Psalm Introduction
Introduction
The Book of Psalms has often been called the hymnbook and prayer book of the Bible. The individual psalms were written in the meter and style of classical Hebrew poetry and set for singing as part of public worship. But many of them also can double as personal prayers, read or recited privately. The total number of psalms in this collection is 150 representing a variety of types: laments, songs of thanksgiving and praise of God, pilgrimage songs, wisdom songs, songs of Zion, and songs for the king's enthronement. They also include prayerful songs for God's help, for (personal and national) rescue from disaster, and for forgiveness. They cover a wide range of subjects and express a wide range of emotion. The longest psalm (119) extols the joys and benefits of studying Torah (God's instructions and commandments).
This collection of 150 psalms, however, is not generally organized by “types” or subjects, with the exception of the “Songs of Degrees (Ascent)” (120–134), which were sung by those making pilgrimages up to Jerusalem. Instead, the various types of psalms are simply gathered into five sections, perhaps in recognition of the five books comprising the Torah (Pentateuch): Book I (1–41); Book II (42–72); Book III (73–89); Book IV (90–106); and Book V (107–150). The division between each section is distinctly marked: the final verse of the last psalm in each section concludes with an expression of praise of God and a double or single “Amen” (for example, see the KJV at 41.13, “Amen, and Amen”). Because the language of the psalms is so evocative of the human spirit and trust in God, so worshipful and even healing, these songs of praise and prayer have been at the center of worship and liturgy for Jews and Christians for centuries. Psalms is the most frequently quoted book in the entire Bible, and the New Testament has over 250 allusions to the psalms.
Because the psalms were all composed in Hebrew poetry, this collection is also much valued by scholars as a source for the study of Hebrew poetry and its central feature—poetic parallelism. Unlike English poetry, this style prizes the artful “rhyming” of thoughts, not sounds. This can be seen, for example, in 145.14: “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, / and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.” In this system the parallel line echoes or modifies the preceding line in a way that more richly enhances the meaning. Parallelism can also introduce expansions or even contradictions in the parallel line to good effect. For readers, attention to the ways in which the psalms use this poetic feature can be very helpful to understanding. In the KJV most parallelisms occur within a single verse, but some may span two or more verses (e.g., 101.2b,3; 114.5,6).
Outline
Book I (1.1—41.13)
Book II (42.1—72.20)
Book III (73.1—89.52)
Book IV (90.1—106.48)
Book V (107.1—150.6)
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Psalm Introduction: KJVAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Psalm Introduction
Introduction
The book of Psalms is a collection of songs. These are the songs the people of Israel used to worship God. When Israel returned from exile in Babylon, many of the songs were collected. This is how the book of Psalms came to be. The songs are about many different things. Some are for praising God. Some are asking God for help when there is trouble. Some are about telling people that God is King.
The book is divided into five parts. Each part ends with “Give praise to the Lord” and “Amen and Amen.” The five parts are called Books. This reminds us of the first five books of the Bible. They are often called the Books of the Law. The words of the Psalms can be used like the law. They can be read and studied for instruction.
The five Books of Psalms also tell a story about Israel. That story has three parts. The first part of Israel’s story is found in Books 1 and 2 of the Psalms. Most of the psalms in these books were written by King David. The second part of Israel’s story is found in Books 3 and 4. They tell about Israel being defeated and taken away as prisoners and slaves. These Psalms ask God to bring Israel back home. Book 5 states that God has brought his people back home. This book ends with a group of praise psalms. God has been faithful. He judged his people by allowing them to be taken away as prisoners. But now God has allowed his people to return home again.
Each Psalm tells how people respond to God in different ways. We can read them to help us as we respond to God ourselves. We can also look at the way the whole book is put together. This helps us learn the story of Israel. It shows us that God keeps his promises to his people.
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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