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PSALMS (New Lecture, Fall 2016) the NAME: Tehillim, and the Creation of the Word: “PSALM”

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PSALMS (New Lecture, Fall 2016) the NAME: Tehillim, and the Creation of the Word: “PSALM” 1 CBISA Year II 2019-2020 PSALMS (New Lecture, Fall 2016) The NAME: Tehillim, and the creation of the word: “PSALM” FIRST COMMENTS ON HEBREW POETRY and PARALLELISM (1) Note that “Poetry diverges from regular speech by its being dictated by a particular form, and this form often changes natural behavior” - So what is the “FORM” that “dictates” Hebrew Poetry? - CONSIDER PSALM 1 & 2 (A) SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM Psalm 2:1 (A) Why do the nations conspire, (B) and the peoples plot in vain? (B) SYNTHETIC PARALLELISM Psalm 1:3 (A) They are like trees planted by streams of water, (B) which yield their fruit in its season, (C) and their leaves do not wither. (D) In all that they do, they prosper. (C ) ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM PSALM 1:6 6 for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. BUT ARE THERE MORE? - Gender matched parallelism (Isa 49:22, Embrace (m), shoulder (f)) - Standard word pairs: earth/dust; Isaiah 29:4 4 Then deep from the earth you shall speak, from low in the dust your words shall come; understand:know; Psalm 92:6 6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this: eat/drink Psalm 102:9 9 For I eat ashes like bread, and mingle tears with my drink, rain/dew Job 38:28 28 "Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? 2 CBISA Year II 2019-2020 - Father/mother Psalm 109:14 14 May the iniquity of his father be remembered before the LORD, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. NUMBER Parallelism Amos 2:1 Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Moab, and for four (EIGHT TIMES!) Proverbs 30:18 18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: Coogan: “Thought Rhyme” Kugal: “an echoing “seconding” character…” The Five Books of Psalms 1-41; 42-72; 73-89; 90-106; 107-150 – “Amen Amen” DOUBLETS: 14//53 40//70 Psalm 14:1-7 NRS Psalm 14:1 <To the leader. Of David.> Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. 3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD? 5 There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous. 6 You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. 7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. Psalm 53:1-6 NRS Psalm 53:1 <To the leader: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.> Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. 3 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. 4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? 5 There they shall be in great terror, in terror such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them. 6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. 3 CBISA Year II 2019-2020 Psalm 40:13-17 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let all those be put to shame and confusion who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt. 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, "Aha, Aha!" 16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" 17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God. Psalm 70:1-5 NRS Psalm 70:1 <To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.> Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O LORD, make haste to help me! 2 Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me. 3 Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!" turn back because of their shame. 4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" 5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! THE CANONICAL SHAPE OF PSALMS (Nancy DeClaisse-Walford, Oxford Handbook of Psalms) (1) Begins with Reign of David in Book ONE 1-41 (2) Reign of Solomon, Book TWO – close of book two moves toward descendants 42 - 72 (3) Divided Kingdom and Destruction by Assyria and Babylon 73-89 (4) Struggles of Exiles in Babylon to “find identity and meaning” 90 - 106 (5) Return to Israel and God as Sovereign 107 - 150 59% of book one are Laments – calling on God to protect form enemies In THREE, David moves to the background, and the COMMUNITY voice is dominant. Community laments. DeClaisse-Walford suggests the key is in 88-89, the end of book THREE Ps. 88 Lament without expressions of trust and praise!! Psalm 88:13-18 13 But I, O LORD, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. 14 O LORD, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me? 15 Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate. 16 Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me. 17 They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me. 18 You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness. A Royal Psalm like no other because it ends in rejection: Psalm 89:38-52 38 But now you have spurned and rejected him; you are full of wrath against your anointed. 39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. 40 You have broken through all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 41 All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. 43 Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not supported him in battle. 44 You have removed the scepter from his hand, and hurled his throne to the ground. 45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah 46 How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is-- for what vanity you have created all mortals! 48 Who can live and never see death? Who can escape the power of Sheol? Selah 49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 50 Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted; how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples, 51 with which your enemies taunt, O LORD, with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. 52 Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen. 4 CBISA Year II 2019-2020 BOOK FOUR – OPENS WITH “Prayer of MOSES”!! Mentioned 7 times in this section – (99, 103, 105, 106 – 3 times) only once everywhere else. Psalm 90:7-17 7 For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh. 10 The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. 13 Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.
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