{"id":3603,"date":"2015-10-25T01:00:09","date_gmt":"2015-10-25T07:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3603"},"modified":"2023-12-16T07:32:46","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T13:32:46","slug":"psalms-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3603","title":{"rendered":"Psalms \u2014 Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Old Testament Jews referred to the collection of Psalms as &#8220;The Book of Praises.&#8221; It was called Psalms in the Septuagint \u2014 from a Greek word for &#8220;songs sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.&#8221;<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Titles and Technical Terms \u2014All but 34 of the psalms have titles or superscriptions which normally comprise the first verse of the Hebrew text. They are editorial titles, added after the psalms were written, but are historically accurate. The two most frequently used technical terms are: (1) Selah (occurring 71 times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk), which is probably a musical notation signaling an interlude of change of musical accompaniment; and (2) To the chief Musician (choir director), which is attached to 55 psalms (and Habakkuk 3:19), suggesting that a collection of psalms existed for the choir director, possibly for use on special occasions. \u2014 Ryrie, page 810<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The heading or superscription may contain any or all of the following categories of information: identification with a person, association with a historical event, musical and liturgical details, and the type or genre of the psalm. \u2014 Barker, page 790<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Most of the psalms were written during the times of David and Solomon \u2014 the 10th century B.C.<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">David&#8217;s name is listed at the beginning of 73 of them.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Solomon wrote two.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Sons of Korah wrote 12. (See Numbers 16 and Numbers 26:9-11.)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Asaph wrote 12. (See Ezra 2:41.)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Heman wrote 1. (See 1 Kings 4:32.)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Ethan wrote 1. (See 1 Chronicles 15:19.)<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Moses wrote 1.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Of the remaining psalms for which no headings are supplied, three may be definitively ascribed to David in view of New Testament testimony \u2014 to wit: <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3613\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalms 1<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3619\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">2<\/span><\/a>, since the latter is ascribed to David in <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1356\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Acts 4:25<\/span><\/a> and both psalms were clearly intended as a single unit; and Psalm 95, which is ascribed to David in <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=1717\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Hebrews 4:7<\/span><\/a>. Three more (<a href=\"http:\/\/r\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalms 96<\/span><\/a>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">105<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">106<\/span>) are likely to have been written by David on the testimony of 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, which ascribes to David (&#8220;David gave &#8230;&#8221;) a psalm of thanksgiving selectively derived from those three (i.e., all of <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=7342\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalm 96<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8158\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">105:1-15<\/span><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8166\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">106:1, 47-48<\/span><\/a>). Considering, moreover, the definitive and probably Davidic attribution of these six, it is certainly not unreasonable to suppose that several, if not most, of the remaining 43 anonymous psalms were likewise written by David \u2014 the headings have been omitted, perhaps, since those psalms were intended to be sung &#8220;as a piece&#8221; (i.e., as part of a medley) with the previous one (s). \u2014 Wechsler, pages 6-7<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Psalms is subdivided into five distinct &#8220;books.&#8221; Though the individual psalms were written by different people at different times, they were, through divine guidance, eventually compiled and organized around this five-book framework in a manner clearly intended to parallel the identical five-book subdivision of the Torah. That this is so is affirmed not only by early Jewish tradition, but also by the thematic parallels in the content of the corresponding books of the Torah and Psalms &#8230;<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Genesis: God&#8217;s sovereign creation of man and election of Israel<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Book One (Psalms 1-41): expressions of worship focusing on God&#8217;s sovereign election.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Exodus: God&#8217;s protection of His nascent national son, Israel, and His provision of the fundamental\/general laws intended for their material and spiritual nurture.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Book Two (Psalms 42-72): expressions of worship focusing on God&#8217;s protective nurture.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Leviticus: God&#8217;s granting of specific laws intended to instruct the people in the importance and obligation of holiness.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Book Three (Psalms 73-89): expressions of worship (of which all but Psalm 86 are attributed to Levites) focusing on God&#8217;s instruction in holiness.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Numbers: God&#8217;s paternal chastisement of His national son Israel over the course of their 40-year sojourn in the desert.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Book Four (Psalms 90-106): expressions of worship focusing on God&#8217;s paternal chastisement.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Deuteronomy: God&#8217;s prologue to the fulfillment of His promise concerning the Land of Israel, and His final preparation of the people to enter in faith.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Book Five (Psalms 107-150): expressions of worship looking ahead to the ultimate fulfillment of God&#8217;s promises.<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">In addition to each of the five books of Psalms being explicitly indicated in the Hebrew text by the headings &#8220;Book One,&#8221; &#8220;Book Two,&#8221; etc. (the Hebrew Bible always spells numbers out), the ending of each book is indicated by a clear doxology, the first four of which are variations on the formula &#8220;Blessed be &#8230; the Lord\/His name &#8230; forever\/to everlasting&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=4013\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalms 41:13<\/span><\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=6321\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">72:19<\/span><\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=6848\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">89:53<\/span><\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8166\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">106:48<\/span><\/a>), and the last of which is, appropriately, expressed by the all-encompassing exhortation, &#8220;Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8629\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalm 150:6<\/span><\/a>). The individual unity of each of the five books is also underscored (often in quite subtle and sophisticated ways) by the use of similar literary forms and language. \u2014 Wechsler, pages 2-3.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">__________<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">In addition to the technique of &#8220;inclusio&#8221; (or &#8220;bookending&#8221;\u00a0 \u2014 a literary technique in the Hebrew Bible whereby the identical term of expression [at the beginning and end of a passage] is intended to highlight the main theme of the &#8220;framed&#8221; unit), another important feature of the Psalms \u2014 and a ubiquitous feature of all biblical Hebrew poetry \u2014 is parallelism. Generally speaking, parallelism is of three types: synonymous parallelism, in which consecutive lines (each of which is usually a half-verse) present the same or similar idea in different words, as in <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8260\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalm 113:7<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">He raises the poor from the dust,<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> and He lifts the needy from the ash heap.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Another type is antithetical parallelism, in which consecutive lines present contrasting or opposite ideas, usually revolving around a shared point of contact, as in <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=8606\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalm 145:20<\/span><\/a>, where the shared\/identical point of contact is the notion of God&#8217;s recompense.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">The LORD keeps all who love Him,<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> but all the wicked He will destroy.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The third type is synthetic parallelism, in which consecutive lines present different, yet complementary ideas, which together provide a fuller and more specific idea than either line alone, as in <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3860\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Psalm 18:34<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">He trains my hands for battle,<\/span><\/em><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">More than representing a central structural feature of biblical poetry, parallelism can also play a significant role in interpretation, for in those instances where the meaning of one line is unclear, the meaning of the parallel line(s) will often serve to elucidate the other. Even where the meaning of both lines is fairly clear, a juxtaposition of the parallel ideas will often bring the collective point of both lines into even greater focus. \u2014 Wechsler, pages 9-10.<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3>The resources I&#8217;m using for this study are as follows:<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary<\/em>, by Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger III \u2014 Zondervan Publishing House, 1994<\/h3>\n<h3><em>The New Bible Commentary<\/em>, by D. Guthrie and J.A. Motyer \u2014 William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970<\/h3>\n<h3><em>The Psalms Outlined<\/em>, by Arthur Emerson Harris \u2014 The Judson Press, 1925<\/h3>\n<h3><em>F.B. Meyer on the Psalms<\/em>, by F.B. Meyer \u2014 Zondervan Publishing House<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Notes on the Psalms<\/em>, by G. Campbell Morgan \u2014 Fleming H. Revell Company, 1947<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Christ in the Psalms<\/em>, by William L. Pettingill \u2014 Fundamental Truth Publishers, 1937<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Exploring the Messianic Psalms<\/em>, by O.E. Phillips \u2014 Hebrew Christian Fellowship, Inc. 1967<\/h3>\n<h3><em>The Ryrie Study Bible (NKJV)<\/em>, by Charles Caldwell Ryrie \u2014 Moody Press, 1985<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Commentary on Psalms<\/em>, by M.G. Wechsler \u2014 a study guide prepared by the author (a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute) for use by his students.<\/h3>\n<h3><em>Complete Bible Commentary<\/em>, by George Williams<\/h3>\n<h3>When I quote from one of these books, I will use the author&#8217;s name and the page number(s).<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Old Testament Jews referred to the collection of Psalms as &#8220;The Book of Praises.&#8221; It was called Psalms in the Septuagint \u2014 from a Greek word for &#8220;songs sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.&#8221; Titles and Technical Terms \u2014All &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/?p=3603\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psalms"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3603"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8633,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3603\/revisions\/8633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyverse.carpelibra.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}