Chronological Bible Reading Plan Reading Notes: Week 18

DAY 119: MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2013 ~ 1 CHRONICLES 7-10

Ch. 7 Note: In this chapter, Ezra described the rest of the Israelite tribes. We might wonder why Ezra was concerned about the other tribes of Israel. After all, weren’t they taken into captivity by Assyria, never to be heard of again? And weren’t Judah and Benjamin the tribes taken into captivity in Babylon and allowed to return home? In general, this is true. We can make two points, however. First, the complete list of tribes made it clear to the returning exiles that they now represented all of Israel, not just a small part of it. They were now the people through whom God would send a Savior. Second, the northern tribes did not disappear completely. People from those tribes were among the elect and God preserved some of them among the remnant of Judah and Benjamin. (See 9:3.) Also note a couple New Testament references: Luke 2:36 (Anna was from the tribe of Asher); Matthew 4:13,15 (the territory of the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali was still part of Israel’s geographic memory). The church on earth is symbolized in Revelation by the Old Testament tribes (Revelation 7:4-8).

7:13 “Naphtali . . . the descendants of Bilhah”—Note how short Naphtali’s genealogy is. Also note the mention of Bilhah, Naphtali’s mother. It seems that Ezra is accenting the affair Reuben had with Bilhah. He had mentioned this in regard to Reuben in 5:1, noting that because of this, Reuben lost the right of the firstborn. Note also that Naphtali’s one brother through Bilhah, Zebulon, is not listed in the genealogy at all. (Neither is Dan.) Ezra may be making the point that disobedience to God leads to God’s taking away his blessings, a theme that will come out again and again throughout 1 and 2 Chronicles. (Yet note that these two tribes are singled out as seeing a great light when the Savior came. God’s grace shines even in the midst of punishments brought on by disobedience.)

7:24 “His daughter was Sheerah.” It is interesting that she built cities, which shows that women in those days managed money and could carry out building plans. Be careful of the caricature of women being powerless at that time. Note also how the Lord blessed Ephraim in spite of the tragedy in connection with the death of his two sons. The Lord could bless the returning exiles in the same way.

7:40 “Choice men”—The tribe of Asher is given a fine description. —CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE 2

DAY 119: MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2013 ~ 1 CHRONICLES 7-10

Ch. 8 Note: The genealogy of Benjamin was already given in 7:6-12. However, Ezra had to return to Benjamin, for this tribe played a larger role in Israel’s history than did the other tribes, with the exception of Judah and Levi. First, there were many returning exiles who belonged to this tribe, and the places their forefathers lived before the exile (this was only 70 years prior) were still there. Ezra wanted the people of Benjamin to feel a connection with their pre-exile past. Second, the first king of Israel came from Benjamin. This is where Ezra begins his formal history.

8:28 “And they lived in Jerusalem.” Before the exile, some of the Benjamites lived outside Jerusalem (verses 6-18) and some lived inside Jerusalem (19-28). The same can be said of the Benjamites who returned from Babylon. Again, we note how Ezra wanted to connect the Israelites after the exile with those before.

8:29 “Gibeon”—At this point Ezra begins the genealogy of Benjamin’s most famous descendant, Saul. Saul’s family came from Gibeon.

8:40 “All these were the descendants of Benjamin.” With this list, Ezra traced the history of Benjamin up to the exile. This forms a transition into the next chapter, where he begins a listing of the people who returned from Babylon.

Ch. 9 Note: God can deliver Israel, his people, from all their enemies. But if they rebel against him, he will chasten them. These two themes are brought out throughout this book.

9:3 “From Ephraim and Manasseh”—This reference to two of the “lost tribes” tells us that some Israelites from the Northern Kingdom were still around, keeping their national identity in the places where the Assyrians had deported them. These people took advantage of Cyrus’ decree and returned to the Promised Land along with people from Judah and Benjamin.

9:4,7 “Son of Judah . . . Of the Benjamites”—Ezra mentioned that people from Ephraim and Manasseh were among the returnees, but he named only people from Judah and Benjamin.

9:11 “Zadok”—Zadok was one of the great priests of Israel who sided with David when Absalom rebelled against him. Note Ezekiel 44:15,16. Zadok and his spiritual descendants symbolize the church, God’s elect, who would serve him faithfully in the New Testament. The Jews who returned and served the Lord in the rebuilt temple are also faithful spiritual descendants of Zadok. Ezra wanted to make sure his readers didn’t miss this point.

9:35-44 “Kish the father of Saul”—Ezra repeats the genealogy of Saul. The previous genealogy had been set in the context of his description of the tribe of Benjamin. This genealogy introduces Saul specifically. His life is the subject of the next chapter.

10:1 “Mount Gilboa”—An important trade route and a strategic military location. Capturing this spot gave the Philistines control over much of Israel.

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DAY 120: TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013 ~ PSALMS 102-104

Ps 102 Note: This psalm may have been written by Hezekiah because of similarities to what he said in Isaiah chapter 38. During his days Jerusalem was under siege. The country was under attack by the powerful Assyrians, and it seemed only a matter of time until it fell.

102:13 Zion—Because the temple was there, Zion came to refer to God’s presence among his people.

102:25-27 The book of Hebrews (1:10-12) quotes this section as speaking about Jesus. This shows us that Jesus is God, equal with the Father. Other places in this psalm use God’s name Jehovah, which tells us that Jesus is Jehovah.

Psalm 103-104 Note: Psalms 103 and 104 form a pair, with each being a psalm of praise.

Psalm 103 Note: This psalm praises God primarily for his work of salvation, while Psalm 104 focuses more on God’s creation.

103:18 “With those who keep his covenant”—On the surface, it may sound as if God’s love is earned by our keeping his laws. On the contrary, those who know God’s love show their love for God by serving him. The psalmist is merely identifying those who love God.

Psalm 104 Note: This psalm praises God primarily for his work of creation and preservation, while Psalm 103 praises God more for his compassion, love, and forgiveness.

104:4 Hebrews 1:7 quotes this verse and applies it to the angels, referring to them as speedy (“winds”) and awesome (“flames of fire”). The NIV translation does not reflect that reference. It would be preferable to translate this verse as “He makes his messengers winds, his servants flames of fire.”

104:15 “Wine that gladdens the heart”—Alcohol is a gift of God and a blessing when used in moderation. 4

DAY 121: WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013 ~ 2 SAMUEL 5, 1 CHRONICLES 11-12

5:1 “We are your own flesh and blood.” The tribes of Israel recognized that they had a common ancestry with David. All of them were descendants of Jacob.

5:5 “Jerusalem”—Literally, “Salem of the Jebusites.” Israel had not been able to dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem. Yet David considered it an ideal place for a capital. Jerusalem already had a long spiritual history. This was the city of Melchizadek, (King of righteousness) who blessed Abraham after the defeat of the kings. Here is where Mount Moriah is located, where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac. Recall how God had provided a ram as a sacrifice instead of Isaac, and Abraham had responded, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14). Now David, the father and type of Christ, would live there. Soon Solomon (peace) would build the temple there. All this looked forward to the time when the greatest King and Priest would sacrifice himself at this city and use it as the starting place for his worldwide kingdom of grace.

5:17-25 The Philistines were a warring, idol-worshiping nation living along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and west of Judah. They were noted for their ability to make swords and spears out of iron and were one of Israel’s most troubling enemies during the time of the judges and the early reign of David.

5:24 “The sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees” — A miraculous sound, probably referring to the host of angels going into battle for David.

11:1 “All Israel came together.” The entire nation of Israel unanimously asked David to be their king. God’s people were united in their desire to submit to his rule.

11:10-47 Note the various divisions of David’s men. A certain hierarchy is implied, although it is hard to envision how David’s organization all worked out.

11: 22 “Benaiah son of Jehoiada”—Benaiah would later become Solomon’s general.

Ch. 12 Note: David was God’s anointed from the start. He was not a soldier who ran from a harsh master or a fly-by-night insurrectionist. He was a man whom all Israel recognized as king. Some of Israel’s greatest warriors joined David. They joined him during one of his lowest points, when he had fled from Saul and was supposedly an ally of the Philistines. They also joined him at Hebron, after he had become king in Judah but had not yet become king over all Israel.

12:22 “A great army, like the army of God”—This phrase summarizes why Ezra wrote this chapter, as noted above. 5

DAY 122: THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 ~ PSALM 133

Psalm 133 Note: In Psalm 120 the pilgrim began his journey surrounded by enemies. In Psalm 133 he finishes his journey surrounded by his brothers and sisters in the faith.

Psalm 133 Heading: “A song of ascents”—The phrases “running down,” “running down,” and “falling” indicate the ascending nature of this psalm. Our thoughts are lifted up to the saints worshiping in God’s temple, enjoying the beauty of Mount Zion, and receiving God’s blessings.

133:2 “Precious oil”—Sacred oil was used to anoint the priest (Exodus 29:7,21). See also Psalm 45:7 and Isaiah 61:3. It signifies God’s spiritual blessings.

133:3 “Dew of Hermon”—Mount Hermon lay to the north of Israel. It was a beautiful mountain, especially in the morning when it was covered with refreshing dew. Mount Zion will be blessed with the refreshing dew of God’s presence and grace.

DAY 123: FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013 ~ PSALMS 106-107

106:22 “In the land of Ham”—Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The Israelites were descendants of Shem; the Egyptians were descendants of Ham.

Psalm 107 Note: Psalm 107 begins the fifth and final book of Psalms. However, Psalm 107 continues the same themes and thoughts of the previous historical psalms.

The psalmist uses several words to describe God’s deliverance. “Redeemed” (verse 2) in Hebrew is go-ale, “to be ransomed by a close relative.” Jesus is our brother—a close relative. He saved us by buying us back from the guilt and power of sin. In verse 6, the psalmist uses na-zal, “to deliver,” which has the idea of being physically rescued from something or separated from danger. Jesus’ work saves us from all spiritual and physical ill. In verses 13 and 19, the psalmist uses ya-sha, the base word for savior. The name Jesus comes from this word, meaning to be safe, to be free from distress. Jesus’ work rescued us. Without him, we are lost, and lost forever! 6

DAY 124: SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013 ~ 1 CHRONICLES 13-16

Ch. 13 Note: Ezra has described the events not from a chronological point of view but from a topical point of view. Now Ezra shifts to the heart of David’s spiritual zeal for the Lord.

13:11; 14:11 “Perez Uzzah . . . Baal Perazim”—The writer of the People’s Bible commentary on 1 Chronicles suggests that these two phrases show that chapters 13 and 14 form a pair. In chapter 13, the Lord “breaks out” in judgment against Uzzah, who tried to steady the ark. In chapter 14, the Lord breaks out in judgment against the Philistines and their gods, showing mercy to David and Israel. Chapter 15 continues by showing that David learned his lesson from Perez Uzzah and was encouraged by Baal Perazim, so he tried again to bring the ark into Jerusalem a second time, and this time he succeeded.

14:15 “The sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees”—See Joshua 5:13-15. The Lord, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and appeared to Joshua as the commander of God’s hosts, now led those hosts forward into battle against the Philistines. David was a direct spiritual descendant of Moses and Joshua.

15:1 “A tent”—This is not the tabernacle. That was still at Gibeon. This was a temporary shelter to house the ark until a temple could be built.

15:11 “Zadok and Abiathar”—These men were co-priests. Abiathar was the lone survivor of Eli’s family. Later he supported David’s son Adonijah in opposition to Solomon. Zadok was a descendant of Aaron, but through a different line than Abiathar. He served David and remained loyal to Solomon.

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DAY 125: SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2013 ~ PSALMS 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68

Psalm 1 Note: Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to book 1 of the Psalms, psalms 1–41. (The Psalms are made up of five books, or collections, of psalms.) It also introduces the entire book of Psalms, showing God’s blessings on those who follow his Word.

1:1 Notice how a person’s association with sin progresses: walk—stand—sit. It is impossible to be near a sinful situation and not go deeper and deeper into it.

1:2 “Law of the LORD”—This refers to both law and gospel.

1:3 “Leaf does not wither”—Such a tree withstands the forces of nature. So the righteous withstand the winds of trials and troubles.

1:6 Hebrew poetry does not rhyme as English poetry often does. Rather, it uses various language devices. For instance, in this verse the psalmist uses parallelism. The first and second parts of verse 6 are parallel; in this case, they express parallel but opposite thoughts.

Psalm 2 Note: Psalms 1 and 2 form the introduction to the first book of Psalms (1–41). Psalm 1 instructs us to be loyal to God’s Word. Psalm 2 instructs us to be loyal to God’s Son, his Anointed One.

2:1,2 “Nations . . . kings of the earth . . . rulers”—This refers to all the leaders of the earth, whether they are political leaders, leaders in education, leaders in the economic world, or leaders in the arts and sciences.

2:7 “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” This sentence can refer to what theologians have called the eternal generation of the Son, that is, from all eternity, God’s Son has enjoyed a father-son relationship with God the Father. It can also refer to God setting Jesus apart as his anointed King.

Psalm 15 Note: Psalm 15 contrasts the blameless saint who walks with God with the fool of Psalm 14.

15:1 “Your sanctuary . . . your holy hill”—God’s sanctuary was the temple in which he lived among his people Israel. God’s holy hill was Mount Zion, where the temple was located.

Psalm 22 Note: Psalm 22 is a key psalm, giving us a graphic picture of the suffering and triumph of the Messiah. The first half portrays the humiliation and suffering of the Messiah; the second half describes the Messiah’s exaltation. This is a direct messianic psalm. It does not find its fulfillment in David. Rather, it is fulfilled in Jesus.

22:31 “Righteousness”—This refers to God’s act of fulfilling his covenant.

—CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE 8

DAY 125: SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2013 ~ PSALMS 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, 68

Psalm 23 Note: Psalm 23 is perhaps the most familiar and the best loved of the psalms. It describes God’s loving care for us in shepherd terms. Recall that David once served as a shepherd, so it is very personal. Note other Old Testament references to God as the Shepherd of Israel, Isaiah 40:11 and Ezekiel 34:11-16, and the New Testament reference to Christ as the Good Shepherd, John 10:1-18.

24:3 “Ascend the hill of the LORD . . . stand in his holy place”—The Lord’s temple, or holy place, would be built on the hill of the Lord, Mount Zion, by David’s son. David had built a temporary shelter for the ark of the covenant in Jerusalem. During David’s time, the people came to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

24:7 “Ancient doors”—The doors of Jerusalem were indeed quite old, even in David’s time. The city of Jerusalem had existed at least since Abraham’s day. Yet the physical city of Jerusalem symbolized the people of God. In this sense, the gates are truly ancient, existing from the days of Adam and Eve.

Psalm 47 Note: In Psalm 45 we saw the Messiah-King taking his bride, the church, to himself. In Psalm 46 we observed his power. In Psalm 47 we are invited to rejoice because of his power and his reign. It is believed that this psalm was a part of the temple liturgy on festival days. In later Jewish tradition it was also used for the New Year festival.

47:1 “Clap your hands.” This is a gesture of triumph and applause for the successful and universal reign of the Lord most high. See also 2 Kings 11:12.

Psalm 68 Note: The psalm recalls Numbers 10:35, echoing Moses’ refrain that marked his people’s advance from Egypt to the Promised Land. God’s past actions on behalf of his people inspire confidence whether they are going forth to battle or involved in a worship procession.

68:15-17 “Mountains of Bashan”—When the conquest of the land was secure, David brought the ark of the covenant, which represented God’s presence with his people, to Jerusalem, which God deigned to make his dwelling place. The more imposing mountains of Bashan are pictured as being envious of the glory given to the hills of Jerusalem.

68:18 “When you ascended on high”—God’s triumph over his enemies, marked by coming into Jerusalem, spurs friend and foe alike to give him gifts. God’s ascension into Jerusalem symbolized Christ’s ascension into heaven. Christ’s ascension not only spurs us to give him gifts, but it becomes our only source of spiritual gifts and blessings. See how Paul uses this passage in Ephesians 4:8.

68:30 “Beast among the reeds”—Egypt. See Isaiah chapter 19. 9

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS

The Writing of Psalms

The headings name the authors of 100 of the 150 psalms. There are 73 psalms credited to David. These Davidic psalms are spread throughout the book of Psalms, but they are especially prominent in the first two sections of the book. It is likely that quite a few of the anonymous psalms were also written by David. The book of Chronicles ascribes at least portions of Psalms 96, 105, and 106 to David, even though they are anonymous in the book of Psalms. Psalms 2 and 95, which are not credited to David in the Old Testament, are attributed to him in the New Testament (Acts 4:25, 26; Hebrews 4:7). The attribution of most of the psalms to David fits perfectly with David’s reputation as “Israel’s singer of songs” (2 Samuel 23:1).

There are 24 or 25 psalms attributed to the Levites, whom David assigned responsibility for music in the temple. The composers of these psalms are Asaph, Heman the Ezrahite, Ethan the Ezrahite, and a group called the sons of Korah. Since these psalms are grouped together in two collections, Psalms 42 to 50 and 73 to 89 (Psalm 86 is attributed to David), the authors and dating of these psalms will be discussed more fully in those sections of the commentary. It is likely that most of these psalms are contemporary with the psalms of David.

Two psalms are credited to David’s son Solomon (Psalms 72, 127). Some commentators have suggested that the heading of these psalms should be translated “for Solomon” rather than “by Solomon,” but we will maintain the traditional interpretation of Solomonic authorship. In view of the fact that 1 Kings 4:32 credits Solomon with writing 1,005 songs, it is remarkable that only two of them are inspired sacred songs that were included in the book of Psalms.

Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses. This makes it the oldest psalm in the collection. The poems of Moses recorded in Exodus chapter 15 and Deuteronomy chapters 32 and 33 are further evidence of his work as a poet.

The Dating of Psalms

The scriptural headings credit a majority of the psalms to David and his contemporaries, who lived about 1000 B.C. A single psalm is credited to Moses, who lived about four hundred years before David. A few of the psalms of Asaph, such as 74, 79, 83, and some of the anonymous psalms, such as 126 and 137, may have been written at the time of the destruction of the temple and the Babylonian Captivity in 586 B.C. We will discuss the dating of these psalms and a few of the psalms of the sons of Korah, which may be post-Davidic, at the appropriate points of the commentary.

On the basis of the Old Testament evidence, it is clear that anyone who takes the authority of Scripture seriously must assign the majority of the psalms to the time of David. The New Testament also confirms the Davidic authorship of certain psalms. It is clear that the Davidic authorship of psalms can be rejected only by contradicting clear statements of Scripture that point to David as the author.

In spite of this, many critics of the Old Testament reject the Davidic authorship of most of the psalms. Not long ago it was fashionable to place the writing of most of the psalms after Israel’s return from the Babylonian Captivity in 539 B.C. Today most critics admit that many of the psalms were written —CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE 10

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS

before the exile to Babylon, but they still question or deny Davidic authorship.

For people who accept the inerrancy of Scripture, the testimony of the New Testament by itself is enough to rebut these rejections of Davidic authorship. The best response to critics of Davidic authorship is the testimony of numerous New Testament passages that uphold it (Matthew 22:43; Luke 20:42; Acts 1:16; 2:25; 4:25; 13:36). In Matthew 22:41–46 Jesus’ assertion of the Davidic authorship of Psalm 110 is not a side comment but is essential to the point he is making.

The Collection of Psalms

Although most of the psalms were written during the lifetime of David, the final collection and arrangement of the book of Psalms was apparently done much later. The presence of a few exilic or postexilic psalms in the book of Psalms suggests that the final collection was assembled after the return from Babylon, perhaps by Ezra in about 440 B.C. This should not be surprising since Ezra is traditionally believed to be the person who gathered the books of the Old Testament into a collection.

Ezra, or whoever assembled the book of Psalms, apparently used earlier collections of psalms as the basis for organizing the book into its present form. Our book of Psalms appears to be a collection of collections. The first collections of psalms were probably prepared by David or his musicians. The heading “For the director of music,” which occurs frequently in the first parts of the book of Psalms, apparently designates psalms intended for inclusion in such collections.

In 2 Chronicles 29:30 we learn that the psalms of David and Asaph were being used in public worship at the time of Hezekiah (about 700 B.C.). According to Proverbs 25:1 the biblical scholars of Hezekiah’s time played a role in collecting the proverbs of Solomon. Perhaps they also had a role in the gathering of individual psalms into a collection. Additional work on the collection and publishing of psalms may have been done about 620 B.C. during the religious reforms of King Josiah.

It should be emphasized that the collection of David’s psalms into hymnbooks that may have been assembled three or four hundred years after his death does not detract from the Davidic authorship of those psalms any more than the collection of Luther’s hymns into modern hymnbooks diminishes Luther’s authorship. The only difference is that Ezra, who was probably the final collector of David’s psalms, was an inspired writer of Scripture and the editors of modern hymnals are not. In principle, there is no difference between the collection of individual inspired psalms into the book we call Psalms and the collection of individual inspired books into the book we call the Bible.

The Arrangement of Psalms

The biblical book of Psalms is divided into five parts that are traditionally called books. This five-fold division may be patterned after the five-fold division of the writings of Moses. The five divisions of the book of Psalms are Book 1 (Psalms 1–41), Book 2 (Psalms 42–72), Book 3 (Psalms 73–89), Book 4 (Psalms 90–106), and Book 5 (Psalms 107–150). A doxology marks the end of each of these books. Within these five books, groups of psalms are arranged on the basis of such criteria as authorship, psalm type, and subject matter. We will consider the details of this arrangement at the appropriate places in the commentary. At this point we will merely note a few of the basic principles of arrangement. —CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE 11

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS

BOOK 1: The basic criterion for inclusion in this book is Davidic authorship. Since many of these psalms were submitted to the director of music, it appears that this book originated as a collection of David’s psalms intended for use in the tabernacle and temple. A striking characteristic of this book is a strong preference for the use of the divine name LORD rather than God.

BOOK 2: Book 2 ends with the words “This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” In addition to Davidic psalms, this book includes psalms by the sons of Korah, a single psalm by Asaph, and a closing psalm by Solomon. Perhaps this book was a collection of the psalms of David and his musicians, motivated by the building of Solomon’s temple. It appears that Books 1 and 2 were the basic kernel from which the book of Psalms was developed. There is no one principle that governs the arrangement of Book 2. This book contains several groups of psalms arranged on the basis of psalm types, for example, a group of maskil (Psalm 52–55), a group of miktam (Psalm 56–60), and a group of songs (Psalm 66–68). An example of arrangement by subject matter is the emphasis on events of David’s flight from Saul in Psalms 52 to 59. A peculiar, unexplained trait of Book 2 is a strong preference for the name God, rather than the name LORD.

BOOK 3: The main criterion of Book 3 is authorship by Asaph or the sons of Korah. Only one Davidic psalm appears (Psalm 86). In this book the name God predominates in the Asaph group (Psalms 73–83), but the name LORD dominates in the sons of Korah group (Psalms 84–88). This collection of psalms shows a special concern for the welfare of Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple.

BOOK 4: Only two psalms of this book are directly attributed to David (Psalms 101, 103), but others are probably his as well. This group of psalms uses the divine name LORD exclusively. The main principle of arrangement for the last two books of the Psalter seems to be groups of psalms arranged around the themes of praise and thanksgiving. Notable groups in Book 4 are Psalms 94 to 100, which emphasize the Lord’s rule, and Psalms 103 to 106, which emphasize his work as creator and preserver.

BOOK 5: Book 5 includes two blocks of Davidic psalms and a scattering of other Davidic psalms, but the basic principles of arrangement seem to be groups of psalms arranged around the themes of thanksgiving and praise, rather than authorship. Again there is a strong preference for the name LORD. Notable groups are the praise psalms (Psalms 111–118 and Psalms 145–150) and the songs of ascents (Psalms 120–134).

An interesting feature that tends to support the independent origin of the five books of the Psalter is the presence of several “doublets,” that is, psalms or psalm portions that occur in more than one book. Psalm 53 parallels Psalm 14; Psalm 70 parallels Psalm 40:13–17; Psalm 108:1–5 parallels Psalm 57:7–11; Psalm 108:6–13 parallels Psalm 60:5–12. The reasons for this repetition are unclear, but suggestions will be discussed in the commentary on the respective psalms.

Although there is a clear pattern of organization present in the book of Psalms, it is not possible to explain the position of every psalm in the Psalter. Nevertheless, the commentary will suggest a reason for the position of each psalm within the structure of the book whenever this seems possible.

Brug, John F. The People’s Bible: Psalms 1-72. Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1989. 12 13