Psalm 107: Celebration of the Return from Exile in Babylon

May 14, 2024Posted inPsalms Commentary
Psalm 107 celebrates the Lord’s lovingkindness and wonders towards the sons of man. It has six stanzas. Introduction, verses 1–3 The Lord’s Care in the Wilderness, verses 4–9 The Lord’s Breaking of Chains, verses 10–16 The Lord’s Deliverance from Destruction, verses 17–22 The Lord’s Calming of a Storm, verses 23–32 Conclusion, verses 33–43 One of…

Psalm 90: A Ladder of Prayer

May 1, 2024Posted inPsalms Commentary
Psalm 90 is the only song of Moses in the psalter, but other Scriptures give us two others that belong to him. The first is in Exodus 15, and it is a celebration of the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. The second is in Deuteronomy 32, and it is a song to testify…

Structure of Psalm 140

March 25, 2024Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
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

March 4, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
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

February 26, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
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

February 19, 2024Posted inChiasms, Psalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
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

February 7, 2024Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
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…

Enemies in Psalm 119

August 31, 2023Posted inPsalms Commentary
Though Psalm 119 is a song of love for the law, the Lord’s servant (as he calls himself) did not write it in the isolation and calm of his study. One of the prominent themes in the psalm is the presence of enemies who seek to turn him aside from the law and hinder him…