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The Book of Psalms

Ho w l o ve l y i s yo u r d we ll i n g p lac e, LO R D A l m ight y!
M y s o ul ye ar ns , e ve n f a in ts , f or t he c o ur ts of t he LO R D;
m y h ear t a nd m y f l es h c r y ou t f or t h e l i v in g G o d.

Intro to The Writings:

The books known as The Writings in the Jewish tradition stand in the final position in the Hebrew Bible, after the Law and the
Prophets. In the Writings the Psalter is in first position, followed by the four books that belong to the Wisdom tradition plus
Ruth—Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes—concluding with Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah,
and Chronicles.

The divisions in the Greek translation, Septuagint, isolated only 5 of these books as the Writings – Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. These diverse books speak to us ―at our level‖ and play an important role in the biblical
story. For here, in a variety of forms, you find inspired human responses to the words and deeds of God that are recorded in
the Law and the Prophets.
The Divisions with the Tanakh:
Psalms: The name is an acronym formed
Even though many instructional moments appear in the psalms, for the most part from the initial Hebrew letters of the
they are prayers addressed to God, with the primary traditions in the biblical story three traditional subdivisions:
(the promises, the exodus, the giving of the law, etc.) as the bedrock foundation  The Torah ("The Teaching" or
from which these prayers are made—and thereafter recited and sung in the ‖The Law‖, also known as The
believing community. Five Books of Moses)
 Nevi'im ("The Prophets")
Wisdom Books – Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes:  Ketuvim ("The Writings")
…hence TaNaKh
What makes the biblical books essentially different from the other ancient proverbs
and wisdom literature is their fundamental assumption that ―the fear of the LORD
[Yahweh] is the beginning of wisdom‖ (Prov 1:7 and throughout). While this is said less often in the two books that belong
to the ―speculative‖ Wisdom tradition (Job and Ecclesiastes), God and his story are nonetheless foundational for their
wrestling with the larger questions of life—how to understand the undeserved suffering of the innocent (Job) and how one
should live the brief span of years (mere ―vapor,‖ as it were) God has given (Ecclesiastes). And at the heart of both of
these books is the reminder that true wisdom has to do with the fear of God (Job 28:28; Eccl 12:13–14).

Song of Songs:
The ―odd book out‖ in all of this is Song of Songs, which does not even mention God and which reflects the Wisdom
tradition in a much more specialized way. Nonetheless, even here, where the emphasis is on the delight of monogamous
love and human sexuality, the presupposition of the story is Genesis 1–2, where God created man and woman to be
precisely like this in their married relationships.

The Book of Psalms – General Info, Date, Authorship, and Original Audience:
The collected 150 psalms, of rich diversity, served as the ―hymnbook‖ for postexilic (Second Temple) Judaism. The individual
psalms themselves originate from the times of Moses to a time after the exile; the edited collection, in its present form, may be
part of the reform movement reflected in Ezra-Nehemiah – recall the emphasis in Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah on the
musicians associated with the temple, one can easily imagine the present Psalter taking shape during that period and that the
arrangement itself had meaning for them.

Many of the psalms have titles (e.g., see Psalms 3 and 4). These titles can include liturgical directions, historical notes, and—
possibly—the identity of the author. The Hebrew word translated ―of‖ (as in ―of David‖) can mean several things, but the most
natural sense is that it is ―of‖ David because David wrote it. Interpreting the titles this way yields David as the most common
author of the Psalms: he appears in 73 titles, and the NT adds two more (Acts 4:25 for Psalm 2; and Heb. 4:7 for Psalm 95).
Other authors include the Sons of Korah (11 psalms), Asaph (12 psalms), Solomon (possibly two psalms), and Moses (one).
Other psalms do not identify the author at all.

The collection in its present form was organized together in five books, obviously with the Torah in view:
Book 1
Psalms 1–41: All but 1, 2, and 33 titled ―of David‖

Book 2
Psalms 42–72: Psalms 42–50 ―of the sons of Korah‖ or ―of Asaph‖; Psalms 51–70 ―of David‖; concluding with one ―of
Solomon‖ (72; note that 71 is untitled), with a coda at the end, ―This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse‖
 Book 3
Psalms 73–89: All titled, mostly ―of Asaph‖ or ―of the sons of Korah‖

Book 4
Psalms 90–106: Mostly untitled, except for 101 and 103 (―of David‖)

Book 5
Psalms 107–150: Mostly untitled, but fifteen are ―of David,‖ including Psalms 138–145; also includes fifteen ―songs
of ascent‖ (120–134) and concludes with five ―Hallelujah‖ psalms (146–150)

You will note that each book concludes with a similar doxology (41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48; and the whole of 150).

The collection of psalms, which is the voice of Yahweh’s people singing to him in praise and prayer, functions also to remind
them—and us—of the central role of worship in the biblical story, worship that focuses on the living God by recalling his
essential goodness and love and his wondrous deeds on their behalf.1

Key Theological Themes of Psalms: 2

The Psalter is fundamentally the hymnbook of the people of God at worship. The Psalms take the basic themes of OT theology
and turn them into song. Thus, themes common throughout the OT (see The Theology of the Old Testament) reappear in the
Psalms and include the following:
1. Monotheism. The one true God, Maker of heaven and earth and ruler of all things, will vindicate his own goodness and
justice, in his own time. Every human being must know and love this God, whose spotless moral purity, magnificent power
and wisdom, steadfast faithfulness, and unceasing love are breathtakingly beautiful.

2. Creation and fall. Though God made man with dignity and purpose, all people since the fall are beset with sins and
weaknesses that only God’s grace can heal.

3. Election and covenant. The one true God chose a people for himself and bound himself to them by his covenant. This
covenant expressed God’s intention to save the people, and through them to bring light to the rest of the world.

4. Covenant membership. In his covenant, God offers his grace to his people: the forgiveness of their sins, the shaping of
their lives in this world to reflect his own glory, and a part to play in bringing light to the Gentiles. Each member of God’s
people is responsible to lay hold of this grace from the heart: to believe the promises, to grow in obeying the commands,
and to keep on doing so all their lives long. Those who lay hold in this way are the faithful, as distinct from the unfaithful
among God’s people; they enjoy the full benefits of God’s love, and they find boundless delight in knowing God. Each of
the faithful is a member of a people, a corporate entity; the members have a mutual participation in the life of the whole
people. Therefore the spiritual and moral well-being of the whole affects the well-being of each of the members, and each
member contributes to the others by his own spiritual and moral life. Thus each one shares the joys and sorrows of the
others, and of the whole. The faithful will suffer in this life, often at the hands of the unfaithful, and sometimes from those
outside God’s people. The right response to this suffering is not personal revenge but believing prayer, confident that God
will make all things right in his own time.

5. Eschatology. The story of God’s people is headed toward a glorious future, in which all kinds of people will come to
know the Lord and join his people. It is part of the dignity of God’s people that, in God’s mysterious wisdom, their personal
faithfulness contributes to the story getting to its goal. The Messiah, the ultimate heir of David, will lead his people in the
great task of bringing light to the Gentiles.

The Basic Categories or Types of Psalms: 3

 Laments, whose primary function is to lay a troubled situation before the Lord, asking him for help. There are community
laments, dealing with trouble faced by the people of God as a whole (e.g., Psalm 12), and individual laments, where the
troubles face a particular member of the people (e.g., Psalm 13). This category is the largest by far (62 of them), one
third of the whole Psalter.

 Hymns of Praise, whose primary goal is to call and enable God’s people to admire God’s great attributes and deeds.
These can focus, e.g., on a particular set of attributes (e.g., on God’s benevolence in Psalm 145), on God’s universal
kingship over his creation (e.g., Psalm 93), or on God’s works of creation (e.g., Psalm 8).
 Hymns Of Thanksgiving, which thank God for his answer to a petition; sometimes the petition can be identified as one of
the lament psalms. Like laments, there are community (e.g., Psalm 9) and individual (e.g., Psalm 30) thanksgiving
psalms.

1
Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. K. (2002). How to read the Bible book by book : A guided tour (143). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
2
Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (937). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
3
Ibid.
  Hymns Celebrating God’s Law, which speak of the wonders of the Torah (the Law of Moses) and help worshipers to
aspire to obey it more fully (e.g., Psalm 119).
 Torah-Wisdom Psalms, which take themes from the Wisdom Books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) and
make them the topic of song (e.g., Psalms 1; 37).
 Songs of Confidence, which enable worshipers to deepen their trust in God through all manner of difficult circumstances
(e.g., Psalm 23).
 Royal Psalms, which are concerned with the Davidic monarchy as the vehicle of blessing for the people of God. Some of
these are prayers (e.g., Psalm 20), some are thanksgivings (e.g., Psalm 21). All relate to the Messiah, the ultimate heir
of David, either by setting a pattern (Psalms 20–21) or by portraying the king’s reign in such a way that only the Messiah
can completely fulfill it (e.g., Psalms 2; 72), or by focusing primarily on the future aspect (e.g., Psalm 110).
 Historical Psalms, which take a lesson from the history of God’s dealings with his people; these are generally corporate
in their focus (e.g., Psalm 78).
 Prophetic Hymns, which echo themes found in the Prophets, especially calling the people to covenant faithfulness (e.g.,
Psalm 81).

The Psalter’s Call to Spiritual Formation:

 Praise-Giving – Psalm 145; 148 Psalms Fun Facts:
 Largest book of the Bible
 Thanksgiving – Psalm 124; 34  Has the largest chapter in the Bible –
Psalm 119
 Lamenting – Psalm 74; 10  Has the smallest chapter in the Bible –
Psalm 117
 Remembering – Psalm 47; 136  Contains the chapter in the middle of
the entire Bible – Psalm 118
 Repenting – Psalm 6; 32; 38; 51; 102;  Jesus quoted the Book of Psalms
more than from any other part of the
 Wise (Obedient) Living – Psalm 1; 16; 78; 119 Old Testament.

 Trusting – Psalm 62; 131

Shalom and How The Writings Fit Into The Story:

The Old Testament word for peace is shalom - (in Hebrew) and εἰρήνη (in Greek). Shalom is much more than a simple
greeting or kind audible jester; it’s an all-encompassing biblical concept. The words themselves refer to harmony, syncretism,
wholeness, and every kind of good. This shalom refers to an experience of well-being, wholeness, harmony, reconciliation,
and security through a proper relationship with God and each other. So the basic meaning of shalom is not absence from war
or trouble, but one of well-being and every kind of good.

For the Hebrew people, Shalom, was/is one of the underlying principle of the Torah - "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her
paths are shalom (peace)‖ (Proverbs 3:17. The Talmud explains, "The whole of the law (i.e.,Torah) is to promote shalom‖
(Talmud, Gittin 59b). The biblical concept of shalom takes us to the heart of the Gospel and unfolds the mysteries of God's
redemptive plan for the entire cosmos expressed in passages such asIsaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 65:17-19; and Amos 9:11-15. In
fact, one of God’s covenant names is Jehovah-shalom, ―The Lord is peace‖ or ―The Lord is our peace‖ (Judges 6:24). The
Apostle Paul links this Old Testament reference of God to the cosmic redemptive agenda of utterly crushing evil in Romans
16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Many authors and scholars have commented on how we should understand shalom; but I have found none better than
Cornelius Plantinga in his book, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin. Here's a great quote taken from his book:
"[The prophets] dreamed of a new age in which human crookedness would be straightened out, rough places made
plain. The foolish would be made wise and the wise, humble. They dreamed of a time when the deserts would flower,
the mountains would run with wine, weeping would cease and people could go to sleep without weapons on their laps.
People would work in peace and work to fruitful effect. Lambs could lie down with lions. All nature would be fruitful,
benign, and filled with wonder upon wonder; all humans would be knit together in brotherhood and sisterhood; and all
nature and all humans would look to God, walk with God, lean toward God and delight in God. Shouts of joy and
recognition would well up from valleys and seas, from women in streets and from men on ships."

"The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets
call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the
Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are
satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior
opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be."

May his peace be within you, upon you and flow through you. Shalom.