Copy of Psalms week 1

Honest to God : 

Honest to God A look at the Psalms Patmos Companions

Introduction to the Psalms : 

Introduction to the Psalms What are the Psalms? Who wrote the Psalms and when were they written? How are the Psalms organized and categorized? What is the structure of the Psalms and the features of Hebrew poetry? What does all of this mean to us?

What are the Psalms? : 

What are the Psalms? Poetry Songs Prayers Praise [The Psalms] are : prayers (words directed to God in petition or praise), poetry (poetically formulated language), and song (they go beyond the mere speaking or even recital of a poem and become music). - Claus Westerman

What are the Psalms (continued)? : 

What are the Psalms (continued)? What must be said … is that the Psalms are poems, and poems intended to be sung: not doctrinal treatises, nor even sermons. … Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licenses and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood; no less than French must be read as French or English as English. Otherwise we shall miss what is in them and think we see what is not. - C. S. Lewis

What are the Psalms (continued)? : 

What are the Psalms (continued)? Hebrew “Tehillim” = Songs of Praise Various musical terms / notations are employed throughout the Psalms (e.g. “To the choirmaster with stringed instruments” – Ps. 6) “He who despises music … does not please me. Music is a gift of God, not a gift of men. … After theology I accord to music the highest place and the greatest honor.” - Martin Luther

What are the Psalms (continued)? : 

What are the Psalms (continued)? “In all study of Psalms, the fact that they were prayers set to music, intended to be sung by the worshipper, must be kept in mind. The psalms are worship material… and worship is a dynamic activity. Prayer is most often a response to experience, and that experience of the people as a part of a worshipping community must govern any study or application of the Psalms. This material was not written to communicate abstract, propositional theology for us. It was written to facilitate people coming to God from all the turmoil of life, good and bad. This material is emotive poetry set to music in the form of prayers. Any interpretation that loses sight of that fact will likely misunderstand the meaning and impact…” - Dennis Bratcher

Who wrote the Psalms and when were they written? : 

Who wrote the Psalms and when were they written? David is the most frequently cited author. Others include Moses (1), Solomon (2), the sons of Korah (9), Asaph (12), and Ethan (1). Some Psalms do not indicate an author. Writing thus spanned centuries; from the time of Moses (1270 BCE) to post-exilic Judah. (586 BCE) Final compilation was post-exilic

Chapter and Verse Confusions : 

Chapter and Verse Confusions The chapter numbers were added much later, Chapters were added around the 13th century CE. Verses were added by the 15th century CE Up until these points, individual psalms would be referred to by their first line rather than their chapter number. e.g. When Jesus from the cross quoted Psalm 22:1 with the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" he was probably calling the whole psalm to mind, which included the phrase "they have pierced my hands and my feet...." (22:16b).

How are the Psalms organized? … Five Books : 

How are the Psalms organized? … Five Books Book I : Ps. 1 – 41 Ps. 1,2, & 33 are the only ones here not attributed to David Book II : Ps. 42 – 72 Continued celebration of Israel’s golden age (united monarchy) Book III : Ps. 73 – 89 Darker. Ps. 88 is the only Psalm without praise Book IV : Ps. 90 – 106 God as Israel’s help in ages past. Moses mentioned seven times. Book V : Ps. 107 – 150 Israel back from exile. David a model of piety (138 – 145) Each book concludes with a doxology / benediction

How are the Psalms categorized? : 

How are the Psalms categorized? Hymns of Praise Laments Special types of Laments: Penitential and curses calling down harm, especially a curse, on somebody Thanksgiving Psalms Special types of Thanksgiving: Salvation History and Songs of Trust Liturgical Psalms Royal (or Kingship), Covenant, Songs of Zion, Temple Liturgies Wisdom Psalms

What is the structure of the Psalms? : 

What is the structure of the Psalms? Titles / headings (added later?) Can indicate authorship, historical background, genre, musical notation, or instructions for worship Parallelism – basic feature of Hebrew poetry Unlike English (or many other) forms of poetry that depend on symmetry of sound (meter and/or rhyme), Hebrew poetry uses symmetry of thought. This provides flexibility and facilitates translation without losing the poetic structure. Note: KJV did not recognize poetic structure (contrast formatting with more modern translation)

Parallelism : 

Parallelism Synonymous parallelism: the 1st line is echoed in the 2nd, with a change of terms: Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? (Ps. 2:1; cf. also 3:1). Antithetical parallelism: the 1st line is affirmed in the 2nd, not by repetition, but by contrast: For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish (Ps. 1:6; cf. 40:4). Climactic parallelism: the 2nd line refines, develops and completes the thought of the 1st: Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength (Ps. 96:7). Synthetic parallelism: the 2nd line develops the thought of the 1st, w/o quoting words from it: Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Ps. 95:6). Emblematic parallelism: the 1st line uses a figure of speech which is explained in the 2nd: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God (Ps. 42:1). Formal relationship (parallelism): the 1st and 2nd lines have a formal relationship: O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent (Ps. 109:1).

A note on Psalm numbering : 

A note on Psalm numbering Not-uncommon confusion about Psalm numbering comes about because the Roman Catholic Church, since the promulgation of the Latin Bible (Vulgate) in the 6th century, has followed the numbering and division of the Psalms employed by the Greek translation of the Scriptures (the Septuagint). The versions of the Bible used by other Christian traditions follow the division and numbering of the Psalms in the Hebrew text. (It has always struck me as strange that any Christians would see fit to change the numbering system used by the Jewish people whose prayers the Psalms are anyway!)

A further note on Psalm numbering : 

A further note on Psalm numbering Psalms 9 and 10 in the Hebrew text are combined into one Psalm in the Greek/Latin Bible, so from Psalm 9 onwards, the Roman Catholic Psalm numbers are one less than those in other versions. Because Psalm 147 of the Jewish Psalms is split into two separate Psalms in the Catholic system, the total number of Psalms in both finishes up being the same -150. However, only the first 8 and the last 3 Psalms agree in numbering. !!

What does all of this mean to us? : 

What does all of this mean to us? Experience matters – it profoundly impacts our inner selves (no matter how much we try to deny it) Emotions matter – they profoundly impact our response to God (no matter how much we try to ignore them) Expressions matter – they profoundly impact our personal and corporate mindset and worship