BI 532 Psalms
• Bro. Gary Spaeth
• Hebrew Poetry found throughout the Old Testament
• Brief extracts
– (Genesis 4:23-24; Num. 21:18; 1 Sam. 18:7)
• Compositions like songs, hymns, and oracles
– (Gen. 49:2-27; Ex. 51:1-18; 1 Sam. 2:1-10).
• Mostly poetical books
– Job, Ecclesiastes
• Entirely poetic books
– Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations
• What Challenges do we face interpreting Psalms?
• Use of figures of speech
• Use of symbols
• Written in a different era
• Historical context not always apparent
• Idioms
• Nature of Hebrew Poetry
• English poetry / • Hebrew poetry• rhyme and meter / • rhyme of meaning
• Paul Revere's Ride
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
•
• Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year. / • 1 Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
• Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
• Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
• and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
•
• The Two Key Elements of to interpret Hebrew Poetry
• Parallelism
– “The practice of balancing one thought or phrase by a corresponding thought or phrase containing approximately the same number of words, or at least a correspondence in ideas.”
• Figures of Speech
– Any expressive use of language in which words are used in other than their literal sense, or in other than their ordinary locutions, in order to suggest a picture, image, or for special effect.
• Synonymous Parallelism
• The thought of the first line is basically repeated in different words in the second line.
Psalms 140:1 (KJV)
Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man:
preserve me from the violent man;
• Synonymous Parallelism
• Identical -
Psalms 24:1
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein.
• Similar –
Psalms 19:2
Day unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge.
• Antithetical Parallelism
• Psalms 15:4
• In whose eyes a vile person is contemned;
• but he honoureth them that fear the LORD…
Psalms 20:7
• Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:
• but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
• Antithetical Parallelism
• Psalms 1:6
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but
the way of the ungodly shall perish.
• Synthetic Parallelism
• Psalms 1:3
– And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
– that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
– his leaf also shall not wither; and
– whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
• Proverbs 26:4
– Answer not a fool according to his folly,
– lest thou also be like unto him.
• Climactic Parallelism
• Psalms 29:1
Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty,
give unto the LORD glory and strength.
• Psalms 29:4
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
• Emblematic Parallelism
Psalms 103:13
Like as a father pitieth his children,
so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Psalms 12:6
The words of the LORD are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
• Chiastic Parallelism
Psalms 135:15-18
15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not;
eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not;
neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them:
so is every one that trusteth in them.
• Acrostic Psalm
• Psalms 9,10,25,37,111,112,119,145
• 111 1 הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀ אֹודֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָ֑ב בְּסֹ֖וד יְשָׁרִ֣ים וְעֵדָֽה׃
• 2 גְּ֭דֹלִים מַעֲשֵׂ֣י יְהוָ֑ה דְּ֝רוּשִׁ֗ים לְכָל־חֶפְצֵיהֶֽם׃
• 3 הֹוד־וְהָדָ֥ר פָּֽעֳלֹ֑ו וְ֝צִדְקָתֹ֗ו עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃
• 4 זֵ֣כֶר עָ֭שָׂה לְנִפְלְאֹתָ֑יו חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהוָֽה׃
• 5 טֶ֭רֶף נָתַ֣ן לִֽירֵאָ֑יו יִזְכֹּ֖ר לְעֹולָ֣ם בְּרִיתֹֽו׃
• Figures of Speech
• Simile: a comparison between two things that resemble each other in some way
– Psalms 1:3-4 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
– Figures of Speech
• Metaphor: a comparison in which one thing is likened to another without the use of a word of comparison as in “like” or “as.”
• Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
• Figures of Speech
• Hyperbole: The use of exaggeration or over statement to stress a point.
• Psalms 6:6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
• Figures of Speech
• Metonymy: One noun is used in place of another because of some relationship or type of resemblance that different objects might bear to one another (Ps. 73:9).
• Psalms 18:2 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.
• Figures of Speech
• Rhetorical question: The use of a question to confirm or deny a fact.
• Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
• Figures of Speech
• Anthropomorphism: The assigning of some part of the human anatomy to God’s Person to convey some aspect of God’s being like the eyes or ears.
• Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
• Figures of Speech
• Zoomorphism: The assigning of some part of an animal to God’s Person to convey certain truths about God (cf. Ps. 17:8; 91:4).
• Psalms 17:8 (KJV) Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
• Figures of Speech
• Implication: an implied comparison between two things in which the name of one thing is used in place of the other (cf. Ps. 22:16; Jer. 4:7).
• Psalms 22:16 (KJV) For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
• Title of the Book:
• In the Hebrew, The Book of Psalms is titled, Tehillim (praise song) or Sepher Tehillim (book of praises). A shortened form is Tillim.
• The Septuagint gives the name Psalmoi (psalms), that is “songs or poems sung with musical accompaniment.” Psalmos comes from psallein, “to pluck a stringed instrument” as an accompaniment to song.
• Author:
• The superscriptions that preface 116 of the 150 psalms present specific information about the writers and circumstances that produced the texts.
Authorship of the PsalmsDavid / 73 / Most of Book 1 and Book 2
Asaph / 12 / Ps. 50; 73-83
Korahites / 10 / Ps. 42, 44-49; 84-85; 87
Solomon / 2 / Ps. 72; 127
Moses / 1 / Ps. 90
Ethan the Ezrahite / 1 / Ps. 89
Heman the Ezrahite / 1 / Ps. 88
Dates of the Psalm
Date / Author / Psalms
1405 B.C. / Moses / Ps. 90
1011-971 B.C. / David / Mostly in Book 1 and Book 2
971-931 B.C. / Solomon / Ps. 72, 127
950 B.C. / Asaph / Ps. 50, 73-83
Pre-exilic / descendants of Korah / Ps. 42, 44-49; 84-85; 87
Pre-exilic / Ezrahites / Ps. 88
Post-exile / Unknown / Ps. 126 and 137
Book / Psalms / Author / General Content
Book I / Psalms 1-41 / David / Songs of worship
Book II / Psalms 42-72 / David & Korah / Hymns of petition
Book III / Psalms 73-89 / Mainly Asaph / Hymns of petition
Book IV / Psalms 90-106 / Mainly Anonymous / Anthems of praise
Book V / Psalms 107-150 / David and Anonymous / Anthems of praise
• Classification of the Psalms:
Names Designating Types of Psalms
• מִזְמוֹר mizmôr "Psalm,"
– is the heading for fifty-seven psalms. The word is a technical term because it is only used in the Psalter. The word seems to be related to the verb that means "pluck" strings. It may be defined, then, as a technical term designating a song that is accompanied by the plucking of a stringed instrument (cf. Mowinckel, 11:208).
• שִׁיר šiyrāh "Song,"
– is a common term for both cultic and secular songs. It may have carried some special designation in cultic material. The term is used in some thirty titles, some of which are also labeled "Psalm" (65, 75, 76, 92).
• Classification of the Psalms:
Names Designating Types of Psalms
• מַשְׂכִּיל Maschil
– "A Contemplative Poem," is found with thirteen psalms. (32,42,44,45,52-55,74,78,77,142) There is little agreement concerning the translation of the term. It has been defined as "efficacious song" (Mowinckel). "meditation" (Delitzsch), "a skilful psalm" (Ewald). This latter view plays on the etymological connection to the verb "be wise, prudent."
• מִכְתָּם, Michtam,
– a term found in six psalms (16, 56-60). The meaning of the term is disputed: later Hebrew, LXX and modern Hebrew understand it to be "inscription poem," or "epigram," It’s a poem containing pithy sayings." Mowinckel says it is "a song of atonement," connecting the word with Akkadian katamu. "to atone" (11:209).
• Classification of the Psalms:
Names Designating Types of Psalms
• תְּפִלָּה, tep̱illāh
– "Prayer," is the heading for Psalms 17,86,90, 102, and 142 (note also 72:20). In a technical sense it may denote more than prayer, a psalm of lamentation. See also Habakkuk 3:1 and Jonah 2:1.
• תְּהִלָּה,
– "Praise," is found only with Psalm 145. a psalm which is at the beginning of the great doxology to the Psalter, Psalms 145·150.
• שִׁיר יְדִידוֹת ,
– " a song of loves," is the heading of Psalm 45. It is appropriate to Psalm 45 which is a celebration of the royal wedding.
• Classification of the Psalms:
Names Designating Types of Psalms
• שִׁגָּיוֹן, Siggiiyon,
– is found only with Psalm 7. Mowinckel says it means a psalm of "lamentation" (II:209). It may be connected with the root sgh, "to wander," and therefore characterizes a song with irregular structure or variation of feeling--but this is all conjecture.
• סֶלָה selāh: A verb - Its exact meaning is uncertain. It is used over seventy times in Psalms. It may give musical instructions or indicate a pause for various reasons (Hab. 3:3, 9, 13).
• Classification of Psalms
• Gunkel
– Hymns (intended for communal worship)
– Laments of the people (Community- Grief over some natural disaster)
– Laments of the individual (Personal Tragedy)
– Royal Psalms (Exalt the king as servant of Yahweh)
– Songs of Thanksgiving of the individual
– Spiritual Poems.
• Classification of Psalms
• Kittel
– The Hymn (Song of Praise)
– The Prayer of Thanksgiving
– The prayer of Petition
– The Didactic Poem
– The Spiritual Song
• Classification of Psalms
• Westerman
– The Psalms Of Declarative Praise
• Community
• Individual
– The Psalm of Descriptive Praise (Hymn)
– The Psalms Of Lament
• Community
• Individual
– Creation Psalms
– Liturgical Psalms
– Enthronement Psalms
– Wisdom Psalms
• Classification of Psalms
• Bullock
– Praise Psalms (41)
– Individual and communal lament psalms (59)
– Thanksgiving psalms (8)
– Psalms of Trust (6)
– Psalms of the Earthy King (10)
– Psalms of the Heavenly King
– Wisdom psalms (9)
– The Psalms of Torah
– Imprecatory psalms
• Psalms of Praise
• These psalms thank God for the blessings he has bestowed and express confidence that he will bestow further blessings.
• 41 Psalms are classified as Psalms of Praise
• Structure of Praise Psalms
• Declarative praise
– Praise of God for specific acts
– 18,21,30,32,34,40,41,66,106,116,138
• Descriptive (Hymns)
– Praise to God for His gracious acts
– 28,36,105,111,113,117,135,136,146,147
• Structure of Declarative Praise Psalms
• Proclamation of Praise to God
– Clear intent to praise God - “I will Praise…”
• Report of Deliverance
– Reason God should be Praised
• Renewed Vow of Praise
– Offer of Praise to God
• Descriptive praise or Instruction
• Structure of Descriptive Praise Psalms
• Prologue
– Hallelujah
• Call to Praise
– Extended Call to Praise
• Cause for Praise
– Reason and Substance to Praise God
• Conclusion
– Renewed call to Praise
• Epilogue
• Psalms of Praise
• To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.
• 1O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!