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…

Enemies in Psalm 119

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…

Psalm 119: A Very Personal Prayer

We think of Psalm 119 as a psalm about the law, and it is that. What we don’t always recognize is that it is more than just an objective celebration of the beauty and value of the law. It is also a psalm about a very personal love for the law. By far the most…

The Law in Psalm 119

Everyone who knows anything about the Bible knows that Psalm 119 is a psalm about the law and that it is alphabetic, having twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each, every verse of each of the stanzas beginning with a particular letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Most also know that every verse contains at least one…