Related articles
Classification of Psalms
There are a number of ways of classifying the psalms by literary type, or by use, or by content. Some of these categories overlap, so one psalm may fall into two or more categories.
1. Laments
The largest group are laments, with over sixty psalms. These can be individual laments, giving an honest expression of personal crises, struggles, sufferings or disappointments to God (Ps 3, 22, 31, 39, 42, 57, 71, 120, 139, 142), or corporate laments, where the nation expresses grief as a result of a national disaster, either impending or one that has already happened (Ps 12, 44, 80, 94, 137).
2. Hymns of praise
Another large group are the hymns of praise which are given in response to God's character, in which God is praised as Creator, the protector of Israel, or Lord of history (Ps 8, 19, 33, 66, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 145-147, 148, 149). They contain praises describing who God is and what he does in a general sense. There are also a number of psalms of thanksgiving in which praise for God is declared for something specific he has done. They again can be individual psalms of thanksgiving, when a person comes to the sanctuary to give thanks for a specific blessing from God (Ps 18, 30, 32, 34, 40, 66, 92, 116, 118, 138), or corporate psalms of thanksgiving (Ps 65, 67, 75, 107, 124, 136).
3. Salvation history psalms
Salvation history psalms review the history of God's saving works among the people of Israel, especially their deliverance from bondage in Egypt and their creation as a nation, from whom Jesus the Messiah was born (Ps 78, 105, 106, 135, 136). Penitential psalms are prayers of repentance for sin, crying for forgiveness, depending only on God's mercy and grace (Ps 6, 25, 32, 38, 39, 51, 102, 130, 143). Wisdom psalms reflect on the virtue of wisdom and a godly life and anticipate blessing for obedience (Ps 36, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133). They have a similar message as the Book of Proverbs (Prov 8). Songs of trust declare that God can be trusted, even in times of despair, and help us express our trust in God, whether we are having good or bad times (Ps 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131). Two psalms are classified as covenant renewal liturgies (Ps 50, 81), giving the words to be used in a renewal of the covenant made on Mt. Sinai, perhaps in a service of commitment to God.
4. Royal psalms
Royal psalms were originally written for some special occasion in the life of the Davidic king or praising their function as God's intermediary in the Jewish kingdom (Ps 2, 18, 20, 21, 35, 40, 45, 72, 101, 110, 144). Many of these have a messianic theme as well. Enthronement psalms (Ps 24, 29, 47, 93, 95-99) were used in celebrations of the yearly enthronement of Israel's king. Songs of Zion (Ps 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122) were songs to celebrate the holy city of Jerusalem as the centre of worship of God, symbolising God's presence on earth.
5. Messianic psalms
Messianic psalms are those which contain prophecies of Jesus. There are a total of fifty-nine predictions of Jesus and various aspects of his life and ministry. The Book of Psalms is quoted in the New Testament more than any other book. The following psalms are classed as Messianic: (Ps 2, 8, 16, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 35, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 72, 78, 87, 89, 102, 109, 110, 118, 132).
6. Imprecatory psalms
Imprecatory psalms are those which contain expressions of extreme emotions, which we often find hard to accept in the scriptures. One rather extreme example is this, "Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rocks" (Ps 137:9). They contain expressions of anger to God about other people, often invoking curses, or showing malice or hatred. They often seem harsh and vengeful, gloating over the enemy's downfall. They contain cries for God's vengeance on the wicked, who have broken the covenant and who oppose God. They are the cry of the righteous for judgment in an unjust world. They are not written from a personal hatred of enemies, but seeing the unrighteousness of the enemy as a challenge to God. The enemies of the psalmist and of Israel are first of all enemies of God. They always recognise that the vengeance belongs to God and do not take matters into their own hands. On a personal level, through these psalms, God allows us to be angry without sinning (Ps 4:4), to express anger without allowing the anger to harm the other person. They help us express our anger or frustration to God. Some complete psalms are classed as imprecatory: (Ps 35, 58, 59, 69, 83, 109 and 137), others contain a few imprecatory verses, for example: (Ps 5:10, 6:10, 12:3, 52:5-6, 70:13, 140:10). There are even some imprecatory statements in the New Testament: "If anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:9), and "If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed" (1 Cor 16:21).
Structural elements found in psalms
The most common categories of psalms are laments and psalms of praise and thanksgiving. Both of these have particular structural elements which are normally apparent. However, there is great flexibility, as these elements may appear in a different order, or the same element may appear more than once through the psalm.
1. Laments
The following structural elements are often found in laments, although there are often significant differences: They begin with an introductory cry to God. This is followed by a lament or complaint, stating the reason for the psalm. It often gives a description of the writer’s situation, which gives the historical setting for the psalm. They may be troubled in their own thoughts or actions, or complaining about the actions of others, or feeling abandoned by God. They may be experiencing two or even all three of these (Ps 42). The third part is a petition or prayer, followed by a statement of trust and confidence in God. The psalm ends with the author making a promise to praise God, or an actual statement of praise. Laments may also contain confession of sin, proclamations of innocence, or even cursing of enemies.
Psalm 22 is a good example of a lament. It begins with a cry to God (v1-2), followed by a declaration of trust (v3-5). He then gives his complaint (v6-8), and again declares his trust in God (v9-10). He they prays (v11), followed by a complaint about his enemies (v12-18). He then prays again (v19-21), and concludes with praise (v21b-31).
2. Psalms of Praise
These normally have three main sections: The first is a call to praise, which may contain an exhortation to sing, a naming of the person or group who is called to sing and the mode of praise, perhaps the instruments to be used, or a call to sing a new song. The second section states the reason God is to be praised. The conclusion is a call to praise, or the expression of a desire to praise, or a declaration of trust in God.
An example of a psalm of praise is Psalm 33. It begins with a call to praise (v1), and the mode of praise, listing the instruments (v2-3). This is followed by the reason for praising God as the Creator enthroned in heaven (v4-19), concluding with a declaration of trust (v20-22).
3. Psalm of thanksgiving
A psalm of thanksgiving has similarities with a psalm of praise, but is more personal. It begins with a call to praise, or blessing, followed by a testimony to God’s goodness. It may look back and describe the time of need, perhaps restating the lament, and giving a report of God’s deliverance. The psalm finishes with a renewed vow of praise and a statement of praise and trust in God.
An example of a thanksgiving psalm is Psalm 33. It begins with a declaration of praise (v1a). Then most of the psalm is taken up with the author’s testimony (v1b-12a), ending with a vow of praise (v12b). In the testimony he describes his time of need (v1b-3), he gives a call to worship (v4-6), a description of his situation before the problem (v6-7), restates his lament (v8-10), and gives testimony to God’s deliverance (v11-12a).
Related articles