Psalms - Introduction - What is a Psalm?

In our Introduction to the Psalms thus far, we have asked the question:

Why should we study the Psalms?

Four Answers to this question have been considered:

1. The writing of Psalms has been an important part of Religious Literature

since the beginning of time.

2. The Psalms have been given prominence in the New Testament.
3. The Psalms have a prominent role in the History of the Church through the ages.
4. The Psalms speak to us because they reflect the whole of our human experience.

Now, I want us to consider another very Basic Question: What is a Psalm?

Firstly, a Psalm is a Poem:

It wasn't until comparatively recent times that it became obvious by simply looking at the printed page of the Bible that the Psalms, as well as other portions of the Old Testament, have a

Poetic Structure. The translators of the Authorised or King James Version overlooked this.

So the Print Format of the Psalms in the A.V. is virtually identical to that of the Books of the Law and Historical Books such as 1 & 2 Kings. More modern versions make the Poetic Structure of the Psalms more obvious by printing them in a different style to the Narrative passages of Scripture. This, of course is also case with the Poetic Sections of other Books such as the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 and the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2.

If we are to understand the Psalms more clearly, we need to understand that the Book of Psalms comes under a particular category of Biblical Literature.

It is important for a student of the Bible to know the difference between the various kinds of literature within the Scriptures. There are books which are mainly Historical (for example, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings); some come under the Books of the Law (the Five Books from Genesis through to Deuteronomy); and others which are Prophetic in nature (from Isaiah through to Malachi, the Major & the Minor Prophets). The Book of Psalms, along with Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon, come under the category of Poetry & Wisdom Literature. This, of course, is not to say that the Psalms do not contain an element of the Law, History & Prophesy, but simply that we need to be aware of the fact that, by and large, the Psalms need to be interpreted with their Poetic Structure in mind. They need to be interpreted in a different way to the Historical & Prophetical Books of Scripture, because they were written in a different literary style.

I want us to deal with this point because it is vital for a true understanding and interpretation of the Psalms. I have no intention of getting too technical - we'll leave that to the linguists and intellectual Bible students. However, it is important that we must learn to interpret the Psalms, knowing the difference between Poetry & Prose in Scripture - Prose, in this context, meaning the ordinary form of written language that we have in the books containing mainly Historical Narrative.

When we read in the early chapters of Genesis that God created Adam & Eve, that they lived in the Garden of Eden until they sinned, and that they were expelled from the Garden, we read the narrative as History. We believe Adam & Eve to be historical persons, just as the New Testament states that the Lord Jesus and the Apostles believed them to be (e.g. Matthew 19:4-6;

1 Corinthians 15:45-49). When we read of the exploits of King David, we read them as a true record of what this man did and what happened to him. Again these Historical Accounts are borne out by the witness of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles (e.g. Matthew 12:1-8; Acts 13:16-23).

However, The Literary Style of the Book of Psalms is very different:

For example, listen to the words of Kin David in Psalm 6:6:

"All the night, make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears" (A.V.),

We need to understand that we were never meant to take these words of King David literally. We must interpret the truth behind these Figurative Expression. We must understand that David was saying that he was overcome with sorrow and that he was so overwhelmed that he cried constantly.

Again, when we read in Psalm 98:8:

"Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy"

Yet again, it seems quite obvious that we were never intended to take this Pictorial Language in a literal sense. In a literal sense, rivers cannot possibly clap for joy, and mountains have no voice to enable them to sing to the Lord, except for the wind. The Psalmist is saying that even though all the forces of nature were to be harnessed to join in Praise to God, along with all the people of all nations, then they could never Praise God enough for all his blessings & goodness toward his people. He is referring to what William Plumer describes as a "Great & Universal thanksgiving & gladness before the Lord."

The Psalmist himself makes this point clear in the immediate context:

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things … The Lord has made his

salvation known and revealed his righteousness before the nations … all the ends of the

earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,

burst into song with music" (Ps 98:1-4).

We are quite obviously intended to interpret these words, about the rivers clapping and the mountains singing, in the light of the fact that we are dealing with Poetry and not Historical Narrative.

H C Leupold, refers to the musical instruments mentioned in verses 4-6, as well as the harnessing of the forces of nature, for Praising God, saying:

"In terms of our day, it would take a symphony orchestra to do justice to the exuberance of

praise that should be offered on this occasion. In fact, as the next section suggests, only a

symphony orchestra of stupendous proportions could do justice to this task, for all the

forces of nature are to be drafted in to take part in the paean of praise. Rare and very

proper poetry finds expression in verse 8 when the rivers are said to clap their hands

(the clapping of the waves), and the mountains are bidden to exult together in their

towering majesty."

C S Lewis, in his book Reflections on the Psalms, emphasises the importance of studying the Psalms as Poetry, with its unique forms of expression and unique characteristics, saying:

"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."

This statement is true of all literature, not only Biblical literature. When children hear or read Fairy Tales, they soon learn that all the supposed facts of the story cannot be taken literally. They learn the characteristic nature of a Fairy Tale - They learn that this kind of literature begins with the phrase "Once upon a time", and ends with, "they all lived happily ever after." Likewise, all Bible Students must learn to recognise that every type of Biblical Literature needs to be interpreted with an understanding that it possesses a particular literary style.

In view of the fact that Psalms are Poetry, we should not approach the reading of them in the same way that we would approach the Historical Narratives of a book like 1 or 2 Kings. We must expect to find figures of speech. We must interpret any expressions found in the Psalms in the light of the literary use, rather than their literal meaning. For example, in Psalm 1 the godly are likened to a tree planted by streams of water, while wicked are described as chaff that blows in the wind (Ps 1:3-4). This obviously cannot be taken literally and result in a believer spending his life sitting by some stream or river, cut off from the rest of society.

In Psalm 23 it is clear that the Lord is portrayed as a Shepherd caring for us as his sheep. There must not be any doubt in the mind of the believer that this is a metaphor. On the other hand, this metaphor is full of extremely comforting and encouraging meaning to the believer who is ready to delve into the deeper spiritual significance of this pictorial language. A right exposition of this Psalm has far more significance than the actual words used.

These poetic images, which are found throughout the Book of Psalms, help to stimulate our minds and assist with our meditation on the meaning of the Word of the Living God and on its application to our own lives. The actual Poetic Form and Language actively encourages the thoughtful reader of the Psalms to probe into the deeper meaning of each passage. Thus, the Poetry of Psalms enhances our understanding of the Nature of God ,and upon his dealings with his people. They also help us to express our own thoughts and innermost feelings that we find difficult to express.

Furthermore, we need to understand that Hebrew Poetry is typical of

Hebrew thought patterns, which are not the same as our typical English Poetry.

When most English people think of Poetry, we think of the Poetry that is based on rhyming words. The kind of verse that immediately springs to mind is the typical poetic style of the Children's Nursery Rhyme:

"Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go."

Some may think of the Poetry learned in the English Literature class at school ,

such as John Mason's 'Sea Fever':

"I want to go down to the sea today, To the lonely see and the sky;

With a tall ship and a clear sky and the stars to guide me by."

Hebrew Poetry has a Unique Style & Structure all of its own.

We need to understand that this kind of Poetry is very different to our traditional English Poetry.

Derek Kidner suggests that:

"A closer modern equivalent would be the measured oratory of, for instance,

a Winston Churchill -

We shall fight on the beaches,

• in which re-iteration (and other devices) join to make a passage

In Hebrew Poetry, it is the relationship of two (or occasionally more) lines of Poetry, which is at the heart of their special Poetic Style. This relationship is often referred to as Parallelism.

Bishop Robert Lowth, first introduced the name 'Parallelism', in connection with this kind of Poetic Style, in his lectures on Hebrew Poetry in 1741, more than a century after the King James Version was first published.

The general concept of this Poetic Style is that two statements are linked together, H C Leupold says that rarely even three are yoked together. These statements may stand in various relations to one another. In other words, there are several different types of Parallelism that have been identified by various Bible Scholars.

Bob Deffinbaugh describes the concept of Parallelism as follows:

"By the use of various types of parallelism the first line of Poetry is expanded upon

in the second, either by clarification, completion or contrast."

Derek Kidner remarks:

"There are many varieties of this, from virtual repetition to amplification or antithesis.

It has a dignity and spaciousness which allows time for the thought to make its effect on

the hearer, and often also the opportunity to present more than one facet of the matter …

The essence of this Poetry is that it has great mattes to convey forcibly to people of all

kinds. It is therefore unselfconscious, and remarkably free from artificialities of language."

In other words, Kidner is arguing that Parallelism allows the writer to drive home the truth he is writing about, until it is burned on the hearts of the Believer, and until the Believer understands the relevance of the truth to his own life.

Various kinds of Parallelism have been found in Scripture by various scholars.

I'll only give a couple of examples - see Addendum sheet for further examples:

Synonymous Parallelism: where the statement in first line is repeated exactly in the second line, but with only a slight change in the actual words being used:

"Why do the nations rage

And the peoples plot in vain?" (Ps 2:1)

"O Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!" (Ps 3:1)

This type of Parallelism is found in every verse throughout Psalm 114, but is also extremely common throughout the Psalter - e.g. Ps 80:13.

Antithetical or Contrasted Parallelism: where the statement in the first line is affirmed in the second line, not by repetition, but by contrast or opposite:

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked will perish" (Ps 1:6)

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods" (Ps 40:4).

Also Ps 30:5; 37:21.

Other types of Parallelism are called:

Climactic or Ascending Parallelism

Synthetic or Constructive Parallelism

Emblematic Parallelism

Formal Relationship (Parallelism)

The important point to make here is this. The Lord God caused the Holy Spirit to inspire the Hebrew Writers to use the kind of Poetry that could be easily translated into other languages and still retain its meaning:

Derek Kidner, in an article in The Lion Handbook to the Bible, says:

"Bishop Lowth pointed out that this structure, based as it is on meaning, survives

translation into the prose of any language with remarkably little loss, unlike the poetry that

relies on complex metre or special vocabulary."

In other words, Lowth is saying that the Lord God caused the Psalmists to use this kind of

Poetic Style so that people of all cultures and languages could easily understand the Poetry of the Scriptures.

The Hebrew Psalm has a very special significance for the people of God throughout the Nations of the world and throughout the Generations down through the ages.

In the providence of God, it is the most universal form of poetry. It can be translated into every language and understood in the context of every culture in the world, whether it be in the past, present or future. As an example, can you imagine trying to translate even a simple Nursery Thyme such as 'Mary had a little lamb' into another language or into thought patterns of other cultures thousands of years removed from the time in which it was written? Even attempting a word-for-word translation is virtually impossible, let alone trying to find words with identical meaning which actually rhyme. Try it in any language with which you may be acquainted, and you will see what I mean!

And yet, in spite of the difficulties translators would find in putting our modern poems into another language, translation has virtually no adverse effect on Hebrew poetry, because the rhyming of words is not a prominent feature.

Derek Kidner, in his Inter-Varsity Press commentary on Psalms, says:

"It is the striking fact that this type of poetry loses less than perhaps any other in the

process of translation. In many literatures the appeal of a poem lies chiefly in verbal

felicities and associations, or in metrical subtleties, which tend to fail of their effect even

in a related language … But the poetry of the Psalms has a broad simplicity of rhythm and

imagery which survives transplanting into almost any soil Above all, the fact that its

parallelisms are those of sense rather than of sound allows it to reproduce its chief effects

with very little loss of either force or beauty. It is well fitted by God's Providence to invite

'all the earth; to 'sing the glory of his name.'"

One thing that needs to be emphasised, even more than the actual Hebrew Poetic Style itself, is the blessing that the Poetry of the Psalms can be to God's people.

Poetry of any form is a method of expressing the innermost thoughts of the human soul. Poetry is a very vivid form of expressing our thoughts of any description, but especially when it comes to thoughts that are difficult to fully express. The Poetic form of expression can be used to catch people's attention and stimulate their thoughts. The smallest thought, expressed in only a few words, can stimulate the imagination to even greater thoughts. Only a little is actually said by the actual Poet, but a great deal more can be filled in by the other person. Therefore, Poetry is really a much more intense form of communicating the inner thoughts of human mind and soul, than simple prose.

One writer, Perrine, says:

"Poetry might be described as a kind of language that says more and says it intensely than

does ordinary language. Poetry is not designed basically to communicate information.

Poetry is the language of experience. It is powerful in its communicative ability."

It isn't only Parallelism or any other Poetic style that makes Poetry to be so much more meaningful to the individual reader. Every piece of Poetry that has ever been written, whether it be in Scripture, or in other published collections of poems, or even in the private and unpublished efforts of individuals, has demanded a great deal of effort and often sacrifice by the writer. A high standard of meaningful Poetry requires a great deal of time and effort. The Poetry of Scripture, in particular, has involved a great deal of heart searching, and often the learning of difficult spiritual lessons for the individual writers.

Think of the anguish of soul that went on in the heart of King David, and the strength of character that that made him ready to make a public confession of his sin with Bathsheba, when he penned the words of Psalm 51. Not only had he been confronted with his sin by the Prophet Nathan, he had also lost the child born out of this passionate love affair.

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only,

have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you

speak and justified when you judge. Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the

time my mother conceived me, you teach me wisdom in the inmost parts" (Ps 51:3-6).

You can feel the intensity of David's soul-searching experience. Day after day, every moment of every day, the wretched sinfulness of his sin was impressed upon his heart and mind by his

Holy & Almighty God. Day after day he grieves because of the fact that he has sinned against the Lord God who has blessed him so much. You can feel the genuine nature of his repentance and his reliance upon the Lord alone for forgiveness, despite his unworthiness to receive it. He expresses the thought that the Lord has taught him an inexpressible depth of wisdom in his inmost being through this extremely painful experience.

Think too of the intensity of feeling in David's Psalms of Thanksgiving, for example Ps 103:

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord,

O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my

diseases; he redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. He

satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's … For

as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is this love for those who fear him; as

far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a

father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Ps 103:1-5 & 11-14).

You can feel in the very words of this Poetic Form how David is moved in his innermost being. He is moved from the depths of despair to the heights of exultation. We cannot even begin to understand the depth of feeling and thought put into the writing of this Psalm by David. Years and years of learning about the goodness and blessings of the Lord God, Yahweh, by both David and the nation of Israel, has gone into this one Psalm alone.

What is a Psalm?

1. A Psalm is a Poem
2. A Psalm is a Song

The Book of Psalms is often described as 'The Hymnbook of God's People'.

The various titles of the Book of Psalms are one indication of the role of the Psalter as a Hymnal. In the Hebrew Bible the title of the Book of Psalms is Tehillim, which means Songs of Praise.

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, the term used in Psalmoi. The verb of this Greek word originally referred to the plucking of strings with the fingers. Eventually, Psalmoi came to mean Sacred Songs sung to musical accompaniment.

In addition to the actual titles used for the Book of Psalms, there are numerous Musical Terms in the Psalter which indicate that the Psalms were written with the intention of them being sung by God's people in the worship of their Lord, Yahweh. The term Mizmor, a melody, usually rendered as psalm is used 57 times - for example, the title of Psalm 24. This term in the heading of these Psalms is an indication that they were sung to some kind of musical accompaniment in worship.

The Hebrew word Sir, meaning a song, hence a religious song, sung in worship, is found in the headings of a total of 30 Psalms - for example, the title of Psalms 46 & 48.

There are some varieties of songs that are given specific titles. For example,

'A Song for the Sabbath Day' (Ps 92); 'A Song for the Dedication of the Temple' (Ps 30);

'A Wedding Song' (Ps 45); 'A Psalm or Song of Praise' (Ps 145);

'A Psalm or Song for Giving Thanks' (Ps 100).

R K Harrison notes that the actual inscription 'Song of Praise' appears only once, in Psalm 145, despite the fact that the plural of that word is the Jewish designation of the entire Psalter.

A particular Group of Psalms, Psalms 120-134, have the inscription Song of Ascents.

A Song of Ascent is a Pilgrim Song sung by worshippers as they walked behind the ark in celebration at religious festivals. Some writers say that these Songs of Ascent were particularly sung when the people of God were going up to Jerusalem to Worship the Lord in the Temple.

A total of 55 Psalms make reference to Choirmaster or Director of Music or The Chief Musician. Some say that the root meaning of the Hebrew word translated as Director of Music or Choirmaster is 'to shine', and therefore is understood to signify the shining of God's face in terms of blessing on the worshippers of the Temple. Others say that the term should be connected with the idea of God's victory. Evidence for the practice of having a Director of Music to lead the Worship of God's people is found in 1 Chronicles ch 15. This is in the period prior to the building of Solomon's Temple, in the time of David when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem:

"David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful

songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps & cymbals … The musicians

The musicians who played the harp were to be the Directors of the Music (verse 21). According to Matthew Henry, the phrase 'directing according to sheminith', means on the eighth, referring to playing eight notes higher or lower than the rest - a form of harmony. Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; he was the Choirmaster because he was skilful in singing himself, and could, therefore, lead the singing and instruct other members of the choir.

We also read of a group of musicians who played and sang at the time when the Ark was brought into Solomon's Temple:

"All the Levites who were musicians - Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and

relatives - stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals,

harps & Lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters

and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord.

Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voice in praise

to the Lord and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever'" (2 Chronicles 5:12-13).

Although it isn't obvious from this passage, Jeduthun was designated as the Director of Music. His name appears in the titles of three Psalms (Ps 39; 62; 77).

R K Harrison, in his Introduction to the Old Testament, says:

"Individuals or Guilds of Singers appeared under various designations, one of the more

common being Asaph (Psalm 50 & 78-83). A prominent court-musician in the time of

David bore this name (1 Chronicles 6:39; 15:17), and it may well be that the 'sons of

Asaph' in the period of Nehemiah (Neh 7:44) were members of a Musical Guild that went

back to the days of David and the monarchy. As far as the Psalter was concerned, Asaph

could refer either to the Guild, to some member of it, or to their collection of Religious

Poetry. The mention of Ethan the Ezrahite (Ps 89 cf 1 Chron 6:44; in 1 Kings4:31 Ethan

is a Hebrew sage) and Heman the Ezrahite (Ps 88 cf 1 Chron 6:33) enshrined the native

Canaanite tradition of music and psalmody - the term 'ezrah' means 'aboriginal'.

Mention of the sons of Korah (Ps 42; 44-49; 84-85; 87-88) may imply the existence of

another Musical Guild whose traditional origins probably reached back to Korah, the

great-grandson of Levi (Numbers 16:1f; 1 Chron 6:31f; 2 Chron 20:19)."

Some scholars say that Psalms with the title 'To the Choirmaster or Director of Music' may at one time have been gathered together as a separate collection of Psalms - the Musical Director's Collection. For example, Psalm 42; 44; 46; 47. R K Harrison points out how it may be that the psalms to which this designation was attached had been taken from a collection belonging to an unknown precentor, or perhaps dedicated to him.

There is evidence for the existence of Set Tunes for particular Psalms.

Names of Melodies appear to be reflected by several titles attached to various Psalms. Several Psalms bear the inscription 'To the tune of Do not destroy' (Ps 57-59; 75 cf Isaiah 65:8). The title of Psalm 56 gives instructions to the Director of Music to sing this song to the tune of 'A Dove on Distant Oaks' - This may have had a connection with the sacrifice of the dove upon which was laid the sins of the worshipper (Leviticus 5:6-10). Psalm 22 is set to the melody

'The Doe (or Hind) of the Morning', which may also be a reference to the particular sacrifice that was offered when the worshippers were singing this Psalm.

Psalm 45 & 69 were to be sung to a well-known tune called 'Lily or Lilies' - and another variant Hebrew term translated as 'The Lilies of the Covenant' in Psalm 60 & 80 - is thought to have reference to the use of flowers in some kind of festal procession. Scholars say that meaning of one title 'According to Gitteth' (Ps 8; 81; 84), is a little less certain. It may be, according the Septuagint, a vintage tune associated with the Hebrew word for winepress (Joel 3:12), or it may refer to a Philistine musical instrument, which Leopold Sabourin calls a 'harp'.

Two Psalms (Ps 53 & 88) are designated 'For the Director of Music. According to Mahalath (Ps 55) & Mahalath Leannoth (Ps 88)'. Some say these titles may refer to tunes named after two women (2 Chron 11:18), although others say Mahalath may mean for affliction or for singing.

In the inscriptions attached to Psalm 4; 6; 54; 55; 67; 76, the Director of Music is instructed that these Psalms are to be sung with the accompaniment of Stringed Instruments.

Psalm 5 is For Flute - Neioloth. R K Harrison says that four of these also contain the word Mizmor, pointing clearly to instrumental accompaniment of singers. Leopold Sabourin says that some of the musical terms in the superscriptions are difficult to interpret and that they may refer to instructions to the various sections of the Choir, such as the sopranos and the basses.

Whatever, all these term mean, one thing is clear. Many of the Psalms were Songs of Praise, Songs of Thanksgiving, Songs of Lament and so on, and were obviously meant to be sung, either as part of the Worship of the Temple or as part of the many Religious Festivals and Processions.

Bernard Anderson, in his commentary on Psalms titled Out of the Depths, argues that the New Testament confirms what has already been observed from the Old Testament. Namely that the references to 'psalms' in 1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:19 & Colossians 3:16, are each found in the context of music.

Bernard, therefore concludes that the Psalms are Songs of Worship:

"Yet in a larger sense it is appropriate that the title 'Songs of Praise (Tehillim)' was finally

applied to the Psalter as a whole, which includes a variety of types of psalms; hymns,

laments; thanksgivings; songs of trust; wisdom meditations; and others. For the truth is

that every Psalm, whatever its literary type and whatever its relation to the cult, is actually

a song which extols and glorifies God."

The fact that the Psalms are Songs is clear evidence of the important role which music has to play in the worship of God's people throughout Biblical times, and, indeed, throughout the history of the Church of Christ from Apostolic times.

Martin Luther said:

"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 honour."

Since the actual musical scores of both Old & New Testament Psalms have been lost for many centuries, the people of God in modern times are left to compose their own musical forms which best fit their style of worship and praise. Whatever the musical tastes of particular groups of worshippers, the main aim must surely be to express our worship to the Living God from the depths of our hearts, using the words of the various Psalmists. There is no doubt whatsoever that the use of the Psalter, either the actual wording or the Psalms in Paraphrase form, will certainly greatly enhance the Worship Services of the Church of Christ today, just as they did in the Temple Worship of Old Testament times.

Bob Deffinbaugh, an American Pastor, says:

"In our own culture and within our own church there are cultural differences which are

expressed by different musical preferences and tastes. Some like 'high church' music while

others are into 'folk' music. I believe that God kept men from preserving the original

musical notes of the Psalms because this would enable, indeed, it would cause, each

culture down through the ages to compose its own music. In the composition of musical

accompaniment to the Psalms, many have come to know them much more intimately that

they would have, had the musical score been preserved."

What is a Psalm?

1. A Psalm is a Poem
2. A Psalm is a Song
3. A Psalm is an Expression of Worship

It could be argued that no one word better summarises what the Psalms are all about than the word Worship. The Book of Psalms may be described as: 'A Liturgy or a Handbook for Christian Worship.'

Psalm 95:6-7 calls the people of God to Worship, saying:

Yet again, the Psalmist calls us to Worship, saying:

"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble, he sits enthroned between the cherubim,

let the earth shake … Exalt the Lord our God and Worship at his footstool; he is Holy …

Exalt the Lord our God and Worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is Holy"

(Ps 99:1, 5, 9).

Ronald B Allen, in his book on the Psalms, called Praise! A matter of Life & Breath, says:

"The Book of Psalms is best described as 'Response.'

The Psalms are Man's Response to God."

Bernard Anderson, in his studies in the Psalms, called Out of the Depths, says:

"Since the Saints Respond differently to God's activity (or perceived inactivity),

the whole spectrum of Man's Response can be found in the Psalms."

In the Book of Psalms we see the Response of God's People to his dealings with them.

The main thought these writers are trying to convey in the Psalms is this. In the Book of Psalms we see that the worship and response of the people of God often depends on the way they perceive God's dealings with them. Sometimes believers come to the Lord with hearts predominantly full of thanksgiving and adoration. At other times they come to the Lord feeling a sense of despair, desperation, or deep depression, they come pleading with God from the depths of their innermost being with a lament or a petition. They come agonising and pleading with God in the hope of deliverance from their sense of despair and abject misery. Whatever the particular situation facing the individual may be at the time, whatever emotions they may be feeling - either exultation or deep depression - the believer will have a deep desire to pour out the feelings of the heart in worship.

One writer, John Hayes, says:

"In the Psalter, one finds psalms expressive of the gamut of human emotions. Some ring

with the exuberant thrill of praise; others reverberate the throes of human desperation.

The heights and the depths of human life resound through its poetry."

At times we see the writers of the Psalms having a deep desire to worship God. But, at the same time, they have a feeling that the Lord is far from them and that he has rejected them.

For example, note the contrast in the two sections of Psalm 27:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear.

The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?

… One thing I ask of the Lord, this will I see:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life" (v1, 2 & 4)

But, then the second half of the Psalm begins like this:

"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says to you, 'Seek his face!' Your face Lord will I seek.

Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;

You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Saviour." (v7-9).

H C Leupold says:

"Aside from the note of confidence the second most prominent feature of this Psalm is its

obvious change of mood: the first half (v1-6) being the very heights of supreme

confidence in God, the second section (v7-12) being on the lower level of plaintive

petition … Many interpreters assume that the two sections are so radically different from

one another that they refuse to believe that any one man could have spoken or written the

two consecutively as one piece without having one flatly contradict the other. However, it

should be noted that in actual experience men may find moods undergoing a swift

transition. Why should religious experience be exempt from such fluctuation?"

The aim of the Authors of the Psalms was to express their innermost feelings to God in Worship, no matter what those feelings might be. They were not afraid to express their true feelings. They didn't hide their emotions and bottle things up inside. They didn't place themselves in an emotional straight-jacket, afraid lest they become over-emotional and show themselves up in public. They were not afraid to Worship God with literal shouts of acclamation and leaping for joy. Neither were they afraid to weep bitterly over some sin or depressive experience. The whole of their spiritual and temporal experience was harnessed in their Worship of the Living God, who cares for his people in every situation in which they may find themselves.

Bob Deffinbaugh comments:

"Much of Christianity, in my opinion, has become so intellectualised that our emotions

have all but been placed on the shelf. Perhaps we have arrived at this out of over-reaction

to the emotional excesses of some of our brethren, but what are we to say about the

Worship that we witness in the Psalms? If we are to Worship the Lord God with our whole

being, as the Scriptures command (Deut 6:5; Mark 12:30), then perhaps it is time for us to

employ our emotions in Worship, as well as our intellect."

The Psalmists were not afraid to express their joy in the Lord:

"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame" (Ps 34:1-5)

Neither were the Psalmists afraid to express deep sorrow:

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Ps 12:1-2).

When the Psalmists Worshipped the Lord expressed the particular emotions they felt at that particular time, no matter what that emotion might be. Indeed, if they felt a whole series of different emotions going on in their innermost being during the same day, or even at one particular moment of time, they were prepared to tell the Lord exactly how they felt.

Although the Psalms were written by individuals and often express the feelings of the individual author, they were compiled primarily for use in public worship.

The actual experience which prompted the composition of a Psalm may have been personal and private, but the Psalm was included in the Psalter with the intention of being used for corporate praise and worship by the whole congregation. The Psalms of a number of different composers were collected together by the Hebrew Religious Leaders with the express intention in mind that they be used in the Public Worship of God's people.

Herbert Carson, in his book on Christian Worship, says:

"Worship is the declaration by the creature of the greatness of his Creator. It is the glad

affirmation by the sinner of the mercy of the Redeemer. It is the united testimony of an

adoring congregation to the perfection of their common Lord. It is the summit of the

service of the angels and the climax of the eternal purpose of God for his people. It is

man's supreme goal and the consummation of his life in heaven."

Note the emphasis on Worship being the United Testimony of the Whole Congregation.

In our own day, many Christians seem to neglect the Corporate sense of Worship, and seem to think of Worship as being an individual experience. Emphasis is placed on the daily personal time of Devotions. Perhaps this notion has occurred because we live in a Society that emphasises the importance of the needs and aspirations of individuals. But, worship in Scripture is primarily a Public & Corporate experience of the whole of the Local Church. The Hebrew mindset was very different to that of modern day Western Society. They had a greater sense of national identity, stemming from the fact that they were the Covenant People of God. Naturally, this was reflected in their emphasis on Public Worship.

Rev J Thompson, a former Scottish Pastor writing in the New Bible Dictionary, says:

"It cannot be said too often that the Psalter is a mirror which reflects not so much the

religious experience of individuals as the experience of the religious soul of Israel

conceived as a corporate personality … The Psalter lays great stress on the place of Public

Worship in the religious life of the individual Hebrew."

Bob Deffinbaugh, in an article on Worship, says:

"The Psalms of the Bible are not individualistic poems such as a modern person might

compose to express his own thoughts and feelings. Of course, according to the Bible the

individual is infinitely important in God's sight … Yet the individual finds himself in the

community which God has called into being. Within that community he has access to God

in Worship; he joins with the community in responding in praise to God's actions; and he

participates in the great historical pilgrimage of the People of God."

Bernard Anderson makes the point that, because praise in the Psalms is

Public & Corporate, the individual author becomes almost anonymous:

"The Psalmist is not concerned to tell us about the details of his life or to disclose his own

What is a Psalm?

1. A Psalm is a Poem
2. A Psalm is a Song
3. A Psalm is an Expression of Worship
4. The Psalms are Prayers of God's people

The Doxology of Book (2) of the Psalms concludes with these words:

"The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" (Psalm 72:20).

This indicates that the author of this verse, who was most likely to be the compiler of this

Second Book of the Psalms, viewed these Psalms as Prayers. When the author of each Psalm composed his work he did so as a Prayer to the Almighty God, Yahweh. When the Congregation of the Israelites were met together for Worship, they Sang, Recited, or Prayed the Psalms. When they were doing this, in the broadest sense of the word, the Israelites were engaging in Prayer to their God. If Prayer is used in the sense of being more than just a Petition or Request to God, then it is quite easy to see how the Psalms can be regarded as Prayers.

H C Leupold reflects the thought of believers down through the ages when he describes the Book of Psalms as: "The Prayer Book of the people of God."

Claus Westermann, in his book The Psalms: Structure Content & Message,

says of the Psalms:

"They 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)."

Some Psalms have an inscription that designates them specifically as Prayers, in which the Psalmists bring a petition to their God for blessing and protection. For example, Psalms 86 & 102.

Other Psalms are Psalms of Intercession , in which the psalmists intercede for the king, their own people, other nations, the house of David, and Jerusalem. For example, Psalms 21; 67; 89; 122).

There are seven Psalms in which the author gives a Prayer of Penitence for sin, in which the Psalmist expresses Repentance and seeks God's Forgiveness for sins committed -

Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143).

Other Psalms were written as Prayers of Thanksgiving, sometimes for specific mercies, or praise that spring from God's Majesty revealed in the world of nature, or Praise in Worship and Adoration. For example, Psalms 47; 68; 104; 145-150).

Down through the centuries the people of God have made their habit to use the Psalms as Prayers as part of their devotional life. Many believers read a Psalm as preparation for Personal times of Prayer. They will choose a Psalm which best their spiritual and mental state at the time. Bible Historians tell us that this was a common practice of the early Christians. There is no doubt whatsoever that such a practice can still be a beneficial spiritual exercise for God's people in our own day.

Derek Thomas, in his book Help for Hurting Christians, shows how God's people can

use the Psalms to reflect their present experience in prayer:

"The world of the Psalms reveals a variety of situations … At one level, the Psalms have

an immediate appeal for any Christian, but they also have a deeper reality - that known by

a man who has travelled into areas we have only wondered at from a distance and who has

experienced greater heights and depths of happiness and heartache, fellowship and fear,

contentment and consternation, peace and provocation than many of us will ever know …

There is not a spiritual experience that we face about which the Book of Psalms does not

have something to teach us. The Psalms are, in Calvin's imagery, the mirror of our

spiritual lives."

The thing that causes the Psalms to stand out as a Glorious Prayer Book is that the Psalms come from the heart of each author. They express their genuine emotions as they ebb and flow from gladness to sadness and then back again to a sense of joy and thanksgiving, and then down again with a bump into a deep depression, and so on throughout the spiritual life of the believer.

One author says:

"How many Christians have voiced their prayers in hours of extreme anguish by

repeating familiar passages from Scripture or from their Hymnbook.

Countless Christians, down through the age, have found the Psalms to speak for them and

have prayed the words of a Psalm, finding them the best expression of their souls' desires.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis, was a man who was deeply influenced by Prayerfulness of the Psalmists.

His last publication before his death was called The Prayer Book of the Bible;

An Introduction tot he Psalms - written in 1940.

In May 1943, not long before his death, Bonhoeffer said:

"I am reading the Psalms daily, as I have done for years.

I know them and love them more than any other book in the bible."

One of his friends said about this man:

"He always seemed to me to diffuse an atmosphere of happiness, of joy in every smallest

event in life, and of deep gratitude for the mere fact that he was alive … He was one of the

very few men that I have ever met to whom God was real and close to him."

ADDENDUM (1)

Various kinds of Parallelism have been found in Scripture by various scholars.

I'll only give a couple of examples:

Synonymous Parallelism: where the statement in first line is repeated exactly in the second line, but with only a slight change in the actual words being used:

"Why do the nations rage

And the peoples plot in vain?" (Ps 2:1)

"O Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!" (Ps 3:1)

This type of Parallelism is found in every verse throughout Psalm 114, but is also extremely common throughout the Psalter - e.g. Ps 80:13.

Antithetical or Contrasted Parallelism: where the statement in the first line is affirmed in the second line, not by repetition, but by contrast or opposite:

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked will perish" (Ps 1:6)

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods" (Ps 40:4).

Also Ps 30:5; 37:21.

Climactic or Ascending Parallelism: where the second line refines, develops and completes the thought of the first line. The first line takes up some words from the first line and then completes the full statement.

"Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength" (Ps 96:7).

Also Ps 29:1; 121:1-4; 22:4

Synthetic or Constructive Parallelism: where the second line develops the thought of the first line, but without quoting words from the first line (as does climactic parallelism). The two lines of the verse do not say the same thing but rather the statement in the first line serves as the basis upon which the second statement rests, or the relationship is that of cause and effect:

"Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker" (Ps 95:6).

Also 19:7-10; 2:6; 22:4; 119:121.

Emblematic Parallelism: where the first line introduces a figure of speech which is explained in the second line:

"As the deer pants for the water,

so my soul pants for you, O God" (Ps 42:1).

Formal Relationship (Parallelism): where the first and second lines have only a formal, structural relationship - more a close proximity (neighbours, so to speak) than of logic or sequence of thought:

"O God, whom I praise.

Do not remain silent" (Psalm 109:1).

ADDENDUM (2)

Acrostic Psalms

Occasionally an Acrostic or Alphabetic arrangement was used to divide a Psalm into stanzas. The best known example of this device of using the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet in the first word of the stanza is Psalm 119.

There are a total of nine alphabetic Psalms in the Psalter, and Hebrew students tell us that they show a great deal of variation in their alphabetic structure; e.g. in Psalms 111 & 112 each line begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, but in Psalm 111 the lines are arranged in eight pairs of verse lines or couplets; whilst in Psalm 112 the lines are arranged in two triptychs.

In Psalms 25; 34 & 145 each letter of the alphabet begins a couplet.

In Psalm 119, where the verses are arranged in strophes of eight verses each,

the same letter begins every verse in the stanza.

Psalms 9; 10 & 37 are also alphabetic in structure.

The contents of these Psalms show that this acrostic device did not fetter the poet's inspiration any more than the metre or rhyme which has been a general feature of more modern poetry has cramped the style of western poets.

This acrostic arrangement was obviously used to help God's people with memorising

these psalms. Some say that Psalm 119 used the whole Hebrew alphabet to show that children should learn this Psalm when they learned the alphabet.

ADDENDUM (3)

Division of the Psalter into Five Books:

These five divisions are as follows

Book (1) Psalms 1-41

Book (2) Psalms 42-72

Book (3) Psalms 73-89

Book (4) Psalms 90-106

Book (5) Psalms 107-150

Each of the Books of Psalms ends with a Doxology, which is thought to have been added by the compiler of the Books at a later date. Psalm 150 is considered as a Doxology to end the entire Psalter.

Most scholars acknowledge that the First Psalm is to be considered as an Introduction to the entire Psalter.