Encountering the Book of Psalms

by Bullock, C. Hassell

• ISBN13: 9780801022456
• ISBN10: 0801022452
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Baker Pub Group

Summary

According to author Hassell Bullock, "No collection of poems has ever exercised as much influence on the Western world as the Book of Psalms." The attraction for Jews, Christians, and others is surely the personal element that pervades these poems, which describe the human situation in all its complexity. Though the Psalms are perhaps the most familiar portion of the Hebrew Bible, they are also among the most difficult to interpret. As a result, Bullock has created this guide to introduce students to the study and interpretation of the Psalms.Encountering the Book of Psalms begins by examining literary and hermeneutical dimensions. Bullock discusses the nature, structure, and authorship of the Psalter and provides readers with specific principles for interpretation. He goes on to examine the use of Psalms in worship from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. He further explores how the psalmists used historical reflection to serve their theological purposes, and he concludes by investigating different types of psalms (e.g., praise, lament, and wisdom).

Author Biography

C. Hassell Bullock (Ph.D., Hebrew Union College) is Franklin S. Dyrness, Professor of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College

Table of Contents

Editor's Preface	11	(12)
Publisher's Preface	12	(2)
To the Student	14	(1)
Author's Preface	15	(2)
Abbreviations	17	(4)
Part 1 Encountering the Literary and Hermeneutical Dimensions of the Psalms
``Begin the Music'': Introducting the Psalms	21	(14)
Outline
Objectives
Names of the Book
Nature of the Book
Place of the Book in the Canon
David's Place in the Book
Titles of the Psalms and Special Terms
Author Titles
Historical Titles
Titles of Literary or Musical Genre
Titles with Musical Terms
Titles with Musical Tunes
Musical Instruments Singing
Study Questions
Key Terms
Listening to the Symphony of Praise: Interpreting the Psalms	35	(22)
Outline
Objectives
Scanning the Orchestra: Hebrew Poetry
Parallelism
Synonymous Parallelism
Antithetic Parallelism
Strophe
Chiastic Structure
Reading the Psalms through the Psalmists' Experience Reading the Psalms through the Editor's Experience
Reading the Psalms through the Readers' Experience
Reading the Psalms through the Apostles' Experience
Typology
Messianism
Reading the Psalms through the Literary Critics' Eyes
Reading the Psalms through the Students' Experience
Principle 1: Determine Who is Speaking
Principle 2: Determine if the Psalms Is Personal or Corporate
Principle 3: Determine for What Purpose the Psalm Was Written
Principle 4: Determine the Emotional Orientation of the Psalm
Principle 5: Determine the Genre of the Psalm if Possible
Principle 6: Determine if There Is a Refrain or Recurring Words and Phrases
Study Questions
Key Terms
The Seams of the Garment of Praise: The Structure of the Book	57	(28)
Outline
Objectives
The Fivefold Division of the Psalter
The Editorial Seams of the Book: Books 1-3 (Pss 1-89)
Book 1 (Pss 1-41)
Book 2 (Pss 42-72)
Book 3 (Pss 73-89)
Summary
The Editorial Seams of the Book: Books 4-5 (Pss 90-150)
Book 4 (Pss 90-106)
Book 5 (Pss 107-50)
Summary
The Final Shape of the Book: Psalms 1 and 146-50
The Date of the Final Compilation of the Psalter
A Consideration of Authorship in the Shaping of the Book
Authorship
The Davidic Psalms
The Korah Psalms (Pss 42-49; 84-85; 87-88)
The Asaph Pslams (Pss 50; 73-83)
Songs of Ascents (Pss 120-34)
Study Questions
Key Terms
Part 2 Encountering the Psalms as Worship and Historical Reflection
The Psalms in Worship and Faith	85	(14)
Outline
Objectives
The Psalms as an Expression of Shared Humanness
The Psalms as an Expression of Our Fragmentary Life
The Psalms as Preincarnational Revelation
The Psalms in the Qumran Scrolls
The Psalms in the New Testament
The Psalms in the Gospels
Paul's Use of the Psalms
The Psalms in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Summary
The Psalms in Temple Worship
The Psalms in Synagogue Worship
The Psalms in Christian Worship
The Church until the Reformation
The Psalms in the Reformation Church
The Psalms into the Twenty-First Century
Hiding the Psalms in One's Heart
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
Encountering Theology and History in the Psalms	99	(22)
Outline
Objectives
Israel and Creation
The Patriarches in Retrospect
The Exodus
Egyptian Bondage
Crossing of the Red Sea
Sinai
The Wilderness
Conquest
Life in the Land
The Monarchy
The Exile and Return
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
Part 3 Encountering the Psalms as Literary and Theological Types
``Praise the Lord, O My Soul; All My Inmost Being, Praise His Holy Name'': The Psalms of Praise	121	(14)
Outline
Objectives
The Anatomy of Praise Form and Description of the Psalms of Praise Major Themes of the Psalms of Praise
Creation
Creation by the Word of Command
Creation by Deed
Creation by Understanding
Creation by Power
The Beauty and the Language of Creation
University of God's Presence and Reign
God's Work in Israel's History
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``My God, My God, Why Have You Forsazken Me?'': Psalms of Lament	135	(16)
Outline
Objectives
Definition and Description of the Psalms of Lament
Subcategories of the Psalms of Lament
Identity of the Enemies/Evildoers in the Psalms
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``I Love the Lord, for He Heard My Voice; He Heard My Cry for Mercy'': Psalms of Thanksgiving	151	(14)
Outline
Objectives
Description of Form and Content
Introduction
Report of Crisis
Deliverance as an Accomplished Fact
Conclusion
The Life Situation (Sitz in Leben) of the Psalms of Thanksgiving
Content of the Individual Psalms of Thanksgiving
Community Psalms of Thanksgiving
Theological Implications of the Psalms of Thanksgiving
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``The Lord Is My Shepheard, I Shall Not Want'': Psalms of Trust	165	(12)
Outline
Objectives
Definition and Description of the Psalms of Trust
The Individual Psalms of Trust
Psalm 4
Psalm 16
Psalm 23
Psalm 27
Psalm 62
Psalm 73
The Community Psalms of Trust
Psalm 90
Psalm 115
Psalm 123
Psalm 124
Psalm 125
Psalm 126
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``You Are My Son; Today I Have Become Your Father'': Psalms of the Earthly King	177	(10)
Outline
Objectives
Identifying the Royal Psalms
The Setting of the Royal Psalms
The Royal Psalms and the Messiah
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``The Lord Reigns'': Psalms of the Heavenly King	187	(12)
Outline
Objectives
Description
Thematic Emphases
The Lord Is Sovereign in Righteousness and Justice
The Lord Is Sovereign in Creation
The Lord Is Sovereign in Judgment
The Lord Is the Sovereign King of the Future
The Messianic Overtones of the Kingship of Yahweh Psalms
Dating the Kingship of Yahweh Psalms
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``My Mouth Will Speak Words of Wisdom'': The Wisdom Psalms	199	(14)
Outline
Objectives
Wisdom Psalms
Definition and Description of Wisdom Psalms
Identifying Wisdom Psalms
Structure and Motif in the Wisdom Psalms
Summary
Study Questions
Key Terms
``The Law of the Lord Is Perfect, Reviving the Soul'': The Psalms of Torah	213	(14)
Outline
Objectives
Description of the Torah Psalms and Definition of Torah
Description of the Torah Psalms
Definition of Torah
God's Ways
God's Works
God's Words
Torah Piety as the Spiritual Provenance of the Psalter
Torah and Wisdom
The Torah Psalms
Psalm1
Psalm 19
Psalm 119
Date of Composition of Psalm 119
A Profile of the Author of Psalm 119
The Torah Theology of Psalm 119
Psalm 119 and the Nature of Torah
Psalm 119 and the Purpose of Torah
Study Questions
Key Terms
``May They Be Blotted Out of the Book of Life'': The Imprecatory Psalms	227	(12)
Outline
Objectives
The Imprecatory Psalms
Defined
The Problem
The Solutions
The Nature of Poetry Itself
Effective Magic
An Inferior Ethic
Prediction over Pronouncement
Messianic
Human Vindictiveness over Divine Instruction
Representative of Human Injustice
The Words of Others
National Rather than Personal
Distinction between the Sin and the Sinner
Interpreting the Imprecatory Psalms as the Word of God
The Psalmist's Theological Perspective
The ``Curses''
Principles of Judgement
Study Questions
Key Terms
Notes	239	(6)
Select Bibliography of the Psalms	245	(4)
Glossary	249	(4)
Subject Index	253	(4)
Scripture Index	257