At first, the Psalter may appear to be a disparate conglomeration of haphazardly compiled poetry. However, a biblical-theological awareness reflecting upon motifs within the psalms provides a thematic context that not only exposes the Psalter’s unity, but also assists in the interpretive process. The following analysis identifies several of the more prominent thematic threads and includes one specific example of thematic awareness that informs the interpretation of Psalm 23.
Although, admittedly, the potential methods or ways to identify and then organize the thematic initiatives of the Psalter may be limited only by one’s imagination, Geoffrey Grogan provides a reasonable approach by focusing on the features that unite the entire Psalter: All the Psalms “concern the God of the psalmists, the God of Israel, his acts for them, and their relationship to him.”[1] First, regarding the God of the psalmists, Israel’s monotheistic conviction asserts that God is the one and only true God. Within Israel’s monotheistic worldview arises the thematic initiatives of God’s sovereignty over all beings and all creation. God’s sovereignty over all beings prompts questions regarding the reality of other divine beings. Psalm 86:6 states, “There is none like you among the gods,” and Psalm 82:1 states, “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods, he holds judgement.”[2] Whether other divine beings exist is a matter of scholarly debate, but what is not debatable is that Yahweh is the one and only ultimate Creator of all beings and all creation.[3] Furthermore, the psalmists thematically follow other biblical writers by strictly prohibiting the worship of false gods regardless of their ontological reality. Furthermore, comparative religious studies might suggest that mythology of the ancient Near East influenced the psalmist’s understanding of Yahweh. Robert Chisolm explains that, in both Ugaritic and Mesopotamian mythology, the gods battle the sea to establish rulership over creation. [4] In particular, Baal and Anat defeat the sea and Marduk defeats Tiamat. Psalm 74:13-14 and 89:9-10 reflect mythological overtones where Yahweh crushes Rahab, smashes the heads of Leviathan, and battles the sea monsters. However, Chisolm further explains that Psalm 95:5 and 146:6 demythologize the sea as part of God’s creative work, which highlights God’s sovereignty.[5] In other words, the psalmists echo Babylonian and Canaanite mythology to stress Yahweh’s actual sovereign power over all His creation, which is a theological motif present throughout the Psalter.
Second, regarding God as the God of Israel, Yahweh is Israel’s king. Certain scholars, such as James Mays, suggest the entire Psalter revolves around the theme of Yahweh’s kingship (Pss 9:7; 93:1; 97:1; 99:1; 146:10).[6] Various analogies extend the kinship metaphor. Examples of the literary device include such titles as warrior, judge, benefactor, and shepherd as well as references to military, political, and legal initiatives that emphasize the reign of a king. David Howard asserts that Psalms 1-2 not only introduce the Psalter, but also provide a thematic overview that includes the kingship motif.[7]
Psalms Volume 1: Volume 1: From Biblical Text…to Contemporary Life: The NIV Application Commentary
For example, Psalm 2 establishes Yahweh as the sovereign king over all the nations. The royal nature of Psalm 2 extends into a messianic psalm that points to kingship far beyond the time of David, a topic explored further when analyzing the Psalter’s canonical context. According to Howard, the kinship motif weaves its way through all five books of the Psalter.[8] Kingship provides a specific example of how thematic awareness informs the interpretation of Psalm 23. Gerald Wilson explains that the term “shepherd” aligns with the semantic domain of “kingship” in the ancient Near East, where kings fulfilled the role of protector.[9]
The language of protector is evidenced in Psalm 23:2-4 when referring to supplying needs, restoring the soul, leading to righteousness, and comforting the people. The poem then again emphasizes Yahweh’s kingship when His followers join him at the table before his enemies in verse 5. Finally, Wilson highlights that dwelling in the house of the Lord likely refers to taking refuge in the temple, the house of the King, as Yahweh relentlessly pursues (רָדַף) his followers with goodness and mercy.[10] In sum, not only does the kingship motif pervade the Psalter, but it also illuminates the Psalter’s meaning specifically regarding a proper interpretation of Psalm 23.
Third, Yahweh’s acts for His people are too numerous to comprehensively address, but it is difficult to ignore the critical nature of the exodus event, which thematically weaves its way through the Psalter. The references to the exodus in the Psalter are thematically featured specifically in Psalms 78, 105, 106, 115, and 136. Grogan thematically links the exodus event to Yahweh’s act of creation by highlighting His power to control nature; to the centrality of praise that prioritizes gratitude and intensifies thanksgiving; and to a paradigm represented in later salvific acts.[11] Chisolm observes that the mythological sea references in Psalms 74 and 89 emphasize Yahweh’s victory over the sea at creation, which provides a paradigmatic framework for the exodus event and, simultaneously, points to a new exodus, a new creative act of deliverance.[12] Furthermore, Walter Kaiser notes that corporate laments often include reflections upon God’s historical activity, such as the exodus event, which provide the impetus for complaints that precursor praise.[13] Clearly, God’s divine activity provides the thematic tissue that not only strengthens the message of the Psalter but also unites the poems.
Finally, it is difficult to imagine reading the Psalter without keeping Yahweh’s relationship with his people at the forefront of one’s mind. The themes of refuge, righteousness, exile, and suffering all find their way into the relationship between Yahweh and His people. Francis Kimmitt highlights the reciprocal relationship between trust and praise that arises out of God’s refuge and protection.[14] As God provides protection and deliverance, trust grows within the relationship, which naturally leads to praise: a theme that pervades the Psalter. More specifically, Howard highlights the relational aspects of both righteousness and wickedness while simultaneously identifying them as organizing motifs not only in Psalms 1-2, but also the rest of the Psalter.[15] In Psalm 1, David provides an example of righteousness in contrast to the wickedness of his enemies. Furthermore, Yahweh functions as the righteous king in Psalm 2. In recent years, the paradigmatic righteousness of David is further contrasted with the wickedness of the Israelites that led to the exile. Walter Brueggemann calls the exile “Israel’s most generative theological moment.”[16] Accordingly, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the Psalter, and especially book three of the Psalter, may have reflected upon the experience of the Babylonian exile, an experience that ultimately becomes a relational pull upon the Israelites as they move back toward Yahweh. Finally, it would be difficult to complete an analysis of thematic initiatives of the Psalter without addressing the personal theme of suffering that affects so many relationships. Allen Ross highlights several aspects of suffering, which include both God hiding himself and God forsaking the Israelites, which lead to bold and direct prayers confronting God’s hostility.[17] However, paradoxically, the cries to Yahweh during suffering not only prove the existence of a relationship, but also points to a God who suffers with his people, a suffering that ultimately finds its way to the cross.
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[1] Geoffrey Grogan, Psalms, The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008), 232.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).
[3] See Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, First Edition. (Lexham Press, 2015.
[4] Robert Chisolm Jr., “Suppressing Myth: Yahweh and the Sea in the Praise Psalms,” in The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, ed. Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 2013), 75.
[5] Ibid., 84.
[6] James L. Mays, The Lord Reigns: A Theological Handbook to the Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994), 13.
[7] David M. Howard Jr., “Divine and Human Kingship: As Organizing Motifs in the Psalter,” in The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, ed. Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 2013), 200–203.
[8] Ibid., 203–207.
[9] Gerald Wilson, Psalms: From Biblical Text…to Contemporary Life, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 431.
[10] Ibid., 1:436–437.
[11] Grogan, Psalms, 251–259.
[12] Chisolm Jr., “Suppressing Myth: Yahweh and the Sea in the Praise Psalms,” 76–79.
[13] Walter C. Kaiser Jr., “The Laments of Lamentations: Compared to the Psalter,” in The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, ed. Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 2013), 128–129.
[14] Francis X. Kimmitt, “Psalm 46: Praise the Lord Our Help,” in The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, ed. Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 2013), 74.
[15] Howard Jr., “Divine and Human Kingship: As Organizing Motifs in the Psalter,” 202.
[16] Walter Brueggemann, Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002), 39.
[17] Allen P. Ross, “The ‘Thou’ Sections of Laments: The Bold and Earnest Prayers of the Psalmists,” in The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, ed. Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 2013), 136–149.
Bibliography
- Brueggemann, Walter. Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002.
- Chisolm Jr., Robert. “Suppressing Myth: Yahweh and the Sea in the Praise Psalms.” In The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr., 75–84. Chicago: Moody, 2013.
- Grogan, Geoffrey. Psalms. The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008.
- Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. First Edition. Lexham Press, 2015.
- Howard Jr., David M. “Divine and Human Kingship: As Organizing Motifs in the Psalter.” In The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr., 197–207. Chicago: Moody, 2013.
- Kaiser Jr., Walter C. “The Laments of Lamentations: Compared to the Psalter.” In The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr., 127–133. Chicago: Moody, 2013.
- Kimmitt, Francis X. “Psalm 46: Praise the Lord Our Help.” In The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr., 63–74. Chicago: Moody, 2013.
- Mays, James L. The Lord Reigns: A Theological Handbook to the Psalms. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994.
- Ross, Allen P. “The ‘Thou’ Sections of Laments: The Bold and Earnest Prayers of the Psalmists.” In The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, edited by Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr., 135–150. Chicago: Moody, 2013.
- Wilson, Gerald. Psalms: From Biblical Text…to Contemporary Life. Vol. 1. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.
