.

Hebrew Poetry in the Psalms

When reading the Psalms, we must remember that they were originally written as poetry. Modern translations indicate this by indenting lines of text to reflect the levels of poetry. An indented line means that it goes with the one above it.

The basic form of Hebrew poetry is the doublet, or two lines written together. The first line establishes a basic thought. The second line fills it out. The overall meaning is not to be found as much in individual words as it is in the picture created as we take the two lines together.

The second line of the doublet will either confirm the first line, add to it, or contradict it. If it says the same thing using different words, we call it a synonymous parallel.  We see an example of this in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked/ or stand in the way of sinners...”

When the second line of the doublet adds to the first by expanding and building upon it, we call this a synthetic parallel. The key to understanding this is to remember that “synthesis” means “made up of different parts.” We see an example in 1:3, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water / which yields it fruit in season...” By adding fruit to the branches of the tree we see that righteousness produces fruit of godliness.

Finally, when the second line of the doublet says the opposite of the first, this is called an “antithetic” parallel. Psalm 23 contains the most famous antithetic parallels in scripture: “The Lord is my shepherd / I shall not be in want.” (23:1) The psalmist could have said he has plenty, but by contrasting the ideas he draws special attention to God as provider. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I will fear no evil for you are with me...” (23:4) Here the idea of fear is set against God’s presence and protection.

Once we understand these three types of parallels, we are well-equipped to understand not only Psalms, but also Old Testament books like Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and almost all of the prophets.

A different form of poetry, an acrostic, is found in Psalm 119.  It has 21 stanzas, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In each stanza, every line begins with the corresponding letter. It truly is an impressive work in any language.

The Prefaces

Some psalms help us by adding a preface. Some are historical. In Psalm 51 we know David was truly sorry after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Other historical notes tell us that David wrote while being pursued by Saul (Ps 18, 52, 54, 57, 59), and after fleeing from Absolom (Ps 3). Whenever I see such notes, I make a point of reading the events before I come back to the psalm so I may better understand what the psalmist was feeling. Some prefaces provide suggestions for use in worship at the temple (Ps 30), weddings (Ps 45), or for healing (Ps 45). Finally, some psalms include instructions which we no longer understand, presumably for instrumentation or for the appropriate tune (Ps 9).

Strong Feelings

The psalmists express many feelings such as joy, wonder, praise, and gratitude, but there are also some raw emotions, like hatred: “Break the teeth of the wicked.” (Ps 3:7)  The psalmists are not afraid to question God, either. Jesus quoted Psalm 22 from the cross: “My God, my God - why have you forsaken me?” One of the truths the Psalms teach us is that we can express such powerful feelings to God. In every case where we find these strong emotions, the psalmist finds comfort and grace from God. “From the Lord comes deliverance / May your blessing be on your people.” (Ps 3:8)

Hymn Book of the Ages

While the Psalms may have been the hymn book for ancient Israel, God still speaks through them in our private and corporate worship. We find them to be a source of great strength in visitation, in our worship services, and devotional exercises. Indeed, it is the hymn book of the ages and we continue to worship as we read its pages.

Copyright Troy Dennis 2007. Rev. Troy Dennis is a pastor and writer. His weekly letter on faith and character can be found at www.onfireletter.com.