The Songs of the Spirit: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms | Keil & Delitzsch

Deep Dive into Commentary on the Old Testament by Car Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch - Psalms Introduction The Psalter, known in Hebrew primarily as Těhillîm (Praises) or Těphillôth (Prayers), is universally regarded as a foundational part of the Kethubim, or Hagiographa, often opening that canonical division in the earliest Christian era and in many later manuscripts. Its structure is highly organized, divided into five books—a feature established by the time of the Chronicler toward the end of the Persian supremacy, intentionally mimicking the structure of the Pentateuch. The conclusion of the first four books is marked by a doxology, with Psalm 150 serving as the full-toned finale for the entire collection. The core of the Psalter originates in the Golden Age of the sacred lyric established by David, who is expressly called the creator of liturgical music. David founded the schools of the prophets, organized 4,000 Levites as musicians, and invented new stringed instruments for the sanctuary service. While David authored 73 Psalms, the collection also includes two by Solomon (Psalms 72 and 127). The history of composition reflects periods of national life, seeing a decline under Solomon, a revival under King Hezekiah, and new compositions during and after the Babylonish Exile. Internally, the Psalter is arranged according to prominent features, notably the divine names used. The central section, running from Psalm 42 through Psalm 84, consists mainly of Elohimic psalms, while the first and final sections are predominantly Jehovistic. Regarding translations, the Alexandrine Greek Psalter (LXX) is the earliest, completed before 132 B.C., and is the basis for most New Testament citations. The Syriac Peshîto appeared no later than the second century. The interpretation of the Psalms finds its theological goal in the exposition given by Jesus Christ, who showed how they were fulfilled in Him. While the monk Notker Labeo provided an early German translation around 1022, modern scholarship began incorporating Jewish philological knowledge, such as that drawn from the Midrash and Sohar by Augustinus Justinianus for his Octaplus Psalterii (1516). Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730