The Old Testament: The Book Of Psalms
The Old Testament is made of 46 Books. The Book of Psalms is the nineteenth book of the Bible. Like all books from the Bible, the Book of Psalms is considered Sacred Scripture and given to man through inspiration by the Holy Spirit of God, the true author. The Book of Psalms is a collection of writings describing how the Israelites worshiped God. It also foreshadows Christ as the Word of God, or also known as the Word made flesh. In this case, the word also means the literal words that God gave to the people so they could better understand Him and their faith. In the Book of Psalms, the words God gave to the authors describe how God feels about His creation and how people use their free will. We know that over the centuries God spoke through more than seven people to create the Book of Psalms. When God speaks to man, such as in the case of the Sacred Scripture, it is called divine inspiration. While praying, the people who wrote the Psalms were divinely inspired. Biblical history records show the story of man searching for God.
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Through these recorded stories we know God reached out to communicate with man. In these stories man can learn how to pray and interact with God. There were many authors of the psalms: King David, known as a warrior and a ruler, wrote 73, Asaph, known as the grandson of the Israelite prophet Samuel, wrote 12, the sons of Korah, known to come from the line of Moses, wrote nine, King Solomon, known as the wisest man who lived in 967 B.C.E., wrote three, Moses, known for freeing the Israelites from slavery, wrote one, Ethan, known as a musician whose wisdom was compared to King Solomon, wrote one, and the other 51 have no definite author. The collection of psalms was written over a span of 900 years, from Moses’ time(1440 B.C.) to the end of the captivity in 586 B.C. Over time, the psalms were prayers collected in writings and are considered the master work of prayer in the Old Testament (CCC 2585). Psalms were used by the early Israelites to keep connection with God. These prayers were used at feasts and at each Sabbath. These prayers tell the long story of God's interaction with man. The arrangement of the psalms is set to the Hebrew language. The arrangement was set this way so it made memorizing the texts easier. Because people were not taught to read, psalms were another way to teach the religious traditions. At the center of every psalm there is the presence of Yahweh, God. The temple was not the only way God came to his people, according the psalms. The psalms express Israel’s experience of the Holy One and give prophecy to Christ's coming. They are prayers that are sung for God in times of collective lamentation, individual lamentation, gratitude, praise, mediation, protection and celebration. Another term for the Psalms is Psalter, other wise known as praises.
Psalms of lament are characterized by unadorned cry to Yahweh, complaint, expression of trust, petition, words of assurance, and statement of praise. Thanksgiving psalms are characterized by reports rescue from hands of wicked, recognition of Yahweh to then give praise. The hymn is characterized by a call to worship addressing God. There are two types of parallelism used in the psalms: synonymous and antithetic. Synonymous parallelism is when the first thought is uttered and the second thought is the same idea but in different terms. Antithetic parallelism is when the first thought contrasts with the second thought. In Psalm 18 both examples can be found. There is synonymous parallelism at Psalm 18:4 in this example “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me.” In Psalm 18:27 there is antithetic parallelism, “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes bring you down.” The Psalms are considered allegorical because the people, events, and things in the literal sense point to the mystery of Christ.
The Messianic Psalms are prophetic and describe the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. In Psalm 72:10, the kings who visit Christ at his birth are believed to be referenced, “May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.” In Psalm 16:10 David gives prophecy about Christ, “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” This is a foreshadowing of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In Psalm 22:1 the exact words Jesus uses on the cross are described are described in the Old Testament in the Book of Psalms. These words are, “My God, my God, why have you abandon me? Why are you so far from saving me?” The record of these words from the Old Testament being used by the Messiah on the cross shows God's mercy and promise. The Book of Psalms are prophetic. It foreshadows the life of Christ and relates Him to the way of worship for the Hebrew people. The Psalms “extend to all dimensions of history recalling God's promises already fulfilled and looking for the coming of the Messiah (CCC 2596). They even relate to the Holy Rosary which is meditation prayers on His life. One interesting fact about the Book of Psalms relating to modern times is its relation to the Holy Rosary. Sometimes the Rosary is referred to as The Psalter of Mary, the mother of Jesus, because it has 15 decades, or 150 Hail Marys which is exactly the same number of verses in the Book of Psalms. There are many ways in which the ancient Book of Psalms relates to modern world issues. The current topic of the protection and value of human life is seen referenced in In The Encyclical Letter on Abortion, Euthanasia, and the Death Penalty in Today's World: The Gospel of Life {Evangelium, Vitae} when the author, the now Saint Pope John Paul II referenced Psalm 139:13, “For you formed my inmost being,” showing the dignity of the unborn child. This Psalm is often referenced by people wanting to share the vulnerable, yet extremely valuable, relationship between God and creation. Another point in modern issues where the wisdom found in Psalms is used to help modern man understand the history of our relationship with God and the importance of protecting creation comes from the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si' of the Holy Father Francis on Care for our Common Home. In this letter on protecting the environment, Pope Francis uses two psalms to show how important creation is to God. In Psalm 136:6, a psalm used by ancient people to praise God as Creator, Pope Francis reminds readers God is the Creator “who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love which endures for ever.” Another way Pope Francis uses Psalms to show modern people about the timeless relationship between God and his creation is in Psalm 148:3-5, “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” Even today, we can see the Book of Psalms providing wisdom for our daily lives and current topics.
Overall, the Book of Psalms consists of 150 chapters.
Each chapter is considered to be one verse or poem with each poem having a different spiritual meaning. The Book of Psalms can be categorized in many different ways because the form and subject matter varies greatly (The Catholic Source Book, p. 37). There are seven classifications of the psalms: Psalms of praise, historical psalms, ethical psalms, psalms of penitence, imprecatory psalms, messianic psalms, and ceremonial psalms. Psalms include: battle hymns, thanksgiving for victory, God's past mercy on the Jewish people, references to Wisdom, and references and foreshadowing of Christ's lineage and of his life and death. The Psalms have been prayed since ancient Israelite times and continue to be prayed daily, in modern times. Today, a specific psalm is sung on a specific day of the year at every Catholic Mass. The psalm is sung between the first and second reading in every
Mass.
Through these recorded stories we know God reached out to communicate with man. In these stories man can learn how to pray and interact with God. There were many authors of the psalms: King David, known as a warrior and a ruler, wrote 73, Asaph, known as the grandson of the Israelite prophet Samuel, wrote 12, the sons of Korah, known to come from the line of Moses, wrote nine, King Solomon, known as the wisest man who lived in 967 B.C.E., wrote three, Moses, known for freeing the Israelites from slavery, wrote one, Ethan, known as a musician whose wisdom was compared to King Solomon, wrote one, and the other 51 have no definite author. The collection of psalms was written over a span of 900 years, from Moses’ time(1440 B.C.) to the end of the captivity in 586 B.C. Over time, the psalms were prayers collected in writings and are considered the master work of prayer in the Old Testament (CCC 2585). Psalms were used by the early Israelites to keep connection with God. These prayers were used at feasts and at each Sabbath. These prayers tell the long story of God's interaction with man. The arrangement of the psalms is set to the Hebrew language. The arrangement was set this way so it made memorizing the texts easier. Because people were not taught to read, psalms were another way to teach the religious traditions. At the center of every psalm there is the presence of Yahweh, God. The temple was not the only way God came to his people, according the psalms. The psalms express Israel’s experience of the Holy One and give prophecy to Christ's coming. They are prayers that are sung for God in times of collective lamentation, individual lamentation, gratitude, praise, mediation, protection and celebration. Another term for the Psalms is Psalter, other wise known as praises.
Psalms of lament are characterized by unadorned cry to Yahweh, complaint, expression of trust, petition, words of assurance, and statement of praise. Thanksgiving psalms are characterized by reports rescue from hands of wicked, recognition of Yahweh to then give praise. The hymn is characterized by a call to worship addressing God. There are two types of parallelism used in the psalms: synonymous and antithetic. Synonymous parallelism is when the first thought is uttered and the second thought is the same idea but in different terms. Antithetic parallelism is when the first thought contrasts with the second thought. In Psalm 18 both examples can be found. There is synonymous parallelism at Psalm 18:4 in this example “The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me.” In Psalm 18:27 there is antithetic parallelism, “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes bring you down.” The Psalms are considered allegorical because the people, events, and things in the literal sense point to the mystery of Christ.
The Messianic Psalms are prophetic and describe the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. In Psalm 72:10, the kings who visit Christ at his birth are believed to be referenced, “May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.” In Psalm 16:10 David gives prophecy about Christ, “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” This is a foreshadowing of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. In Psalm 22:1 the exact words Jesus uses on the cross are described are described in the Old Testament in the Book of Psalms. These words are, “My God, my God, why have you abandon me? Why are you so far from saving me?” The record of these words from the Old Testament being used by the Messiah on the cross shows God's mercy and promise. The Book of Psalms are prophetic. It foreshadows the life of Christ and relates Him to the way of worship for the Hebrew people. The Psalms “extend to all dimensions of history recalling God's promises already fulfilled and looking for the coming of the Messiah (CCC 2596). They even relate to the Holy Rosary which is meditation prayers on His life. One interesting fact about the Book of Psalms relating to modern times is its relation to the Holy Rosary. Sometimes the Rosary is referred to as The Psalter of Mary, the mother of Jesus, because it has 15 decades, or 150 Hail Marys which is exactly the same number of verses in the Book of Psalms. There are many ways in which the ancient Book of Psalms relates to modern world issues. The current topic of the protection and value of human life is seen referenced in In The Encyclical Letter on Abortion, Euthanasia, and the Death Penalty in Today's World: The Gospel of Life {Evangelium, Vitae} when the author, the now Saint Pope John Paul II referenced Psalm 139:13, “For you formed my inmost being,” showing the dignity of the unborn child. This Psalm is often referenced by people wanting to share the vulnerable, yet extremely valuable, relationship between God and creation. Another point in modern issues where the wisdom found in Psalms is used to help modern man understand the history of our relationship with God and the importance of protecting creation comes from the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si' of the Holy Father Francis on Care for our Common Home. In this letter on protecting the environment, Pope Francis uses two psalms to show how important creation is to God. In Psalm 136:6, a psalm used by ancient people to praise God as Creator, Pope Francis reminds readers God is the Creator “who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love which endures for ever.” Another way Pope Francis uses Psalms to show modern people about the timeless relationship between God and his creation is in Psalm 148:3-5, “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.” Even today, we can see the Book of Psalms providing wisdom for our daily lives and current topics.
Overall, the Book of Psalms consists of 150 chapters.
Each chapter is considered to be one verse or poem with each poem having a different spiritual meaning. The Book of Psalms can be categorized in many different ways because the form and subject matter varies greatly (The Catholic Source Book, p. 37). There are seven classifications of the psalms: Psalms of praise, historical psalms, ethical psalms, psalms of penitence, imprecatory psalms, messianic psalms, and ceremonial psalms. Psalms include: battle hymns, thanksgiving for victory, God's past mercy on the Jewish people, references to Wisdom, and references and foreshadowing of Christ's lineage and of his life and death. The Psalms have been prayed since ancient Israelite times and continue to be prayed daily, in modern times. Today, a specific psalm is sung on a specific day of the year at every Catholic Mass. The psalm is sung between the first and second reading in every
Mass.