Invitation to the Psalms

A Reader's Guide for Discovery and Engagement

Jacobson, Rolf A., Jacobson, Karl

• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781441241399
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The Book of Psalms is perhaps the most cherished book in the Old Testament. In this lively volume, two experienced teachers invite students to read and explore the Psalter and roam widely among its poems. The book introduces the dynamics of the biblical text, helping students become careful and attentive readers. It covers how to read Hebrew poetry, the Psalter's basic genres, the idea of "the psalmist, " the metaphorical world of the Psalms, and the theology of the Psalms. Sidebars, discussion questions, and plenty of examples enhance the reading experience. This clear and concise guide is accessible to all serious students of the Bible.

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Why Is My Bible Repeating Itself?

Learning to Understand Hebrew Poetry

Introducing Hebrew Poetry

The biblical book of Psalms is, first and foremost, a collection of Hebrew poetry. If a reader sets out to understand the psalms—or even to understand a single one of the psalms—that reader must take into account the central reality that the psalms are Hebrew poetry. Why? Because reading is a “logical” exercise—in the sense that words, phrases, and sentences are put together according to principles that are governed by a logic. You cannot understand what the words, phrases, and sentences are trying to communicate if you do not understand that governing logic. Poetry as a whole is a type of language that has a different governing logic from other types of writing. And Hebrew poetry, in particular, has an even more specifically different set of governing logic.

An example may help. Mathematical equations are basically sentences that use numerical and mathematical symbols rather than words to communicate. Imagine that you are given the task of understanding what the following mathematical equation (sentence) is trying to communicate:

2 + 2 = 4

The meaning is transparently clear, right? Before you answer yes, imagine that you do not understand what numbers are or how they work. Imagine that you do not understand that the symbol “2” represents the numerical concept of two. Or that the symbol “4” represents the numerical concept of four. Furthermore, imagine that you do not understand that the symbols “+” and “=” stand for the concepts of adding and totaling, respectively. A reader who does not understand these things could, of course, not understand even the simplest equation. The reason for this is that the basic building block of mathematical equations is a signification system in which 2 = two, + = addition, and so on. A reader who does not understand that system cannot understand the longer “sentences” that are created when various elements such as 2, 4, +, and = are put together. But a reader who does understand these basic building blocks, and how they work, can understand even complex mathematical sentences, like the quadratic formula: ax2 + bx + c = 0 (where a ≠ 0). Now that we’ve exceeded what we know about math, let us return to Hebrew poetry.

Just as numerical and mathematical symbols are the building blocks of mathematical sentences, Hebrew poetry is the basic building block of the biblical psalms. In order to understand the overall message that a psalm is trying to communicate, it is helpful (perhaps even “necessary”) to know some basic elements about the governing logic of Hebrew poetry. When a reader does not understand the basic features of Hebrew poetry and how they work, that reader will find it almost impossible to read and understand even the most simple lines from the psalms, such as: “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven” (Ps. 11:4). But a reader who does understand these basic building blocks can read and understand even complex psalms.

The thesis of this chapter is that if readers of the psalms will take the time to understand the basic conventions and features of Hebrew poetry, they will be in a far better position to understand the witness of the psalms—to “waterski across the surface” of a psalm. In this chapter we explain and illustrate some of these central conventions, beginning with a concept that is usually called parallelism.

Understanding Parallelism

If you have ever read the psalms, you may wonder why your Bible is repeating itself. Consider these four examples from the psalms:

[A] what are human beings that you are mindful of them,

[B] mortals that you care for them? (Ps. 8:4)

[A] I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,

[B] I will sing praises to you among the nations. (Ps. 108:3)

[A] O God, do not keep silence;

[B] do not hold your peace or be still, O God! (Ps. 83:1)

[A] You forgave the iniquity of your people;

[B] you pardoned all of their sin. (Ps. 85:2)

In each of these examples, the second line is very similar to the first line. One could almost—almost, but not quite—say that the second line simply repeats the sentiments of the first line. One could almost say that the second lines are basically synonyms for the meanings of the first lines.

The four examples above nicely illustrate the basic building block of Hebrew poetry, which scholars call parallelism. The term “parallelism” was coined by a scholar named Christian Schöttgen in 1733, who described “the linking of entire sentences, several words or clauses of sentences . . . in a kind of parallelism.”[4] The term was made famous by Robert Lowth, a bishop of the Church of England, who in 1753 published a very influential study of biblical poetry.[5] Parallelism can be defined most briefly as the repetition of elements within a grammatical unit.

The four examples above all show repetition in the “grammatical unit” that we are calling a line (above, the lines are each marked either as A or as B). But note that scholars also use several terms to demark this unit of text, including “colon” (plural: cola) and stich (plural: stichoi). We will use the term “verse” for a unit of poetry normally made up by two or more lines—above, there are four “verses” of poetry; each verse is made up of two lines.

Within biblical scholarship, most interpreters focus on parallelism between lines, but parallelism occurs at many different levels in Hebrew poetry: within lines, between lines, between verses, between entire sections, and between psalms.

Parallelism Can Occur within a Line of Hebrew Poetry

[A] The LORD is my light and my salvation. (Ps. 27:1a)

[A] The LORD is gracious and merciful,

[B] slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Ps. 145:8)

In these two examples there are parallel sets of words to describe God within each line. In the first example, “my light” is used in parallel with “my salvation.” In the second example, parallelism occurs within both lines. In line A of Psalm 145:8, the single word “gracious” is used in parallel with the single word “merciful,” while in the second line the phrase “slow to anger” is used in parallel with the phrase “abounding in steadfast love.” Thus parallelism can occur within a line of Hebrew poetry. Now it is your turn to try it. Finish these two lines of poetry and make sure that you include some parallelism within the lines:

Praise the Lord with _______________.

I will sing of ______________________.

If you want to see how an ancient poet handled the same lines that you were given, you can check out Psalm 150:3–4a and 101:1a. But remember, the purpose of this little exercise is not to try to “get it right” by guessing exactly what the ancient poet wrote. Rather, the purpose is to “get it right” by showing that you are beginning to understand what parallelism is and how it works.

Parallelism Can Occur between Lines of Hebrew Poetry

[A] Where can I go from your spirit?

[B] Or where can I flee from your presence? (Ps. 139:7)

[A] The LORD is gracious and merciful,

[B] slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Ps. 145:8)

[A] Fortunate is the one

who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,

[B] who does not stand on the path that sinners tread,

[C] who does not sit in the seat of scoffers. (Ps. 1:1 AT)

In these three examples the repetition is between lines. Notice especially that in the first two examples, there are two lines in parallel with each other, but that in the third example three lines are in parallel with each other. This tripartite parallelism is less common than the bipartite parallelism, but it occ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Endorsements
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Why Is My Bible Repeating Itself?
• 2. What Is a Psalm?
• 3. What Is a Psalm?
• 4. What Is a Psalmist?
• 5. Is God a Rock, a Light, or a Shepherd?
• 6. “Who Is the King of Glory?”
• Notes
• Scripture Index
• Subject Index
• Back Cover