GURUKUL LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAL COLLEGE AND RESEARCH

INSTITUTE- CHENNAI

HOPE IN SUFFERING AND JOY IN LIBERATION: WISDOM LITERATURE

CRITICAL INTRODUCTION OF PSALM

SUBMITTEDTO: SUBMITTED BY:

Rev. Dr. JOHN SAMUEL Miss MADHUMITA BENYA

Introduction:-
Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, is one of only two Old Testament books to identify itself as a
composite work containing multiple authors (Proverbs is the other). Some psalms name their author in
the first line or title. For example, Moses wrote Psalm 90. David was responsible for many of them,
composing seventy-three psalms. Asaph wrote twelve; the descendants of Korah penned ten. Solomon
wrote one or two, and Ethan and Heman the Ezrahites were responsible for two others. The remainder
of the psalms do not contain information about their authors. The book was originally titled Tehillim,
which means “praise songs” in Hebrew. The English title of “Psalms” originated from the Septuagint’s
Greek title Psalmoi, also meaning “songs of praise.”
Book Title
The word psalms comes from the Greek word psalmoi. It suggests the idea of a “praise song,” as does
the Hebrew word tehillim. It is related to a Hebrew concept which means “the plucking of strings.” It
means a song to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments. The Psalms is a collection of
worship songs sung to God by the people of Israel with musical accompaniment. The collection of these
150 psalms into one book served as the first hymnbook for God’s people, written and compiled to assist
them in their worship of God. At first, because of the wide variety of these songs, this praise book was
unnamed, but eventually the ancient Hebrews called it “The Book of Praises,” or simply “Praises.” This
title reflects its main purpose──to assist believers in the proper worship of God.

II. Authorship:-
Most biblical books were written by one person, but a few of them have multiple authors. Proverbs is
one such example. Psalms is one of the rare books in the Bible that was written by several people, and,
therefore it is a joint effort of many authors who wrote from many diverse experiences of life over a
time span of almost a thousand years. Familiarity with the varied writers of the Psalms is important.
• David, the second king of Israel and “sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1 KJV), is the chief author of
the Psalms. He is directly credited with writing 73 of the psalms, but the NT affirms his authorship of 2
more. Thus he wrote 75 of the 150 psalms, which is exactly half the Psalms (3-9; 11-32; 34-41; 51-65; 68-
70; 86; 101; 103; 108-110; 122; 124; 131; 133; 138-145. Psalm 2 is identified by Acts 4:25 as being
written by David, as is Psalm 95 by Hebrews 4:7).
• Asaph, a priest who served as the worship leader of ancient Israel, wrote twelve psalms (Ps. 50; 73-
83).
• The sons of Korah, a guild of singers and composers of music, are credited with no writing ten psalms
(Pss. 42; 44-49; 84-85; 87).
• Solomon, David’s son, the third king of Israel, accounted for two psalms (Pss. 72; 127).

• Moses, the great leader of Israel and the Exodus, wrote one psalm (Ps. 90).
• Heman, a wise man, musician, an Ezrahite, a son of Korah, and founder of the Korahite choir (2 Chr.
5:12; 35:15), wrote one psalm (Ps. 88).
• Ethan, a wise man and Ezrahite, probably a Levitical singer (1 Chr. 6:42; 15:17,19), wrote one psalm
(Ps. 89).
• Anonymous authors account for the remaining forty-eight psalms.

• Ezra, scribe and priest of Israel, is thought to be the author of some of the anonymous psalms.

III. Time Period For Writing

Because many different authors wrote the Psalms, the writing of these sacred songs occurred at
different times, spanning a period of about one thousand years. The time of their writing reaches from
approximately 1410 B.C., when the first psalm was written, to around 430 B.C, when the last psalm was
written (depending upon the identity of the author of Psalm 126).
• The first psalm written, Psalm 90, was composed by Moses during Israel’s forty years of wilderness
wanderings (1445-1405 B.C.), probably toward the end of this time of severe testing, perhaps around
1410 B.C.
• The vast majority of the psalms were written during the kingly reigns of David (c. 1010-970 B.C.) and
Solomon (c.970-930 B.C.).
• The last psalm composed, Psalm 126, is thought to have been recorded after the time of Israel’s
Babylonian exile, during their return to the land of Judah, around 500 B.C., or even later, about 430 B.C.,
if Psalm 126 was written by Ezra.

Purpose of Psalm:-
The book of Psalms was written to help us worship God. It teaches us to day and night meditate upon
God’s Word (Ps. 1:2) and it provides an enormous amount of material to use in that time of private
worship and reflection. Regardless of any life situation, whether it be betrayal or victory, deep loss or
joyful gain, a time of confusion or a time of celebration, there is an appropriate psalm for that season.

The Psalms offer us ways to rejoice in prayer, to bow in worship, to exalt God for all he does and for all
his blessings to us. I mentioned earlier how we can slide over words that become too familiar. Years ago
I began to memorise portions of Scripture, including a number of the Psalms.
Audience of the Psalm :-
The psalms were written over a period of more than two hundred years, during and after the Babylonian
Exile, so they had many audiences among the Jews, according to the times.

Some of the psalms were written during the dark days under Babylonian rule and reflect the
despondency of that time. Others were written following the defeat of Babylon by Persia, or after the
Return from Exile and reflect the optimism, even triumphalism of the era.

Psalm 82 is an excellent example of a psalm written for those who still hankered after the old gods of
pre-Exilic times. It tells them that those gods are now dead; from now on there is only one God. It begins
begins, "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods," and goes on to
say how they had all failed El Shaddai (God) and would die as men die.

There were no longer kings of Judah, so Judah was now a theocracy. Many of the psalms were written to
guide the Jews along the lines required by their priestly rulers.

IV. Superscriptions and Notations

More than three-fourths of the psalms (116) have a superscription added to the beginning of the psalm
that provides an editorial notation identifying the author, historical context, or how it should be sung.
These were added after the time of their writing and were included to assist the worship leader and
congregation in understanding and singing these psalms. Although these superscriptions were not a part
of the original text, they are, nevertheless, considered accurate and reliable. Among the various kinds of
information that these editorial additions provide are:

1) Historical information:-
Most of these titles provide background information about authorship, historical occasion, or personal
dedication. An example of such a historical notation is Psalm 3: “A psalm of David. When he fled from his
son Absalom.”
2) Musical instructions:-

Some of the titles were intended for the worship director, and they indicated what kind of song it is and
how it is to be sung. These musical inscriptions accompany 55 psalms, possibly to aid in their use on
special occasions. For example, such a superscription is found in Psalm 4: “For the director of music.
With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.”
3) Important pauses:-
The word Selah has been added 71 times to the Psalms, serving as a later editorial addition that signaled
a brief interlude in the psalm, either for a change of musical accompaniment, a brief interlude with
stringed instruments, a call to pause and reflect upon the truth just stated, or a notice to begin a new
section. Most scholars agree that Selah was a form of musical notation. An example is Psalm 3:4: “To the
LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah.”

V. Literary Types
The various psalms can be categorized by literary types, indicating the different subject matters they
addressed or the various styles in which they were written. It is helpful, to identify these classifications if
they are to be correctly interpreted. The basic types of

1. psalms are:
1) Wisdom psalms:- These instructive psalms provide practical guidelines for godly living and
give direction for righteous living in the pursuit of God’s will (Pss. 1; 37; 119).
2) Royal psalms:-Describing the coming messianic rule of the Christ, these regal psalms portray
him as the undisputed sovereign King over heaven and earth (Pss. 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 47; 68; 72;
89; 101; 110; 118; 132; 144).
3) Lament psalms:- These highly emotionally charged psalms record the writer’s heart cry to
God for divine deliverance from trouble and pain (Pss. 3-7; 12-13; 22; 25-28; 35; 38-40; 42-44;
51; 54-57; 59-61; 63-64; 69-71; 74; 79-80; 83; 85-86; 88; 90; 102; 109; 120; 123; 130; 140-143).
4) Imprecatory psalms:- Motivated by fiery zeal for God’s glory, these provocative, and often
controversial, psalms invoke God’s wrath and judgment upon the psalmist’s adversaries who
were God’s enemies. The psalmist called upon the Lord to punish the wicked and defend him as
he carries out God’s work in the midst of his persecutors (Pss. 7; 35; 40; 55; 58-59; 69; 79; 109;
137; 139; 144).

5) Thanksgiving psalms:- These psalms express a profound awareness of deep gratitude for
God’s abundant blessings, whether individual or national (Pss. 8; 18; 19; 29; 30; 32-34; 36; 40;
41; 66; 103-106; 111; 113; 117; 124; 129; 135-136; 138-139; 146-148; 150).
6) Pilgrimage psalms:-These festive psalms foster celebration and praise for God as Israel
recalled the Lord’s goodness to them as they traveled to Jerusalem for their annual feasts (Pss.
43; 46; 48; 76; 84; 87; 120-134).

7) Enthronement psalms:-These awe inspiring majestic psalms describe the majesty of God’s
sovereign rule over all his creation and the providential care by which he sustains, controls, and
directs all he has made (Pss. 48; 93; 96-99).

VI. Book Divisions

The Book of Psalms was originally collected by ancient compilers as a series of smaller books in which
the next book augmented the previous material. Psalm 72:20 makes this clear when it states, “This
concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” This verse, no doubt, marked the end of an earlier, smaller
edition of the Psalms which once concluded at this point, but later was supplemented with Psalms 73-
150. The five books of Psalms are easily recognizable because each section concludes with a climactic
doxology (Pss. 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:6). Some interpreters have maintained that these
five books of the Psalms correspond to the first five books of the Bible, Genesis through Deuteronomy.
Thus, the Book of Psalms has been called “The Pentateuch of David” because they are thought to mirror
the books of the Law of Moses. These five divisions of the Psalms are as follows: Book I: Psalms 1-41.
The first forty-one psalms were probably gathered together during the early days of the Jewish
monarchy by either David or Solomon. Book I was basically assigned to David. This first book highlights
God’s power in creation (Pss. 8; 19) and is dominated by the themes of sin and redemption. Book II:
Psalms 42-72. These thirty-one psalms were collected and assembled at a later time to form Book II,
possibly three hundred years after Book I was compiled during the reign of Judah’s king, Hezekiah
(c.715-686 B.C.). If so, the “men of Hezekiah,” an active Bible committee that collected many of the
proverbs of Solomon (Prov. 25:1), possibly organized these psalms into a literary unit and added them to
Book I. It is also possible that these psalms were collected during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.)

. Interpreters have noted that this second book of psalms focuses upon Israel’s ruin and redemption and
thus, can be related to the Book of Exodus. Book III: Psalms 73-89. These seventeen psalms were
subsequently compiled into Book III, probably during the same era by the men of Hezekiah as previously
mentioned for Book II, or by Josiah, sixteenth ruler of the Southern Kingdom (640-609 B.C.). This third
book begins with eleven consecutive psalms written by Asaph, a Levite who led one of the temple choirs
(Pss. 73-83) and includes a few songs written by David (Pss. 86; 101; 103). These psalms center primarily
upon the holiness of Israel’s sanctuary and coincides with the concern of the Book of Leviticus. Book IV:
Psalms 90-106. This cluster of seventeen psalms was collected about two hundred to three hundred
years later and added to the first three books, probably during the postexilic days when Israel returned
to her land under Ezra (458 B.C.) and Nehemiah (445 B.C.). This division of the Psalms focuses upon
Israel’s relapse and recovery in the wilderness, echoing the theme of the Book of Numbers.
Appropriately, Book IV begins with Psalm 90, the only psalm written by Moses during Israel’s forty years
of wilderness wanderings. This was a severe time of testing recorded in Numbers. Book IV contains the
recurring theme of God’s sovereign kingdom which dominates the kingdoms of the nations just as
Numbers documents Israel’s relationship to the surrounding nations. Book V: Psalms 107-150. These last
forty-four psalms make up Book V. Like Book IV, they were probably collected and added to the Book of
Psalms during the postexilic days of Ezra, almost six hundred years after Book I was collated. This fifth
book focuses upon the sufficiency of God’s Word (Ps. 119) and the universal praise due to the Lord’s
name (Pss. 146-150), much like the Book of Deuteronomy focuses on God and His Word.

Theological Themes:-
Man, God, & The Natural World:- Our relationship with God is not just about us—it’s about us being
participants in the people of God. When one person rejoices, we all rejoice, and when one is suffering,
we all suffer. The psalms of lament and the psalms of rejoicing are equally appropriate for us. Even when
we have many blessings ourselves, we lament that many Christians are being persecuted for their faith.
And they sing psalms of joy, too, confident that they will see better days ahead.
The Royal House of Israel:- King David was the bomb dot com. They probably called him that before the
Internet—that's how much people loved him. So it makes sense that there was an enormous literary and
artistic effort to glorify David and his descendants.

Because David's rule is always connected with the might of God, scholars speculate that the writers of
Psalms, and much of the Bible, worked in David's court. Why not make your boss sound awesome?
Much of Psalms is even attributed directly to David, and the Bible in general works hard to craft an
image of a good king who was a writer and a warrior.Sure, David reigned three thousand years ago, but
we know a good Golden Age when we see one.

God’s Protection:- Several psalms reveal the fact that God is man’s protector. Thus, a Davidic psalm
reveals God’s kindness and readiness to protect the believer.I will now arise, says the LORD. I will
protect them from those who malign them. (Ps. 12:5)1

Self-Destruction:- We know that "Destruction" is a big deal in Psalms. But it's not just God who's causing
the mess. It sounds like the enemies of the Israelites are actually destroying themselves—with their not-
so-nice words and their praise of other gods.

Death:- The psalmist wrote about an occasion on which he almost died, saying, “The snares of death
encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish” (vs. 3). Sheol is
the realm of the dead. The psalmist is saying he was in the grip of death.

Conclusion:-
the book of Psalms is a book that we should be reading as Christians because we can learn a lot about
God and ourselves. We need to encourage everyone to read this book and surely it will increase our
faith in God. The Psalms give us the means to come to prayer in a fresh state of mind. They enable us to
see that we're not the first to feel God is silent when we pray, nor are we the first to feel immense
anguish and bewilderment while praying.
Webliography:-

- https://easierwithpractice.com/what-is-the-main-purpose-of-the-book-of-
psalms/

- https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/psalms-

- https://www.gotquestions.org/types-of-psalms.html-

- https://www.answers.com/Q/Who_is_the_audience_of_Book_of_Psalms

- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-seminary-
teacher-manual/introduction-to-the-book-of-psalms?lang=eng