How to Read the Psalms

Poetic Metaphor

Starting with metaphor tonight

What is metaphor?

Speech that expresses ideas in visual imagery

Metaphor video (5 minutes)

Metaphor is the language of Poetry, “A metaphor is usually picturesque, expressing ideas in visual images. It increases memorability of concepts and wording. it bonds speakers and hearers and authors and readers together, as the creators of metaphor contemplate how hearers/readers will understand their intent, and hearers/readers reflect on the speakers’ meaning and craftsmanship. A metaphor helps convey abstract ideas, many of which cannot be readily expressed without the use of metaphor. . . . It is a compact way to express thoughts and feelings (and in some cases to bring to mind a whole story). . . . Perhaps most important, it affects not only how we speak but also how we think.” - D. Brent Sandy

I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time here, but rather point you toward people who have a better grasp on it than I do. The study notes for the Metaphor video on the Bibleproject.com are extensive and helpful. I also suggest chapter three in Brent Sandy’s book “Plowshares and Pruning Hooks” for a thorough treatment of metaphor in Hebrew poetry, prophecy in particular.

Some big things to be aware of though are that each culture has it’s own metaphors and so to read the metaphors of the Hebrew Bible, we have to be really aware of the Hebrew backgrounds and the role of particular images within their culture. Many come from the first 3 chapters of Genesis.

Reading the Psalms

Two complementary ways of reading psalms, straight through as poetic narrative or as a prayer book. We have a video for the first way.

How to read the Psalm video (5 minutes)

The book of Psalms is the largest collection of poetry in the Bible. This fascinating book was crafted to be read from beginning to end, and it invites us to a literary temple where we can meet with God and hear the entire biblical storyline retold in poetic form.

The Psalms scroll has been woven into the three-part design of the TaNaK (an acronym for the three sections of the Hebrew Bible) by means of the literary seams in Deuteronomy 34:10-12, Joshua 1:1-9, Malachi 4:4-6, and Psalms 1-2. The compositional design of the Psalms is riddled with cross-references to the Torah and the Prophets. These references prepare us to find intentional literary design within the Psalms scroll as a whole. The Psalms contain many older individual poems and songs and older collections of poems, but it is not designed to function like a hymnbook. It is meant to be read from beginning to end, and this can be discerned from the scroll’s literary design.

The Psalms contain many older individual poems and songs and older collections of poems, but it is not designed to function like a hymnbook. It is meant to be read from beginning to end, and this can be discerned from the scroll’s literary design.

Psalms 146-150 are a symmetrically shaped five-poem conclusion (hallelu-yah inclusios).

A Psalm 146 v. 1 hallelu-Yah! v. 10 hallelu-Yah

Psalm 147 v. 1 hallelu-Yah! v. 20 hallelu-Yah

B Psalm 148 v. 1 hallelu-Yah

hallelu Yahweh from the skies

hallelu him in the heights

v. 2 hallelu him all his angels

hallelu him all his armies

v. 3 hallelu him sun and moon [10 hallelu = 10 words of Genesis 1]

hallelu him all stars of light

v. 4 hallelu heavens of the heavens

hallelu waters above the heavens

v. 5 let them hallelu the name of Yahweh for he commanded, and they were created

A Psalm 149 v.1 hallelu-Yah! v. 9 hallelu-Yah

Psalm 150 v. 1 hallelu-Yah! v. 6 hallelu-Yah

The five-part conclusion of Psalms 146-150 corresponds to the five-part shape of the entire scroll, which is indicated by four editorial conclusions that demarcate five units.

5 Units

(Have 4 people look up the end of each book 1-4)

Each book has it’s own themes and purpose, but very clear endings, we’ll start with the endings:

Book 1 - Psalm 3-41 Psalm 41:13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from forever to forever. Amen and amen.

Book 2 - Psalm 42-72 Psalm 72:18-19 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders. And blessed be his glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and amen.

Book 3 - Psalm 73-89 Psalm 89:52 Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and amen.

Book 4 - Psalm 90-106 Psalm 106:48 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From forever even to forever. And let all the people say, “Amen.”

Book 5 - Psalm 107-145 with Psalms 146-150 as the conclusion

Book 1

Consists of 3 main sections

3-14 focus on the Davidic kingdom and God’s salvation in Zion

15-24 is a chiastic set of psalms that are set around the theme of the Temple and the importance of the Torah at the center of the chiasm in Psalm 19.

The last section is 25-42 which has three parts. Each part starts with an acrostic poem (25, 34, 37) with the intervening psalms as descriptions of David’s suffering and deliverance.

Books 2 and 3

The entire composition of books 2 and 3 are arranged as a symmetry with a David collection at its center and as its conclusion.

A 42-49: Korah Psalms

B 50: Asaph Psalm

C' 51-72: David Collection Psalm 72: Transition from David (Ps. 1-71) to Solomon (Ps. 72)

---------------------- END OF BOOK TWO------------

B' 73-8:3 Asaph Psalms

A' 84-89: Korah Psalms Ps. 89: Transition from Solomon (Ps. 72) to the exile (Ps. 89)

THE KORAH PSALMS - These two collections develop the same themes in a parallel sequence. Both begin with poems that encourage piety and hope in God’s promise, which is then anchored in the Jerusalem temple. This hope must be embraced despite a deep feeling of God’s absence.

The Asaph Psalms (50 and 73-83) These poems highlight the existential crisis brought about by the exile (Ps. 73, 74, 79-80), and they promote hope in God’s kingship (Ps. 75-76, 81-82).

Psalms 51, 72, and 89 are connected to the larger themes of messianic hope and exile that unite the TaNaK.

Psalm 51: The New Covenant David’s sin with Bathsheba brought divine judgment and repentance that led to restoration. This provides hope for the post-exilic community. See how Psalm 51:18-19 repurposes David’s hope for future generations.

Psalm 72: The Messianic Kingdom Solomon’s reign as described in 1 Kings chapters 3-10 becomes a model of future hope for the messianic King who will fulfill God’s promise to bless the nations through Abraham.

Psalms 89: Restoration from Exile The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the line of David poses a threat to God’s covenant faithfulness promised to David in 2 Samuel 7. In Psalm 89:46-48, the passing of the monarchy of Judah is compared to the larger existential crisis facing all mortal humans. In Psalm 89:49-51, The downfall of the messianic line is connected to the persecution of God’s servants. The poet petitions God on behalf of both.

Book 4

Psalms 90-100 are Yahweh as refuge for the king and then shepherd of Israel

Psalm 101-106 highlight God’s rule, justice and work on behalf of Israel

Book 5

Book 5 has also been designed as a large symmetry. 3 acrostic poems with the Hallel psalms between the first two and psalms of ascents between the 2nd and 3rd. It’s a chiasm with the focus being Psalm 119 which is both an acrostic and an extended meditation on the torah, instructions, of God.

Psalm 107 serves as the introduction to book 5. It is a poetic retelling of Israel’s history that shows how repentance and restoration are always possible with the God of mercy.

The poems in Psalms 108-110 give the promise of future vindication and victory for David and the future messianic Kingdom.

Psalms 111-112 are two acrostics that promote praise, wisdom, and the fear of the Lord.

Psalms 113-118 are “the great Hallel,” a collection that replays the Exodus themes (Ps. 113-114). All nations are called to turn from idols (Ps. 115) and to celebrate the royal rule of Yahweh the creator and deliverer (Ps. 116-117) who invites the redeemed into his temple presence (Ps. 118).

Psalm 119 is the largest acrostic poem of the Torah psalms.

Psalms 120-136 are known as the Psalms of Ascents (Heb. ha-ma’alot “the goings up” = return from exile).

Psalms 138-145 are the final David collection. David’s petition (Ps. 138-144) concludes with an acrostic meditation on the hope of the Davidic covenant (Ps. 145, especially 145:13b in the ESV).

????Questions????

Psalms as the Prayer Book of Israel

There is much to be gained by reading the whole book of Psalms as one literary unit. And there is just as much to be gained by taking the psalms one at a time.

The Psalms were the prayers of the people of Israel. This is how the Jews of Jesus’ day would learn to pray. They were communal in nature and they are all prayers of the people to God.

The breadth of human emotion is contained in the Psalms. Sad, angry, scared, happy, excited, tender, and all the rest. If you are experiencing an emotion, there is a psalm that will help you pray through that emotion.

What is cool about the psalms as prayers is that they are inspired words of God that are prayers to God. So if we are praying the psalms, we are praying his words back to him. If we are praying the psalms, we are safely praying God’s words that God’s people have prayed to God throughout all of Christian and much of Jewish history.

A feature of the psalms is how the psalmist moves through emotions. Often there are three modes through which the psalm flow. First we have equilibrium - things are going just like they’re supposed to and God is good. Then we have disorientation or disequilibrium - things are falling apart all around us. This is where we find songs of lament and imprecatory psalms, or psalms that call for the destruction of the wicked often in vivid imagery. The final mode is reorientation. Most laments and imprecatory psalms end with a reorientation toward God’s sovereignty and trust in God.

Walter Brueggemann, in his book “Praying the Psalms”, believes that when we are in the space of equilibrium, the psalms will often be found as out of touch with reality, but as soon as we start to experience disorientation, the psalms become a welcome tool for one who is looking for help in praying.

Major types and examples

Psalms of Praise center around glorifying God and the works that God has done. These royal psalms frequently contain declarations—of God as mighty, good, and righteous. (Psalm 19)

Hymns are joyful songs from the people who are rejoicing in their circumstances and goodness of God for providing. Hymns may begin individually, but frequently invite the community to join in their song. As one might expect, there is often quite a bit of overlap between praise psalms and psalms categorized as hymns. (Psalm 98)

Lament psalms cry out to God in the midst of emotional and spiritual turmoil. Asking for deliverance and comfort, these psalms serve in many ways as the flip side to the hymns which their joyful satisfaction with the conditions of life. (Psalm 88)

Often closely linked with the lament psalms, the imprecatory psalms call out for God to send judgement to the psalmist’s enemies. Declaring that vengeance belongs to God alone, these psalms ask for God to act and to bring justice in the aftermath of wrongdoing and pain. (Psalm 69)

Thanksgiving psalms represent another category of psalms defined by joy. But where the skillful psalms of praise or the hymns present they joy broadly, thanksgiving psalms highlight and celebrate a reason for their happiness. Giving thanks to God for blessings and provisions, these psalms reflect on God’s faithfulness. (Psalm 107)

A subcategory of the psalms of thanksgiving, remembrance psalms reflect back on and point to the works and promises of God. In doing so, the psalmist seeks to highlight the prayers that God has answered and to direct the people to recommit themselves to their faith. (Psalm 136)

The Book of Psalms, as part of the Wisdom literature of the Bible, devotes much attention to instructing humanity how to live our lives well. The wisdom psalms offer guidance and warnings, helping to direct people to live as God desires for us (Psalm 119)

Finally, we have the royal psalms, making use of the bold regal imagery of thrones, coronations, and processions. A royal psalm is usually written about a king or seeking to depict God as king. (Psalm 21)