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Introduction
to the
Book
of
Psalms
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Introduction
to the
Book
Psalms
I. Psalms, containing 150 chapters, is the longest book in the Bible and
the one by far which has the most chapters.
A. Smith wrote that, “. . . although a variety of hymns from Egypt
and Mesopotamia have been preserved, no comparable collection
of songs from biblical times has come to light.”
B. “The Book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, poems, and
hymns that focus the worshipper’s thoughts on God in praise and
adoration.” (Youngblood, Bruce and Harrison)
II. Designation of Psalms (according to Tesh and Zorn):
A. Sepher Tehillim, “The Book of Praises.”
1. Psalm 40:3, And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and
shall trust in the Lord.
2. “The Hebrew term translated ‘hymn of praise’ appears
some twenty-eight times in the Psalms.”
3. Smith wrote, “In Jewish literature the universally accepted
Hebrew name for this book is Sepher Tehillim, “Book of
Praises.”
B. Tephilloth, “Prayers.”
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1. Psalm 72:20, The prayers of David the son of Jesse are
ended.
C. The Psalter, “Song for Musical Accompaniment.”
1. Psalm- 33:1-3, Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for
praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp:
sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten
strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud
noise.
2. The word psaltery comes from the Greek psaterion.
3. This book is also traditionally called Psalter derived from
the Greek word Psalteriou found in the 5th century Codex
Alexandrinus. Smith wrote that the word Psalter refers to “a
stringed instrument which was normally used in psalm
accompaniment.”
D. Psalmoi, “Psalms.”
1. Luke 24:44, And he said unto them, These are the words
which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all
things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets and in the psalms concerning me.
2. Acts 1:20, For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his
habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein; and his
bishoprick let another take.
3. This Greek translation of the Hebrew appears in the titles
of fifty-seven of the psalms.
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4. The New Testament refers to this book, as just noted, as
Psalms.
E. Shir, “Song.”
1. This “term is used to identify twenty-nine psalms.”
2. “The Psalms were written to be sung.”
3. George A. F. Knight wrote, “The word psalm in the
original Hebrew just means song.”
III. Smith wrote that psalms were prevalent in Old Testament worship;
for example,
A. Lamech.
1. Genesis 4:23, 24, And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an
instructer of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of
Tubalcain was Naamah. And Lamech said unto his wives,
Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech,
hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my
wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
B. Moses and Miriam.
1. Exodus 15:18-21, The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with
his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the
waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went
on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the
prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand;
and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with
dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for
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he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he
thrown into the sea.
C. Deborah.
1. Judges 5:1-31, Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of
Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the
avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered
themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even
I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God
of Israel. Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou
marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and
the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The
mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from
before the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the
Son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were
unoccupied, and the travellers walked through byways. The
inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until
that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. They
chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield
or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is
toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves
willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord. Speak, ye
that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by
the way. They that are delivered from the noise of archers in
the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the
righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the
inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of
the Lord go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah:
awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy
captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. Then he made him
that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the
people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty.
Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek;
after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came
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down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen
of the writer. And the princes of Issachar were with
Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot
into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great
thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds,
to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of
Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Gilead abode
beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher
continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives
unto the death in the high places of the field. The kings came
and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by
the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. They
fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against
Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient
river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down
strength. Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of
the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones. Curse ye
Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the
inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the
Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Blessed
above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be,
blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked
water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a
lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand
to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote
Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and
stricken through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell,
he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed,
there he fell down dead. The mother of Sisera looked out at a
window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so
long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Her
wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every
man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a
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prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of
needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that
take the spoil? So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but
let them that love him be as the sun when he goest forth in
his might. And the land had rest forty years.
D. Saul and Jonathan.
1. 2 Samuel 1:19-27, The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy
high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath,
publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of
the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised
triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew,
neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for
there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield
of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. From
the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of
Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not
empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their
lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were
swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye
daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in
scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold
upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of
the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I
am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant
has thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen, and
the weapons of war perished!
E. Isaiah.
1. 2 Kings 19:21-28, This is the word that the Lord hath
spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath
despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of
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Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom has thou
reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou
exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? even
against the Holy One of Israel. By thy messengers thou hast
reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my
chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the
sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees
thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into
the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.
I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of
my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places. Hast
thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient
times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass,
that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous
heaps. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they
were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the
field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the house tops,
and as corn blasted before it be grown up. But I know thy
abode and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage
against me. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is
come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy
nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by
the way by which thou camest.
IV. Smith observed that singers, guilds were associated with temple
worship.
A. 1 Chronicles 6:31, 32, 39, And these are they whom David set
over the service of song in the house of the Lord after that the ark
had rest. And they ministered before the dwelling place of the
tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had
built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem: and then they waited on
their office according to their order. And his brother Asaph, who
stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son
of Shimea,
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B. 1 Chronicles 15:16, And David spake to the chief of the
Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments
of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting
up the voice with joy.
C. Ezra 2:65, 70, Beside their servants and their maids, of whom
they were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there
were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities,
and all Israel in their cities.
D. Isaiah 5:1-7, Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my
beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in
a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones
thereof and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in
the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and he looked
that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I
pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been
done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore,
when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth
wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my
vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten
up; and breakdown the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there
shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and
he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness,
but behold a cry.
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V. As to authorship of the Book of Psalms Smith wrote, “. . . at least
seven individuals wrote psalms which have been included in this biblical
book.”
A. Seventy-three psalms are attributed to David.
1. David, even “in his youth, was a skillful player on the
harp.” “He invented certain musical instruments,” Smith
wrote. (Smith)
a. 1 Samuel 16:16, Let our lord now command thy
servants, which are before thee to seek out a man who
is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to
pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he
shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
b. Amos 6:5, That chant to the sound of the viol, and
invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;
2. Coffman noted that, since most psalms were written by
David, most psalms were written by David, most psalms
were written before 970 B.C. although some were written at a
later date.
3. Youngblood observed that the introductory heading, “A
Psalm of David”, could be rendered, “A Psalm (written) to or
for David.”
4. Youngblood observed that some of David’s psalms arose
from specific experiences of his life; for example,
a. Psalm 3, A psalm of David. Where he fled from his
son Absalom.
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b. Psalm 51, A psalm of David. When the prophet
Nathan came to him after David had committed
adultery with Bathsheba.
c. Psalm 54, A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had
gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
d. Psalm 57, When the Philistines had seized David in
Gath.
e. Psalm 56, of David. When he had fled from Saul
into the cave.
f. Psalm 59, of David. When Saul had sent men to
watch David’s house in order to kill him.
5. Youngblood concluded that there is no compelling reason
to question David’s authorship of most or all the psalms that
bear his name.
a. Compare Psalm 18 with 2 Samuel 22.
i. Psalm 18:1-50, I will love thee, O Lord, my
strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress,
and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom
I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the
Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be
saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death
compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men
made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed
me about: the snares of death prevented me. In
my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto
my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and
my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then
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the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also
of the hills moved and were shaken, because he
was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his
nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals
were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also,
and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he
did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made
darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about
him were dark waters and thick clouds of the
skies. At the brightness that was before him his
thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the
Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of
fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered
them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited
them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and
the foundations of the world were discovered at
thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of
thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he
drew me out of many waters. He delivered me
from my strong enemy, and from them which
hated me: for they were too strong for me. They
prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the
Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into
a large place; he delivered me, because he
delighted in me.
The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness; according to the
cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not
wickedly departed from my God. For all his
judgments were before me, and I did not put away
his statutes from me. I was also upright before
him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me
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according to my righteousness, according to the
cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the
merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an
upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With
the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the
froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. For thou
wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down
high looks. For thou wilt light my candle: the
Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by
thee I have run through a troop; and by my God
have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is
perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a
buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is
God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our
God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and
maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like
hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of
steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also give
me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand
hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made
me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,
that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine
enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn
again till they were consumed. I have wounded
them that they were not able to rise: they are
fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me
with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued
under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast
also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I
might destroy them that hate me. They cried, but
there was none to save them: even unto the Lord,
but he answered them not. Then did I beat them
small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them
out as the dirt in the streets. Thou hast delivered
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me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast
made me the head of the heathen: a people whom
I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they
hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall
submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall
fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let
the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that
avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou
leftest me up above those that rise up against me:
thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord,
among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy
name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king;
and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and
to his seed for evermore.
ii. 2 Samuel 22:1-14, And David spake unto the
Lord the words of this song in the day that the
Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his
enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he
said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and
my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I
trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my
salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my
saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call
on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall
I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves
of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly
men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell
compassed me about; the snares of death
prevented me; In my distress I called upon the
Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my
voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into
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his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the
foundations of heaven moved and shook, because
he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his
nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals
were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also,
and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he
was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he
made darkness pavilions round about him, dark
waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Through the
brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most
High uttered his voice.
iii. Heading of Psalm 18, To the chief Musician,
A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who
spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the
day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of
all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul:
B. ten to the sons of Korah,
C. twelve to Asaph,
D. two to Solomon, and . . .
1. Solomon is said to have written 1,005 songs. (Smith.)
E. one each to Ethan, Heman and Moses. (Psalm 90 is attributed to
Moses.)
1. Korah, Asaph, Heman and Ethan were Levites who led the
musical worship service in the days of David and Solomon.”
(Smith.)
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VI. Smith wrote “. . . no Jewish or Christian authority ever questioned
the canonical status of this body of material.” “. . . these individual
psalms were clearly inspired by God’s spirit.” (Youngblood)
A. Coffman noted that “there has never been any serious question
of the right of the Book of Psalms to its place in the sacred
Canon.”
VII. The Psalms can be categorized according to arrangement and type.
A. Books:
1. Book I, Psalms 1-41
2. Book II, Psalms 42-72
3. Book III, Psalms 73-89
4. Book IV, Psalms 90-106
5. Book V, Psalms 107-150 (NIV)
B. Authors:
1. David
a. 2 Samuel 23:1, Now these be the last words of
David, David the son of Jesse said, and the man who
was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of
Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2. Sons of Korah (42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, 88)
3. Asaph (50, 73-83)
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4. Solomon (72, 127)
5. Ethan, the Ezrahite (89)
6. Heman, the Ezrahite, a son of Korah, 88
7. Moses (90)
8. Uncertain authors, anonymous
Note: The writing of the Psalms occurred over many centuries from
Moses (90) to the Babylonian captivity (137) (Youngblood).
C. Duplications:
1. Psalm 53, Psalm 14
2. Psalm 70, Psalm 40:13-17
3. Psalm 108, Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12 (Smith)
D. Predictive Psalms including 2, 16, 22, 45 and 110 speak to the
life of Christ. (Smith)
E. Praise or hallelujah Psalms including 8, 11, 47, 96-99, 100, 106,
112, 113, 135, 146-150. (Smith and Coffman)
F. Petition, prayer or supplication psalms including 6, 39, 86.
(Smith)
G. Penitential Psalms including 6, 32 38, 51, 102, 130, 143.
(Smith and Coffman)
H. Perceptive, didactic, wisdom Psalms such as 1, 19, 119.
(Smith)
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I. Profession or confession Psalms including 33, 103, 107. (Smith)
J. Patriotic or historic Psalms including 78, 105, 106. (Smith)
K. Pilgrimage Psalms, Psalms of degrees including 120-134.
(Smith and Coffman)
L. Imprecatory Psalms in which the writer calls for “God to pour
out his wrath upon enemies” including 35, 69 and 109. (Smith)
1. The Psalms are a description of our human response to
God. (Youngblood)
2. Some Psalms appear to be outcries against God and the
circumstances of life. (Youngblood)
M. Messianic prophetic Psalms including 2, 5, 8, 14, 16, 22, 24,
28, 35, 40, 45, 47, 55, 58, 68, 69, 72, 78, 83, 89, 102, 109, 110,
118, 132. (Smith and Coffman)
1. Coffman observed that “There are no less than seventyfive direct quotations taken from forty-nine Psalms” which
refer to Christ.
2. Many Psalms have much to say about the person and work
of Christ; for example, . . .
a. Psalm 22:1, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and
from the words of my roaring? Matthew 27:46, And
about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voce,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mark
15:34, And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
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voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is,
being interpreted, My God my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?
b. Psalm 110:4, The Lord hath sworn, and will not
repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:6, As he saith also in another
place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec.
c. Psalm 109:4, For my love they are my adversaries:
but I give myself unto prayer. Luke 23:34, Then said
Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots,
d. Psalm 45:6, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Hebrews
1:8, But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is
for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the
sceptre of thy kingdom.
N. Acrostics, alphabetical Psalms including 9, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112,
119, 145. (Coffman)
O. Youngblood categorized the Psalms into the following groups:
1. Praise Hymns and Liturgies
2. Individual and Communal Laments
3. Songs of Individual Thanksgiving
4. Royal Psalms
5. Psalms of Trust and Wisdom
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VIII. Smith further wrote:
A. “The central figure in the Psalms is God who is referred to 344
times as Elohim, 676 times as Yahweh and 53 times as Adonay.
B. Many of the Psalms focus on Mount Zion, the center of the
worship of Yahweh.
C. The immediate purpose of the Book of Psalms was to provide
for ancient worshippers a service hymnal which was the medium
of prayer and praise for the Old Testament saints.
D. By one count, there are 283 direct quotes from the Old
Testament in the New Testament. Of these over 40% are from
Psalms.”
IX. Coffman observed that superscriptions to the Psalms, possibly dating
and attributable to Ezra, are of five types; viz.,
A. author,
B. musical directions,
C. historical data,
D. purpose of the psalm,
E. liturgical instructions.
X. Fully one-third of the Old Testament is poetic in form. (Tesh and
Zorn) Hebrew poetic form includes, according to Tesh and Zorn, the
following:
A. Rhythm:
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1. Deuteronomy 32:1, Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will
speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
2. While “there is virtually no rhyming of words in Hebrew
verse and no precise meter, there is a certain rhythm of
stressed syllables delineating the thought pattern.”
B. Parallelism:
1. Psalm 34:1, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise
shall continually be in my mouth.
2. Psalm 1:6, For the Lord knowth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
3. “The second line of the verse corresponds in some way
with the first.”
4. Youngblood wrote that “The Book of Psalms is the best
example in the Bible of the nature of Hebrew poetry. The
principle upon which this poetry is based is not rhythm or
rhyme but parallelism. In parallelism, one phrase is followed
by another that says the same thing but in a more creative,
expressive way.” Examples follow.
5. Often paired statements mean the same thing, sometimes
one being the inverse of the other.
a. Psalm 46:11, The Lord of hosts is with us; the God
of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
b. Psalm 1:6, For the Lord knoweth the way of the
righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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c. Psalm 93:3, The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the
floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their
waves.
d. Psalm 136:1, O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is
good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
e. Psalm 103:10, He hath not deal with us after our
sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
f. Psalm 61:5, For thou, O God, hast heard my vows:
thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy
name.
g. Psalm 93:5, Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness
becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.
h. Psalm 111:10, The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do
his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
i. Psalm 136:26, O give thanks unto the God of heaven:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
C. Strophe or stanza:
1. A strophe in ancient Greek drama is part of an ode sung by
the chorus as it danced in one direction.
2. “Part of a poem consisting of an organized group of lines.”
D. Allegory:
1. Psalm 80:8, Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou
hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
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2. Isaiah 54:1-7, Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear;
break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not
travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate
than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge
the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of
thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and
strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right
hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles,
and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for
thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for
thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the
shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of
thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband;
the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy
One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and
grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth when thou wast refused,
saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but
with great mercies will I gather thee.
3. “A figurative treatment of one subject under the image of
another.”
E. Metaphor:
1. Psalm 31:3, For thou art my rock and my fortress;
therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
2. A metaphor is “A comparison not to be taken literally but
made to suggest a resemblance.”
F. Simile.
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1. Psalm 92:12, The righteous shall flourish like the palm
tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
2. A simile is “The expressing of a resemblance, usually with
the use of the words like or as.”
G. Metonymy:
1. Psalm 23:5, Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
2. Metonymy is “The use of one word when another with
which it is associated is really meant.”
H. Hyperbole:
1. Psalm 119:136, Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,
because they keep not thy law.
2. A hyperbole is “An obvious exaggeration for emphasis.”
I. Synecdoche:
1. Psalm 52:4, Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou
deceitful tongue.
2. A synecdoche is “A literary technique in which a part is
put for a whole or the whole for a part.”
J. Apostrophe:
1. Psalm 114:7, Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the
Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
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2. An apostrophe is “Addressing people not present,
inanimate objects or imaginary persons.”
K. Personification:
1. Psalm 96:12, Let the field by joyful, and all that is therein:
then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice . . .
2. Personification is “Attributing characteristics of persons to
inanimate objects.”
L. Irony:
1. Psalms 115:4, 5, Their idols are silver and gold, the work
of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes
have they, but they see not:
2. Psalm 49:11, Their inward thought is, that their houses
shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all
generations; they call their lands after their own names.
3. Irony is “A literary form in which the actuality is the
opposite of what is expected.”
M. Anaphora:
1. Psalm 118:10, 11, All nations compassed me about: but in
the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed
me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of
the Lord I will destroy them.
2. An anaphora is “Repetition for emphasis or for dramatic
effect.”
N. Litotes:
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1. Psalm 51:17, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a
broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
2. A litote is “An understatement to increase the effect, or an
emphasis of an idea by denying its opposite.”
O. Assonance:
1. Psalm 113:8, That he may set him with princes, even with
the princes of his people.
2. Assonance is “A correspondence in the sound of words in
terms of their vowels and used in repetition or dominance of
a single vowel sound.”
P. Alliteration:
1. Psalm 122:6, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall
prosper that love thee.
2. Alliteration is “The repetition of letters or syllables
heaving similar sounds.”
Q. Acrostic:
1. Psalm 34:1-22, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise
shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her
boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name
together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered
me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were
lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man
cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his
troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them
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that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the
Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear
the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear
him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they
that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Come, ye
children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the
Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many
days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and
thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the
righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of
the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the
remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and
the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions
of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil
shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be
desolate. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and
none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
2. Psalm 119:1-176.
3. “A group of verses each beginning with a successive letter
of the alphabet.”
4. Youngblood further wrote, “Another literary device the
Hebrew writers used to give their psalms a peculiar style and
rhythm was the alphabetical acrostic.
a. For example, Psalm 119 contains 22 different
sections of 8 verses each. Each section is headed by a
different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
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b. In the original language, each verse in these major
divisions of the psalm begins with the Hebrew letter
that appears as the heading for that section.”
5. Smith observed that some psalms are arranged in A-B-CB-A in which the central thought is found in the middle with
synonymous parallel statements arranged before and after the
mid-point as represented above by A and B.
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References
Coffman, James Burton, Psalms, Volumes 1 and 2, Abilene Christian
University Press, Abilene, Texas, 1992.
Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version, National Publishing
Company, The Gideons International, Nashville, 1979.
Holy Bible, New International Version, Zondervan, Grand Rapids,
Michigan 19530.
Knight, George A.F., The daily Bible Study Series, Psalms, Volume 1,
The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1982.
Smith, James E., The Wisdom Literature and Psalms, College Press
Publishing Company, Joplin, Missouri, 1996.
Tesh, S. Edward and Zorn, Walter D., Psalms, Volume 1, The College
Press NIV Commentary, College Press Publishing Company, Joplin,
Missouri, 1999.
Youngblood, Ronald F., Bruce, F.F., and Harrison, R. K., Nelson’s New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville,
1995.
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Questions
Introduction to the Book of Psalms
1. What distinguishes the Psalms from other biblical books? _________
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2. By what designations are the Psalms known? Define these designations. _____________________________________________________
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3. Identify at least five psalms outside the book of psalms and specify
the occasions and purposes of each. ____________________________
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4. Who wrote the book of Psalms? Who were these people? _________
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5. How difficult was it to determine that the book of Psalms is inspired
and is entitled to its biblical placement? Explain your answer. _______
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6. How can the Psalms be categorized, arranged and typed? Give a
thorough answer. ___________________________________________
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7. Explain Jewish poetic form. _________________________________
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8. What is parallelism? Give examples. _________________________
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9. Define and give examples of strophe or stanza. _________________
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10. Define and give examples of allegory. _______________________
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11. Define and give examples of metaphor. ______________________
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12. Define and give examples of simile. _________________________
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13. Define and give examples of metonymy. ______________________
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14. What is A-B-C-B-A order? How is it used in Psalms and for what
purpose? __________________________________________________
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15. Are the superscriptions, headings to the Psalms inspired? Who
wrote them? What purpose do they serve? _______________________
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16. Define and give examples of hyperbole. ______________________
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17. Define and give examples of synecdoche. _____________________
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18. Define and give examples of apostrophe. _____________________
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__________________________________________________________
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19. Define and give examples of personification. __________________
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20. Define and give examples of irony. __________________________
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21. Define and give examples of anaphora. ______________________
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22. Define and give examples of litotes. _________________________
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23. Define and give examples of assonance. ______________________
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__________________________________________________________
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24. Define and give examples of alliteration. _____________________
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25. Define and give examples of acrostics. ______________________
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