Questions tagged [psalms]

The book of Psalms, also known as "the Psalter", a collection of many poems and hymns from ancient Israel and Judah.

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In Psalm 22:21 is the Bible speaking of "unicorns"?

I was reading Psalm 22 (from this question) and I found this verse: Psalms 22:21 (KJV) Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. When I switched ...
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Pre-Christian, Jewish interpretation of Psalm 22

How was Psalm 22 understood by Jewish tradition before the birth of Jesus? Was it interpreted messianically? What pre-Christian sources discuss Psalm 22?
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Who are the "gods" in "You are gods" in John 10:30-36?

In John 10:30-36 (NASB), Jesus responds to an accusation of blasphemy by quoting the Old Testament: 30I and the Father are one.” 31The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus ...
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Translation of "Selah" (סֶלָה‎)

What is the current scholarly opinion on the possible translations for "Selah" (סֶלָה‎) as used in the Psalms?
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Why are the Psalms broken into five books?

The Psalms in most English Bibles are divided into five sections or books: 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, and 107-150 Psalms 41, 72, and 89 end with the double amen, while 106 and 150 end with "Praise ...
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How should Psalm 22:16 read?

Psalm 22:16 seems textually quite difficult. The NET for example reads: Yes, wild dogs surround me – a gang of evil men crowd around me; like a lion they pin my hands and feet. Yet, they note that ...
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To what extent is Psalm 51:4 poetic exaggeration?

The context of Psalm 51 is clear: To the choirmaster. A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. These events are described in 2nd Samuel 11–12....
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In Psalm 2:12 why is the Aramaic word for "son" בַר ("bar") used?

Psalm 2:12a is traditionally translated: נַשְּׁקוּ־בַר kiss [the] son This reflects an understanding of בַר (bar) as the Aramaic word for son. A few other options: NRSV: kiss his feet NET: ...
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The religious identity of those who translated Psalms 24:1 into the LXX

Some time ago, while writing a research paper, I was reading the LXX of Psa. 24:1. The Hebrew text states, א לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר ליהוה הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ which may be translated ...
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Are the Psalms superscripts misplaced?

I recently ran across a theory that a portion of the superscripts of many psalms was intended as a postscript to the prior psalm. In that arrangement, לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ (lamnaṣṣēaḥ; to the choirmaster) + ...
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Is there a reason Psalm 136 has exactly 26 repetitions of "For His mercy endures forever"?

Psalm 136 comprises 26 verses, each ending with For His mercy endures forever. (NKJV) Our pastor stated this morning that 26 was a special number in this regard, but didn't clarify this. Now 26 is ...
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How can Ephesians 4:8 be a quote/translation of Psalms 68:18?

In Psalms we have: You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. (Psalms 68:18, ...
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What does "The LORD said to my Lord" mean in Psalm 110?

This phrase has perplexed me a little bit. It's a psalm that was quoted by both Jesus (Matt 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42) and Peter (Acts 2:34). Psalm 110:1 ESV The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at ...
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Psalm 29:9 > Do the deer give birth or do the large trees bend?

Psalm 29:9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” (ESV) The LORD's shout bends the large trees and strips the leaves from the ...
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Are the five books of Psalms somehow related to the Pentateuch?

On another question, Mike Bull suggests that there is a link between the five fold structure of the Psalms and that of Torah. I know he is not the only one to have suggested this before, but I'm ...
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Comparison of English word "fool" in original Hebrew and Greek

Question is based on this comment on Christiantity SE. In the OT, the word fool is apparently used to describe atheists: The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1. ...
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Does the Bible describe the "earth" as flat? [closed]

I have found so much gossip on the Net and no Biblical verses that clearly support the 'flat earth' notion. I know Job spoke of the 'circle of the Earth' and other very interesting aspects of the ...
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Is David's name at the beginning of the Psalms intended as an attribution of authorship?

Many† of the Psalms begin with some variation of: מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד LXX: Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ ESV: A psalm of David However, as mentioned in Part (2) of this answer about Psalm 72:20, the ...
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Why is there an "extra" verse at the end of Psalms 25 and 34?

As far as I can tell, all of the acrostic Psalms (9-10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145) end appropriately after taw, although many of them are missing various letters.* Psalms 25 and 34 both have an "...
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How is the Septuagint interpretation of Psalms 40:6 reconciled with the Hebrew text?

The ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalms 40:6 are quite different. The Hebrew version says 'my ears you have opened' whilst the Greek LXX has 'a body you restored to me'. Furthermore in Hebrews ...
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Why are Hebrew verbs in the "perfect" form so often translated as present tense in modern translations?

Why are Hebrew verbs in the "perfect" form so often translated as present tense in modern translations? For example in Psalm 119:47 : וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֹתֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי׃ Most ...
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What is Paul's advice on anger?

Paul writes: Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.—Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) The first issue I see is that the first clause ...
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Temple in Psalm 138

The first verse of Psalm 138 is clearly stating David as author of the Psalm. In verse 2 it says: I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your ...
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What is the intended image of "pierced my hands and feet" in Psalm 22:16?

I sometimes struggle to understand how some of the NT authors describe OT passages as messianic prophecies. One of these is from the 22nd Psalm. Psalm 22:16 NASB (emphasis added) For dogs have ...
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What is the meaning of "rod and staff" (Psalm 23)?

I am under the impression that the "rod and staff" are actually one physical item. That is, that on one end was a kind of hook (staff) that was used to aid one's duty as a Shepard and on the other end ...
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What is meant by "inherit the earth"?

What is meant by "[X] shall inherit the earth"? This phrase is found countless times in the scripture (cf. Psalm 37:11, Matthew 5:5), but should this be interpreted as a physical possession of land? ...
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What is Jesus' argument in John 10:34-36?

I'm not a Biblical scholar. This question is prompted by listening to Michael Heiser, and I currently feel persuaded by his argument that the elohim in Psalm 82 are spiritual beings rather than ...
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Was nûn deleted from Psalm 145 in the Masoretic Text?

Psalm 145 is an acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet, except that in most of the MT manuscripts verse 13b is missing along with therefore the letter nûn. The ESV renders it like this: Your kingdom is an ...
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David's righteousness in the Psalms

In the Psalms, there are several places where David portrays himself as righteous and blameless. For example, Psalm 26: 1Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have ...
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Why does Psalm 103:8 use the dual form of אַפַּ֣יִם (anger)?

In Psalm 103:8 we read: אֶ֖רֶךְ אַפַּ֣יִם וְרַב־חָֽסֶד Why is אַפַּ֣יִם (anger) in its dual form?
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(Psalm 139:18) Feminine God?

Psalm 139:17-18 (KJV), "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with ...
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What does "The psalms of David are ended" refer to?

Psalm 72 ends with the words: The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. Yet after this a number of Psalms, especially many of the Psalms of Ascent are attributed to David (I think eighteen ...
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What is the usage in Psalm 23 of "through" the valley of the shadow of death?

I heard a preacher talk about Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ...
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In Psalm 12:6-7 who or what will God preserve from that generation?

I'm doing a personal Bible study on the KJV Only doctrine. KJVO advocates point to Psalm 12:6-7 as evidence for the inerrancy of the KJV (or the source manuscripts used by them). The words of the ...
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How is Psalm 34 linked to 1st Samuel 21?

The annotation of Psalm 34 (ESV) reads: Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. Clearly this is a reference to 1 Samuel 21:10-15 (ESV): ...
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Blessed is the man who WALKS NOT or HAS NOT WALKED?

I noticed in studying the Psalms that Psalm 1 in the old Coverdale text reads, "Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat ...
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Why does God refer to David as his Firstborn? Psalm 89:27

Psalm 89:20 ,27 NASB 20 “I have found David My servant;With My holy oil I have anointed him,27 “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. David was not a firstborn ...
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Why did the captive Jews refuse to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?

As I focus on Psalm 137:4; the part of the psalm which relates to where the Jews declined to singing the Lord’s song in their land of captivity; I am still pondering over why those captive Jews said: ...
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Is there an allusion to Psalm 22 in John 19:30, ‘It is finished’?

The allusions to Psalm 22 in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion are well-known and have been discussed on BH.SE on several occasions. I recently ran across the claim (e.g. in a blog and a JETS ...
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What is the judgment in Psalm 1?

The ending of Psalm 1 provides great hope for those who delight in the instruction of the Lord: Not so the wicked; rather, they are like chaff that wind blows away. Therefore the wicked ...
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Does Jesus misquote Psalm 8:2?

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him,...
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Psalm 34:20 applied to Jesus' crucifixion

When we read about the crucifixion in John 19:31-37, it is written that Jesus' legs were not broken to speed up his death. The author claims this fulfilled Psalms 34:20, which reads: he protects ...
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Psalm 14 or Psalm 53 - Which came first?

Psalm 14 and 53 are nearly identical. Thrice Psalm 14 uses "LORD" (the Tetragrammaton) where 53 uses "God". 53 adds "according to the machalath style; a well-written song"...
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Where did that camel come from?

Psalm 13, verse 6, second hemistich, reads: אָשִירָה לַיהוָה, כִּי גָמַל עָלָי Which is to say, "I will sing to G-d, because there is a camel upon me." Can anyone offer a hermeneutic ...
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Who are the "מְבַשְּׂר֗וֹת" in Psalm 68:11?

Who are the "מְבַשְּׂר֗וֹת" in Psalm 68:11 ? I know that the word usually means the bearer of (good) tidings, but why is it in its feminine form ? (some translations translate it as women, ESV "the ...
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What does it mean to cast a shoe?

What is the cultural context of casting a shoe? Psalm 60:8: Moab is My washpot; Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”
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Psalm 60:4 difference between different translations

Why are ESV and NKJV on the second part of Psalm 60:4 very different? Which one is correct? Ps 60:4, ESV: You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from ...
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Divine council and the Bible

Recently saw this video from The Bible Project with title "The Divine Council". This comes from the Psalms 82:1, ESV, which states God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the ...
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Peter's Psalm quotations in Acts 1:20

In Acts 1:20, Peter quotes Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8: 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let ...
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Does Psalm 72:13 mean "lives" or "souls?"

Young's Literal Translation and KJV say in Psalm 72:13 that Solomon will save the "souls" of the needy. Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, NIV say Solomon will "save the needy from death." ...
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