Footnote
for “When I Pray the Book of Psalms”
Page
123 in On Giving My Word
“When I Pray The Book of Psalms” was included in First
Thursday of February 2024, and came with the promise that the references it
makes the Book of Psalms would be published on this blog site, for the curious. The term Hassidim come from Psalm 149:5
where the word occurs. Hassidim a common term in the Hebrew Testament that
identifies a pious person. It is
translated as “saints” KJ, or “Faithful Ones” RSV. The Wisdom Editor identifies the
person or persons who published the Psalms in the form that we currently have
them. They introduced the book with Psalm
1 and closed with Psalm 150. Psalm from
their school were added throughout the book and make up roughly a quarter to
the psalms. Their signature work is Psalm
119 which is an elaborate acrostic, literally a book within a book. The Performer indicated a number of individuals,
minstrel, who actually performed the works in the setting of the Temple or the
Court. Psalm 2 is a good example where the voice of
the performer is essential to understand it original sense. Often the grammar of Psalm is sketchy, and it
reminds one that the text was an oral event and passed on as an oral event. For these performers the text was a prompt as
opposed to something to be read. Some actually announce their presence as in
Psalm 45. Suffering Servant
identifies himself the author in Psalm 22.
It is the well-known lament quote by Jesus from the cross. The Levite refers to one of the Levite
ministers of the Temple who assisted the more restrict group of priests. One the major Levite clans identified themselves
as “sons of Korah.” There is a large
block of psalm that are attributed to them, beginning with Psalm 42. Psalm 42 was probably once the opening psalm
of a Levite collection. That collection
was expanded at some point with psalms attribute “sons of Asaph.” The first of these is Psalm 73. The Shepherd King is, of course, King
David to whom a number psalm are attributed and in more generalize sense of
authorship the whole Book of Psalm. Psalm 18:34-35 is an example of where David presence
is particularly clear. The Dethroned
King is probably King Jehoiachin who was exiled by the Babylonians. His
lament is found in Psalm 89:38-51. The
Children refers to the exiled Israelite who are the author of Psalm 137. These are start of those individuals of faith
that one will meet when you pray the Book of Psalms.
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