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How to Read the Psalms
How to Read the Psalms
How to Read the Psalms
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How to Read the Psalms

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The Psalms have been well-loved and frequently used by Christians throughout history. For directness, intensity, and intimacy, they are unrivaled in all of Scripture. Somehow the psalmists seem to have anticipated our own awe, desires, and frustrations.
Yet the Psalms also challenge us when we look at them closely. Their poetry is unfamiliar in form. Many images used are foreign to us today. And the psalmists sometimes express troubling thoughts that seem hard to reconcile with other teachings of Scripture.
In this volume of the popular How to Read Series, Tremper Longman III gives us the kind of help we need to overcome the distance between the psalmists' world and ours. He explains the various genres of psalms, the way they were used in Hebrew worship, their relationship to the rest of the Old Testament, and the characteristics of Hebrew poetry. Then he looks at how Christians can appropriate the message and insights of Psalms today.
Step-by-step suggestions for interpreting the psalms on our own are followed by exercises for further study and reflection, plus a helpful guide to commentaries on the Psalms. This second edition includes expanded content, updated sources, and a new appendix on the structure of the book of Psalms.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherIVP Academic
Release dateJan 7, 2025
ISBN9781514002827
How to Read the Psalms
Author

Tremper Longman III

Tremper Longman III (PhD, Yale University) is a distinguished scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He is on the advisory council of the BioLogos Foundation, and is the Old Testament editor for the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary and general editor for the Story of God Bible Commentary Old Testament, and has authored many articles and books on the Psalms and other Old Testament books.

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    How to Read the Psalms by Tremper Longman III is a helpful and accessible guide for pastors, students, and lay persons desiring to study the Psalms. The book, divided into three parts, begins with an invitation to study the Psalms. Recalling Calvin's words that the Psalms are "an anatomy of all the parts of the soul," Longman urges us to read the Psalms, because they "appeal to the whole person . . . they inform our intellect, arouse our emotions, direct our wills, and stimulate our imaginations."

    Part one of the book focuses on "The Psalms Then and Now." The first chapter discusses the genres of the Psalms, dividing the psalms into seven types: the hymn, the lament, thanksgiving psalms, psalms of confidence, psalms of remembrance, wisdom psalms, and kingship (or royal) psalms. Chapter two examines the origin, development and use of the Psalms, including some helpful reflection on the titles, authorship, and historical events behind some of the psalms. Chapter three investigates key Old Testament themes (covenant, law, kingship, blessing and curse, forgiveness etc.) with the assertion that the Psalms are "the heart of the Old Testament," a "microcosm" of the Old Testament's message and theology. Chapter four, on the other hand, focuses on "a Christian reading of the Psalms," thoughtfully exploring how the Psalms relate to Jesus. Longman concludes, that "two errors need to be avoided. The first is that we neglect a psalm's original setting . . . the second . . . is to miss the anticipation, the expectation of the Psalms." The fifth chapter is my favorite: "The Psalms: Mirror of the Soul." In this chapter, Longman discusses how the Psalms function in our lives to inform our intellect, arouse our emotions, and direct our wills.

    The second part of the book is about "The Art of the Psalms." These chapters discuss literary issues, such as the characteristics of Old Testament poetry (chapter six), how to understand Hebrew parallelism in the Psalms (chapter seven), and imagery in the Psalms (chapter eight). These are valuable chapters, though a bit more technical than the first five. Part three of the book applies the methodology outlined in the first eight chapters to the study of three psalms - Psalms 98 (chapter nine), 69 (chapter ten), and 30 (chapter eleven).

    This is a very good book that will help anyone in their reading and study of the Psalms. Longman is a good teacher and writes well. His book is oriented to the thoughtful layperson rather than the academic professional, though the author's knowledge and expertise in the Psalms are apparent. But the feel of the book is instructive and devotional, rather than dry and technical. In the epilogue, Longman gives this final exhortation, "Go to the Psalms when you are happy and everything seems right with you. Sing laments to God when your life seems to crumble. When God hears your prayer, don't forget to thank him for his kindness. When you are frightened, be encouraged by the psalms of confidence. Heed the psalms of wisdom. Above all, go to the psalms to be honest with God." Wise words, and typical of this helpful book. If you want to grow in your understanding of this crucial genre of Scripture, or more importantly, go deeper in your personal relationship with the Lord through praying the psalms, How to Read the Psalms is a great place to start. I highly recommend it.

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How to Read the Psalms - Tremper Longman III

Cover: How to Read the Psalms, Second Edition by Tremper Longman III, published by InterVarsity PressTitle page: How to Read the Psalms, Second Edition by Tremper Longman III, published by InterVarsity Press

To my parents,

Tremper (1923–2006) and Mernie (Mary Jane)

Longman (1926–2022)

Contents

Preface to the Second Edition

Preface to the First Edition

Introduction: An Invitation to the Psalms

Part 1: The Psalms Then and Now

1 The Genres of the Psalms

2 The Origin, Development, and Use of the Psalms

3 The Heart of the Old Testament

4 A Christian Reading of the Psalms

5 The Psalms, Mirror of the Soul

Part 2: The Art of the Psalms

6 Old Testament Poetry

7 Understanding Parallelism

8 Imagery in the Psalms

Part 3: A Medley of Psalms

9 Psalm 98: Let All the Earth Praise God, Our Warrior

10 Psalm 69: Lord, I Suffer for Your Sake

11 Psalm 30: Thank You, Lord, for Healing Me!

Epilogue

Appendix: Is There a Meaningful Order to the Psalms?

Notes

Answers to the Exercises

Guide to Commentaries on the Psalms

General Index

Scripture Index

Praise for How to Read the Psalms

About the Author

Other How to Read Books

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Preface to the Second Edition

How to Read the Psalms was my second book, originally published in 1988 when I was thirty-five years old. I remember when Jim Sire, editor at InterVarsity and well-known author, visited Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where I was teaching, soon after I arrived after finishing graduate school. I made an appointment with him, told him that I was interested in writing, and asked his advice. I will never forget what he said: No one is interested in the Old Testament. Not the most encouraging advice, but he must have said something back at the home office because a month or two later, I got a letter (if it was an email it was pretty primitive) asking me to contribute to the How to Read series and to write a book on Psalms.

I am happy that How to Read the Psalms was well-received and outlasted the original series as a whole. Indeed, since that time I have written How to Read Genesis (2005), How to Read Exodus (2009), How to Read Job (2015, with John Walton), How to Read Proverbs (2002), and How to Read Daniel (2020).

I received much good advice from IVP people, particularly Jim Hoover and Dan Reid. The latter became my longtime editor at InterVarsity. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t thank them as they deserve in the preface to the first edition. I was also remiss not to thank Derek Kidner (1913–2008), the eminent Psalms scholar, who served as an outside consultant to the book. But I thank them all now.

I want to thank IVP, and in particular Rebecca Carhart, for issuing the invitation to do a second edition. I am pleased that the book continues to be well-received in its English edition and that it has been translated into Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. I am hopeful that How to Read the Psalms in the second edition will encourage the next generation of readers to understand and love this book of songs, poems, and prayers that bring us into intimate relationship with God.

As mentioned, I was thirty-five when the first edition appeared. I’ll do the math: that was thirty-six years ago. I dedicated the first edition to my parents, who were younger in 1988 than I am now. They have since both passed away, and I dedicate the second edition to their memory.

Preface to the First Edition

The Psalter is one of the most familiar and most foreign of books in the Bible. It is familiar to us from constant exposure in both private and public devotional readings. It is foreign to us because of its poetic idiom and its implicit setting. It is my prayer that this book will help its readers understand the Psalter better.

I have had a broad readership in mind as I have written the book. I hope it can be used both inside and outside of an academic setting. I tried to make the book readable for the college student while still providing enough substance to make it appropriate for a seminary course on Psalms. I also hope that it will be studied by adult Sunday school classes as well as interested individuals.

Many chapters end with some questions for further thought and a bibliography. An answer key for the questions is provided at the end of the book. The last few chapters omit questions because their content is too involved for brief questions and answers. The further reading lists are intended for those who want to pursue the study of a particular subject further. Some books are marked with an asterisk to indicate that they are highly technical studies.

I want to take this opportunity to thank a number of individuals who gave me help while I was writing this book. Some of my colleagues at Westminster Theological Seminary took time from their busy schedules to read the manuscript and offer me constructive criticism. I would like to thank Drs. Raymond Dillard, Sinclair Ferguson, Moises Silva, and Bruce Waltke for their comments and encouragement. Professor Terry Eves of Calvin College also provided me with much helpful advice. My good friend and fellow elder at New Life Presbyterian Church (Jenkintown, Pennsylvania), Mr. Richard Wyatt, also read the manuscript and provided me with comments on substance and style. While benefiting from their comments, needless to say, I accept full responsibility for any errors (particularly since I didn’t act on all of their suggestions).

Most of all, I would like to express my thanks and affection to my wife, Alice, and my three children (Tremper IV, Timothy, and Andrew) for their support while I worked on this and other projects.

I dedicate this book to my parents, Tremper (Jr.) and Mernie Longman, for the loving way in which they raised me.

Introduction

An Invitation to the Psalms

God is present in every corner of his creation. He is with us whether we are at work or at home, shopping or studying, in the city or in the country, at sea or on land. He is everywhere and with us no matter what we do.

Nonetheless, the Scriptures make it clear that, though God’s presence permeates the world, he chooses to dwell in a special way in certain places and to make his presence known at certain times. For instance, the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai in a special way at the time that Moses received the law (Ex 19–20). His presence was manifested and experienced in a way that was not repeated on any other mountain until he chose to dwell on Mount Zion in the time of Solomon.

These special places of God’s presence are places of intimate and at times fearful encounter with the God of the universe. They are places that demand human response; they demand worshipful prayer. The Psalms are such a divine-human encounter, and they find their actual setting within the formal worship of Israel.

As we read the Psalms, we are entering into the sanctuary, the place where God meets men and women in a special way. We will see that the conversation between God and his people is direct, intense, intimate, and above all, honest.

Thus, the Psalms are a kind of literary sanctuary in the Scripture. The place where God meets his people in a special way, where his people may address him with their praise and lament. In the same way that the sanctuaries of the Old Testament, primarily the tabernacle and the temple, were considered to be at the physical center of the people of God, so too is the book of Psalms in the middle of the Bible.

Moreover, there is a second connection between the Psalms and the sanctuary. It is here that the Psalms found their use during the Old Testament period, that is, within the context of the community and private worship of God. The Psalms were sung in the temple on Mount Zion:

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;

to you our vows will be fulfilled. . . .

We are filled with the good things of your house,

of your holy temple. (Ps 65:1, 4)

In the Psalter we see the Old Testament people of God at worship.

This connection between the Psalms and intimate worship of God accounts at least in part for the tremendous appeal the book has for us as Christians. While Christians have always struggled to understand and apply the Old Testament to their lives, the Psalms have found wide use in the church and in private devotions.

As a result, the Psalms, more than most parts of the Old Testament, are used in the context of worship today. In recognition of this fact, publishers produce pocket-sized New Testaments that include the Psalms in the back. Moreover, many contemporary Christian hymns (not to speak of more traditional hymns) are based on passages from the Psalms. Churches with a liturgical bent incorporate a responsive reading from the Psalms into the order of worship. Most significantly, while the church suffers from a lack of preaching from the Old Testament as a whole, sermons are often based on a text from the Psalter.

How have the Psalms retained their appeal through the ages? Listen to the thoughts of two of the fathers of the Protestant church:

In the Psalms we looked into the heart of all the saints, and we seem to gaze into fair pleasure gardens—into heaven itself, indeed—where blooms in sweet, refreshing, gladdening flowers of holy and happy thoughts about God and all his benefits. (Martin Luther)

What various and resplendent riches are contained in this treasury, it were difficult to find words to describe. . . . I have been wont to call this book not inappropriately, an anatomy of all parts of the soul; for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. (John Calvin) ¹

The Psalms appeal to the whole person; they demand a total response. The Psalms inform our intellect, arouse our emotions, direct our wills, and stimulate our imaginations. When we read the Psalms with faith, we come away changed and not simply informed. Of course, the whole of Scripture is radically life-changing, but the Psalms address the modern Christian in a more direct way than, say, the last half of Joshua, which details the geographical boundaries of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The purpose of this book is to deepen our love for the Lord by increasing our understanding of this important portion of his Word. Though the Psalms speak to us, a reason we continue to use the book often in our public and private devotion, they are often difficult to understand. We shouldn’t be surprised that we struggle to understand the Old Testament in general and the Psalms in particular. After all, they are distant to us in three ways: historically, culturally, and theologically.

The latest psalm was written almost 2,500 years ago. The earliest psalm was probably written about 3,500 years ago. Think about that a moment. That would be like someone in AD 5500 reading something written today. Times change. God speaks to his people in ways and through means related to their own times.

Along with chronological distance, we must also take into account cultural distance. Most of the people reading this book are Westerners (since it is written in English). The Psalms, however, were originally addressed to a group of Near Eastern people, the Israelites. While cultural dissimilarity should not be overplayed, since there is much continuity between cultures, we can expect that we will run into some customs and expressions that are strange to our modern, technological society.

Last, and perhaps most significant, there is theological distance. That is, the Psalms were written before Jesus Christ was born, crucified, and raised. The Psalms were written in the context of temple worship and animal sacrifice. We will see that Jesus Christ is not absent from the Psalter, but nonetheless, there is a theological distance between the Psalms and the Christian. We need to be aware of this.

These three areas of distance between the Psalms and the Christian manifest themselves in particular areas of difficulty. The most notorious difficulty is the strong language of anger that some of the psalmists use. As previously noted, the psalmists are honest, even brutally frank with God, and occasionally they blast their enemies in a way that Christians feel is out of character with the God that they know through Jesus Christ.

On a more formal level, Christians may wonder at all the repetition in the Psalms. Some psalms sound very similar (for an extreme example look at Psalms 14 and 53). Moreover, the lines within an individual psalm are highly repetitive. The Psalms, we must remember, are poetry, and poetry in any language is difficult to penetrate. How are we to read this poetry, this ancient poetry?

Is Jesus Christ anticipated in the Psalter and, if so, how? Are there predictive prophecies found in a few select psalms or does the book as a whole look forward to his coming? These are just a few of the issues we will deal with in the following chapters.

The book is divided into three parts. In the first part we are asking how the Psalms were understood and used during the period of the Old Testament. We will be studying the individual psalms as a whole. With this background, we will explore how the Psalms address us today. How should we as Christians read the individual prayers and songs that make up the Psalter? In the next section we will take a close-up look at the Psalms to see the art of the psalmists and the literary devices they used. Finally, in the last section, three psalms will be examined closely to show how our study all fits together. The chapters in parts one and two each contain numbered suggestions for psalm study that together will summarize a systematic approach for individual study of the Psalms.

As we probe the Psalms together, our ultimate purpose is not to increase our knowledge of ancient customs and poetic forms; we are studying to know God better through his Word.

PART 1

The Psalms Then and Now

1

The Genres of the Psalms

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song. (Ps 95:1-2)

Save us and help us with your right hand,

that those you love may be delivered. (Ps 60:5)

You exalted me above my foes;

from a violent man you rescued me.

Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;

I will sing the praises of your name. (Ps 18:48-49)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust." (Ps 91:1-2)

In these short quotations we glimpse the different types of poems encountered in the Psalter. In order of occurrence, we have an example from a hymn, a lament, a psalm of thanksgiving, and a psalm of confidence.

We don’t have to know the Psalter very well to recognize that there are different types of psalms—roughly seven basic types, though individual psalms can participate in more than one type. Before analyzing these types, however, it is important to realize that many differences occur between psalms of the same type. In other words, we must recognize similarities between psalms, not cloned repetition.

Psalms is not the only Bible book to raise the question of type of literature. We should ask the same question when studying any portion of Scripture. Thus, the following discussion applies to our reading of the entire Bible, though we

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