The five books of the Poetic and Wisdom Writing Books of the Bible are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. These books tell stories of human struggles and experiences from the time of Abraham all the way until the end of the Old Testament.
The poetical books of the bible are the books in a Bible that are not part of narrative or historical books. These are found in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, which is also called as Jewish Bible. The poetical books of the Old Testament are found in the following order: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon or Canticles. They are often called “The Wisdom Books” because they have to do with the right ordering and best use of human knowledge and experience. The three cluster together at the center of the Old Testament Canon because they have a great deal in common. The poetic books are found in both the Christian and Roman Catholic Bibles. Christians refer to the same books as the Writings, while Roman Catholics call this section Biblical Apocrypha, meaning ”hidden” texts that were not included in what became the final Bible canon. In their Old Testament canons, they are further divided into three groups.
Poetical Books Of The Bible
Poetical books of the Bible are books that are written as poetry, such as Psalms, Song of Solomon and Proverbs. These books were written to be read aloud and recited by the people of Israel. While not considered part of the Hebrew Scriptures, they are still considered to be inspired by God and are included in most modern versions of the Bible. The Psalms were written by David and other prophets who served God during different periods in Israel’s history. The book contains prayers, hymns, songs and poems that were used by Israelites during worship services at the Temple in Jerusalem. Some scholars believe some parts may have been added later by other authors as well. The Song of Solomon is a love poem between a man and woman who are deeply in love with each other. It speaks about how beautiful their love is, even though it may not seem so at first glance (1:5). It was probably written around 500 B.C., but some people think it could have been written much later than that because it mentions things like chariots (1:9). The Poetical books of the Bible are: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. These books are written in a poetic style and contain many examples of Hebrew poetry.
The Psalms were written by various authors, but most were composed by David. They were written as songs to be sung at worship services or as private prayers. The Psalms deal with many different themes such as praise for God’s kingdom and wisdom, lamenting over suffering and sinfulness, confession of sins and repentance, petitioning God for help in times of trouble, etcetera. The book of Proverbs is also known as the Book of Wisdom because it contains many wise sayings that teach us how to live better lives through practical advice on topics such as family relationships (chapters 1-9), honesty (chapters 10-15), justice (chapters 16-19), peace (chapters 20-22), wealth (chapters 23-24), etcetera.
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What Are The 5 Books Of Poetry In The Bible
Psalms
The Psalms are a collection of poetry found in the Bible, usually arranged by the order they were written in. Many people consider them to be one of the most inspirational books in the world because their verse speaks to many different aspects of life, from joy and sorrow to hope and despair.
The Psalms are considered by many scholars as being some of the most important pieces of literature ever produced. They may have been originally intended as part of a type of ancient music that was meant to be performed aloud or accompanied by instruments like harps or flutes, but they can also be read silently with great effect on an individual’s emotions and mind-set as well
Song of Songs
The Song of Songs is a love song, written as a dialogue between a young woman and her lover. It is one of the most beautiful books of the Bible and it speaks about physical attraction as well as deep affection. In fact, it reminds us that God’s love for Israel was like this kind of love; “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
It also points to Christ’s relationship with his bride (the Church) calling him her Beloved while he returns her affectionate words by saying: “Arise oh north wind! Come O south wind!” This can be seen as an invitation to all believers to join in this celebration of God’s great love for us through Christ Jesus our Lord!
Proverbs
Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings and moral principles written by Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba. Solomon is considered one of the wisest men to have lived on earth. It contains instructions on how to live a long life, including admonitions against sins such as greed and envy. The book also contains practical advice for daily living, such as advice on choosing an appropriate spouse or business partner. Proverbs teaches us that wisdom comes from God alone—not from man—and that we are only wise when we fear God (Proverbs 9:10).
In addition to its theological truths, Proverbs contains many well-known proverbs such as “Don’t go into debt” (Proverbs 22:7), “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” (Proverbs 11:30) and “Spare the rod and spoil the child” (Proverbs 13:24).
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes is a book in the Bible that teaches us about the simple pleasures of life. It tells us that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. If you are kind and honest, people will respect you for it. And finally, if you live simply and take pleasure in basic things like friendship and love, it’s worthwhile to make them a priority in your life.
Job
The book of Job tells the story of a righteous man who is tested by God. Job is a wealthy and righteous man. God allows Satan to test Job’s faith, so Satan takes away everything that Job has: his wealth, livestock, children and health. In the end, though he has lost everything he had lived for, Job remains faithful in his love and devotion to God despite all that he has been through.
In this book we see both sides of human nature; on one side we have people who are willing to give up their beliefs when things go wrong for them or maybe even when things don’t go their way but then there are others like Job who continue believing even when they’ve lost everything they worked so hard for
Lamentations
- Lamentations is a book of tragedy and grief.
- The main theme of Lamentations is that the people of Israel have sinned and God is punishing them.
- The book was written after the fall of Jerusalem, which occurred during Nebuchadnezzar’s siege on Jerusalem in 586 B.C..
The poetical books are a collection of poetry and song that is beautiful, wise, and sad.
The poetical books are a collection of poetry and song that is beautiful, wise, and sad. They are the most beautiful and poetic books of the Bible.
They include some of the most famous Bible passages: “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23), “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars” (Proverbs 9), “O Lord our God how excellent is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8).
These books are songs of praise to God for his power or wisdom or goodness or love for us as people who do not deserve it at all! They are songs about how amazing God’s ways can be even though we don’t always see them because we think too small about what he could do for us if only we were willing to trust him more instead of focusing so much on ourselves.”
The Poetical Books
Introduction
The previous survey of the first seventeen books (Law and History), Genesis through Nehemiah, covered the whole history of the Old Testament. All the remaining books, Poetical and Prophetical, fit somewhere into the history of those seventeen books. The next section to be covered, the Poetical, is a much smaller section consisting of five books—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
Before examining them, we should note certain characteristics that all of these five books have.
The seventeen books which lie behind us are historical. These five poetical books are experiential. The seventeen historical books are concerned with a nation, as such. These five poetical books are concerned with individuals, as such. The seventeen have to do with the Hebrew race. These five have to do with the human heart. These five so-called “poetical books” are not the only poetry in the Old Testament Scriptures. There are stretches of unexcellable poetry in the writings of the prophets, which we shall come to later …
We ought clearly to understand, also, that the term “poetical” refers only to their form. It must not be thought to imply that they are simply the product of human imagination.… These books portray real human experience, and grapple with profound problems, and express big realities. Especially too they concern themselves with the experiences of the godly, in the varying vicissitudes of this changeful life which is ours under the sun …23
Important Comparisons
The Place of the Poetical Books in the Old Testament
The Old Testament divides into four major sections which relate to the nation of Israel as God’s chosen people in the following manner from the standpoint of their major characteristics or focus:
1. The Law—relates to Israel’s moral life.
2. The Historical—relates to Israel’s national development and life.
3. The Poetical—relates to Israel’s spiritual life.
4. The Prophetical—relates to Israel’s future life as fulfilled in the Messiah.
The Relation of the Poetical Books to Each Other
1. The Book of Job—Blessing through Suffering.
2. The Psalms—Praise through Prayer.
3. The Proverbs—Prudence through Precept.
4. Ecclesiastes—Verity through Vanity.
5. Song of Solomon—Bliss through Union.24
The Periods of the Poetical in the Old Testament
While Hebrew poetry occurred throughout Old Testament history, there were three primary periods of poetic literature.
I. The Patriarchal period—Job (c. 2000 B.C.)
II. The Davidic period—Psalms (c. 1000 B.C.)
III. The Solomonic period
A. Song of Solomon—a young man’s love
B. Proverbs—a middle-aged man’s wisdom
C. Ecclesiastes—an old man’s sorrow (c. 950 B.C.)25
Christ in the Poetical Books
As noted previously, Christ, the Messiah, is the heart of all the Bible. With the two disciples on the Emmaus road who were so saddened and perplexed over the events of the previous days as the crucifixion, death, and reports of the resurrection, the resurrected Savior came along side and explained the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). Then later when he appeared to the eleven and He said: “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, than all things which are written about Me in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).
With this in mind, before launching into the overview of each of these poetical books, it would be well to get their Christological perspective. Regarding this element Geisler writes:
Whereas the foundation was laid for Christ in the Law and preparation was made for Christ in the books of History, the books of Poetry reveal the aspiration for Christ in the hearts of the people. They aspired to a life fulfilled in Christ in both an explicit and an implicit way, both consciously and unconsciously. The following list will serve as an overall guide to the Christ-centered aspirations of the poetical books:
1. Job—aspiration for mediation by Christ.
2. Psalms—aspiration for communion with Christ.
3. Proverbs—aspiration for wisdom in Christ.
4. Ecclesiastes—aspiration for ultimate satisfaction.
5. Song of Solomon—aspiration for union in love with Christ.26
Hebrew Poetry
The Nature of Hebrew Poetry
Hebrew poetry, so characteristic of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon), is unlike English poetry which emphasizes rhyme and meter. Hebrew poetry relies on other characteristics for its impact. Parallelism is the chief characteristic of biblical poetry, but it has other features that distinguish it from the typical prose or narrative we find in the rest of Scripture. First, there a relatively greater conciseness or terseness of form, and second there is a greater use of certain types of rhetorical devices. These are parallelism, rhythm, a rich use of imagery, and figures of speech.
The Three Kinds of Hebrew Poetry
There are three kinds of poetry: (1) lyric poetry, which was originally accompanied by music on the lyre (the Psalms); (2) didactic poetry, which, using maxims, was designed to communicate basic principles of life (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes); (3) dramatic poetry, which used dialog to communicate its message (Job and the Song of Solomon).
The Two Key Elements of Hebrew Poetry
Parallelism. In contrast to English verse which manipulates sound and emphasizes rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry repeats and rearranges thoughts rather than sounds. Parallelism refers “to the practice of balancing one thought or phrase by a corresponding thought or phrase containing approximately the same number of words, or at least a correspondence in ideas.”27 There are several types of parallel arrangement of thoughts, with three being basic.
1. Synonymous–the thought of the first line is basically repeated in different words in the second line (2:4; 3:1; 7:17).
2. Antithetical–the thought of the first line is emphasized by a contrasting thought in the second line (1:6; 34:10). They are often identified with “but.”
3. Synthetic–the second line explains or further develops the idea of the first line (1:3; 95:3).
4. Climactic–The second line repeats with the exception of the last terms (29:1).
5. Emblematic–One line conveys the main point, the second line illuminates it by an image (42:1; 23:1).
Figures of Speech. Like the Hebrew language itself, Hebrew poetry uses vivid images, similes, metaphors, and other rhetorical devices to communicate thoughts and feelings. Some of these are as follows:
1. Simile: This is the simplest of all the figures of speech. A simile is a comparison between two things that resemble each other in some way (cf. Ps. 1:3-4; 5:12; 17:8; 131:2).
2. Metaphor: This is a comparison in which one thing is likened to another without the use of a word of comparison as in “like” or “as.” In Psalm 23:1, David says, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” that is, He is to me like a shepherd is to his sheep (see also 84:11; 91:4).
3. Implication: This occurs when there is only an implied comparison between two things in which the name of one thing is used in place of the other (cf. Ps. 22:16; Jer. 4:7).
4. Hyperbole: This is the use of exaggeration or over statement to stress a point (Ps. 6:6; 78:27; 107.26).
5. Paronomasia: This refers to the use or repetition of words that are similar in sound, but not necessarily in sense or meaning in order to achieve a certain effect. This can only be observed by those who can read the original Hebrew text. Psalm 96:10 reads, “For all the gods ( kol-elohay) of the nations are idols ( elilim). This latter word means nothings, or things of naught; so that we might render it, “The gods of the nations or imaginations.”28 (see also Ps. 22:16; Prov. 6:23).
6. Pleonasm: This involves the use of redundancy for the sake of emphasis. This may occur with the use of words or sentences. In Psalm 20:1 we are told, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!” Here “name” appears to be redundant. It means God Himself and has more emphasis than if only the term “God” had been used.
7. Rhetorical question: The use of a question to confirm or deny a fact (Ps. 35:10; 56:8; 106.2).
8. Metonymy: This occurs where one noun is used in place of another because of some relationship or type of resemblance that different objects might bear to one another (Ps. 5:9; 18:2; 57:9; 73:9).
9. Anthropomorphism: The assigning of some part of the human anatomy to God’s Person to convey some aspect of God’s being like the eyes or ears (cf. Ps. 10:11, 14; 11:4; 18:15; 31:2).
10. Zoomorphism: The assigning of some part of an animal to God’s Person to convey certain truths about God (cf. Ps. 17:8; 91:4).
JOB (Blessing Through Suffering)
Author:
While we know the title of this book obviously comes from its main character, Job, and that he was an historical person (Ezek. 14:14, 20; James 5:11), the author is unknown and there are no textual claims as to the author’s identify. Commentators have suggested Job himself, Elihu, Moses, Solomon, and others.
Date:
It is important to distinguish between the date of writing and of the events of the book. Regarding the date, Ryrie writes;
The date of the events in the book and the date of the writing of the book are two different matters. The events may have taken place in a patriarchal society in the second millennium B.C., around the time of Abraham. Several facts support this dating: (1) Job lived more than 140 years (42:16), a not uncommon life span during the patriarchal period; (2) the economy of Job’s day, in which wealth was measured in terms of livestock (1:3), was the type that existed in this period; (3) like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Job was the priest of his family (1:5); (4) the absence of any reference to the nation Israel or the Mosaic Law suggests a pre-Mosaic date (before 1500 B.C.).
Three principal views exist concerning the date of writing: (1) in the patriarchal age, shortly after the events happened; (2) in the time of Solomon (950 B.C.); (3) at the time of the Exile or after, though the mention of Job by Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:14) negates such a late date. The detailed report of the speeches of Job and his friends seems to argue for the book’s being written shortly after the events occurred. On the other hand, the book shares characteristics of other wisdom literature (e.g., Pss. 88, 89) written during the Solomonic age and should be regarded as a dramatic poem describing real events, rather than a verbatim report.29
Title of the Book:
Set in the time of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the Book of Job derives its name from its chief character, a man called Job, who, experiencing extreme suffering (the loss of wealth, family and health), struggles with the question of why? The English name, Job, comes from the Hebrew áIyo‚b. Some believe it comes from áa„yab, which basically means, “to be hostile to, to be an enemy,” by there is little linguistic evidence to support this.30 But not all agree.
Earlier attempts to determine an etymology of the name have given way to evidence from a well-attested west Semitic name in the second millennium found in the Amarna Letters, Egyptian Execration texts, Mari, Alalakh, and Ugaritic documents. The original form of the name was Ayyabum, which can mean “Where is [my] father?” or possibly “no father.” Either form might suggest an orphan or illegitimacy.31
Theme and Purpose:
The book is a theodicy (a vindication of God’s goodness, justice, and sovereign character in the face of the existence of suffering and evil). As such,
The book wrestles with the age-old question: Why do righteous men suffer, if God is a God of love and mercy? It clearly teaches the sovereignty of God and the need for man to acknowledge such. Job’s three friends gave essentially the same answer: All suffering is due to sin. Elihu, however, declared that suffering is often the means of purifying the righteous. God’s purpose, therefore, was to strip away all of Job’s self-righteousness and to bring him to the place of complete trust in Him.32
Gleason Archer gives and excellent summary of the theme:
This book deals with the theoretical problem of pain and disaster in the life of the godly. It undertakes to answer the question, Why do the righteous suffer? This answer comes in a threefold form: (1) God is worthy of love even apart from the blessings He bestows; (2) God may permit suffering as a means of purifying and strengthening the soul in godliness; (3) God’s thoughts and ways are moved by considerations too vast for the puny mind of man to comprehend. Even though man is unable to see the issues of life with the breadth and vision of the Almighty; nevertheless God really knows what is best for His own glory and for our ultimate good. This answer is given against the background of the stereotyped views of Job’s three “comforters,” Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.33
A further purpose is certainly to demonstrate the conflict of the ages between God and Satan and to show the relationship of suffering to this conflict. In the end, it demonstrates the truth of Romans 8:28.
Key Words:
The key words are “affliction, misery, hardship, etc.” (9 times), “righteous” or “righteousness” (20 times), but the key concept is the sovereignty of God.
Key Verses:
2:3-6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause.” And Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “However, put forth Your hand, now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”
13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.”
42:5-6 “Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me. ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”
42:10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.
Key Chapters:
Chapters 1-2 are key in that they introduce the reader to the source of Job’s suffering—Satan’s accusations and the affliction that fell upon Job.
Chapters 38-42 While chapters 3-37 record the counsel of Job’s friends who raise the question, “Does God allow the innocent to suffer?” the next key chapters are chapters 38-41, God’s speech and silencing of Job, followed by Job’s repentance and restoration, chapter 42.
Key People:
Job, a blameless and upright man, Satan, Job’s accusers, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zopher, and Elihu, the younger and wiser of Job’s friend who sought to give Job counsel.
Christ as seen in Job:
Christ is seen in several ways in Job. Job acknowledges a Redeemer (19:25-27) and prays for a Mediator (9:33; 33:23). He knows he needs someone who can explain the mystery of “suffering” which is answered only in Christ Who identifies with our suffering and ultimately both answers Satan’s accusations, which are ultimately against God, and defeats him (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:15; Rom. 8:32-34).
Outline:
I. The Prologue: the Disasters (Afflictions) of Job (1-2)
A. His Circumstances and Character (1:1-5)
B. His Calamities and their Source—Satan (1:6-2:10)
C. His Comforters (2:11-13)
II. The Dialogues or False Comfort of the Three Friends (3:1-31:40)
A. First cycle of debate (3:1-14:22)
1. Job’s lament (3:1-26)
2. Eliphaz’ reply (4:1-5:27; and Job’s rejoinder, 6:1-7:21)
3. Bildad’s reply (8:1-22; and Job’s rejoinder, 9:1-10:22)
4. Zophar’s reply (11:1-20; and Job’s rejoinder, 12:1-14:22)
B. Second cycle of debate (15:1-21:34)
1. Eliphaz’ reply (15:1-35; and Job’s rejoinder, 16:1-17:16)
2. Bildad’s reply (18:1-21; and Job’s rejoinder, 19:1-29)
3. Zophar’s reply (20:1-29; and Job’s rejoinder, 21:1-34)
C. Third cycle of debate (22:1-31:40)
1. Eliphaz’ reply (22:1-30; and Job’s rejoinder, 23:1-24:25)
2. Bildad’s reply (25:1-6; and Job’s rejoinder, 26:1-31:40)
III. The Words of Elihu (32:1-37:24)
A. First speech: God’s instruction to man through affliction (32:1-33:33)
B. Second speech: God’s justice and prudence vindicated (34:1-37)
C. Third speech: the advantages of pure and consistent piety (35:1-16)
D. Fourth speech: God’s greatness and Job’s guilt in accusing God of unfairness (36:1-37:24)
IV. God’s Revelation from the Whirlwind (38:1-42:6)
A. The First Revelation: God’s omnipotence proclaimed in creation; Job’s self-condemning confession (38:1-40:5)
B. The Second Revelation: God’s power and man’s frailty; Job’s humble re-response (40:6-42:6)
V. The Epilogue: God’s rebuke of the false comforters; Job’s restoration and reward of a long and blessed life (42:7-17)
PSALMS (Praise Through Prayer)
Author:
The Book of Psalms is not only the largest book of the Bible, but it perhaps the most widely used book in Scripture because of the way it speaks to the human heart in all of our experiences in life. Again and again sighing is turned into singing through prayer and praise. For the most part, though the texts of the psalms do not designate their authors, the titles do often indicate the author of the various psalms. The following chart designates the authors of these psalms as they are found in the titles:34
| Authorship of the Psalms | ||
| David | 73 | Book 1, Book 2, 18, Book 3, 1, Book 4, 2; Book 5, 15 |
| Asaph | 12 | Ps. 50, 73-83 |
| Korahites | 12 | Ps. 42-49; 84; 86; 87; 88 |
| Solomon | 2 | Ps. 72, 127 |
| Moses | 1 | Ps. 90 |
| Ethan | 1 | Ps. 89 |
Division and Classification of the Psalms:
Divisions of the Psalter
The Psalms are really five books in one. Each of the following book division concludes with a doxology while Psalm 150 occupies the place of the doxology and forms an appropriate conclusion to the entire collection.
Epiphanius said, “The Hebrews divided the Psalter into five books so that it would be another Pentateuch.” The Midrash of Psa. 1:1 states, “Moses gave the Israelites the five books of the Law, and to correspond to these David gave to them the Book of the Psalms in five books.”35
This correspondence to the Pentateuch may be seen in the following outline:36
1. Psalms about man and creation (1-41)—corresponds to Genesis.
2. Psalms about Israel and redemption (42-72)—corresponds to Exodus.
3. Psalms about worship and the Temple (73-89)—corresponds to Leviticus.
4. Psalms about our sojourn on the earth (90-106)—corresponds to Numbers.
5. Psalms about praise and the Word of God (107-150)—corresponds to Deuteronomy.
Another way of looking at the book divisions:
| Book | Psalms | Author | General Content |
| Book I | Psalms 1-41 | David | Songs of worship |
| Book II | Psalms 42-72 | David & Korah | Hymns of petition |
| Book III | Psalms 73-89 | Mainly Asaph | Hymns of petition |
| Book IV | Psalms 90-106 | Mainly Anonymous | Anthems of praise |
| Book V | Psalms 107-150 | David and Anonymous | Anthems of praise |
Categories or Types of Psalms
As to their types, the following illustrates a generally agreed upon set of categories:
1. Lament or Petition, either individual (Ps. 3) or communal (Ps. 44);
2. Thanksgiving or Praise, either individual (Ps. 30) or communal (Ps. 65);
3. Trust in God (Ps. 4);
4. Enthronement hymns of Yahweh: psalms concerning Jerusalem (Ps. 48), and royal psalms (some of which are messianic; Ps. 2, 110);
5. Didactic and Wisdom psalms (Pss. 1, 37, 119).
6. Theme psalms: The psalms may also be classified according to special themes as: creation (Ps. 8, 19), nature psalms (Ps. 19; 104), acrostic or memory device psalms (Ps. 111, 112, 119), the Exodus (Ps. 78), imprecation (Ps. 7), penitence (Ps. 6), pilgrim psalms (Ps. 120), and Messianic psalms, those that include prophecies about Messiah as Psalm 2, 8, 16, 22, 40, 45, 72, 110, 118.
Date:
With their very broad chronological range, the wide thematic arrangement, and the many different audiences living under a variety of conditions, the psalms reflect a multitude of moods and experiences that make them extremely relevant to the reader regardless of the day in which he lives. Regarding the date of the various psalms, Archer writes:
Of these, the earliest would naturally be Ps. 90, by Moses, presumably composed about 1405 b.c. The Davidic psalms would have originated between 1020 and 975 b.c.; those of Asaph from approximately the same period; Ps. 127 from the period of Solomon’s reign, possibly 950. It is hard to date the descendants of Korah and the two Ezrahites who are mentioned; presumably they were pre-exilic. Of the psalms not carrying titles, some were undoubtedly Davidic (e.g., 2 and 33) and the others date from later periods all the way up to the return from exile (such as 126 and 137, the latter of which is at least as late as the Exile). No convincing evidence, however, has been offered for the dating of any of the psalms later than approximately 500 b.c.37
Title of the Book:
In the Hebrew, The Book of Psalms is titles, Tehillim (praise) or Sepher Tehillim (book of praises). A shortened form is Tillim. Only one psalm (145) is designated Tehillah (praise), but praise is the heart of the psalms. The Septuagint gives the name Psalmoi (psalms), that is “songs or poems sung with musical accompaniment.” Psalmos comes from psallein, “to pluck a stringed instrument” as an accompaniment to song.
Theme and Purpose:
The psalms provide us with a message of hope and comfort through the common theme of worship. They are, in essence, an antidote to fear and complaining. through a personal response to the person and work of God. They are an expression of the worship, faith, and spiritual life of Israel. In the psalms we have a mirror of the heart of God’s people recording the simple, universal human experiences of man in the light of God’s person, promises, plan, and presence.
As a collection of a 150 psalms they naturally cover a great variety of feelings, circumstances and themes. This means it is difficult to make any generalizations about a theme or purpose, but it is safe to say that all the psalms embody a personal response on the part of the believer toward the goodness and grace of God. Often they include a record of the psalmist’s own inner emotions of discouragement, anxiety, or thankfulness even when faced with the opposition of God’s enemies or in view of God’s varied providences. But whether the psalmist is occupied with a mournful or a joyous theme, he is always expressing himself as in the presence of the living God. There are a few psalms, of course, which mostly contain the thoughts and revelations of God Himself, such as Ps. 2, but these are most exceptional.38
Many of the psalms survey the Word of God, His attributes, and are Messianic in their scope in anticipation of the coming Messiah.
Key Word:
In thought, worship, is certainly a key word as expressed in the theme above. In this regard, praise, which occurs some 166 times and some form of the word bless, blessing, bless, occurs over a 100 times in the NASB.
Key Verses:
How do you list key verses in a book like psalms where nearly everyone is bound to have his or her own special verses that have been dear to their heart, but the following is a suggestion:
1:1-3 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
19:8-11 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
145:21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD; And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
Key Chapters:
As with the verses, so we also face difficulty in selecting key chapters, but the following are suggested. Psalm 1, 22, 23, 24; 37; 78; 100; 119; 121, and 150. Psalm 100 beautifully unites to central themes of praise and worship.
Key People:
Though the titles to the psalms do sometimes point to the subject or author of the psalm, like David or Korah, the text of the psalms does not. Rather, the focus seems to be more on the people of God in their worship and walk with Lord.
Christ as seen in Psalms:
Many of the psalms are Messianic and speak of the person and work of Christ. They fall into falling categories:
1. Typically messianic: These psalms are less obviously messianic. The psalmist in some way is a type of Christ (cf. 34:20; 69:4, 9), but other aspects of the passage do not apply. Perhaps, in this case Jesus and the apostles were applying familiar psalmic expressions to their experiences (e.g., 109:8 in Acts 1:20).
2. Typological-prophetic: though the psalmist describes his own experience, the language is such that points beyond his own life and becomes historically true only in the person of Christ (22).
3. Indirectly messianic: when the psalm was written it referred to the house of David or a specific king, but will find its final and ultimate fulfillment only in the person of Christ (2, 45, 72).
4. Purely prophetic: refers directly to Christ without any reference to any other person or son of David (110).
5. Enthronement or eschatological: these are psalms that anticipate the coming of the Lord and the consummation of His Kingdom as fulfilled in the person of Messiah, Christ (96-99).