Bible Study: The Psalms (Study Guide)

St. David the King Young Adult Bible Study (Ages 20s - 30s)

Study Topic: The Book of Psalms

Facilitator: Jeff Pinyan

1 New Village Road, Princeton Junction, NJ

Study Sessions start on February 20 and run through May 7

We meet Wednesday nights from 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Remember to bring this Study Guide and a Bible to each session!

(Download this Study Guide as a 6 page, 71 K Word Document)

Preparation for February 20: read Psalm 1 and one other Psalm of your choice

• On Sacred Scripture, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) nos. 101-141
• Be especially attentive "to the content and unity of the whole Scripture". Different as the books which compose it may be, Scripture is a unity by reason of the unity of God's plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open since his Passover. The phrase "heart of Christ" can refer to Sacred Scripture, which makes known his heart, closed before the Passion, as the Scripture was obscure. But the Scripture has been opened since the Passion; since those who from then on have understood it, consider and discern in what way the prophecies must be interpreted. (CCC 112)
• Read CCC 101-141 online at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c2a3.htm
• Introduction to the Psalter from the Revised Standard Version, 2^nd Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE)
• The Psalter consists of 150 psalms or sacred hymns. In it we find poetical compositions of different kinds – hymns of praise, prayers for specific liturgical occasions, lamentations both of the individual and the nation, among others. There are psalms that express the deepest emotions of the human heart. They were used in, and many of them composed for, the temple worship. Some of them date back to King David, others were written shortly after the Exile. Their composition thus covers a long period. They were gradually brought together in small collections finally edited in one large collection arranged in five books. This became the hymnbook of the Second Temple. The Christian Church took over the Psalter and used it following the example of Jesus himself. The Psalms have always been used extensively in the liturgy and in the daily office of the priest. In the early Church lay people became familiar with them, as St. Jerome tells us.
• Introduction (http://www.crivoice.org/psalmsintro.html)
• Types of Psalms (http://www.crivoice.org/psalmgenre.html)
• Lament
• Invocation (addressing God)
• Complaint
• Affirmation of trust
• Petition
• Acknowledgement of response
• Doxology (“words of glory”, short closing hymn of praise; eg. “Through him, with him…” and “Glory be…”)
• Thanksgiving (Todah)
• Summary of testimony
• Narration of experience
• Acknowledgement of God’s aid
• (The sequence of lament-todah is not “Please do this – Thank you” but rather petition-praise)
• Hymnic
• Call to praise
• Reason for praise
• Renewed call to praise (balances beginning)
• Psalm Classifications (http://www.cresourcei.org/psalmtypes.html)
• Lament
• Community: 12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129
• Individual: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 & 10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 36, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42 & 43, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89, 120, 139, 141, 142
• Penitential: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143
• Imprecatory: 35, 69, 83, 88, 109, 137, 140
• Thanksgiving
• Community: 65, 67, 75, 107, 124, 136
• Individual: 18, 21, 30, 32, 34, 40:1-11, 66:13-20, 92, 108, 116, 118, 138
• Salvation History: 8, 105 & 106, 135, 136
• Songs of Trust: 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131
• Hymnic: 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 67, 95, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
• Liturgical
• Covenant: 50, 78, 81, 89, 132
• Royal: 2, 18, 20, 21, 29, 45, 47, 72, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 101, 110, 144
• Songs of Zion: 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122
• Temple: 15, 24, 68, 82, 115, 134
• Wisdom: 1, 36, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133
• Torah: 1, 19:7-14, 119
• What is todah? (http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0124.html)
• An old Rabbinic teaching says: "In the coming Messianic age all sacrifices will cease, but the thank-offering [todah] will never cease." A todah sacrifice would be offered by someone whose life had been delivered from great peril, such as disease or the sword. The redeemed person would show his gratitude to God by gathering his closest friends and family for a todah sacrificial meal. The lamb would be sacrificed in the Temple and the bread for the meal would be consecrated the moment the lamb was sacrificed. The bread and meat, along with wine, would constitute the elements of the sacred todah meal, which would be accompanied by prayers and songs of thanksgiving, such as Psalm 116. The word is Hebrew for "thanksgiving" although it also connotes a confession of praise in addition to gratitude. For example, Leah gave thanks to God when she bore her fourth son, and so she named him yehudah – or Judah – which is the verbal form of todah – to give thanks (cf. Gen 29:32-35).
• Psalm settings
• mizmor
• This denotes that the psalm is set to a stringed instrument. This term is translated simply as “psalm”.
• shir
• This is generally translated as a “song” or “canticle”. The psalms denoted as “Song of Ascents” are shir psalms; these are generally sacred songs.
• maskil
• This is a “contemplative poem”, a meditation.
• tephillah
• This is a “prayer of praise”. There are five: 17, 86, 90, 102, 143.
• tehillah
• Psalm 145 is the only psalm called a tehillah, “A Song of Praise”.
• miktam
• Perhaps it comes from ketem (a stain), but a good stain: the psalm is an everlasting mark on the author’s heart. It could also come from miktab which means “writing”. Another interpretation is that it means “golden”: a miktam is a “golden psalm”. There are six psalms called miktams: 16 (which is a thanksgiving psalm) and 56-60 (which are laments).
• shiggaion
• Psalm 8 is the only psalm called a shiggaion. The term’s root means “to wander”, so it is thought that this psalm had “a wild dithyrambic ode with a reeling, wandering rhythm”. A dithyramb is a “frenzied, impassioned choric hymn”.
• Book I
• 1 – Wisdom / Torah – The Two Ways
• 2 – Liturgical: Royal – God’s Promise to His Anointed
• 3 – Lament: Individual – Trust in God under Adversity
• 4 – Lament: Individual – Confident Plea for Deliverance from Enemies
• 5 – Lament: Individual – Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies
• 6 – Lament: Penitential – Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness
• 7 – Lament: Individual – Plea for Help against Persecution
• 8 – Thanksgiving: Salvation / Hymnic – Divine Majesty and Human Dignity
• 9 [9a][1]– Lament: Individual – God’s Power and Justice
• 10 [9b] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 11 [10] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Song of Trust in God
• 12 [11] – Lament: Community – Plea for Help in Evil Times
• 13 [12] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 14 [13] – Lament: Individual – Denunciation of Godlessness
• 15 [14] – Liturgical: Temple – Who Shall Abide in God’s Sanctuary?
• 16 [15] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Song of Trust and Security in God
• 17 [16] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
• 18 [17] – Liturgical: Royal – Royal Thanksgiving for Victory
• 19 [18] – Hymnic / Torah – God’s Glory in Creation and the Law
• 20 [19] – Liturgical: Royal – Prayer for Victory
• 21 [20] – Thanksgiving: Individual / Liturgical: Royal – Thanksgiving for Victory
• 22 [21] – Lament: Individual – Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility
• 23 [22] – Thanksgiving: Trust – The Divine Shepherd
• 24 [23] – Liturgical: Temple – Entrance into the Temple
• 25 [24] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance
• 26 [25] – Lament: Individual – Plea for Justice; and Declaration of Righteousness
• 27 [26] – Lament: Individual / Thanksgiving: Trust – Triumphant Song of Confidence
• 28 [27] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Help; and Thanksgiving for It
• 29 [28] – Liturgical: Royal – The Voice of God in a Great Storm
• 30 [29] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness
• 31 [30] – Lament: Individual – Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
• 32 [31] – Lament: Penitential / Thanksgiving: Individual – The Joy of Forgiveness
• 33 [32] – Hymnic – The Greatness and Goodness of God
• 34 [33] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Praise for Deliverance from Trouble
• 35 [34] – Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 36 [35] – Lament: Individual / Wisdom – Human Wickedness and Divine Goodness
• 37 [36] – Wisdom – Exhortation to Patience and Trust
• 38 [37] – Lament: Penitential – A Penitent Sufferer’s Plea for Healing
• 39 [38] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
• 40 [39] – Lament: Individual / Thanksgiving: Individual – Thanksgiving for Deliverance; and Prayer for Help
• 41 [40] – Lament: Individual – Assurance of God’s Help; and a Plea for Healing
• Book II
• 42 [41] – Lament: Individual – Longing for God and His Help in Distress
• 43 [42] – Lament: Individual – Prayer to God in Time of Trouble
• 44 [43] – Lament: Community – National Lament and Prayer for Help
• 45 [44] – Liturgical: Royal – Ode for a Royal Wedding
• 46 [45] – Liturgical: Zion – God’s Defense of His City and People
• 47 [46] – Liturgical: Royal – God’s Rule over the Nations
• 48 [47] – Liturgical: Zion – The Glory and Strength of Zion
• 49 [48] – Wisdom – The Folly of Trust in Riches
• 50 [49] – Liturgical: Covenant – The Acceptable Sacrifice
• 51 [50] – Lament: Penitential – Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
• 52 [51] – Lament: Individual – Judgment on the Deceitful
• 53 [52] – Lament: Individual – Denunciation of Godlessness
• 54 [53] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Vindication
• 55 [54] – Lament: Individual – Complaint about a Friend’s Treachery
• 56 [55] – Lament: Individual – Trust in God under Persecution
• 57 [56] – Lament: Individual – Praise and Assurance under Persecution
• 58 [57] – Lament: Community – Prayer for Vengeance
• 59 [58] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 60 [59] – Lament: Community – Prayer for National Victory after Defeat
• 61 [60] – Lament: Individual – Assurance of God’s Protection
• 62 [61] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Song of Trust in God Alone
• 63 [62] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence
• 64 [63] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Protection from Enemies
• 65 [64] – Thanksgiving: Community – Thanksgiving for Earth’s Bounty
• 66 [65] – Thanksgiving: Individual / Hymnic – Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
• 67 [66] – Thanksgiving: Community / Hymnic – The Nations Called to Praise God
• 68 [67] – Liturgical: Temple – Praise and Thanksgiving
• 69 [68] – Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution
• 70 [69] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 71 [70] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
• 72 [71] – Liturgical: Royal – Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
• Book III
• 73 [72] – Wisdom – Plea for Relief from Oppressors
• 74 [73] – Lament: Community – Plea for Help in Time of National Humiliation
• 75 [74] – Thanksgiving: Community – Thanksgiving for God’s Wondrous Deeds
• 76 [75] – Liturgical: Songs of Zion – Israel’s God – Judge of All the Earth
• 77 [76] – Lament: Individual – God’s Mighty Deeds Recalled
• 78 [77] – Liturgical: Covenant – God’s Goodness and Israel’s Ingratitude
• 79 [78] – Lament: Community – Plea for Mercy for Jerusalem
• 80 [79] – Lament: Community – Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
• 81 [80] – Liturgical: Covenant – God’s Appeal to Stubborn Israel
• 82 [81] – Liturgical: Temple – A Plea for Justice
• 83 [82] – Lament: Community / Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Judgment on Israel’s Foes
• 84 [83] – Liturgical: Zion – The Joy of Worship in the Temple
• 85 [84] – Lament: Community – Prayer for the Restoration of God’s Favor
• 86 [85] – Lament: Individual – Supplication for Help against Enemies
• 87 [86] – Liturgical: Zion – The Joy of Living in Zion
• 88 [87] – Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Help in Despondency
• 89 [88] – Lament: Community / Lament: Individual / Liturgical: Covenant – God’s Covenant with David
• Book IV
• 90 [89] – Lament: Community – God’s Eternity and Human Frailty
• 91 [90] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Assurance of God’s Protection
• 92 [91] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Thanksgiving for Vindication
• 93 [92] – Liturgical: Royal – The Majesty of God’s Rule
• 94 [93] – Lament: Community – God the Avenger of the Righteous
• 95 [94] – Hymnic / Liturgical: Royal – A Call to Worship and Obedience
• 96 [95] – Liturgical: Royal – Praise to God Who Comes in Judgment
• 97 [96] – Liturgical: Royal – The Glory of God’s Reign
• 98 [97] – Liturgical: Royal – Praise the Judge of the World
• 99 [98] – Liturgical: Royal – Praise to God for His Holiness
• 100 [99] – Hymnic – All Lands Summoned to Praise God
• 101 [100] – Liturgical: Royal – A Sovereign’s Pledge of Integrity and Justice
• 102 [101] – Lament: Penitential – Prayer to the Eternal King for Help
• 103 [102] – Hymnic – Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
• 104 [103] – Hymnic – God the Creator and Provider
• 105 [104] – Thanksgiving: Salvation – God’s Faithfulness to Israel
• 106 [105] – Thanksgiving: Salvation – A Confession of Israel’s Sins
• Book V
• 107 [106] – Thanksgiving: Community – Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
• 108 [107] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Praise and Prayer for Victory
• 109 [108] – Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Vindication and Vengeance
• 110 [109] – Liturgical: Royal – Assurance of Victory for God’s Priest-King
• 111 [110] – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Wonderful Works
• 112 [111] – Wisdom – Blessings of the Righteous
• 113 [112] – Hymnic – God the Helper of the Needy
• 114 [113a] – Hymnic – God’s Wonders at the Exodus
• 115 [113b] – Liturgical: Temple – The Impotence of Idols and the Greatness of God
• 116 [114 & 115] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness
• 117 [116] – Hymnic – Universal Call to Worship
• 118 [117] – Thanksgiving: Individual – A Song of Victory
• 119 [118] – Torah – The Glories of God’s Law
• 120 [119] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Slanderers
• 121 [120] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Assurance of God’s Protection
• 122 [121] – Liturgical: Zion – Song of Praise; and a Prayer for Jerusalem
• 123 [122] – Lament: Community – Supplication for Mercy
• 124 [123] – Thanksgiving: Community – Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
• 125 [124] – Thanksgiving: Trust – The Security of God’s People
• 126 [125] – Lament: Community – A Harvest of Joy
• 127 [126] – Wisdom – God’s Blessings in the Home
• 128 [127] – Wisdom – The Happy Home of the Faithful
• 129 [128] – Lament: Community – Prayer for the Downfall of Israel’s Enemies
• 130 [129] – Lament: Penitential – Waiting for Divine Redemption
• 131 [130] – Thanksgiving: Trust – Song of Quiet Trust
• 132 [131] – Liturgical: Covenant – The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
• 133 [132] – Wisdom – The Blessedness of Unity
• 134 [133] – Liturgical: Temple – Praise in the Night
• 135 [134] – Thanksgiving: Salvation – Praise for God’s Goodness and Might
• 136 [135] – Thanksgiving: Community / Thanksgiving: Salvation – God’s Work in Creation and in History
• 137 [136] – Lament: Imprecatory – Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
• 138 [137] – Thanksgiving: Individual – Thanksgiving and Praise
• 139 [138] – Lament: Individual – The Inescapable God
• 140 [139] – Lament: Imprecatory – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 141 [140] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Preservation from Evil
• 142 [141] – Lament: Individual – Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
• 143 [142] – Lament: Penitential – Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
• 144 [143] – Liturgical: Royal – Prayer for National Deliverance and Security
• 145 [144] – Hymnic – The Greatness and the Goodness of God
• 146 [145] – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Help
• 147 [146 & 147] – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Care for Jerusalem
• 148 – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Universal Glory
• 149 – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
• 150 – Hymnic – Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness

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[1] The psalm numbers in [brackets] are those according to the Greek Septuagint translation (LXX), as followed in the Clementine Vulgate (but not the Nova Vulgata) and the Douay-Rheims translations.