1.Which Psalm is the longest? 2.Which Psalm is the shortest? 3.Who wrote most of the Psalms? 4.Which Psalm starts “The Lord is my shepherd”? 5.How many.

1. Which Psalm is the longest?

2. Which Psalm is the shortest?

3. Who wrote most of the

Psalms?

4. Which Psalm starts “The Lord

is my shepherd”?

5. How many Psalms are there?

1. The Psalms are designed to teach us

to worship God.

2. They also instruct us in how we can

voice our own prayers and praise to

God.

3. The Book of Psalms teaches us how

to be honest before God.

4. The Psalms is a constant resource to

help the Christian learn how to

praise and pray, to meditate and

contemplate as well as to face life

and death issues.

Oh Lord, my God! Why do you wait to show up?I cried out to you when trouble struck.I asked for your restoration.I know that you heard me. I know that you answered.Yet nothing—nothing of meaning happens again today.

What a two-edged sword your voice is!You speak. And then wait?You give hope. And then vanish into the mist?Have you forgotten me? Have more important things arrested your attention?Hope turns black. This evil I have seen.Nightly my dreams show me restored,And in the morning I am broken againCursed to relive the horror of suffering's first day.Please slay me! Blot my name from the ranks of the living!For in the grave can I finally rest.

How long? How long must I wait here in the middle?Between healing and hell,Between heaven and horror,

Who am I that God should remember me?My only salvation is that he should not forget his image,Or let his word be broken.He is faithful to us because he is faithful to himself.There is nothing I can do,In no way can I help.I sit in the ruins and wait,And take comfort in those who lie in the ashes with me.But one day, by his promise, I will stand;Restored as his message of hope is fulfilled.The Lord will turn this horror into a fading dream,And I will honor his name forever.

2. TITLE

ψαλμοί psalmoi,Psalter

I) David 73 total

II) Asaph 12 total

III) Korah 9 total

IV) Solomon 2 total

V) Heman the Ezrahite 1 total

VI) Ethan the Ezrahite 1 total

VII) Moses 1 total

3. AUTHORSHIP

COMPILATIONI) The writer of most the first 72 psalms was David.

II) Solomon, Jehoshaphat , and Jehoiada all organized temple singing and may have had a hand in compiling some of the psalms.

III) Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.), one of Judah’s best kings and one who led his people in returning to Scripture, may have added to and organized part of the Psalter.

IV) Josiah, another reforming king of Judah (640-609 B.C.)

V) The last two books of Psalms (chs. 90–106 and 107–150) contain more miscellaneous psalms dating from Moses to the return from exile. It seems likely that Ezra, the great reformer of postexilic Judaism, may have been responsible for adding these and perhaps putting the whole collection in its final form.

VI) Yet the Psalms scrolls found at Qumran give evidence that the structure of the collection was very much still in flux as late as the Maccabean era.

4. DATE

Solomonic Psalms

950BC

1 , 0 0 0 Y EA R S

I) Psalm 90 by Moses – about 1440 B.C.

II) Davidic Psalms – between about 1020

and 975 B.C.

III) Solomonic Psalms – about 950 B.C.

IV) Heman and Ethan due to their

connection with Ezra are perhaps

post-exilic.

5. SUPERSCRIPTIONS

I) Of the 116 Psalms with titles, 97 identify an author, 14

indicate the historical circumstances in the life of David, and

most indicate some musical directions (e.g., tunes). Though

they may not have been original to the Psalms, they should

be considered canonical and therefore important.

Psalm 76For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

Psalm 18For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the

LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

The Five Books of Psalms“The Pentateuch of Praise”

Books(Psalms)

Book 1(1-41)

Book 2(42-72)

Book 3(73-89)

Book 4(90-106)

Book 5(107-150)

Authors(total) David (37)

David (18)Korah (7)Asaph (1)Solomon

(1)

Asaph (11)Korah (4)David (1)

Heman (1)Ethan (1)

David (2)Moses (1)

David (15)Solomon

(1)

Number of Psalms 41 31 17 17 44

Closing Doxology 41:13 72:18-19 89:52 106:48 150:1-6

Divine Names

Yahweh (273)

Elohim (15)

Elohim (207)Yahweh (74)

Yahweh (339)Elohim (7)

Possible Compiler

David (72:20)   Ezra(?)

Possible Dates of

Compilation1020-970   Before 430 B.C.

6. DIVISION OF THE PSALMS

Patterned after the

Pentateuch

Concludes with a

doxology

A) IntroductionI) It was Hermann Gunkel (1862-1932) who classified Psalms under

several major forms:(1) Lament(2) Hymns (the psalmist praises God directly)(3) Songs of Thanksgivings(4) Royal/Messianic psalms and(5) Other Minor Types include

B) Literary ClassificationsI) Introduction(1) A large segment of the psalms follow some predictable literary

forms. Broadly speaking, 3 main categories are observable: * Laments* Hymns * Songs of Thanksgiving

7. CATEGORIES OF PSALMS

II) Lament Psalms(1) Lament Psalms are a call for help from God in the midst of an

individual or national distress.(2) “Laments outnumber every other kind of psalm in the Psalter;

almost a third of the psalms belong to this category.” (3) Form:

(a) Introduction(b) Lament(c) Confession of Trust(d) Petition(e) Vow of Praise

(4) Individual Lament(a) These are psalms by individuals calling God for help from

distress:(b) Most psalms fall into this category than any others.(c) At times, these laments are representative of the people at

large even though “I” is used in terms of “we.” (E.g., PS 89).(d) Example: Psalm 13 – A Cry of Help from God

Example: Psalm 13 – A Cry of Help from God(1) The Complaint of the Psalmist (1-2)1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughtsand every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

(2) The Cry for Assistance (3-4)3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my GodGive light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

(3) The Confession of Trust (5-6)5 But I trust in your unfailing love;My heart rejoices in your salvation.6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

(5) Communal Lament (e.g., Ps 12; 44; 60; 74; 79-80; 83; 85; 90; 126)(a) National laments are corporate cries for help in view of some

national situation.(b) Example: Psalm 79 – A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem.

(6) Songs of Trust(a) A form of lament where there is less lamentation and more

declaration of trust in God. These psalms usually include statements declaring, “my refuge is in God” (62:7), “trust” in God (40:3-4), etc.

(7) Imprecatory Psalms(a) Definition - A psalm in which a prayer of judgment on the

psalmist’s enemies is the leading feature.

III) Hymns(1) Declarative Praise(a) These psalms report that God has acted in the past in response to a specific need of an individual or the entire community.(b) Form:(i) Proclamation to Praise God (begins with “I will” phrase)(ii) Introductory Summary (often one sentence)(iii) Historical Overview(iv) Renewed Vow of Praise(v) Descriptive Praise and/or instruction(c) Example: Psalm 30

(2) Descriptive Praise(a) These psalms call upon a specific person or group of people to praise God for His character and acts in the present (e.g., goodness and

greatness).(b) Form:(i) Call to Praise(ii) Cause to Praise(iii) Conclusion(c) Example: Psalm 111

(IV) Songs of Thanksgiving(1) These were meant to be used when a crisis had been resolved

and the complaint had been answered. (E.g., Ps 30; 32; 34; 40:1-10; 66; 116; 138).

(2) Form:(a) Resolution to give thanks(b) Introductory Summary(c) Recollection of time of need(d) Report of Petition(e) Generalized Teaching(f) Renewed Thanksgiving(3) Example: Ps 116

D) Hebrew Classification (from the Superscriptions)I) Tehilla (Praise)II) Mizmor (Psalm)III) Sir (Song)IV) Tepilla (Prayer)V) Maskil (may mean “instruction” or “contemplation,” though its

precise sense is unknown)VI) Miktam (Uncertain meaning)VII) Siggayon (Unknown meaning)VIII)Song of Ascents

8. THE PSLAMS AND ISRAEL’S WORSHIPA) “Already at the time of the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament

into Greek (about 250 B.C.), the translators acknowledged the use of certain psalms for each day of the week except the third and the fifth days.”

B) The Mishnah (Tamid 7.4) prescribed certain psalms to be sung in the Temple after the offering of the sacrifice for each day of the week.I) First day- Psalm 24 (begins with God’s creation of the world)II) Second day- Psalm 48III) Third day- Psalm 82IV) Fourth day- Psalm 94V) Fifth day- Psalm 81VI) Sixth day- Psalm 93VII) Seventh day- Psalm 92 (the title indicates it is to be used

for the Sabbath)

C) Psalm use at festivals I) The Hallel psalms (Pss. 113-18) were to be used at the New

Moon, Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and Dedication.II) Psalm 7 was used at PurimIII) Psalm 12 was used for the eighth day of Tabernacles.IV) Psalm 30 was used for the Feast of DedicationV) Psalm 47 was used for New YearVI) Psalms 98 and 104 for New MoonVII) The Penitential Psalms (Pss. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) were

used for the Day of Atonement.VIII)Songs of Ascent (e.g., Pss.120–134) were probably sung by the

Jewish pilgrims going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the three major festivals each year.

8. THE PSLAMS AND ISRAEL’S WORSHIP