Overview of the Psalms (Notes for Class 3)

(Podcast available here).

• Title and Division

  • The Hebrew title תְּהִלִּים means “praises.”

  • The English title Psalms comes from the Greek word Ψαλμὸς, meaning “song of praise” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

  • The book is divided into five books:

    • Book 1 (Pss. 1–41)

    • Book 2 (Pss. 42–72)

    • Book 3 (Pss. 73–89)

    • Book 4 (Pss. 90–106)

    • Book 5 (Pss. 107–150)

  Categories of Psalms

  • Messianic Psalms (see below)

  • Lament Psalms (e.g., Pss. 7; 26; 60)

  • Testimonial Psalms (e.g., Pss. 30; 34)

  • Pilgrim Psalms (e.g., Pss. 120–134)

  • Imprecatory Psalms (e.g., Pss. 58; 109)

  • Penitential Psalms (e.g., Pss. 32; 51)

  • Wisdom Psalms (e.g., Pss. 37; 73)

  • Historical Psalms (e.g., Pss. 78; 105; 106)

  • Nature Psalms (e.g., Pss. 8; 19)¹⁾for explanation of these categories, see Paul N. Benware, Survey of the Old Testament, Moody Publishers (Chicago, IL: 2003), p. 172-173

  • Acrostic Psalms (Pss. 9; 10; 25; 34; 37; 111; 112; 119; 145)

Use of Psalms in Ancient Judaism

• Psalm 137 was recited on the eve of Tisha B’Av (9th of Ab) to commemorate the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which fell on that day in the Jewish calendar.

• Some Christians object to praying imprecatory prayers, preferring instead to “turn the other cheek.” Yet imprecatory prayers appear in the New Testament:

  • Rev. 6:9–10 — the martyrs cry out for God to avenge their blood.

  • Rev. 22:20 — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” anticipates judgment on the unrepentant world.

Temple Worship Tradition (Mishnah, Tamid 7.4):

“This was the singing which the levites used to sing in the Temple. On the first day [Sunday] they sang The earth is the Lord’s and all that therein is, the round world and they that dwell therein [Ps 24]; on the second day [Monday] they sang Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of our God, even upon his holy hill [Ps 48];  on the third day [Tuesday] they sang God standeth in the congregation of God, he is a judge among the gods [Ps 82];  on the fourth day [Wednesday] they sang O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth show thyself [Ps 94]; on the fifth day [Thursday] they sang Sing we merrily unto God our strength, make a cheeful noise unto the God of Jacob [Ps 81]; on the sixth day [Friday] they sang The Lord is king, and hath put on glorious apparel [Ps 93]. On the Sabbath [Saturday] they sang A Psalm: a Song for the Sabbath Day [Ps 92]; a Psalm, a song for the time that is to come, for the day that shall be all Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting.” ²⁾Mishna, Tamid 7.4; in The Mishna (Trans. Herbert Danby), Hendrickson Publishers (Peabody, MA: 1933, 2016), p. 589

• • Sunday — Ps. 24

  • Monday — Ps. 48

  • Tuesday — Ps. 82

  • Wednesday — Ps. 94

  • Thursday — Ps. 81

  • Friday — Ps. 93

  • Sabbath — Ps. 92 (a psalm “for the Sabbath day” and for the everlasting rest to come).

Notes:

1. Each psalm was identified by its opening verse, explaining why Christ cited the first line of Ps. 22 on the cross (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).

2. On the Sabbath, Ps. 92 was cited by its subtitle. This suggests that the ancient Jews regarded the psalm titles as inspired, contrary to many modern scholars.

Septuagint Numbering

• The LXX numbering often differs by one (e.g., Ps. 20 in Hebrew = Ps. 19 in LXX).

Transliterated Psalm Subtitles

• • Neginoth (נְגִינָה, Pss. 4, 5, 6, 54, 55, 61, 67, 76) — stringed instruments.

  • Sheminith (שְׁמִינִית, Pss. 6, 12) — “eighth key” or eight-stringed instrument (cf. 1 Chr. 15:21).

  • Shiggaion (שִׁגָּיוֹן, Ps. 7) — likely “wild, passionate song with rapid rhythm changes.”

  • Gittith (גִּתִּית, Pss. 8, 81, 84) — possibly a lyre; root connected to “winepress,” suggesting harvest festival use.

  • Muthlabben (עַלְמוּת לַבֵּן, Ps. 9) — possibly “soprano boys’ choir.”

  • Michtam (מִכְתָּם, Pss. 16, 57–59) — “inscription” or “engraving” (cf. LXX στηλογραφία). “Now such a disposition of the soul, Abraham, the inspector, has deeply engraved on my memory.” ³⁾Philo, Who is the Heir of Divine Things. 30; in The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged New Updated Version (Trans. C. D. Yonge), (Peabody, MA: 1997), p. 278

  • Aijeleth Shahar (אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר, Ps. 22) — “hind of the dawn.”

  • Maschil (מַשְׂכִּיל, Pss. 32, 42–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89) — “contemplative” or “didactic poem.”

  • Jeduthun (Pss. 39, 62, 77) — choir leader (cf. 2 Chr. 5:12).

  • Shoshannim (שׁוּשַׁן, Pss. 45, 69) — “lilies”; uncertain musical notation, perhaps trumpet-like.

  • Alamoth (Ps. 46) — female soprano voice.

  • Mahalath (מַחֲלַת, Ps. 53, 88) — meaning unknown, possibly “dance.”

  • Jonath-elem-rechokim (Ps. 56) — “silent dove afar off.”

  • Al-tashchith (Ps. 57–59, 75) — “do not destroy.”

  • Shushan-eduth (Ps. 60, 80) — possibly a musical notation; “eduth” = “testimony.”

  • Selah (frequent) — pause, reflection, or musical elevation.

Psalms of Ascent (Pss. 120–134)

• Sung during pilgrim festivals, especially with levitical music and dancing on the fifteen steps of the Temple (Mishnah, Sukkah 5.4).

“Men of piety and good works used to dance before them with burning torches in their hands, singing songs and praises. And countless levites [played] on harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets and instruments of music, on the fifteen steps leading down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, corresponding to the Fifteen Songs of Ascents in the Psalms; upon them the levites used to stand with instruments of music and make melody. Two priests stood at the upper gate which leads down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, with two trumpets in their hands. At cock-crow they blew a sustained, a quavering and another sustained blast. When they reached the tenth step they again blew a sustained, a quavering and another sustained blast. When they reached the Court [of the Women] they again blew a sustained, a quavering and another sustained blast. They went on until they reached the gate that leads out to the east. When they reached the gate that leads out to the east, they turned their faces to the west and said, ‘Our fathers when they were in this place turned with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they worshiped the sun toward the east but as for us, our eyes are turned toward the Lord’. R. Judah says: They used to repeat the words ‘We are the Lord’s, and our eyes are turned to the Lord’.”⁴⁾Mishna, Sukkah 5.4; in The Mishna (Trans. Herbert Danby), Hendrickson Publishers (Peabody, MA: 1933, 2016), p. 180

Authorship

• 72 psalms attributed to David (2 Sam. 23:1–2).

• Other authors: sons of Korah, Asaph, Solomon, Ethan, and Moses. Some psalms remain anonymous.

• Historical backdrops are often given in subtitles:

  • 3 cf. 2 Sam. 15
  • 7 Cush the Benjamite is not mentioned elsewhere but a number of Benjamites opposed David being king after Saul (2 Sam. 16:7-8; 20:1-2). This psalm may be related to 1 Sam 23:24-29.
  • Ps 18 cf. 2 Sam 22
  • Ps 30 cf. 2 Sam 5:11-12; 7:1-2
  • Ps 34 cf. 1 Sam 21:10-15
  • Ps 51 cf. 2 Sam 11-12
  • Ps 52 cf. 1 Sam 22
  • Ps 54 cf. 1 Sam 23:15-23; 26:1-3
  • Ps 56 cf. 1 Sam 21:10; 27:2-3
  • Ps 57 cf. 1 Sam 24
  • Ps 59 cf. 1 Sam 19:11-17
  • Ps 60 cf. 2 Sam 8:1-14
  • Ps 63 not when fleeing from Saul (Ps 63:11 David is already king) so it must be fleeing Absalom 2 Sam 15-19
  • Ps 142 cf. 1 Sam 22, 24
  • Others are inferred. Ps 55 is clearly about Absalom’s revolt with Ahithophel’s betrayal.

Identifying and Dating the various authors of Psalms

Dating of various author:

• Sons of Korah — post-exilic:
  • 44:9-11, scattered among heathen

• • 84:1-4, 10, after second Temple was built
  • 85:1, post exilic. “Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.”
• Asaph — post-exilic
  • 74:1-10; 79:1-7, 10, post exilic
• Ethan — Babylonian captivity
  • 89:38-51 during Babylonian captivity

Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ

1. 2:1-2
   1. Acts 4:25-28
2. 8:2
   1. 21:15-16
3. 9:13
   1. Acts 2:24
4. 16:8-11
   1. Acts 2:25-28, 31
   2. Acts 13:34-37
5. 22:1
   1. 27:46
   2. Mark 15:34
6. 22:2
   1. 27:45
   2. Mark 15:33
7. 22:6-8
   1. 27:39-44
8. 22:15
   1. John 19:28
9. 22:16
   1. John 20:25-27
10. Ps 22:18
    1. 27:35
    2. Mark 15:24
    3. John 19:24
11. 34:20
    1. John 19:32-36
12. 38:13-14
    1. 26:63
    2. Mark 14:61
13. 40:6-8
    1. 10:4-7
14. 41:9
    1. Mark 14:10
    2. John 13:18
    3. Acts 1:16
15. 45:6-7
    1. 1:8-9
16. 49:9
    1. 1:18
17. 68:18
    1. Mark 16:19
    2. Acts 1:9
    3. 4:8

18. 69:4
    1. John 15:25
19. 69:7
    1. 12:2
20. 69:8
    1. Luke 3:23
21. 69:9
    1. John 2:17
22. 69:9
    1. 15:3
23. 69:21
    1. 27:34
24. 69:25
    1. Acts 1:20
25. 69:26
    1. 53:4
26. 78:2
    1. 13:34-35
27. 89:9
    1. 8:26
    2. Mark 4:39
28. 107 23-30
    1. 8:23-27
    2. Mark 4:35-41
    3. Luke 8:22-25
29. 109:8
    1. Acts 1:20
30. 109:25
    1. 27:39
31. 110:3
    1. 4:4
32. 110:4
    1. 6:20
33. 114:2
    1. Luke 3:33
34. 118:22-23
    1. Luke 9:22
35. 118:25-26
    1. 21:9
    2. Luke 19:38