Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chapin Chaignot. This month's entry is the Book of Psalms, which is part of the Writings section of the Bible (as opposed to the Law and the Prophets), along with Proverbs, the Song of Songs, etc. As part of sacred Scripture, these poems have been used in worship and praise for thousands of years. If some of you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can check our archives where you will find the earlier books. The Bible Time-Line in Teaching the Bible is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible Study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.

Psalms

The word psalm in Hebrew simply means song. These are poetic words addressed to God and sung or spoken by people as far back as 1000 B.C.E. Just think -- for the better part of 3000 years, people have been using these same words to speak their most heartfelt concerns to and about God. Some are in the form of complaints, petitions to God for help. Some are shouts of praise, thankfulness for an answer or needed deliverance. Some are spoken by individuals; others are communal. Perhaps the king is the psalmist, or perhaps he's a priest (or maybe a "she"). The topic of sickness or death is frequently mentioned, as are enemies and evildoers. Sometimes the songs recall past events; on other occasions they look to the future. Some extol images of creation; others recount God's laws.

These varied subjects indicate the psalmists' understanding that God was simply involved in every aspect of life. There was nothing outside of God's tender care and control. (And this was just as true after the exile as it had been before.) So whatever situation arose, the answer would lie with God.

Scholars, of course, have gone through various stages trying to unpack the meaning of the psalms. For a time, they felt it was essential to know the setting in life of each song - how was it used, what was going on at that time? Was it pre-exilic or post-exilic? What was the date and who was the author? The thought was that once these questions could be determined, the psalms would be better understood. They would come alive with meaning as readers would grasp their original purpose and how they had fit into the worship life of ancient Israel. (These methodologies are generally known as historical or form criticism.)

A more contemporary study might include rhetorical criticism. That means paying attention to the way the psalm unfolds, the literary techniques that are used, the placement of one psalm after another. Because of this work, scholars have been able to identify features known as parallelism, repetition, and chiasms. Parallelism takes into account that the second line of a verse often expands or explains the first line. Hence, they should be read together. Repetition highlights the main point or the theological significance of the poem. A chiasm involves a particular arrangement, often using an envelope technique that focuses attention on the center of the poem, or a specific verse. Most recently, scholars have been exploring the placement of psalms within the psalter and finding many fascinating insights.

As a result of such study, the psalms have been variously identified and categorized as lament songs (individual or communal), thanksgiving songs, songs of praise, royal songs, historical songs, wisdom songs, etc. Each has distinctive elements, but not all elements will be present in all of the psalms. It is a somewhat artificial undertaking. A clever rendering puts it in a more colloquial form, suggesting that there are generally four classifications of psalms: glad, sad, mad, and bad. The glad psalms are the ones of thanksgiving, gratitude, or praise. Sad psalms are filled with laments, petitions. Mad psalms raise the questions, "how long," "why." Bad psalms ask for forgiveness for sins that have been committed (or perhaps vengeance on their enemies).

All these areas of scholarship have merit, of course, but in the long run, the modern-day person turning to the psalms for comfort or inspiration is not going to care much about any of those issues. People turn to the psalms for words that both speak to God and are from God. They will tumble across words that speak of painful experiences as well as joyful ones. The words of the psalms elucidate the deepest relationship between God and man. Utilizing poetic form, the psalms convey insights and concerns. They are the response of the people to God's saving acts, to problems that persist in spite of understanding, to the sovereignty of God that remains true even when circumstances suggest otherwise. It is no coincidence that for 3000 years, the psalms have provided inspiration, comfort, and edification. They've endured because these words are alive.

There are five divisions in the Psalter, much like there are five books of the Pentateuch. They are: Book 1 - Psalms 1-41; Book 2 - Psalms 42-72; Book 3 - Psalms 73-89; Book 4 - Psalms 90-106; Book 5 - 107-150. These divisions are determined by the psalter itself, which ends each grouping with a doxology.