Law, Prophets and Psalms

I have often wondered why in the Gospel of St. Luke we have the order of Law, Prophets and Psalms (Luke 24:44). I think it may be to do with how the Psalms were viewed in early Judaism. The Qumran community viewed the Psalms as prophecy composed by David (11QPs^a) and so I would suggest [...]

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Prophets & Psalter

The perspective of Israel’s worship in the Psalter is eschatologically orientated. As a result, the Psalter in its canonical form, far from being different in kind from the prophetic message, joins with the prophets in announcing God’s coming kingship.
Childs, B. (1979) Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. SCM Press. pp. 518

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When was the Psalter closed?

Phil Sumpter has posted Erich Zenger’s thoughts on it closing between 200-150 BCE:
1) The editorially placed Psalter framework (Pss 1-2 and 146-150) reflect the language and theology found in Jesus Sirach (175 BCE).
2) The same goes for Qumran’s wisdom text musar lammebin and the “Book of [...]

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Approaching the Psalms through Canonical, Form and Reader Response Criticism

Proposed principle one: When one begins approaching the Psalms through Canonical, Form and Reader Response Criticism the first stage must include the determining of the period when the Canonical Psalter was composed and ‘read’.
Proposed principle two: The use of the Psalter must also be discovered.
Proposed principle three: Once the period when the Canonical Psalter [...]

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The hope of David in Books I-III

Gerald Wilson has noted that in Books 1-3 royal psalms are used at the seams. Ps. 2 opens up Book 1 and this “is dominated by royal considerations and especially the institution of the Davidic covenant” (Wilson, 1986: 88). Ps. 72 closes Book 2 wherein “the covenant which YHWH made with David (Ps. 2) and [...]

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A Need to Explore the Sitz im Literatur of the Psalter

Earlier I was reading Sweeney’s introduction to prophetic literature (vol. XVI in FOTL) and I came across the following paragraph which struck me as being highly relevant to a study of the Psalter.
Although the words and actions of the original prophets initiated the composition of the prophetic literature, the writings of the later editor and [...]

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Passover and Pss. 113-118

It is recorded that “On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover” (Josh. 5:10) and I just wonder if this Spring festival associated with the Exodus-Conquest theme is the Sitz im Leben of the Egyptian Psalter, Pss. 113-118. This [...]

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Resurrection and Eschatology

Hopefully you are already aware of Resurrection and Eschatology: Theology in Service of the Church – Essays in Honor of Richard B. Gaffin but if not I hope you are as enthused about its appearance as I.
I draw your attention to this volume for two articles in particular; the first is Bruce Waltke’s “Psalm 110: [...]

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Singing In The Reign

Michael Barber’s book Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom looks quite interesting especially as he takes a canonical approach to understanding the Psalter.
You can preview the book here.
Michael Barber’s blog can be found here.

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