Individual psalms were written throughout Israel’s history. King David wrote many of them but others wrote psalms as well, including Moses and Solomon. As with our modern hymn books, Israel’s worship leaders compiled collections of psalms based on themes, authors, and other stylistic features. These editors arranged the whole collection with an aim to focus our attention upon the Messiah.
Insofar as we identify ourselves with this anointed king, his prayers become our prayers and his music our music.
Dr Jason DeRouchie, How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament, 67.
Psalms 1 and 2: A Prologue
Psalms 1 and 2 function as a prologue to the whole, setting the stage for all that follows. We have highlighted a few of the elements that link these two psalms as a pair:
The word “blessed” forms bookends that enclose the two together
Each psalm includes a warning concerning perishing in the way
The beginning of the two psalms contrast two sorts of intentional focus: meditating on God’s law and plotting against God’s rule. (Click on each word in the text below to see the lexical information and note that the same Hebrew word is used for each!)
Psalm 1 introduces the book of Psalms as “instruction for guiding readers to a truly happy life...that happiness results from delighting in and meditating on God’s instruction… What message assures us that living in keeping with divine instructions will issue in a truly happy life?” According to Psalm 2, “It is simply this: ‘The Lord reigns!’ ...The book of psalms can be read as a manual for instructing ancient Israelites, and us, how to live in the absence of the Davidic king, who was promised the nations as his inheritance in Psalm 2”
—Mark Futato, Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook, 67, 72, 80–81.
The Sub-genres of the Psalms
Psalms may be divided into several sub-genres, including lament, trust, thanksgiving, praise, royal, wisdom, liturgy, and historical psalms.¹ Let's focus on three primary headings under which we can fit the others:
Hymns (of praise) - These hymns celebrate God as Creator and Redeemer. They typically contain:²
A summons to praise
A reason for praise
A repeated summons to praise.
Psalm 146 is an example of a hymn of praise.
Laments (invocation) - When grief, sorrow, and afflictions overwhelm us, these psalms help us cry out to God for help. Note that almost every lament shifts to confident praise (except Psalm 88!). Psalms of lament train our hearts in godly grief over our sin and life’s circumstances. They typically contain:³
An address to God
Petitions
A description of trouble and affliction
Reasons for God to answer
A declaration of trust
A praise or promise
Psalm 86 is an example of a psalm of lament.
Thanksgiving - These psalms express joy and give thanks for God and his saving work.
Psalm 30 is an example of a thanksgiving psalm.
The Subject of the Psalms
One of the challenges to interpreting Psalms is the question: who is speaking here? God? David? Messiah? The answer is, yes! Jesus and the NT authors frequently quoted psalms and built logical arguments based on who is speaking in the psalm:
Matthew 22:41–45 (Jesus’ argument is based on David saying the words of Psalm 110.)
Hebrews 1:13 (God speaks the words of Psalm 110.)
Acts 2:23–31 (David speaks in Psalm 16.)
Hebrews 2:12 (Jesus speaks in Psalm 22.)
Hebrews 3:7–11 (the Holy Spirit speaks the words of Psalm 95.)
Often the human psalmist pours out his heart to God, but then the language becomes exaggerated and no longer fits a mere man. This is exactly what we see in Psalm 16, quoted and explained by Peter in Acts 2.
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,
‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.”
—Acts 2:22–31
Peter recognizes (1) that what David is saying exceeds David’s own life; and (2) that David intentionally prophesied in Psalm 16 about the Messiah—David’s son and David’s Lord, who would reign eternally. Thus, the words of Psalm 16 are ultimately understood as from the lips of Jesus.
The New Testament authors, the Old Testament prophets, and David himself believed that the Psalms pointed ahead, portraying the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories (1 Peter 1:10–12).
Dr. Jason DeRouchie, How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament, 67.
Keys for Interpreting Psalms:
Read the whole psalm.
Consider how this psalm relates to surrounding psalms.
Discern the structure. Does this psalm follow a specific sub-genre like praise, lament, or thanksgiving?
Follow the logic. How does the author connect ideas and build an argument?
Ask, “What does this psalm reveal of the nature and character of God?”
Ask, “What does this psalm reveal of the nature and character of man?”
Focus on Jesus. What does this psalm reveal about Christ and his people? (See Lesson 7 for more on this.)