PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

HEBREW POETRY

Bible poetry doesn't rhyme. In Hebrew the lines often have rhythm, but that rhythm doesn't translate well into English. I prefer the King James Version to read the Psalms and some other Biblical poetry because of its beauty. The 17^th century English was the English of Shakespeare, and the guys who translated these songs did so superbly. To grasp their meaning, however, unless you read Hebrew, you would do well to consult several translations.

If it doesn't rhyme, and we can't discern the rhythm, what makes it poetry? The answer is parallelism, at least primarily. So what is parallelism? It is two or more lines that state similar ideas that reinforce one another.

Consider the opening lines of Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man,

who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor standeth in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The three lines build and strengthen each other. In one sense they say the same thing. In another, they add on to one another. Note the progression: walk, stand, sit. We begin with the picture of someone walking along with someone, but then both stop, and both sit down. Each movement seems to go deeper into the ranks of sin.

Sometimes the parallels merely repeat an idea in different words, sometimes they bring in the opposite idea: But his delight is in the law of the Lord

and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

(Compare the first lines that are negative with these that are positive.

Repetition is another major characteristic of the poetry. The repetition includes phrases and words.

The next frequent characteristic will be new to most of you. It's called “chiasm.”

Chiasm is a pattern of words, phrases, or sentences. The most common pattern is ABBA or ABCBA, with the last line repeating the first, and the fourth line repeating the second. I'll try to point this out when we find one.

We will meet other variations as we go through the Psalms this quarter.

Who Wrote the Psalms

Many of them say they are a “Psalm of David.” But the preposition in Hebrew is more vague. You could also translate it “to David,” or even in some cases “about David.” We do know David played and apparently sang well on the harp. I like to compare his music to the modern day singers who accompany themselves on a guitar. Many of them also compose their own songs as well as sing songs of others. If David was a musician, it's easy to think his court was full of music, including his own. Other names are also given along with instructions about who is to lead the song or how the song should be sung.

There are a number of different kinds of Psalms:

Praise songs, or hymns

Laments, both personal and corporate

Thanksgiving

Royal psalms, both to the earthly king and God as King

Wisdom

Entrance, pilgrimage, or songs of ascent

Prophetic exhortation (preaching)

Trust and faith

Psalms is divided into five “books” or sections. 1-50 is the first one, and 50-72 the second. Scholars believe the first three sections are the oldest, and the last two later. For one thing the copies found at Qumran have more variations in the last two books, perhaps indicating those were not yet considered as part of the canon, or fixed as scripture.

Each of the five books ends with a doxology or “praise to the Lord.” Check it out at the end of Psalms 50 and 72.

A Few Themes

Kingship, especially God as King. When speaking of an earthly king like David, he always represents God on earth and rules for Him. Jesus quoted the Psalms more than any other OT book, and His predominant theme was the Kingdom of Heaven.

Righteousness shows up very often. Righteousness is a major characteristic of a citizen of God's kingdom. I once read an article by a Latin American translator, who pointed out that in all the Spanish Bibles you find the same word we render as righteousness, rendered in Spanish as justicia or justice. I tried substituting the word justice in a number of places, and found it makes sense. You might try it. Incidentally, Psalms does not present a righteousness that you can do-it-yourself. It's part of God's grace and forgiveness, even here in the OT.

Happiness is a major theme. That's what “blessed” implies: God-given happiness, the real deal.

The Law, or Torah, the Word of God. Right off the bat, in the first six verses we are told “in His Torah/law he meditates day and night. In Psalm 119, we will find in the enormous poem that every verse praises the law/Torah. That law refers first to commands of God, but also to the entire Pentateuch, the first five books. Those books were already considered sacred Scripture by the time his poetry was written.

That Torah, however, is not law as we usually think of it. Torah is a way of life, God's way. It is instruction in life; in fact, one could translate Torah in some cases as instruction, and they would be correct.

PSALM 1

Appropriately the quarterly begins the study with the First Psalm. This wisdom Psalm serves as the introduction to all 150, as well as the first book.

Blessed is the man/one – It's legitimate here to translate “one” rather than “man,” because the idea fits all people. Happy, to be congratulated have also been used in other translations. I still like Blessed, because it carries more of the idea that this happiness comes from God, It is “shalom,” peace, health, holy happiness.

Then there follow three parallels, somewhat synonymous, but also adding a bit more with each phrase.

Who does/has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly/wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of the scornful/scoffers.

He begins with the negative, some things the righteous person does NOT do. One author suggests a progression here as though describing how one gets involved with a bad crowd. First he walks by, then stops and stands, and finally sits down and joins the group. The sinners are also described in different terms, although these don't seem to be progressive: ungodly or wicked, sinners, finally scornful or scoffers. The OT has many terms for sin and sinners, and we will encounter many of them in this study. By the way, this is the only three part parallelism in Psalms.

But his delight is in the law/Torah of the Lord/Yahweh,

and in His Torah/law he meditates day and night.

This is a rough positive parallel to the first verse and its negative expression. This is called antithetical parallelism and is like an antonym, though it's not an opposite thought. Again, it adds to a picture of the righteous man.

Note the word “meditates.” It implies much more than a quick reading of the Law, rather the good people think deeply about that Torah and how it applies to them and their society. How much do we meditate/think about/ponder/study the Word of God? I am reminded of last Sunday's lesson on the great commission: teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Incidentally, some have compared the five books of the Psalms as related to the five books of the Pentateuch.

And he shall be like a tree, planted by streams of water

that brings forth its fruit in its sseason,

and whose leaf does not wither

and in whatever he does he shall prosper.

He prospers first because God blesses him for keeping His instruction. Yet he also prospers because that way of life leads to prosperity. As the roots of the tree stretch down into the streams of water to nourish it so it can produce fruit, so the happy person extends roots deeply into God's instruction in His way of life.

The ungodly are not so,

but are like the chaff

which the wind blows away.

Remember Gideon trying ridiculously to thresh wheat in a wine vat so the enemy would not see him? The idea is that the dried wheat is tossed in the air, and the wind blows away the husks, leaving the good grain to fall safely to the ground. Often threshing was done on hilltops, perhaps with a scooped out rock like a saucer to catch the fallen grain. The Psalmist is saying the wicked and their plans will not endure, but will be whisked away.

Compare the celebrities whose lifestyle too often leads them to early deaths. They are the tip of the iceberg compared to thousands across the land whose habits lead them to constant trouble with the law, homelessness, and early death.

Yes, I know bad things happen to good people, and many fine Christians die early. I don't always understand this, but as a group, those who live by the Way of Truth are far more likely, not only to endure, but to succeed in doing the will of God.

Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous.

Judgment is the Hebrew term mishpat. The word can also mean a judgment or law. The word for judge where Moses appointed 70 judges to interpret the law before giving the law is derived from mishpat. The judgment, therefore, is the time when the Lord rules on our lives...Judgment Day. The wicked will be swept away in the judgment as the chaff are blown away by the wind. Neither will they be included among the family of God, the citizens of the Kingdom. (Depart! I never knew you...)

For the Lord/Yahweh knows the way of the righteous/just,

but the way of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 1, indeed the Book of Psalms, clearly defines two roads or ways in life. They are black and white, true and false. They do not overlap. One is travelling toward God; the other is headed away from God. At the Judgment at life's end the wayfarer arrives at opposite destinations. One who aims away from God lands forever at the destination he chose. The other who heads toward God ends up in His Presence eternally.

To say God knows our way means more than that the Lord intellectually perceives what road we choose. Rather the verse means God knows by experience, as though He travels that road with us. Communion with God (in Christ) IS eternal life here and now as well as in eternity!