PSALMS
BOOK 1
Lesson One
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK(For Structures see Genesis Study)
A-1 Psalms 1-41 THE GENESIS BOOK: CONCDERNING MAN.
(1)The counsels of God concerning man
(2)All blessing bound up in obedience (compare Psalms 1:1 with Genesis 1:28)
(3)Obedience is man’s “tree of life” (compare Psalms 1:3 with Genesis 2:16)
(4)Disobedience brought ruin (compare Psalms 2 with Genesis 3)
(5)The ruin repaired only by the Son of Man in His atoning work as the seed of the woman (compare Psalms 8 with Genesis 3:15)
(6)The book concludes with a Benediction and double Amen
HOW TO ANALYZE THE PSALM:
1. Is God’s thumbprint found?
Psalms 1-8. MAN AND THE SON OF MAN.
- Psalm 1is man blessed. The Law of Jehovah His delight (Refers to Paradise)
b. Psalm 2speaks of rebellious man. Vainly meditating against the Son of God (through whom alone
Universal Dominion can be restored (see v. 12 and also Hebrews 1:5)
c. Psalm 3 Is a prayer in view of this rebellion (Morning) (This speaks of Enemies without)
“Jehovah my Shield” (v. 3)
- Psalm 4 Is a prayer in view of this rebellion (Night) (This also speaks of Enemies without)
“How long?” (v. 2)
- Psalm 5 Is a prayer in view of this rebellion (Morning) (This speaks of sorrows within)
“Jehovah my King” (v. 2)
f. Psalm 6 Is a prayer in view of this rebellion (Night)(This also speaks of sorrows within)
“How long?” (v. 3)
- Psalm 7 Man Blessed - Trust in Jehovah His defense
- Psalm 8 Rebellious subdued - The Son of Man exalted with dominion in the earth
This indeed shows the pattern of God’s thumbprint.
BOOK ONE PSALMS
2. What section of the books of Moses does this fit in? Genesis
(a)In the first Book of the Psalms the leading thought corresponds with that of the first Book of the Pentateuch. The counsels of God are shown from the beginning to the end in relation of Man.
(b)As Genesis begins with the Divine blessing on Man (Genesis 1:28), so Psalm 1 opens with “Blessed is the man.”
(c)All blessedness for man is shown to consist in subjection to, and occupation with, God’s Law. It is the Tree of Life to him; and, meditating on this, he becomes like a well-watered tree in the Paradise of God.
(d)But, in Genesis 3, Man rebelled against that Law: and Psalms 2 describes the consequences of that rebellion; while Psalm 3 takes its title from one who rebelled against God’s King.
(e)The ruin can be repaired only by “The Man Christ Jesus” (the Seed of the woman, Genesis 3:15): and in the Psalms of this first Book (the third section) we see Him in His atoning work,
(f)Which alone sets man again in the blessedness, which he had lost.
(g)The first Book consists of forty-one Psalms. The central Psalm is 21, which sets forth the eternal life and blessedness of God’s King. All that have titles (37) are David’s – the man of God’s choice.
(h)Of the Divine Titles, Jehovah occurs 279 times, and Elohim only 48 times, 9 of whichare joined withJehovah.
(i)Note also the references to the events, &c., of Genesis in this first Book.Psalms 1 and 2 are linkedtogether by having no Titles; and by Psalm 1 opening, and Psalm 2 closing with the word “Blessed.”
The first or Genesis book is divided into three sections, which are stated thus:
(1)The First (Psalms 1-8) concerning “MAN.”
(2)The Second (Psalms 9-15) concerning “THE MAN OF THE EARTH” (the Antichrist).
(3)The Third (Psalms 16-41) concerning “THE MAN CHRIST JESUS” (the Messiah).
Psalms 9 and 10 are linked together by having an irregular alphabet running acrostically through the two. The alphabet is broken and irregular, like the “times of trouble,” “the great tribulation,” of which they speak.
Psalms 1
1:1 The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, or sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD know the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. NKJV
Psalm 1:
This psalm serves as an introduction to the Psalter, as is suggested by its lack of a superscription or introduction mentioning David unlike most psalms in Book I. It depicts a straightforward system of personal retribution that stands behind many psalms (see also Ezekiel Chapter 18),
And it contains a reference to “torah” (verse 2), translated as “teaching,” but perhaps understood as Torah (“Teaching”), the five books of Moses. By placing a reference to Torah at the beginning of this canonical section, the centrality of the first part of the canon, the Torah, is reinforced (see similarly Joshua 1:7-8).
BOOK ONE PSALMS
Psalms 1
The mention of Torah here may also be connected to the fact that the Psalter is divided in five books, and thus study of the Psalter may also be intended. Many scholars consider Psalm 1 to be a wisdom psalm, based on the contrast between the righteous and the wicked as see in Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes.
Psalm 1, however, does not share extensive terminology with these books, and scholars are beginning to question the usefulness of the designation “wisdom psalms.” Jewish Study Bible
THE STUDY - POINT ONE:
The words found in the introduction on page 13 do not apply to the following Psalms because they have no title at all, and are without super-scription or sub-scription from, which our words are found that hold the key to the understanding of that Psalm.
For following Psalms that come under this section are:
Psalms 1,2,10,33, 43, 71,91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 104, 105, 106, 107, 111, 112,113,114,115,116, 117, 118, 119, 135, 136, 137, 146, 147, 148, 149, and 150.
Don’t worry we will still unlock there mysteries.
1:1-3:
Standard biblical imagery (e.g. Jeremiah 17:9 for a tree image and Joshua 1:8 for reciting “torah” day and night) is used to develop the picture of the ideal righteous individual. This individual is first described through what he does not do (verse 1), then through what he does (verse 2), and then via a simile.
Followed…taken…joined…does not fully capture the imagery of location and movement in the Hebrew “walk,stand, andsit.”
1:2: Day and night is figurative for “always,” through the Dead Sea Scroll community took it literally, suggesting that “[I] n the place in which the Ten assemble there should not be missing a man to interpret the law day and night, always relieving each other” (Reference 1QS 6.6-7, as translated in Florentino Garcia Martinez and Eibert J.C. Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition [Leiden: Brill, 1997], vol. 1. page 83).
This psalm is unusual in its stress on Torah study rather than observance based on Torah study (see Joshua 1:7-8); it thus approaches the rabbinic ideal of “torah lishmah,” Torah study for its own sake, as an end in itself.
1:3: And whatever it produces thrives is ambiguous, referring either to the tree or the righteous individual. Jewish Study Bible
Psalms 1:1-3
The man who is characterized as blessed is first described according to the things he does not do, then (which is the chief thought of the whole Psalm) according to what he actually does:
(a)He is not a companion of the unrighteous, but he abides by the revealed word of Godrªshaa`iym (OT:7563) are the godless, whose moral condition is lax, devoid of stay, and as it were gone beyond the reasonable bounds of true unity (wanting in stability of character), so that they are like a tossed and stormy sea, Isaiah 57:20.
BOOK ONE PSALMS
Psalms 1:1-3
(b)Blessed is he who does not walk in the state of mind, which the ungodly cherish, much less that he should associate with the vicious life of sinners, or even delight in the company of those who scoff at religion.
(c)This psalm presents in sharp contrast two extremes-the truly righteous way of lifeand the basicallywicked way. The contrast introduces in a didactic manner the two categories of men to be described throughout the Psalter.
(d)The psalmist continues the antithesis by showing the present and future destinies of each group.
(From The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)
Notice the three triplets:
Walkethcounselungodly=continue in.
Standethwaysinners=carry out.
Sittethseatscornful=settle down.
He delights (Hebrew cheepets with the primary notion of firmly adhering), in the teaching of Jahve, which is become Israel’s (Hebrew no’mos,rule of life); in this he meditates profoundly by day and night.
Note: The name of God is YHVH [which translators inserted the name JeHoVaH and this author has abbreviated into the name Jahve]. Paul the Learner
Next we come to what is called a Simile; or, Resemblance (Genesis 25:25. Matthew 7:24-27) A declaration that one thing resembles another.
- Genesis 25:25 “And the first came out red, all overlike a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.” KJV
- Matthew 7:24-25Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeththem, I will liken him untoa wise man, which built hishouse upon a rock:25and the rain descended, and thefloods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upona rock. KJV
Esau was not a hairy garment, only compared to one.
The wise man is not a house build upon a rock, only compared to one.A Simile
The Blessed man in Psalms 1 is not a tree, only compared to one.
Verse 1-3.
The Way of the Godly Man. Blessed is the man. The Psalter opens with a strong interjection, O the happiness’s of the man who follows God's plan. The verbs, walketh, standeth, sitteth, describe the characteristic steps of the wicked that the righteous avoid:
Accepting the principles of the wicked, participating in the practices of outright sinners, and finally joining with those who openly mock. Note the threefold parallel between the three verbs and their modifying clauses. The shift is then made from the negative refusalto the positive delight.
Such a man meditates or muses constantly on God's teaching. As a result, he becomes more and more like a "transplanted tree," with roots in eternal realities. Constant vitality is assured and ultimate success is certain because he has put his trust firmly in God.Note the tree is planted in a garden, not in the field.
Jewish Study Bible
BOOK ONE PSALMS
1:4-5:
The depiction of the wicked is much shorter, and in the plural, whereas the righteous person was spoken of in the singular. In contrast to the deeply rooted tree, the wicked are insubstantial chaff, the light outside husk of grain that flies away during winnowing.
1:5: Judgment refers to a court case. Medieval Jewish interpretation traditionally understands this judgment as the afterworld (e.g. Ibn Ezra and Radak Sages), but interest in the afterworld is largely a post-biblical development (see Daniel 12:2).
1:6. The final verse sums up the fate of both the righteous of verses 1-3 and the wicked of verses 4-5. Most biblical verses may be divided into two halves of relatively equal size. Here, the second half is substantially shorter than the first, mimicking the structure of verses 4-5 in contrast to verses 1-3, again emphasizing the substantial nature of the wicked. Jewish Study Bible
Psalms 1:4-6
The Way of the Ungodly Man
The ungodly are not so. An abrupt change now occurs with the words not so. The sharp contrast is intensified by the use of this frequent term forthe wicked, which stands as the exact antithesis of the term, the righteous. Unlike the firmly established tree, the ungodly is swept away by the wind.
The picture is that of a threshing floor on a hilltop, where the wind clears away the chaff and leaves the grain. In parallel construction, the two classes (ungodly and sinners) are promised no part in the vindicated company of the righteous.
While God (regards) or concerns himself with the way of the righteous, the wicked merely drift on to ultimatedestruction. (From The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)
The ungodly (hrsh`ym, with the demonstrative art.) are the opposite of a tree planted by the water-courses:
- They are kamots (OT:4671), like chaff (from muwts (OT:4160) to press out), which the wind drives away, viz., from the loftily situated threshing-floor (Isaiah 17:13), i.e., without root below, without fruit above, devoid of all the vigorandfreshness of life,
- Lying loose upon the threshing-floor and a prey of the slightest breeze-thus utterly worthless and unstable. With `al-keen an inference is drawn from this moral characteristic of theungodly: just on account of their inner worthlessness and instabilitytheydo not standbamishªpaaT (OT:4941a verdict).
- This is the word for the judgment of just recompense to, which God brings individual men and all without exception with all their words (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
(From Keil & Delitzsch Commentaryon the Old Testament)
THE STUDY - POINT TWO:
This is the place that you add your notes to.
Like what do you find interesting in this Psalm?
How can this Psalm be applied to my life?
If all Scripture is profitable to my life, then how can I apply this to make me a better Christian?
This finishes the first Psalm from our notes. Paul the Learner
BOOK ONE PSALMS
Psalms 2:1-12
2:1 The Messiah's Triumph and Kingdom (Acts 4:23-31)
Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." 7 "I will declare the decree:The LORD has said to Me,'You are My Son,Today I have begotten You. 8Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings,be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest He is angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. NKJV
Psalm 2:
Some traditions see this as a continuation of Psalm 1 (a variant in the New Testament quotes from this psalm, calling it “the first,” and the Talmud in (b. Ber. 9b-10a) notes that Psalms 1-2 are a single psalm, enclosed by the inclusion “happy” [1:1 and 2:12].
There are several vocabulary links between these psalms, but the differences in style, tone, and theme outweigh these similarities, suggesting that the medieval tradition, which sees them as separate psalms, is correct. Most modern scholars classify this psalm as a royal psalm, and connect it to other psalms concerning kings.
(One possible list of royal psalms: Psalms 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144.). None of these mentions a specific king by name, and their origin and uses remain obscure.The context in, which this psalm might be recited, is also obscure, though it is significant to note that a divine (perhaps prophetic) oracle is quoted (verses 6-9), and that the nations are spoken to as if they are present (verses 10-12).
Like Psalms 1, it lacks a superscription; Psalms 2 may not have originally been at the beginning of the Psalter, but perhaps was inserted toward the beginning to emphasize the royal nature (connected with King David) of the Psalter.
2:1-2: The attack depicted is extreme and hyperbolic.
2:2: Since anointing was the major preformative ritual of kingship (e.g. 1 Samuel 10:1), His anointed may refer to the king. The same term “mashiah” is used in post biblical literature (but never in the Bible) to refer to the ideal future Davidic king, and is the origin of the term “Messiah.”
The relationship between God and king is very close; the attack against the Lord is equated with that against His anointed, suggesting that the (Davidic) king was viewed by some as God’s earthly representative. (See also the striking filial language in verse 7 and Psalms 45).
This idea is picked up in many depictions of the ideal future Davidic King, called Messiah [Christ] in post biblical text.
2:3: Similar animal yoke imagery is found later in rabbinic expressions: “the yoke of commandments,” and “theyoke of the Torah,” and “the yoke of the kingdom of heaven.” Jewish Study Bible