EXPERIENCING THE PSALMS

What Is a Psalm?

• Greek psalmos

• Hebrew noun mizmôr, "song, instrumental music”

• verb zāmar, "sing, sing praise, make music”.

• he Book of Psalms was -- and is -- intended for singing

• the church's first song book

What is found in psalms?

• express the entire spectrum of human emotion -- fear, despair, longing, love, hope, joy, and exultation

• Made of prayers and praise to God

• Poems

• Songs

• Petitions

Psalms – Hebrew Poetry

• Hebrew poetry differs from most Western poetry • It doesn’t rhyme• two primary elements • Thought parallelism• Imagery • western poetry we use both rhyme and rhythm • Hebrew poetry the rhythm may be in terms of

units per line

1. Thought Parallelism

• Thought A and Thought B• Synonymous Parallelism

– Same idea repeated twice– parallelism in Jesus' teaching, too (Matt 5:43-

45)

• Antithetic Parallelism – A contrast to the first idea– Contrast or Negation but to enforce the first

idea

2. Imagery

• Imagery has a way of fixing an idea in our minds with clarity

• There are two kinds of images • 1. Simile is a comparison which is made

explicit by the presence of the word "like" or "as."  Ps 42:1

• 2. Metaphor is a comparison that is implicit, that is, a comparison without the mention of "like" or "as." Ps 23:1

Categories of Psalms

• The Hymn,

• The Lament

• Thanksgiving Psalms

• Psalms of Confidence

• Psalms of Remembrance

• Wisdom Psalms

• Kingship Psalms 

Authors of Psalms

• 150 psalms • 116 include an extended title or an

ascription that is part of verse 1 in the Hebrew text

• Added by editors very early• The titles at the beginning of many of the

psalms • carry the ideas "of, for, from, at, in

reference to, belonging to.

Homework

• Psalm 34, 55, 85, 95, 135, and 40. read and Identify the genre.

• Identify the genre of Psalms 40 and 54. State why you get that from their structure.

Authors

• David Named as author of nearly half the collection

• Asaph Called "Asaph the Seer" (2 Chronicles 29:30), and was from a Levitical family. He founded the temple choir as chief musician (1 Chronicles 15;17-19; chapter 16).

• =73 psalms

• Psalms 50, 73-83 =12 psalms

Authors

• Sons of Korah A Levitical family, singers and musicians of the temple choir founded by Heman the Ezrahite (1 Chronicles 6:31-46).

• Ethan the Ezrahite = Juduthun From a Levitical family and founded one of the temple choirs (1 Chronicles 16:41; 25:1-6).

• Psalms 42-49, 84-85, 87-88= 12 Psalms

• Psalm 89, 39, 62, 77=

4 Psalms

Authors

• Heman the EzrahiteCalled "Heman the

Musician" (1 Chronicles 6:33) and was founder of a temple choir.

• Solomon Third king of Israel

• Moses Leader during the Exodus

• No title at all

• Psalm 88= 1Psalm

• Psalms 72, 127= 2Psalms

• Psalm 90= 1Psalm

• 34 Psalms

Origin and title

• The Title• The title may give info about the author,

the historical occasion, the function… • A Psalm without an author is generally

called an “Orphan Psalm” (ex. Psalm 33) • Many psalms gave a historical title

ex. Psalm 3• 14 of them/ Ps. 3, 7, 18, 30, 34, 51, 52, 54,

56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142.

Groupings

• The Psalms are divided into 5 groups• Psalm 1- 41 Group 1• Psalm 42-72 Group 2• Psalm 73-89 Group 3• Psalm 90-106 Group 4• Psalm 107-150Group 5• The Book of Psalms is called in Hebrew:

Tehillim which means “songs of praise”

Technical terms

• Selah, 71 times – to lift up (rll) or to bend (Aramaic)

• Higgaion (Haga) quieter instrument- whispering

• Nasah is the choirmaster

• Hallel Psalms

Deeper in Hebrew Poetry

• Parallelism – two thoughts

• A Complete parallelism is called a line

• A line may contain two, three (rarely four or more poetic phrases)

• Each line is a cola

• Two lines – a bicolon, three lines – tricolon

• Monocola- is a poetic line with only one phrase

More….

• Elipsis in parallelism• It is to bind the two phrases more closely together• Inclusio- A line that opens a closes a poem• Acrostic poems• The Hebrew Alphabet• Acrostic psalms: 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145

Imagery

• Simile and metaphor• Imagery is the fact that a picture is formed in

one’s mind by reading the psalm• On many instances like a personification• Images are not as precise as literal language/

but both are correct when you understand the context and the meaning of the image

• Ex. The ennemy is a lionThe ennemy is ruthless and cruel

Incomprehensibility of God

• Why so many images in the Psalms? The answer lies in God’s own nature. Images, simile and metaphors help to communicate the fact that God is so great and powerful and mighty that He can’t be exhaustively described. Images, may be accurate but less precise that literal language. Images preserve the mystery of God’s nature and being, while communicating to us about Him and His love for us

Homework due February 7• Psalm 47. Do you find any ellipsis? identify• Psalm 2

– Read– identify the separate poetic lines. – Identify the phrases within the lines and identify them as mono,

bi or tri cola (colon)• Identify the metaphors in Psalms 80 and 129• Read Psalm 124. The great image in this poem is water,

– Meditate on this image and – show how water illuminates the depths of the author’s

suffering• Read Psalms 30 and 35.

– List all the great images on God. – Write how great, mighty and loving God is according to these

psalms

Due Tuesday either by email (or in person)/ or as you enter class – Please cover page and indentify the questions as you’re answering them.

Thank you!

CLASS EXERCISE

• Psalm 46– Different lines (mono, bi, tri cola [colon])

• Similes in Psalms 52, 83