Biblical Reflections

Psalm 56 is part individual lament and part a Psalm of anticipated thanksgiving.  A prayer of gratitude that God has heard the cry for help and will act.  The events behind this Psalm are the same as Psalm 34, and they are discussed in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, when the Philistines seized David in the City of Gath.   1-4 – David reviews his difficult circumstances and sets his mind to trust in God for he...

Psalm 55 is an individual lament only this time the danger comes from the betrayal of a close friend.  This likely based upon the betrayal of David by his closest friend and counselor, Ahithophel in 2 Samuel 15:12, 16:15-23.   1-3 – Here is a plea for mercy.  Danger comes from an enemy that bears a grudge against David in anger.   4-8 – David describes his desperation with words like anguish, terr...

Psalm 54 is an individual lament asking for God’s help against those who threaten the lives of the faithful.  This Psalm is based upon 1 Samuel 23:19 when the Ziphites, Hebrews, inform King Saul that David is hiding among them.     1-3 – David calls to God to save him from ruthless men who seek his life.  Although the Ziphites are covenant people of Israel, they do not set God before themselves.  ...

Psalm 53 is almost identical to Psalm 14.  They were likely alternate versions of the same Psalm before they were included in the Psalter.  The theme is to mourn that mankind does not seek after God, and they thus treat God’s people cruelly.  Psalm 14 uses the word LORD for Deity, whereas Psalm 53 uses the word God for Deity.  Psalm 53 describes in greater detail the terror that will befall the wi...

Psalm 52 is a Psalm that gives the faithful confidence that God will deliver them when they are confronted with ruthless enemies.  This Psalm is based upon the murder of the priests of Nob, who had helped David, when he was being pursued by King Saul.  The chief evil doer is a man named Doeg.  Who reports the priests of Nob to King Saul, and at King Saul’s command Doeg slaughters all but one of hi...

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Psalm 51 is one of the seven penitential Psalms, and it is probably the best known of the penitential psalms because it is David’s confession and repentance when he is confronted by the Prophet Nathan after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah the Hittite.  David appeals to God’s grace as the grounds for forgiveness.  Note that sacrifices in and of themselves...

Psalm 50 is a hymn an oracle, where the worshippers sing God’s instruction for how they should live holy lives.  Yes, the sacrificial system was given to the people as part of their covenant worship, yet sacrifice does not buy any favor or reward from God.  God wants faithfulness, thanksgiving, and obedience.  Of note there are seven different names of God in this Psalm.  This seems to be intentio...

Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm.  It explains why the pious often deal with trouble, while in contrast, the unfaithful seem to get along so well in life.  The short answer is that God will distinguish between the faithful and the unfaithful after their death.      1-4 – Here is a call to pay attention to attain wisdom and understanding, which is often used in Wisdom Literature to mean spiritual percept...

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  Psalm 48 is a hymn celebrating Zion as God’s special city, which God defends for the sake of the world. It commemorates an event where gentile nations threatened Zion, and God protected the city and the people within.  We can identify with this psalm as it is God himself who is our defense.    1-3 – The LORD is King, and he resides in Zion, Jerusalem. The reference to the holy mountain could be...

Psalm 47 is a hymn praising God for his kingship, that is his rule over all the earth.  We praise God because of God’s promises to Abraham that all peoples will be blessed though him, Genesis 12:3.      1-4 – The LORD loved Israel and gave them the covenant blessings, but this was done so that all peoples of the world might come to fear and to love the God of Israel.  The term clap your hands, all...

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Psalm 46 is a hymn praise celebrating Zion, Jerusalem, as the city, to which God has pledged himself and through which he will bless the world.    1-7 – Here is the scripture which inspired Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God .  The people of God are secure within Zion, even in times of tumult, for God is their strength and refuge.  Here the psalmist uses poetic forms, such a raging...

Psalm 45 is a hymn celebrating a royal wedding.  It is a love song.    1 – The singer addresses the king, a descendant of David, directly.   2-9 – The king is described as handsome, majestic, and just.  In verse 6 the singer addresses God, who sits above the throne of the Davidic King.  Then the singer describes the divine ideals of how the earthly king should reign, which includes righteousness a...

Psalm 44 is a community lament when the people of God have suffered a great calamity at the hands of their enemies, and they are seeking God’s help. (Elohim). Please note that the focus of the group is personal. Each member identifies with the singular “I” although the request for God’s help is a group request. This is to remind them that they have a personal obligation under the covenant, and on...

Psalms 42 and 43 go together as a song with three stanzas, and they share a refrain.  This is a lament in which the singer cries out about enemies who despise God and prevent his faithful servants from worshipping in the Sanctuary.  Here the emphasis is on the community singing praises to God as the corporate worship.  Such singing fosters a sense of yearning and expectation in the faithful as the...

Psalm 41 is lament of a man who satisfies his responsibility to the poor under the covenant and now asks for the LORD’s help and vindication in the midst of severe suffering.     1-3 – The opening section calls in faith on the LORD to honor the covenant with Israel by sustaining those who are kind to the poor.  As an example, see Proverbs 19:17 - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,...

Psalm 40 gives thanks to the LORD for past mercies and then presents a new situation that has risen in which the singer is again in need of God’s mercy.       1-10 – The singer recounts past mercies from God that he is thankful for.  The singer recounts these past mercies to those in the great congregation.  In doing so, the singer highlights the LORD’s attributes of faithfulness and steadfast lov...

Psalm 39 – In this psalm the suffering person expresses bewilderment to God for his suffering.  In many ways it is a lament on how fleeting and sad life is.       1-3 – The singer is trying to be quiet in his suffering and not to say anything disparaging about God in front of the wicked, but finally he speaks.  What follows next is worship, the only appropriate thing to say before God.   4-6 – The...

Psalm 38 is both a lament and a penitential psalm.  The singer lays his troubles before the LORD and confesses that his troubles are due to his own sins.  The Psalm describes anguish of body and of mind, dissertation by his friends, and attacks by enemies.     1-8 – The singer in anguish describes his sufferings because of his sins.  He refers to this anguish as the tumult of his heart.  His suffe...

Psalm 37 is a wisdom psalm dealing with themes presented in what we call the Wisdom Literature. In particular, Psalm 37 addresses the problem caused when godless people prosper. It contrast, it is better to stay faithful to God, which is expressed in contentment, honest dealing, generosity, and just speech. The LORD will make a distinction between the wicked and faithful in his own time. The faith...

Psalm 36 is a lament regarding the wicked who oppose the faithful and the steadfast love of the LORD.  It concludes with a prayer that God in his steadfast love will protect his people from the attacks of the wicked.   1-4 – The singer begins by stating that the wicked act without fear of God.  Who are the wicked?  The wicked are those who do not reject evil but who are given over to committing su...

Psalm 35 shows the faithful how to pray when they know malicious people are seeking to harm them.  The singer asks God to fight on his behalf against the schemes of his persecutors.     1-3 – Images of combat are used to cry for help against those who pursue the singer.    4-8 – Petition that the schemes of the wicked will fail.  This petition is based upon the faithfulness of the singer; the evil...

Psalm 34 is a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s protection against Abimelech; it is also a wisdom hymn because the wise are those who live out their lives trusting in God. This Psalm is written in an imperfect acrostic style. 1-3 – The singer invites the humble to bless the LORD at all times. The idea behind the word bless is to speak a good word about someone. When a person blesses God, he speaks a...