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WRITTEN EXPOSITION
That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Psalm 26:7
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Psalm 9: A Song of Thanks and a Plea for Justice
INTRODUCTION Due to ancient textual traditions Psalms 9 and 10 are often treated as one psalm. Although two individual psalms in the Hebrew Bible they appear as a single acrostic poem in the LXX (Septuagint Greek translation) and the Latin Vulgate. Taken together they constitute an almost complete irregular acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet. The two psalms share similar themes and also have word similarities (e.g. the phrase in times of trouble, 9:9; 10:1). Psalm…
What is Man? The significance of Psalm 8
INTRODUCTION After the two introductory psalms (1-2) and a group of lament psalms (3-7) comes Psalm 8, the first hymn of praise in the Psalter. It is indeed a hymn of praise but also straddles several categories, such as; individual psalm, royal psalm, wisdom psalm and nature hymn. In this song of praise the psalmist, possibly David, celebrates both the majesty of Israel’s God YHWH and the dignity of humanity. He reflects upon the Creator’s…
Psalm 7: David’s Prayer for Justice
INTRODUCTION Psalm 7, categorised as a lament, is a prayer for divine help and vindication by someone who has been falsely accused – possibly of breaking a treaty. According to the superscription, this psalm was written by King David during a time of intense personal attack so it reveals the emotional and spiritual response of a man wrongly accused yet confident in God’s righteous judgment. The Hebrew title of this psalm reads: A Shiggaion of…
From Tears to Trust: Divine Discipline and Deliverance in Psalm 6
INTRODUCTION Psalm 6 is the fourth of five individual laments (Psalms 3-7) placed near the beginning of the Psalter. According to Mandolfo (2014, pp115-116) ‘the following features are typical of most lament psalms: 1. Invocation —the initial cry to God to take notice2. Complaint —the description (usually general) of the psalmist’s suffering thatincludes a complaint either against God or some enemy/ies3. Request —the psalmist petitions God to act on the psalmist’s behalf4. Expression of Confidence…
Psalm 5: Facing A New Day With Faith
INTRODUCTION Psalm 5 is traditionally understood as a morning prayer composed by King David. Its setting is an unspecified time when he was under pressure – possibly from opponents making life-threatening false accusations against him. The psalm is also classed as a personal lament since it contains the main elements of lament – invocation, complaint against enemies, petition and expression of hope – see the Introduction to my post on Psalm 3. David begins the…
From Anxiety to Assurance: Insights from Psalm 4
INTRODUCTION Psalm 4 is an individual lament in which the author cries out to the Lord for relief in his current distress. Although the crisis in Psalm 3 is political /military and that in Psalm 4 personal the two psalms are often paired on the basis of similarities in language and content. Commentators vary as regards the structure of Psalm 4. Some say it naturally falls into two parts, whilst others divide it into three…
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Written Exposition 