Subject Groupings
In reading through the Psalms, one often notes that many of them are grouped together by subject matter. This is particularly noticeable in books IV and V.
For example, Psalms 93-100 speak of Yahweh the king exercising His authority and judgment. Psalms 108-110 and 132-145 are groupings of Psalms of David (these are in addition to the Psalms of David which occupy most of the first 72 Psalms).
Passover Psalms
In connection with the celebration of Passover, certain Psalms are particularly appropriate. These commemorate the deliverance of Israel from Egypt or other great works of divine salvation.
Psalms 120-136 are often used at Passover time and are called the “Great Hallel,” as they refer to a great deliverance from Israel’s enemies. The grouping concludes with the phrase, “praise ye the LORD” (135:21) and the liturgy of Psalm 136. The final Hallel grouping is found in Psalms 146-150 where each Psalm begins and ends with the phrase, “Praise ye the LORD.” (Hallel means “praise;” hallelujah means “praise to Yah.”)
In fact, when Jesus and his disciples “sung an hymn” before starting for the Mount of Olives, they probably sang one of these Psalms as they concluded the first celebration of the new Passover.
Songs of Degrees
Within the “Great Hallel,” there is also the special grouping of Psalms 120-134 known as the “Songs of Degrees.” These were evidently put together in thanksgiving for the extension of Hezekiah’s life by 15 years, an extension confirmed by the 10 degrees backward movement of the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz.
This grouping is also called the “Songs of Ascents,” referring to the 15 step ascent to the temple. These hymns would be sung by Israelites on their pilgrimage to Zion to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. As the pilgrim would ascend higher and higher, his mind would ascend higher and higher as a result of his reflections upon this beautiful set of Psalms.
Alphabetic Acrostics
Nine of the Psalms are in some form of alphabetic sequence. Psalm 119 is the most notable in this regard; it is divided into 22 stanzas corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza comprises eight verses; each verse in a given stanza begins with the letter of the Hebrew alphabet to which that stanza corresponds.
Psalms 111 and 112 each consist of 22 lines. The first line of each begins with Aleph, the second with Beyth and so on in sequence through the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 145 is a complete acrostic except for the verse beginning with the letter Nuwn (“n”). The other Psalms which are somewhat alphabetic are 9, 10, (which may have been one Psalm originally), 25, 34, and 37. The feature was possibly used to aid memorization of the respective psalms.
Inscriptions
There are 34 Psalms which have no inscription. The others have at least one indicating a classification, historical setting, author, musical instruction, or special purpose or occasion.
Over the years, the legitimacy and antiquity of these inscriptions has not been in question. When the translators of the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament translated inc. 250 B.C.) began their work, these inscriptions existed with the Psalms. In fact, in the Hebrew Bible, the inscriptions were treated as “verses.”
A number of Psalms are titled “To the chief Musician” or “For the Director of Music” (NIV). This phrase is consistently followed by an additional word or phrase. Psalm 75 has “To the chief Musician, Al-taschith;” Psalm 76 has “To the chief Musician on Neginoth.” For many centuries, these inscriptions defied explanation. Now, however, it is felt they supplied musical instructions to the director of music. Thus the NIV translation in these two cases reads as follows: “For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Do Not Destroy;’ For the director of music. With stringed instruments.”
Taken in this manner, the instructions sometimes indicate the time of year the psalms were to be sung, the choir that was to be used (full, male only, female only), what type of accompaniment was involved and so on.
Before or After
J.W. Thirtle is a well-known name in many circles for his writings on the Psalms. He was a Christadelphian in the late 1800’s in England but subsequently left the Truth for a variety of reasons.
Readers may find him referred to in our own literature; therefore, it may be well to note one of his more widely accepted ideas.
He concluded from the “model” of Habakkuk’s psalm (Hab. 3) that the musical instructions are to follow a psalm rather than precede it. Habakkuk 3 begins, “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth” and ends with “To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”
The idea only applies to 55 Psalms inscribed “To the chief Musician” and we may wonder what difference it makes. Thirtle’s contention was that many of the inscriptions contain information best suited for the previous Psalm making the need for such inscriptions clearer. Some inscriptions make no sense if they go with the following Psalm as usually rendered, but they fit the previous Psalm very well. While many commentators do not agree with Thirtle, many do.
Lord willing, next month we will take a look at the various inscriptions and begin our review of some of the key themes and points of the Psalter.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One