Classification of the Psalms

Psalms: Not just another song

• Broadly listed as genre of poetry• Recognizable “forms” or sub-genres in the Psalms• Seven most common types– Lament– Praise– Thanksgiving– Celebration– Wisdom– Penitential– Imprecatory

Lament

• Most widespread; about 1/3 of Psalter– Pss. 3, 9, 12, 13, 17, 42, 60, 74, 94, 139

• Individual or group cries out to God in distress• Pattern for our response to suffering.• Common pattern to lament– 1) Address God 2) Describe distress 3) Plea for deliverance 4)

Statement of confidence in God 5) Confession of sin 6) Vow to do certain things when God answers 7) Praise and/or restatement of request

• Be sure to teach through whole psalm to avoid misinterpretation

Praise

• 104, 106, 111-113, 146, 150• God is praised as Creator (104), Savior (149),

and sovereign over history (103).• Structure usually includes 1) Address to God 2)

Call to others to join in worship 3) Listing of reasons to praise God 4) Blessing or call to worship

Thanksgiving

• Usual thank God for answering the request of the worshiper.– Individuals (18, 32, 40, 92)– Groups (65, 75, 107, 136)

• Structure– 1) Invite other to thank God 2) Recounting need for

Divine intervention 3) Praise to God for his salvation 4) “Temple language” of sacrifice, festivals, pilgrimage, music, dancing, or incense 5) Blessing pronounced over worshippers 6) Final exhortation

Celebration

• Celebrate God’s covenant relationship with the king and the nation.– Royal psalms celebrate the king as God’s

representative ruler (2, 24, 93, 101, 110) and often foreshadow Christ and find messianic fulfillment

– Songs of Zion celebrate God’s choice of Israel or Jerusalem as the location of his temple, festivals, and chosen king (46, 76, 87, 125)

Wisdom

• Describe divine source of wisdom (1, 19, 119), or ask questions about injustices in life (73).

• Recount other more typical wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs) in song form for Israel to sing.

• Good example of how the church’s worship is used to teach theology.

Penitential Psalms

• Songs of individual or corporate repentance• Most famous is David’s Psalm 51• See also 6, 32, 38, 102, 130, and 143• Again, show the full range of human practice

in song form. How often do we sing songs of repentance in our church?

Imprecatory Psalms

• The psalms that call a curse on God’s enemies (35, 60, 70, 109, 137, 140)

• Call for God to enact divine justice on behalf of the individual or nation

• We must remember to leave room for God’s vengeance and not seek the vengeance ourselves (Romans 12:19).– David had every opportunity and right to strike down King

Saul, but he restrained himself, letting God deal with him (ps. 18, 52; 1 Samuel 18:18, 24:3-15, 26:9-11).

• Let’s make sure we pray for our enemy’s repentance rather than their destruction.