The Unique Features of Psalm 145

A Praise of David1. I will exalt you, My God the king, And I will praise your name to forever and perpetuity.2. Every day I will bless you, And I will praise your name to forever and perpetuity,3. Great (is) Yahweh and much praised, And his greatness is not searchable.4. Generation to generation will laud…

Psalm 138: Confessing the Lord’s Name before Kings

This psalm has three clearly marked stanzas. In the first three verses (8 lines) David speaks in the first person singular. In vv. 4–6 (7 lines) he speaks in the third person, about the kings of the earth. In the last two verses (7-8, 7 lines) he speaks again in the first person singular. The…

Structure of Psalm 140

Psalm 140 is a prayer of David against a violent man who was attacking him especially with his tongue. The phrase "man of violence(s)" occurs three times, in verses 3, 4 and 11. The word "tongue" occurs in verses 3 and 11. While David was in great trouble, he was not greatly shaken by it.…

The Structure of Psalm 86

When you hear someone begin to talk again about a chiasm in some Biblical passage, you may be inclined to groan and ask why commentators and Bible teachers are always looking for these things. What good are they, and why must I be constantly afflicted with them? There are two things that we should remember.…

Psalm 112: A Companion to Psalm 111

The content of Psalm 112 is very different from Psalm 111. Psalm 111 praises the Lord for his great works and sure precepts; Psalm 112 blesses the righteous man. Nevertheless, there are three important considerations that demonstrate their close relationship. 1) They are both acrostic according to line rather than verse. Each has twenty-two lines…

Psalm 111: A Chiasm and an Acrostic

Psalm 111 is another carefully constructed song.  It is an acrostic, but its acrostic structure is a little different from other acrostic psalms. Those usually have twenty-two verses of two (sometimes more) lines each, and each verse begins with the Hebrew letter next in order. But this psalm has twenty-two lines, each of which begins…

Psalm 150: Universal Praise

Hallelujah! Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds. Praise him according to the abundance of his greatness. Praise him with the blast of the trumpet. Praise him with the lute and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance. Praise him with strings…