What did the Psalmist REALLY mean? And what’s more, the Psalms do sound “pretty,” but why don’t they rhyme? Where’s the iambic pentameter? Why aren’t there any psonnets? (sorry) The Psalms are some of the most beautiful of all literature, and the richest. I’ve been enjoying our art threads and it occurs to me that poetry is certainly as much an art as painting. So, for the poetically inclined, I offer this thread where we can pick apart the Psalms and get all the juicy goodness we’re able to apprehend. If you have any tips about interpreting/understanding the Psalms, please feel free to share. To get started with the tutorials, here’s one that [tag]DaveB[/tag] posted to [tag]Sobornost[/tag]'s poetry analysis topic. [tag]Michael_Cole[/tag], I know you’re interested in poetry, so I wanted to make sure and invite you too.
Dave posted this essay about Hebrew poetry, and I thought it would be handy to reproduce it here:
This particular O.T. psalm doesn’t speak life to me. Being a rebel I don’t like rules. I don’t delight in law but love. I love others not because of law but because of them. Their person.
Now Dave’s tutorial already has quite a lot of analysis concerning Ps 1, but I’m going to give it a go all the same. Maybe I’ll see something that isn’t in the article.
This is the stair step thingie. Also, the translators have introduced some alliteration, which is nice. What is the psalmist trying to say here? Not that we shouldn’t be friends with unbelievers, because Jesus was known for that. Perhaps that we shouldn’t take council from the ungodly (as it says) nor stand in their path. I always wonder when I read this whether ‘standing in the path’ means getting in the way of sinners or is it just a reworded way of saying we shouldn’t be traveling that path. I suspect the latter, but I’d be interested in anything anyone has to say on that. I think ‘sitting in the seat of the scornful’ probably means not to put ourselves in the place of being scornful – presumably toward God in particular.
This statement (as you’ve read in the tutorial) is “antithetical” to the first line. DON’T do the first line – INSTEAD do the stuff in the second line. Delight in God’s law (which for us – because we are THAT blessed – is love) We are to meditate and marinate and cogitate on God’s pure and perfect and righteous law! Yay!
More stair steps, I think. And a simile. Similes use “like” to signal they’re similes. That way us modern literalists won’t be worried about turning into trees and such. Of course the tree planted by the rivers of water will flourish. I suspect that whatsoever we do shall prosper (if we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate in it day and night) because we are so in tune with our Father that, like Jesus, we will only do what we see the Father doing.
Another antithetical, to the one describing the godly. Chaff, in case anyone doesn’t know, is the part of the wheat that can’t be eaten – not even in a super earthy-crunchy bran muffin. People winnow their wheat (once it’s been knocked about and trodden under hoof a bit) by throwing it up in the air on a breezy day. The wheat kernels are heavy and the chaff is paper light, so the breeze blows it away as you toss the wheat. I tried this once. I had my basket, and was tossing up the wheat for the chaff to blow off. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. The wind has to be just right. Too little and you get to keep the chaff, and much over optimal and the wheat kernels start to blow away too.
I’m not really worried about this verse, but it IS a possible trouble-spot for UR, as the ungodly are metaphorically driven away here. What do you think? How would you answer this?
I think this line extends the thought given in the line just before it. Was that called “climatic” or “climactic,” Dave? The ungodly aren’t going to be kept in power at the judgment – that’s how I’d interpret this, though no doubt it has further meaning. The second half essentially restates the meaning of the first half of this line. No sinners allowed. (So stop sinning or we won’t let you in until you do – and Jesus is the only one who can help you with this one.
Here’s a contrast within a line, and also a link to all the “godly” statements, and also to the “ungodly” statements. The Lord knows the way of the righteous. He knows the direction we’ll take to arrive in His presence, because we’ll take the path in which He will direct us.
The way of the ungodly shall perish. I’m guessing conditionalists use this one from time to time. Note it is the WAY of the ungodly that perishes, and I’m guessing that’s a very good thing for all concerned, including the unrighteous. They NEED their way to perish.
I don’t think this psalm refers to ECT, because for one thing, it hadn’t been invented back then. It probably refers to the actual (as opposed to metaphorical) grave. David is encouraging us to drink from the rivers of living water.
I am literally falling asleep at my computer, so I’m going to have to leave it at that. Thoughts?
Good point, Cole. The “law” thing kind of turns me off too. I expect David was talking about the actual law, but for us, who read this psalm in the light of Christ’s words, I think we are not only permitted, but in a way, obligated, to read the law AS love. Thanks for discussing!
If that’s what Christ said then I don’t want any part of Christ. I guess I just use to A.A. where they don’t have leaders who govern. They are trusted servants. I’m never obligated to love. I do it out of my own heart.
Oh but is most wonderful Cole. You don’t know the Law then if you do not love it. First off, the translation Law is incorrect and misleading it really means “the Teaching” or “Instruction”. It meant to David and all the writers of Scripture that God cared enough to speak to them, to teach and instruct them. Our delight is in the instruction of the Lord, that He would spend time teaching us and guiding us by His Word, by sending us messages. Also there are wonderful things in the first five books of the Bible, yes I believe there are rules in it that are not God’s best (Jesus Himself made this point), but every revelation was first based off of these books. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy when confronted by the devil in temptation, Leviticus has the most quoted verse in Scripture “love your neighbor as yourself”. I could go on, but you get my point I hope.
Also concerning the rebel part I hope you are not serious. Though Paul made it clear that we cannot keep the law because of the weakness of our flesh, yet he in his inner being delighted in the law. He did so because he saw the spirit of the “Teaching”, which is to love God with everything we have, and others as ourselves. So I really hope you will reconsider your thinking on this Psalm. We can look at Psalm 1 as a beautiful poem (which I believe we should Cindy), but let’s not miss that it is also a powerful prophecy of Christ who was to come.
I’m serious when I say I don’t delight in law. That’s just an abstraction to me. I love from my heart not my head. It’s by getting out of duality that I can love people especially my enemies. I don’t have to think about it. I intuitively know. I love people not because the law tells me so but because I want to. I’m much happier when I delight in the person and love them from a heart level. I don’t know what Paul delighted in but I delight in love. There are three things that motivate me, faith - hope - love.
I have been tagged/summoned so here’s an attempt to say something useful Cinders –
The following is a link to a very accessible essay that make many of the same points that Dave’s; article does about the Hebrew poetry of the psalms while giving some lovely examples
(AND note the detail about acrostics - interesting)
If we are talking about the qualities of the poetry of the Psalms we are talking perhaps about two different things. The qualities of English translations often rooted in the King James’ version, and the qualities of the original poetry (and these are often different)
The KJV chose not to use pre-existing English poetic forms to render the psalms because they were dedicated to giving an accurate translation and they were aware the original poetry was not rendered in patterns of metrical precision or rhymed. A sonnet is fourteen line poem on a single theme with a contrast between the argument/imagery etc of the first eight lines and the following six - so the form and structure sets its own agenda (and this is also indicated by shifts in the rhyme scheme); none of the Psalms fit this .
The iambic pentameter was the metre used by Shakespeare and Marlowe in Blank verse in their plays. The line of five metrical feet imposes a discipline upon the language which would have further complicated translation . So the King James’s translator s opted for the looser line used by Jacobean dramatists which is mess mathematical and more akin to what we would call ‘free verse’ today it has pattern and cadence without strict meter.
From what I know the translators of the KJV wanted to be true to the sentence structure of the original Hebrew and were also keen to find exact English equivalents to the Hebrew words (although the equivalents were looked for in ringing rhetorical sounding words more often than in humbler words). So their concern was to be literal in rendition at the same time as translating into an elevated style of English. They achieved these aims on the whole laudably however…
The compactness of Hebrew is a special challenge for translators because the structure of English is so radically different, and the King James translators do not appear to have paid much attention to the conciseness of the original, focused as they were on the literal meaning of the Hebrew words and not on how they sounded. This did not prevent them from achieving effects of great eloquence in rendering the poetry, but it was often not a Hebrew eloquence.
Here is an extract from an essay by Robert Alter that I think is useful here -
I also note that the Psalms were written to be sung rather than read. I’ve had a look at some versions on Youtube.
Here is a Yemini Jewish rendition of a Psalm which probably is near to the sound of the original music – which is a sort of Semitic plain chant and not dependent on clear melodic shape and progression
The alternative tradition in which the psalms are turned into songs with a simple melodic and repetitive structure underpinned by regular metre and rhyme for congregational singing is found in Calvinist worship, notably the Scottish metrical psalms (but these versions have to depart somewhat from the literal meaning). Here is a metrical psalm
Finally a note on the debate about love of the Law above. Love of the Law in the Hebrew scriptures means love of the Torah or ‘Way’. It is about loving the way of life revealed in the Torah rather than loving simply the prohibitions and legal penalties. So it is about loving the whole patterning of life according to Torah which includes the ritual law to make life beautiful as an offering to God, the patterning of time with Sabbath and liturgical festivals, the ethical teachings based in love of neighbour, the continuing debate amongst scholars and prophets about how to apply the Torah etc. And it is about loving the sense of identity that walking in the path of Torah brings. (The new Pauline scholars tend to see Paul’s perplexity about the Law in Romans in terms of his realisation that his exclusivist love of the Law turned him into the persecutor of Christians and by extension the persecutor of Christ).
I’ve never read the new Pauline scholars but that’s very interesting Dick. I’m waiting for Derek Flood’s new book to come out on the violence in the Bible. He believes that we should view the Bible the way Jesus would. He talks about how the Jews got angry with Jesus because He broke the law by healing people on the Sabbath. I don’t know all the details yet but it sounds like it’s going to be interesting. He has a blog called “The Rebel God”.
I guess those scriptures are good for some people. But for me I like the other scriptures that talk about a faith union with Christ. I love people because of them. Their person. I don’t love because I’m commanded to. I love because it’s in my heart to love. I don’t like to be forced to love someone. If you do then that’s great. Different things work for different people.
Thanks so much for your excellent post. All the links are great, particularly the first one, Becoming a Psalmist. I think I had heard (heard but forgotten) that Ps 119 was an acrostic. Generally speaking, I despise acrostics but Ps 119 is an exception. It’s one of my favorites though I have loads of favorites in the Psalms. What really caught my imagination was the suggestion to write one’s own psalm. I’ve written lots of spiritual-type poetry and songs, but to write one in the literary style of the Hebrew psalms is an intriguing idea. If I manage it, and it doesn’t turn out to be too terribly personal, and it’s any good, I’ll share it here. I don’t want to turn the topic into a collection of our personal poetry, but if anyone else would like to write a poem in the Hebrew style, we could post one personal psalm each – if anybody feels inspired.
I also especially liked the link to the Hebrew-style rendition of Psalm 8. That’s my heart music I think. The other two links were so interesting too, to hear the sorts of things we as a Christian culture have done with rendering the psalms in our own endemic cultures.
As I said in my pm to you, Dick, I loved the idea of Torah as a culture – a work of art – a lifestyle of beauty and rhythm and liturgy – as an offering and a sacrifice to our God. What an amazing picture! I NEVER saw the law of the Lord in this way. “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law does he meditate both day and night.” So here is my meditation on the community created by God alone.
That’s lovely Cindy a modern psalm from a modern psalmist rooted in ancient tradition
Regarding Torah as a beautiful way of life (patterned like a poem) I remember a Jewish thinker - I think it was Heschel - saying that although Jewish civilisation had left no great buildings of note it had left one great gift that has persevered; namely The Sabbath which is a Palace in time.
Cole, I don’t feel competent to talk in any detail about this but I remember that Christian scholars of Paul starting with Krister Stendhal argue that in Romans when Paul speaks of the law as something carnal that makes him at war with himself, he is not despising the Torah as a bad thing or, say, about being condemned by it because of his inability to have mastery over some unnamed sexual desire. Rather he is trying to understand how something good and beautiful could have lead him into violence and persecuting zeal.
I don’t know what Dave intends to do here - but it seems from his original post that he would like to clear up misunderstandings about the meaning of the Psalms which have arisen from errors in translation by translators who did not fully understand ancient Hebrew poetics. Off the top of my head I remember a comical example -
Behold your King comes to you on a colt and the offspring of a she colt
Latin and Greek poetry does not use parallelism - the technique where you say one thing and then say the same thing again slightly differently for emphasis. I have seen a couple of examples of medieval Christian art where Jesus is entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday astride not one but two donkeys owing to this misunderstanding But I know there are more substantial errors of misunderstanding - and sometime this results not so much from the poetics but from terms carrying developed Christian theological freight that were not intended in the original (like ‘Law’ (which originally means more than legal code - and ‘salvation’ which originally often means simply rescue from immediate difficulty for example).
I guess the law works for some people and we all have different views on what is beautiful and what is not. But for me I love because of the person. I don’t love my mom for instance because the law threatens bad things if I’m violent against her. That way is fear. Love casts this fear out for me. My motivation in loving her is because it brings her joy. And when she’s happy I’m happy.
Oops Cindy - I posted the wrong link for the Hebrew rendition which best approximated to the original (although I’m glad it resonated with you ). The one I posted is actually very modern and has used the first verse as the chorus (not part of the original). The link I meant to post is -
Loved the links, Dick. In reverse order. The third one was my favorite.
Hey, well – I think we’re more or less done with Psalm 1. Dave has missed out! Oh, okay – I guess he can post on it if he wants to and we’ll still talk to him. Here’s Psalm 2:
I don’t think that’s beautiful at all. It’s terrible. God’s wrath is ugly. This is why I hold to the view of atonement I do. I believe when Christ was cleansing His bride at the cross the wrath of God was removed from our vision. When the removal of this sin and this wrath happens in our lives it reveals the beauty of holy love. When this glory becomes so beautiful it draws into a holy faith union with Christ.
And what’s more, the Psalms do sound “pretty,” but why don’t they rhyme? Where’s the iambic pentameter? Why aren’t there any psonnets? (sorry) The Psalms are some of the most beautiful of all literature, and the richest. I’ve been enjoying our art threads and it occurs to me that poetry is certainly as much an art as painting. So, for the poetically inclined, I offer this thread where we can pick apart the Psalms and get all the juicy goodness we’re able to apprehend. If you have any tips about interpreting/understanding the Psalms, please feel free to share. To get started with the tutorials, here’s one that [tag]DaveB[/tag] posted to [tag]Sobornost[/tag]'s poetry analysis topic. [tag]Michael_Cole[/tag], I know you’re interested in poetry, so I wanted to make sure and invite you too. 
but Ps 119 is an exception. It’s one of my favorites though I have loads of favorites in the Psalms. What really caught my imagination was the suggestion to write one’s own psalm. I’ve written lots of spiritual-type poetry and songs, but to write one in the literary style of the Hebrew psalms is an intriguing idea. If I manage it, and it doesn’t turn out to be too terribly personal, and it’s any good, I’ll share it here. I don’t want to turn the topic into a collection of our personal poetry, but if anyone else would like to write a poem in the Hebrew style, we could post one personal psalm each – if anybody feels inspired.