Psalms: A Book with a Purpose
Have
you ever wondered if the Psalms have any organizing principal or meaning? If they did what do you think it would
be? Selah. For an upcoming seminar on Psalms, I read Gerald Wilson’s The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter. This is a great book that I hope none
of you read. Let me warn you, this
book is a dissertation and as a friend said, “It reads like a
dissertation.” To spare you I have
decided to present a few of the highlights from Wilson’s work that I think
everyone should consider about the Psalms.

1.
There is good evidence to see Psalm 1 as an introduction to the entire
Psalter. Wilson, as well as others,
also believe Psalm 2 to be an extension of this introduction, giving specifics
to Psalm 1’s generalities. Wilson
argues that the purpose of the introductory psalm is to help the reader not be
concerned with the cultic history and usage of each psalm but rather to prepare
the reader to personally consider what the Psalms are saying.
2.
There is good evidence to believe that the concluding praise Psalms close out
the Psalter as a conclusion.
3.
Psalms are grouped by genre, authorship, function, divine names, and theme. Yet
all of these groupings seem to be secondary to an overall organizing
purpose. Something cool that
Wilson points out is the use of Hallelujah
/ Give Thanks elements and other differing elements in the psalms that help
to signal the closing and opening of books as well as psalm grouping sections
(such as the transition between Psalm 106 and Psalm 107.
4.
Psalms within the Psalter that have no superscription (Did you know the
superscriptions are part of the original Hebrew?) were left that way
intentionally by the editor to preserve variant manuscript traditions that may
have the superscription-less psalms connected to a preceding or following
Psalm. Psalm 90 and 91 are a good
example of this.
Finally,
Wilson takes all his research and quickly walks through a possible organizing
plan and purpose for the book of Psalms. What does Wilson think the message of
the Psalms is? Here it is:
Psalm 1 – Introduction, inviting all to meditate on
the book.
Books 1 & 2 – These psalms are meant to
celebrate God’s covenant faithfulness.
Book
3 – These Psalms explore the seeming failure of the Davidic covenant.
Book
4 – These Psalms give an answer to the questions raised in book three.
Book
5 – These Psalms urge the reader to trust God because of his many
Works, similar to the way
David did.
If
I had to summarize Wilson’s organization in my own words, he is saying that the
Psalms are organized in a way that help us identify with the experiences of
David and highlight God’s covenant faithfulness to David in the face of his and
Israel’s sinfulness. The Psalms
urge us to repent, remember God’s work, and place our trust in Him despite our
current situation. The Psalms
remind us that God is trustworthy.
David becomes a primary example of what it looks like for a believer to trust
God in the midst of life. The
Psalms are focused on God, His work, and how we should respond.
What
do you think the organizing principal of the Psalms is?
Here
is a full bibliography of Wilson’s work:
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