Leaven Leaven

Volume 7 Issue 3 I Lift Up My Soul Article 10

1-1-1999

I Lift Up My Soul: A Resource Guide for Studying and I Lift Up My Soul: A Resource Guide for Studying and

Appropriating the Psalms Appropriating the Psalms

Paul Watson

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Watson, Paul (1999) "I Lift Up My Soul: A Resource Guide for Studying and Appropriating the Psalms," Leaven: Vol. 7 : Iss. 3 , Article 10. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol7/iss3/10

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160 Leaven, Summer, 1999

I Lift Up My Soul:A Resource Guidefor Studying andAppropriating the Psal

We are experiencing among ourpeople a renewed and increasedinterest in the psalms, which is mostencouraging. We are turning to thepsalms in many different settings--in classes and small groups, in thepulpit, in private devotional mo-ments, in corporate worship. In theprocess we are beginning to under-stand the crucial role of the psalmsin our communication with God.The psalms teach us to listen-andto respond-to God with both mindand heart. Our rediscovery of thepsalms is leading us toward richer,deeper communion with the Godwho created us for relationship withhim.

Fortunately, we have at ourdisposal many excellent resourcesto aid us in our appropriation of thepsalms. The resources suggested inthis article are, of course, but a fewof the many available. I have triedto use three criteria in selectingthese particular ones: first, that theybe solid, responsible efforts to hearand faithfully reflect the biblicaltext; second, that they be recentworks currently available (which is

not to suggest that oldel"'tesourcesare not also valuable); and third,that they be readable and accessibleto any serious student of the psalms.I hope that you will find theseresources as helpful and insightfulas I have.

Introduction to the PsalmsWhere to start? That is always a

good question-and often a difficultone-whether in regard to studyingthe book of Psalms or any otherbiblical book or topic. One place tostart is with a Bible dictionary orencyclopedia. For the Psalter thereare a number of good possibili-ties-Harpers Bible Dictionary,The Interpreters Dictionary of theBible-but my preference is JamesLimburg, "Psalms, Book of," in TheAnchor Bible Dictionary (NewYork: Doubleday, 1992), 5:522-36.The introduction section of anygood commentary, such as the threediscussed below, is a similarpossibility. A different type ofresource for introductory matters isJerome F. D. Creach's Psalms(Louisville: Geneva Press, 1998) in

By Paul Watson

the new Interpretation BiblicalStudies series. Intended for use incongregational Bible classes, this isa ten-unit study guide. The first twounits provide a general overview ofthe psalms; the remaining eightunits treat briefly eight representa-tive psalms. A fourth and final typeof general resource material is acomprehensive introduction to theentire Old Testament (which shouldbe in every student's personallibrary). Here, my clear choicewould be Bernhard W. Anderson,"The Praises of Israel," in Under-standing the Old Testament, 4th ed.(Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: PrenticeHall, 1986),540-67. Anderson isthat rare Old Testament scholar whois equally adept at reading Hebrewand writing English. Get to knowhis work if you are not alreadyfamiliar with it.

The Forms and Functions ofthe Psalms

In reading and listening to thepsalms, it is extremely important toremember that they are poetry. Thepsalms do not rhyme-rhyme is not

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a characteristic of Hebrew poetry-but they do have a fluid sort ofrhythm. Most notable is theirstructural balance, which arisesfrom their constituent units of two(or sometimes three) parallelphrases: "Therefore the wicked willnot stand in the judgment, norsinners in the assembly of therighteous" (Ps 1:5 NIV). By learn-ing something about Hebrewpoetry, and by observing therelatively few categories of formand function into which the psalm-poems fall, great insight can begained into the messages that thepsalmists intended to convey.

The best resource here-indeed, the first book that I regu-larly recommend when asked about"one good book on the psalms"-isalso by Bernhard W. Anderson: Outof the Depths: The Psalms Speakfor Us Today, rev. and expo ed.(Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983).As Anderson explains in his pref-ace, "This study finds a waythrough the 150 psalms of thePsalter by means of the so-calledform-critical method, that is, thestudy of psalms according to genresthat can be classified on the basis oftheir literary form and setting inworship" (10). Along the samelines, but with slightly differentcategories and types, are two veryhelpful works by ClausWestermann: The Psalms: Struc-ture, Content and Message (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1980) and Praiseand Lament in the Psalms (Atlanta:John Knox, 1981). For those whowish to explore the structures andfunctions of the psalms at a moreadvanced level, I recommend twobooks: Susan E. Gillingham, ThePoems and Psalms of the HebrewBible (Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress, 1994) and Robert Alter, TheArt of Biblical Poetry (New York:

Basic, 1985; Edinburgh: Clark,1990).

Commentaries on the PsalmsThere is a rich tradition of

exposition of the Psalter. Therespective commentaries of Lutherand Calvin, for example, are amongthose authors' finest works. Of thecurrent commentaries readilyavailable, I would single out threefor special attention. The first isJames L. Mays, Psalms, Interpreta-tion (Louisville: Westminster/JohnKnox, 1994). In keeping with thegeneral purpose of the Interpreta-tion series, Mays' work "will notreplace the historical criticalcommentary or homiletical aids topreaching"; instead, his purpose is"both to deal with what the textssay and to discern their meaning forfaith and life" (vii). To take onlyone example of Mays' interpretiveskills at work, here are his com-ments on the first line of Psalm 25,"To you, 0 LoRD,I lift up my soul":

In Israel, lifting up one's handsin a stretched-out position wasa gesture of entreaty used inprayer. To lift up the soul toGod is a metaphor for what thegesture means. The metaphorportrays prayer as an act inwhich individuals hold theirconscious identity, their life, inhands stretched out to God as away of saying that their lifedepends completely and onlyon the help of God. (124)

A second commentary that is ofthe more traditional historical-critical type is the three-volumeWord Biblical Commentary, witheach volume contributed by adifferent author: Peter C. Craigie,Psalms 1-50, WBC 19 (Waco:Word, 1983); Marvin E. Tate,

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Psalms 51-100, WBC 20 (Waco:Word, 1990); and Leslie C. Allen,Psalms 101-150, WBC 21 (Waco:Word, 1983). In this collaborativeeffort that runs to a combined totalof more than thirteen hundredpages, each psalm is treated accord-ing to a standard format: a bibliog-raphy of articles on the psalm, atranslation of the psalm withextensive notes, a section on the"form/structure/setting" of thepsalm, explanatory comments, anda final "exposition" section withexpanded theological observationsthat include other Old Testamentand New Testament references. Forexegetical details such as textualvariants, word meanings, andhistorical notes, these three volumesare, in my opinion, the best researchtool currently available to us inEnglish.

The third commentary that Iwould suggest is J. Clinton McCannJr., "The Book of Psalms," in TheNew Interpreter's Bible, vol. 4(Nashville: Abingdon, 1996), 639-1280. McCann's work presents eachpsalm in two translations (NIV andNRSV), followed by a "comments"section that is basically exegeticaland a "reflections" section that ismore expository and applicational.Especially helpful are McCann'sintroductory comments on literaryfeatures of the psalms (form andrhetorical criticism) and on "theshape and shaping of the Psalter"-how the psalms came to be col-lected and organized as they are, aswell as the significance of such"shaping."

Interpreting the PsalmsIn this varied group of re-

sources I include those works thatare more interpretive than exegeti-cal (although some include ratherdetailed expositions of specific

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psalms). Two excellent theologicalinterpretations of the psalms-bytwo of the commentators recom-mended above--deserve carefulattention. In The LORDReigns: ATheological Handbook to thePsalms (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994), James Maysfinds the theological "center" of thepsalms to be the exclusive, cosmiclordship of God, as expressed in thefrequent exclamation "The LORDreigns!" (or "Yahweh is king!").Mays says, "The psalms haveprovided [Jews and Christians] acommon and traditional languageworld, the language that speaks ofthe world as envisaged by faith. It isthe language of those who believein and venture to live in the ever-lasting, present, and coming reignof the LORD"(x). In the othervolume, A Theological Introductionto the Book of Psalms (Nashville:Abingdon, 1993), J. ClintonMcCann Jr. emphasizes the instruc-tional character of the psalms, usingthe organizing rubric of praise,prayer, and profession.

Perhaps the foremost interpreterof the psalms in our generation hasbeen Walter Brueggemann. Hismajor contribution has been TheMessage of the Psalms (Minneapo-lis: Augsburg, 1984), in which hetreats a total of fifty-nine psalms byusing "a 'scheme' of orientation-disorientation-new orientation"(following Paul Ricoeur).Brueggemann is especially con-cerned with "how the Psalms mayfunction as voices of faith in theactual life of the believing commu-nity" (10). Brueggemann's otherworks on the psalms includeIsrael's Praise (Philadelphia:Fortress, 1988); Abiding Astonish-ment: Psalms, Modernity, and theMaking of History (Louisville:Westminster/John Knox, 1991); and

The Psalms and the Life of Faith(Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995), acollection of fourteen articles on thepsalms that was edited by PatrickD. Miller Jr., Brueggemann'sbrother-in-law. My favorite articleis "Bounded by Obedience andPraise: The Psalms as Canon"(189-213), in which Brueggemanndemonstrates how the "movement"of the Psalter-from confident,uncomplicated obedience (Psalm 1)through candid lament (Psalm 25),reperceptive communion (Psalm73), and gratitude (Psalm 103) toself-abandoning praise (Psalm150}-mirrors the life of faith.Brueggemann is a must read-notonly for the psalms but for the restof the Old Testament as well. If youhaven't yet discovered his work,these titles are a great place to start.

I mention briefly four otherinterpretive studies, the first byPatrick D. Miller Jr.: Interpretingthe Psalms (Philadelphia: Fortress,1986). After a five-chapter sectionon "general approaches" to inter-preting the psalms (chapters 4 and5, on laments and hymns respec-tively, are particularly helpful),Miller carefully and fully treats tenselected psalms. Nahum Sarna, asensitive Jewish scholar, also workswith ten psalms in On the Book ofPsalms: Exploring the Prayers ofAncient Israel (New York:Schocken, 1993; formerly titledSongs of the Heart). C. S. Lewis'Reflections on the Psalms (NewYork: HarcourtBraceJovanovich,1958) is typically rich and reward-ing. Consider his observations onpraise (including the frequent call inthe psalms for all creatures to praiseGod):

But the most obvious fact aboutpraise-whether of God oranything-strangely escaped

me. I thought of it in terms ofcompliment, approval, or thegiving of honour. I had nevernoticed that all enjoymentspontaneously overflows intopraise ....... I had not noticed either thatjust as men spontaneouslypraise whatever they value, sothey spontaneously urge us tojoin them in praising it: "Isn'tshe lovely? Wasn't it glorious?Don't you think that magnifi-cent?" The Psalmists in tellingeveryone to praise God aredoing what all men do whenthey speak of what they careabout. (93-95)

The fourth interpretive study, quiteunlike any of the others, is WilliamL. Holladay, The Psalms throughThree Thousand Years (Minneapo-lis: Fortress, 1993). Holladaymoves from "The Psalms TakeShape-A Reconstruction" through"The Psalter through History" to"Current Theological Issues,"including the question of how thepsalms function for Christianstoday.

Teaching and Preaching fromthe Psalms

Of course, any or all of theresources cited thus far can beprofitably used by teachers andpreachers, but let me mention threeadditional works that have contrib-uted directly to my own preachingand teaching. One is Tom Long's"Preaching on the Psalms," inPreaching and the Literary Formsof the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress,1989). In this chapter Long not onlyargues that contrary to some, "thereis no good reason ... why thepsalms cannot be sung andpreached" (43), but he also showsus how to do it, using Psalm 1 as

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his primary example. ElizabethAchtemeier likewise has a chapterentitled "Preaching from thePsalms" in her Preaching from theOld Testament (Louisville:Westminster/John Knox, 1989),137-63. Achtemeier is right ontarget when she says:

Obviously, every preacherwould like his or her congrega-tion to share, from experience,in the psalmists' relation toGod. That is the purpose ofpreaching from the Psalter-toso instruct a congregation in thelife of faith, set forth in thesesongs, that such a life becomesthe congregation's life; to letthe words of the psalms soinspire and work among thegathered people that Israel'sstance before God becomes thecongregation's stance, Israel'sdepth of devotion becomes theirdevotion, Israel's heartfeltresponse to God's deedsbecomes their response. (138)

A third homiletical aid is thelectionary treatment of the psalmsby John H. Hayes in Preachingthrough the Christian Year (ValleyForge: Trinity; Year A, 1992; YearB, 1993; Year C, 1994).

Praying and Singing thePsalms

The psalms are meant not onlyto be studied and discussed but alsoto be prayed and sung. For prayingthe psalms, there is much to begained from the works of EugenePeterson (although Idisagree withhis categorical assertion that psalmsare prayers directed by us to God,an assertion that implicitly excludespsalms as songs or as God's wordsto and for us). See his Answering

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The psalms are meant not only to bestudied and discussed but also to beprayed and sung.

God: The Psalms as Tools forPrayer (San Francisco:HarperSanFrancisco, 1991);Psalms: Prayers of the Heart(Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity,1987); and Where Your Treasure Is:Psalms That Summon You from Selfto Community (Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1985). Even morehelpful, I think, are WalterBrueggemann's Praying the Psalms(Winona, Minn.: St. Mary's Press,1986) and his article "The Psalmsas Prayer" in the previously citedThe Psalms and the Life of Faith,33-66. The most comprehensiverecent work on prayer, one thatincludes but is not limited to theprayers of the psalms, is Patrick D.Miller Jr., They Cried to the Lord:The Form and Theology of BiblicalPrayer (Minneapolis: Fortress,1994).

As for singing the psalms-something that we need to docorporately much more regularlythan we now do--a number of goodresources are available. Amongthem are "The Theological Signifi-cance of the Psalms in Worship,""Ways of Singing the Psalms inWorship," "Contemporary Develop-ments in Responsorial Psalmody,"and "How to IntroduceResponsorial Psalm Singing," inRobert E. Webber, ed., Music andthe Arts in Christian Worship, vol.4, bk. 1, The Complete Library ofChristian Worship (Nashville: StarSong, 1994),309-20. Both interest-ing and useful is the appendix, "TheSinging of the Psalms" (176-81), inMcCann's previously noted A

Theological Introduction to theBook of Psalms. A work that I havenot used myself but that comes wellrecommended is The Psalter:Psalms and Canticles for Singing(Louisville: Westminster/JohnKnox, 1993). And by all means,read the article by Carol Shoun inthis issue of Leaven-"God's Wordin Us Richly: The Power of thePsalms as Song" -and take note ofthe resources suggested there.

ConclusionLet me conclude with one other,

hopefully unnecessary, observation:No single resource mentioned here,nor all the resources together, is anysubstitute for our reading, praying,and singing the psalms for our-selves. As Anderson says in hispreface to Out of the Depths, "Sincethis is not intended as another bookabout the Psalms but rather a guideinto the Psalms, it is extremelyimportant that you read the psalmsthemselves carefully ... " (10).McCann echoes that sentiment withthese words:

For those who read this book, itis my hope that it will assistyou in making the book ofPsalms your book. I hope it willenable you to make its praisesyour praises and its prayersyour prayers. And finally, Ihope that the teaching con-tained in this book will help toprepare you to be instructed bythe book of Psalms itself.(Theological Introduction, 15)

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There are any number of goodways to appropriate the psalms forourselves. One old (but newlyrediscovered) method is to memo-rize them. Another is to read threepsalms daily in an incrementalfashion: thus, Psalms l, 2, and 3 onday one; Psalms 2, 3, and 4 on daytwo; and so on. Still another is topray a specific psalm slowly, lineby line, filling the words of eachphrase with your own related

thoughts and feelings. Groupdiscussion of a psalm previouslystudied by the individual membersof the group is always helpful.Some groups find writing their ownpsalms and sharing those with oneanother to be very meaningful.Certainly, learning to sing thepsalms or, perhaps even better, tochant the psalms will help fill uswith their richness in ways thatreflection and discussion cannot do.

But whatever methodes) we choose,the goal remains the same: To liftup our souls to the One who desirescommunion with us and who hasprovided the psalms as a means tothat end.

PAUL WATSON is the preachingminister for the Cole Mill RoadChurch of Christ in Durham, NorthCarolina, and serves on the Edito-rial Board of Leaven.

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