Literary analysis of Psalm 20

The structure of Song 20 has a precise symmetry: the 10 verses divide into two equal parts; the name Adonai is repeated 5 times. In contrast, the content is a labyrinth, puzzles within puzzles. The first puzzle presents itself immediately: verse 1 identifies the composer of the song as David. But what is not made …

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Literary analysis of Psalm 19 – Creation, revelation and redemption

 Click here to read “Psalm Six – Translation of the Song” Three ideas inspire the praisesong: the essence of creation; the revelation of God’s teachings; the promise of redemption. These are the same three themes that make up the daily prayer service (whether the division into these three specific parts is based on Song 19 is not known). The …

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Literary analysis of Psalm 18 – Covenant of the dynasty of David’s house

Three distinct elements inspire Song 18: David’s feelings of gratitude (afterall, it is a Praisesong); imagery so startling that it seems the stuff of dreams; and, finally, David’s desire to establish his dynasty .  The first verse gives the context of the song’s composition: King David is celebrating his having been saved “from the grip of …

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Literary analysis of Psalm 17

Distinct differences in tone, mood and theme, divide Song 17 into 3 parts: verses 1 to 8, 9 to 14, and the final verse, 15.Each of the first 8 verses centres upon imagery of the body: v. 1, ear and lips                              …

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Literary analysis of Psalm 16

   Click here to read the Translation of Psalm Sixteen Opening with three problematic verses, Psalm 16 is, nevertheless, stately, hopeful   and sure of God’s beneficence. The song centres about the image of a boundary in   verse 6: “Legacies have fallen to me, pleasant [ones].” Both Hebrew and English infer   an allotment, …

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Literary Analysis of Psalm 15 – Standing as tall as humans

Click here to read “Psalm Fifteen – Translation of the Song” The form or structure of Song 15 matches its content or theme: the standards of moral conduct are set forth in 5 verses; each verse divides into 2 or 3 phrases, but for the closing verse, which consists of 3 phrases followed by a single declaration. The numbers 5,3,2 and …

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Literary Analysis of Psalm 14

Click here to read “Psalm Fourteen– Translation of the Song” A bleak vision. The opening, more of a dirge than a praisesong. The singer sees a spiritual desert where “there is no doer of good” (v. 1). Worse yet, God “from the heavens observed the sons of man to see, is there someone wise, a …

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Literary Analysis of Psalm 13

 Click here to read “Psalm Thirteen– Translation of the Song” The singer’s anguish in Song 13 is so acute that the four repetitions of “how long” in verses 2 and 3 sound a scream rather than a lament. The source of the singer’s grief is the seeming absence of God — “How long, ADONAI, will …

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Literary Analysis of Psalm 12

Click here to read “Psalm Twelve– Translation of the Song” The structure of Psalm 12 mirrors its content exactly; their reflection, each of the other, parallel. The song consists of 9 lines, with verses 3, 6 and 9 explicitly exemplifying the intricate, intimate connection between form and idea; the numbers themselves indicating both a duality …

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Literary Analysis of Psalm 11- Against the arrows of evil speech, David refuge is on G-d

    Click here to read “Psalm Six – Translation of the Song”     Song 11 presents unsolvable puzzles to its interpreters. It begins by adding a stanza to the usual identification of its composer, in itself a divergency from the previous Songs 3 to 10. Moreover, the stanza refers to someone unseen and …

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