Introduction to the Book of Psalms

Structure of the Scroll

Hebrew Poetics

Psalm Titles / Superscriptions

Title

• “psalm” from Greek “psalmos” translating Hebrew “mizmor” = song with chordophone accompaniment

• “Book of Psalms” from Hebrew “Sefer Tehillim” (“book of praises)

• Tanak = Torah / Nebi’im / Ketubim (cf. Luke 24:44-45)

Canonical Form of the Psalms: Five “Books”

• Book 1: Pss 1:1 – 41:13

• Book 2: Pss 42:1-72:18-19 / 20

• Book 3: Pss 73:1- 89:52

• Book 4: Pss 90:1 – 106:48

• Book 5: Pss 107:1- 150:1-6

Five “Books”

• “150” psalms = possible arrangement dating from the time of Ezra (c. 428 BCE) corresponds to a three-year cycle for reading the Torah

• Doxologies (Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:1-6)

Use of the Divine Names

• Book I (Pss 1-41): YHWH 272x; Elohim 15x

• Book II (Pss 42-72): YHWH 30x; Elohim 164x

• Book III (Pss 73-89): YHWH 44x; Elohim 43x

• Book IV (Pss 90-106): YHWH 103x; Elohim 0x

• Book V (Pss 107-150): YHWH 236x; Elohim 7x

Earlier collections

• “Of David” (73 in Hebrew; 82 in LXX)• “Of Korah (12)• “Of Asaph” (12)• Davidic collection dominates first two/three books

(Ps 2 / Ps 72:20 / Ps 89)• Levitical collections added to the Davidic

collection• Book IV, almost completely “orphan psalms”, is

an appendix to the first three• Book V = Temple collection of Hallel psalms

Elements of Hebrew Poetics

Parallelism

• Balance of form and thought between successive members in a poem (“thought rhyme”)

• Line of poetry = “stich” / “colon”• Two related lines of poetry = “distich” /

“bicola” / “couplet”• Three related lines of poetry = “tristich” /

“tricola” / “triplet”

Forms of Parallelism

• Synonymous

• Antithetical

• Formal / Synthetic

• Climactic

• Internal / External

• Complete / Incomplete

Synonymous Parallelism

• In synonymous parallelism, the same thought is expressed in successive stichs

• In these stichs, the second [and third] stich simply repeats the sense of the first in slightly different terms

• Sometimes the later stich(s) give(s) more precise expression to the sense of the first

• E.g., Psalm 1:1

• 1a: Blessedness-of the-man who• 1b: Not he-walks in-counsel-of wicked-

ones• 1c: Or-in-way-of sinners not he-stands• 1d: Or-in-seat-of ones-mocking not he-sits

• N.B. Both formal and thought correspondence in 1c and 1d

• N.B. Thought correspondence of 1b, 1c, and 1d

• N.B. 1b is related chiastically to 1c and 1d

Antithetical Parallelism

• In antithetical parallelism, the thought expressed in the later stich(s) is in contrast to that in the first

• This type of parallelism is especially characteristic of Wisdom literature (and of Jesus’ sayings)

• E.g., Psalm 1:5

• 6a: For watching-over YHWH way-of righteous-ones

• 6b: But-way-of wicked-ones she-will-perish

• N.B. Formal relation of 6a and 6b is chiastic

• N.B. Thought rhyme contrasts way of the righteous and the way of the wicked

Formal / Synthetic Parallelism

• Formal / Synthetic parallelism contains neither repetition in different terms nor contrasted assertions

• The thought of the first stich is carried further and completed in the later stich(s)

• Formal balance of clause with clause, but no correspondence in content as in synonymous and antithetical parallelism

• E.g., Psalm 1:3

• 3a: And-he-is like-tree being-planted by streams-of waters

• 3b: Which fruit-of-him he-yields in-season-of-him

• 3c: And-leaf-of-him not he-withers• 3d: And-all that he-does he-prospers

• N.B. Progress of thought in 3a – 3b• N.B. Progress of thought in 3b – 3c• N.B. 3d as conclusion of 3a – 3c

Climactic Parallelism

• In climactic parallelism the characteristics of synonymous and formal parallelism are combined

• The later stich(s) echo(es) or repeat(s) part of the first and adds to it an element which carries forward or completes the sense

• E.g, Psalm 1:2

• 2a: But rather in-law-of YHWH delight-of-him

• 2b: And-on-law-of-him he-meditates by-day and-night

• N.B. law-of-YHWH is shared element; 2b extends the thought of 2a

Internal / External Parallelism

• Internal parallelism = balance of form and thought is between the individual stichs within a bistich or a tristich

• External parallelism = balance not only within but between di- or tristichs

• E.g., Psalm 1:1-3

Complete / Incomplete Parallelism

• Complete parallelism occurs when each term in the first stich is matched by a corresponding term in the later stich(s)

• In incomplete parallelism one or more terms in the first stich may have no counterpart in the later stich(s)

• E.g., Psalm 1:1b re:1:1c or 1:1d // Psalm 1:1c re: 1:1d

Meter

• Problematic: meter is determined by accented syllables and the number of unaccented syllables is of no significance (“sprung rhythm”)

• 3 + 3 is most common for proverbs• 2 + 2 is used for intense emotion and

urgency• 3 + 2 is the “qinah” (limping) meter used

for laments

Strophic Arrangement

• Recurring refrains

• E.g., Psalm 42-43 / Psalm 67

Poetic Techniques

• Acrostic (e.g., Psalms 9-10 / 34:1-21 / 119)• Alliteration (juxtaposition of words or syllables

that begin with the same letter)• Assonance (recurrence of the same vowel sounds)• Onomatopoeia (use of words that sound like what

they describe)• Paranomasia (plays on words like puns) e.g, Isaiah

5:7b

Psalm Titles / Superscriptions

• Literary forms

• Musical indications

• Ascriptions of patronage

• “Historical” contexts

Literary Forms

• Shir / Shir ham-ma`aloth= title of 30 Pss

• Mizmor = title of 57 Pss

• Maskil = title of 13 Pss

• Miktam = title of 6 Pss

• Tehillah/Tehillim = title of Ps 145 / title of scroll

• Tephillah = title of 5 Pss

• Shiggaion = title of 1 Ps

Musical Indications

• alamoth (Ps 5) = ?• sheminith (Pss 6, 12) = ?• neginoth (Pss 4, 6, 54-55, 61, 67, 76) = “for

strings”• al mahalath + le`annoth (Ps 88) = “for

melancholy flute” ? • higgayon = “instrumental interlude” (Pss

9:16; 19:14; 92:3)

• `al-yonath `elem rehoqim (Ps 56) = “To the Dove on Far-Off Terebinths”

• `al-`ayyeleth hash-shahar (Ps 22) = “To the Deer of the Dawn”

• `al-shoshannim (Pss 45, 69) = “To the Lilies”

• al-shushan eduth (Pss 60, 80) = “To the Lily of the Covenant”

• `al-tassheth (Pss 57-59, 75) = “Do not destroy”

• `al-hag-gittith (Pss 8, 81, 84) = “To the Gittith”

Ascriptions of Patronage

• David = in 73 “titles”• lam-menasseah (choir director) = in 55

“titles”• [sons of] Korah = in 12 “titles”• Asaph = in 12 “titles”• Solomon = in 2 “titles”• Moses, Jeduthun, Heman the Ezrahite,

Ethan the Ezrahite = in 1 “title” each

“Historical” Contexts

• Pss 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142

Selah (cf Ps 3)

• Pause

• Repeat

• Instrumental interlude

• Look (or lift) up

• Bow down / prostrate

• Turn (in circle)