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Psalm 150

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 150 “The ancient editors, having chosen to represent the book of Psalms as above all Tehillim, songs of praise, by concluding the collection with six psalms of praise, now climactically set at the end this psalm that begins and ends with ‘hallelujah’” Alter, 515. God is praised “by every means (3-5) and from every person ( 6 )” Motyer, 583. The verb praise is used 13 times in Psalm 150 and forms “a resounding doxological close to the Psalms” NICOT, 1009. There is little descriptive praise in the psalm. The psalm answers five basic questions about praise: 1. Who is praised- vs. 1-6? Prais

Psalm 149

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

149:1 Praise the LORD!- This begins with an imperative that calls to praise God. Sing to the LORD a new song- Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1-22; 98:1-3; 144:9-10; Isa. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3. “A new song is a hymn of victory sung after God had made all things new by His defeat of the forces of evil” Longman, 475. The songs “refers to the beginning of a new era, a new epoch in history” NICOT, 1006. They sing recognizing their victories and successes are His work. Psalms 144 and 149 are linked by reference to the new song. “In a real sense, then, Psalm 149 completes the movement of transferring the Davidic

Psalm 148

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 148 “The whole creation, animate and inanimate, is called upon to praise God” Miller, 450. “The poem expressed a grand cosmic vision” Alter, 509. “This hymn of praise consists almost entirely of imperative calls to praise” Broyles, 515. “’Praise the LORD’ occurs twelve times in Psalm 148 ” NICOT, 1002. “The psalm is naturally divined into two parts by the poetic structure. First, the summons goes out to praise the Lord from the heavens (vs. 1) and then from the earth (vs. 7). Next, in each section certain persons and things which inhabit the heavens (vss. 1b-4) and the earth (vss. 7b-12)

Psalm 147

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 147 “The Greek and Latin textual traditions associate Psalm 147 with Haggai and Zechariah” McCann, 1267. “The five psalms that close Book Five move from the praise of an individual in Psalm 146, through the praise of a community of faith in Psalm 147, to the praise of all creation in concert with the community of faith in Psalms 148-150” NICOT, 999. “ At times this psalm takes up the rhetorical questions of Isaiah 40, and at times the challenges of the Lord to Job, turning them into praise, and linking the wonder of creation with the glories of providence and grace” Kidner, 485. “The Sep

Psalm 146

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 146 145:21 prepared for these psalms from Psalms 146-150. This psalm “is a general celebration of God’s benevolent qualities” Alter, 503. “These five Hallelujah psalms have the characteristic genre of the hymn of descriptive praise” VanGemeren, 846. Psalms 146-150 are psalms of praise. “In these psalms there is no reference to personal need, no petition, little that could be called historical allusion; all is focused on God; all is praise. But there is step-by-step progression in this praise. It begins with the individual (146:1), involves the community (147:1, 12), extends to heaven and

Psalm 145:14-21 and Jesus' Fulfillment of Psalm 145

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

A few notes from Psalm 145:14-21 and Jesus' fulfillment of Psalm 145 145:20 The LORD keeps all who love Him- There is a wordplay between the first word of the verse שםר and the last word of the verse שםד One describing the LORD actions towards the righteous and the other His actions towards the wicked. Is watches over a better translation? How much does it promise? It certainly does not mean the absence of all trouble. “What hints it does offer of the human condition are not all sweetness and light: God’s people may be bowed down and thus call and cry to Him for salvation (vv. 14, 18-19)” Broy

Psalm 145:1-13

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 145 A Psalm of Praise, of David- This is the only Psalm designated as a psalm of praise. “Here begins the grand doxology of the entire collection., for praise plays a greater part in Psalms 145-150 than in most of the others. The word ‘praise’ occurs 46 times in these six psalms” BK, 895. “The Hebrew tehilah yields in rabbinic Hebrew the plural tehilim, which is set title in Hebrew for the Book of Psalms. Although psalms of supplication are actually more numerous in the canonical collection, the assumption of post-biblical Jewish was that purpose par excellence of the poetry of psalms wa

Psalm 144

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 144 A Psalm of David “Herman Gunkel once proposed that this poem was an ‘imitation’ of Psalm 18, but, especially because some of the topics it touches on are unlike anything in Psalm 18, it seems more accurate to speak of certain citations from the earlier psalms woven into a different poetic context” Alter, 495. Psalm 144 is often called by form critics a royal psalm. This is because of the mention of David within the psalm- 144:10 and because of the connections to Psalm 18. “The psalm may be divided into two major sections, based on the switch from first person singular language in vv.

Psalm 143

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD- Hear is often used in the Psalms as an imperative directed to God (17:7; 27:7; 28:2; 30:10; 54:2; 64:1). Give ear to my supplications! Give ear is also an imperative addressed to God in the Psalms (5:1; 17:1; 39:12; 54:2; 55:1; 84:8; 86:6; 140:6; 141:1; 143:1). The fact these imperatives are used together stresses the urgency of the request. For supplications the ESV and NIV have cries for mercy. Supplications are found in Ps. 28:2, 6; 31:22; 116:1; 130:2; 140:6. Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness- “The psalmist makes his plea for deliverance, n

Psalm 142

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

142:1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD- “The synonymous parallelism repeats the phrase ‘with my voice’ to emphasize that he cries aloud” Miller, 435. “In Psalm 142:1 is za’aq, conveys the idea of crying out in acute distress and seeking deliverance. The verbal root occurs only five times in the Psalter, twice in Psalm 142” NICOT, 978. “Although the Hebrew root translated ‘cry’ in vv. 1, 5 does not occur often in the psalms (see Pss. 22:5; 107:13, 19), it is an important theological word. For instance, it recalls the exodus ( see Exod. 2:23); it is a crucial part of the pattern in the book

Psalm 141

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

141:1-2 Cry for help 141:1 O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me- “The cryptic phraseology indicates urgency” Miller, 433. Call (Ps. 4:1, 3; 17:6; 88:9; 130:1) and hasten or come quickly is used in Pss. 22:19; 38:22; 40:13; 70:1, 5; 71:12. Give ear to my voice when I call to You!- Give ear is used in Ps. 55:1; 86:6; 143:1. 141:2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You- “Incense and evening sacrifice come from the realm of formal worship” Longman, 458. “Incense symbolized the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8) and the priestly intercession accompanying their prayers on behalf of the people

Psalm 140

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 140 For the choir director, A Psalm of David “Psalm 140 is clearly an individual lament, with its appeals to God to listen and rescue (vv. 1, 4, 8), its complaints concerning the wicked who intend to harm the psalmist (vv. 2-3, 5), its imprecation (vv. 9-11) and its note of confidence (vv. 6-7, 12-13)” Longman, 455. “In the present literary setting, the petitions in Psalm 140 can be understood as an elaboration of Ps. 139:19-22…Psalm 140 also anticipates Psalms 141-143” McCann, 1240. Psalms 141-143 are also individual laments. “Psalm 140 is another prayer psalm about personal enemies. Th

Psalm 139

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 139 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. “The Greek title has prefixed the strange phrase ‘for the end,’ and the Alexandrinus text has appended the phrase ‘of Zechariah in the dispersion.’” Miller, 426; see Kinder, 463-464 for similar ideas. “The psalm is poetically balanced with four paragraphs (or strophes) of six verses each. In the first paragraph (vss. 1-6), the psalmist praised God for his minute knowledge of him, the contemplation of which fills the psalmist with awe (vs. 6). In the second paragraph (vss. 7-12), the psalmist states that God is everywhere the psalmists might g

Psalm 138

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 138 A Psalm of David- Psalms 138-145 are listed as Psalms of David in the heading. “The Greek title places the psalm in the days of Haggai and Zechariah” Miller, 423. Is the I individual or collectively? “The individual who is offering thanks here appears to have been rescued from enemies who sought his undoing” Alter, 476. “ Psalm 138 is the first of a collection of eight psalms (Pss. 138-145) in Book Five that are attributed, in their superscription to David” NICOT, 958. “ Psalms 138 and 145 share no less than thirteen terms and verbal roots, forming an envelope structure around the co

Psalm 137

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 137 The LXX has a heading τω Δανιδ the Lucian text add (δια) ‘Ιεριμιομ ‘through Jeremiah’ Allen, 235. This is a community lament written in the time of Babylonian captivity. They are in Babylon (1-3) and Jerusalem has been destroyed (7). “Note the first person plural ‘we,’ ‘us,’ ‘our,’ etc., in vs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8.” Willis, vol. 3, 4-5. “The scene has the vividness of first-hand experience” Kidner, 459.This psalm is a first-person account of the sadness of the captives. It seems that the experience of exile “is fresh and acutely painful” Alter, 473. Most psalms “are historically vague in o

Psalm 136

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 135

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 135 “Some Jewish authorities include Psalms 135 and 136 as part of the collection of Psalms 120-136, whereas others limit the Great Hallel psalms to 135-136, or even Psalm 136 alone” 135:1 Praise the LORD!- 113:1 The word praise is used as an imperative three times in the verse. “The phrase Praise the LORD (and variations of the phrase) occurs seventy-five times in the Psalter, with no less that fifty-four occurrences in Book Five” NICOT, 944. Praise Him, O servants of the LORD- The first two lines speak of the LORD as the object of praise and the last line mentioned the servants as the

Psalm 134

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

A Song of Ascents- “The pilgrimage began in ‘Kedar’ (120:5); it ends in the Lord’s house wherein the pilgrims ‘bless the Lord’ (2) and He blesses them (3)’” Motyer, 576. This “forms a magnificent conclusion to this collection of psalms” VanGemeren, 817. It is “a brief word of departure as they ready themselves to return to their homes in the surrounding countryside” NICOT, 940. 134:1 Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD- Allen says, 216, Behold “is here uniquely with an imperative” and he translates this Come. Ps. 124:6 The word bless is used in each of these verses. In the first t

Psalm 133

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 133 A Song of Ascents, of David “The brief didactic psalm employs two beautiful similes to illustrate the beauty and value of unity” Miller, 415. The two similes are the oil and dew. “The pilgrims came from many different walks of life, regions, and tribes, as they gathered for one purpose: the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem” VanGemeren, 815. 133:1 Behold, how good- “It is interesting that he gives no explanation as to why unity is good. Perhaps he does not need to do so, because this should be self-evident to everyone” Willis, vol. 3, 95. The word good is used in Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18,

Psalm 132

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

A Song of Ascents This is considerably longer than the other songs of Ascents- NICOT, 933. “Its length seems to signal its special importance” McCann, 1210. This is a royal psalm along the line of Psalms 2, 45, 72, 89, 101 and it also stresses God’s choice of Zion like Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122. “Psalm 132 impressively articulates the theological rationale for making the pilgrimage- namely, Zion is God’s chosen place (vv. 13-14; see Pss. 122:1-2, 9; 125:1-2; 126:1; 128:5; 129:5; 133:3; 134:3), as well as the site of David’s throne” McCann, 1210. 132:1-5 David’s swore to build God’s house

Psalm 131

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

A Song of Ascents, of David It is attributed to David. “It is not against high position that is divinely given, but it does model a critical attitude toward pure blind ambition” Longman, 433. “This personal prayer (vss. 1-2) has a lesson in it that needs to be shared by the nation (vs. 3)” Miller, 411. “This simple, concise, and affecting expression of humility shows no signs of cultic or public function,and is a good illustration of how the psalm as a poetic form of spiritual expressions often stands outside the generic categories that scholars have constructed” Alden, 457. 131:1 O LORD, my h

Psalm 130

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents “In Christian tradition the psalm became one of the seven penitential psalms, the others being Ps. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 143” Allen, 195. “This psalm, of course, is a penitential psalm, focusing not on the evil of Israel’s enemies, as does Psalm 129, but on the wrongs Israel has done” Alter, 455. 130:1 Out of the depths- Ps. 30:1; 71:20; Isa. 51:10; Ezek. 27:34; Jonah 2:2-6 This is “a figure of speech suggesting his insurmountable difficulty, even to the point of death:…The exact problem is not specified” B.K, 886. I have cried to You, O LORD- Ps. 17:6; 86:7. Is the I

Psalm 129

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 129 A Song of Ascents 129:1-2 Introductory summary; 129:3 Their intense need; 129:4 Praise to God 129:5-8 Request for judgment upon the foes “The psalm divide into two sections: verses 1-4 (statement of suffering) and verses 5-8 (prayer for vindication against the enemies causing the suffering)” Transforming Word, 498. 129:1 Many times they have persecuted me- The word many times in vss. 1-2 is used in 120:6; 123:4. In the NRSV is translated greatly. “A comparison of the NIV with the NRSV shows that the adverb at the beginning of vv. 1-2 can be construed to indicate either the frequency

Psalm 128

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents “The quiet blessings of an ordered life are traced from the centre outwards in this psalm, as the eye travels from the godly man to his family and finally to Israel. Here is simple piety with its proper fruit of stability and peace: Kidner, 443. How are Psalms 127 and 128 linked? 1. The word blessed - 127:5; 128:1-2 2. eat/eating in 127:2; 128:2 3. Behold in 127:3; 128:4 4. son/sons in 127:3, 4; 128:3, 6 5. fruit in 127:3; 128:3 McCann, 1200; Allen, 184-185. “Both sections of Psalm 128 display the same movement from third person (vv. 1, 4) to direct address (vv. 2-3

Psalm 127

Tommy Peeler · Carefully Examining the Text

“The psalm is ascribed to Solomon, and has perhaps a concealed signature in the expression his beloved (2), which is the word from which Jedidiah, his personal name from God, was formed (II Sam. 12:25)” Kidner, 440. Solomon carried on many building activities (I Kings 3:1-2; 7:1-11; 8:13; 9:1 ). This psalm has more of the characteristics of a wisdom psalms than other types. “A wisdom psalm... ‘provides instruction in right living and right faith” NICOT, 917. “In Jewish practice the psalm is recited as a part of thanksgiving as a part of a thanksgiving service after children” VanGemeren, 793 12