Similar Works: Letter to Marcellinus, A Manuel on the Book of Psalms
I love the way Luther approaches the Psalms in his introduction and preface. There is a freedom and deep humility when it comes to their interpretation as well as an important application of them to life.
This is the place where Luther talks about the Psalms as a “Little Bible” or a small handbook for Christian living.
Full Text of Luther’s Preface
Luther's Preface pp. 9-15
In past years there was handed about almost nothing but a multitude of legends of saints, passionals, lives of saints ; and the world was so filled with them, that the Psalter lay under the seat, and in such great darkness, that not one psalm was rightly imderstood ; nevertheless, it shed abroad such an excellent precious fragrance that all pious hearts drew devotion and power even from the unknown words,’ and the book was therefore dear to them.
For my part, I think that a finer book of lives and legends of the saints has never appeared in the earth, nor ever can appear, than the Psalter. For if one were to desire that out of all the lives, legends, and histories, the best were picked out and brought together and set forth to the best advantage ; why, the book thus produced would be just the Psalter we now have. For here we find, not what one or two saints only have done, but what the Head himself of all the saints has done, and what all the saints still do : how they are affected towards God, towards friends, and towards foes ; how they bear themselves and act in every sort of peril and tribulation : — and all this, besides the divine wholesome doctrines and precepts of all sorts to be found in it.
Yea, the Psalter ought to be precious and dear, were it for nothing else but the clear promise it holds forth respecting Christ’s death and resurrection, and its prefiguration of his kingdom and of the whole estate and system of Christianity; insomuch that it might well be entitled a Little Bible, wherein everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully and briefly comprehended, and compacted into a fine enchiridion or Hand Manual. It seems to me as if the Holy Ghost had been pleased to take on himself the trouble of putting together a short Bible, or book of exemplars, touching the whole of Christianity or all the saints; in order that they who are unable to read the whole Bible, may nevertheless find here almost the whole sum comprehended in one little book.
But above all, there is this excellent quality and virtue in the Psalter, that whereas other books prate much about the deeds of the saints but say very little about their words, the Psalter is the very paragon of books, yielding a most sweet fragrance to the reader; since it relates not only the deeds of the saints (or as editions render it : what Christ and all the saints have done), but also their words — how they spake and prayed to God, and do yet speak and pray: insomuch that the other legends and lives, in comparison with it, hold forth to us mere dumb saints, whereas the Psalter sets before us right valiant, living saints.
And verily a dumb man, when you compare him with one who speaks, is no better than a man half dead. Of all that a man does, there is nothing more potent or more excellent than speech; since it is by the faculty of speech that man is chiefly differenced from other animals, rather than by his form or his other works. For indeed a block can, by the graver’s art, receive the form of a man ; and a beast can see, hear, smell, sing, walk, stand, eat, drink, fast, thirst and suffer hunger, frost and a hard bed every whit as well as a man.
Moreover, it is not the poor every-day words of the saints that the Psalter expresses, but their very best words, spoken by them, in deepest earnestness, to God himself, in matters of utmost moment. Thus it lays open to us not only what they say about their works, but their very heart and the inmost treasure of their souls ; so that we can spy the bottom and spring of their words and works, — that is to say, their heart, — what manner of thoughts they had, how their heart did bear itself, in every sort of business, peril, and extremity. This is what neither is done nor can be done by the legends and lives of the saints, which boast of nothing but their works and miracles. For I cannot know how a man’s heart is affected, although I should see or hear tell of ever so many excellent works he has done.
And as I had much rather hear a saint speak than behold his works ; even so would I yet much rather spy his heart and the treasure in his soul, than hear his words. And this the Psalter enables us to do most plentifully with respect to all the saints ; so that we can be certain as to how their hearts were affected, and what was the tenor of their words, both towards God and man.
For a human heart is like a ship on a wild sea tossed by the four winds of heaven. Here it is smitten with anxiety and the dread of future destruction ; there it is driven with dismay and sadness by reason of present evils. Now, there is a soft breath of hope and presumption of future welfare ; again, there is a breeze of security and gladness in present possessions.
Now winds like these make a man earnest in his words, make him open his heart and utter its secrets. For one who is shut up in fear and necessity will discourse of calamity very differently than one who swims in gladness ; and one who swims in gladness will discourse and sing of gladness very differently than one who is shut up in fear. It does not come from the heart, as the saying is, when a mourner laughs and a frolicker weeps ; that is, the bottom of his heart is not uncovered nor utters itself at all.
What is the Psalter, for the most part, but such earnest discourse in all manner of such winds? Where are finer words of gladness than in the Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving? There thou lookest into the hearts of all the saints as into fair and pleasant gardens, yea, as into the heavens, and seest what fine, hearty, pleasant flowers spring up therein, in all manner of fair gladsome thoughts of God and his benefits. And again, where wilt thou find deeper, more plaintive, more sorrowful words of grief than in the Psalms of Complaint? There thou lookest again into the hearts of all the saints, as into death, yea, as into hell. How they are filled with darkness and gloom by reason of the wrath of God ! So also, when they discourse of fear and hope, they use such words, that no painter could so pourtray, nor any Cicero or orator could so express the fear or hope.
And, as I said, the best of all is, that these words of theirs are spoken before God and unto God; which puts double earnestness and life into the words. For words that are spoken only before men in such matters, do not come so mightily from the heart ; are not such burning, living, piercing words. Hence also it comes to pass that the Psalter is the Book of all the Saints ; and every one, whatsoever his case may be, finds therein psalms and words which suit his case so perfectly, that they might seem to have been set down solely for his sake ; in such sort that anything better he can neither make for himself, nor discover, nor desire. One good effect of which, moreover, is that if a man take pleasure in the words here set forth and find them suit his case, he is assured he is in the communion of the saints, and that all the saints fared just as he fares, for they and he sing all one song together: particularly, if he can utter them before God even as they did ; which must be done in faith, for an ungodly man relishes them not.
Finally, in the Psalter we find such safety and such wellassured guidance, that in it we can without danger follow all the saints. For other exemplars and legends of dumb saints bring forward works which it is impossible to imitate ; and many more works do they bring forward which it would be dangerous to imitate, and which commonly engender sects and parties, seducing and withdrawing men from the communion of the saints. But the Psalter protecteth thee from parties and keepeth thee in the communion of the saints : for it teacheth thee how thou mayest, in gladness, and fear, and hope, and sorrow, cherish the same temper and speak the same words, as all the saints have cherished and spoken.
To sum up ; wouldest thou see the Holy Christian Church portrayed in living form and color, as it were in miniature? Open the Psalter. Thus thou shalt have before thee a fine, bright, spotless mirror, that will shew thee what kind of thing Christianity is. Yea, thou shalt therein find thine own self, and the right “know thyself”; God himself also and all his creatures.
Let us, therefore, take heed also to thank God for such unspeakable benefits, and to receive, use and discipline ourselves in them, to the praise and honour of God, in order that we bring not upon ourselves wrath by our unthankfulness. For, formerly, in the time of darkness, what a treasure it had been esteemed if men had been able rightly to understand one psalm, and to read or hear it in plain German ; and yet they were not able. Blessed now are the eyes which see the things that we see, and the ears which hear the things that we hear! And yet take heed, — alas we already see, that we are like the Jews in the wilderness, who said of the manna, “Our soul loatheth this light bread.” It behooves us to mark what is written in the same place, how they were plagued and died ; in order that the same may not befall us.
To this end, may the Father of all grace and mercy help us through Jesus Christ, our Lord : to whom be blessing and thanks, honour and praise, for this German Psalter, and for all his innumerable, inexpressible gifts, for evermore; Amen, Amen!
Excerpt from Luther’s Dedication to Prince Frederic
pp. 21-24
Bear, therefore, most illustrious Prince, with my desire to send forth this little work into the world with the name of your Highness affixed to it, and consider it as a token of my love. I now for the second time undertake the Exposition of the Psalms in your Wittenberg, being requested and urged to do so by my hearers, who are some of the best men, and to whom I cannot deny that I am a debtor. But I so profess to undertake them, as being quite unwilling that any one should presume to expect that from me, which no one of the most holy and most learned of the fathers could ever yet pretend to, — that I should understand and teach the Psalms in all respects according to their real sense and meaning. It is enough that some men understand some parts of them. The Holy Spirit always reserves much to himself in order that he may keep us learners under him. Many things he only holds out in order to allure us on; and many things he delivers to us that they may work effectually in us. And, as Augustine has truthfully remarked, ‘No man ever yet so spoke as to be understood by all in all things;’ which leaves that great truth the more manifest, that it is the Holy Ghost alone who has the understanding of all his own words.
Wherefore, it becomes me candidly to confess, that I know not whether or not mine is, to a certainty, the true meaning of the Psalms, though I nevertheless hold no doubt, that what I have delivered is truth. For what Augustine, Jerome, Athanasius, Hilary, Cassiodorus, and others, have said upon the Psalms, is truth, though it is sometimes very far indeed from the literal meaning. And thus, this second exposition which I have undertaken, is very different from my first. And indeed there is no book in the whole Bible in which I have been so much exercised as in the Psalms: till at last I came to this opinion, that no man’s interpretation, provided it be a godly one, should be rejected, unless he that rejects it submit himself to the same law of retaliation. One man may fall short in many things, and another in more. I may see many things which Augustine did not see. And I am persuaded that others will see many things which I do not see now.
What course then remains for us to pursue, but that we mutually assist each other, and pardon those who fail, knowing that we are liable to fail ourselves? For let us not by any means follow the example of that most detestable and most vile race of men, who, though they cannot themselves perform one single thing that deserves not to be exposed, yet, when they find the least imperfection of a hair’s or straw’s value in the productions of another, immediately consider themselves worthy of being rewarded with all the triumphs of Pompey. I know it to be the most impudent height of temerity for any one boldly to profess, that he understands any one book of the Scriptures fully in all its parts. Nay, who will presume to maintain that he understands fully and perfectly any one single Psalm? Our life is only a beginning and a going on, and not a consummation. He rises the highest, who comes the nearest to the Holy Spirit. If can touch the moon I am not immediately to imagine that I have touched the sun also; nor am I to look with disdain upon the lesser stars. There are degrees in living and acting, and why not in understanding also? 2 Cor. 3:18. The apostle says that we are “changed from glory to glory.” And, to open my design plainly, I write only for the service of those, who know not these things, but wish to know them: and therefore, it will be at least a satisfaction to me to reflect that I have hereby engaged myself and my hearers in a better employment of mind, than if I had been adding new clouds of darkness, and fresh toads and flies of corruption, to the books of human opinions.
This book of Psalms is, in my opinion, of a different nature from all the other books. For in the other books we are taught what we ought to do, both by precept and example. But this book not only teaches us, but shows us in what way and manner we may do the Word and imitate the examples it contains. For it is not in our power or strength to fulfill the law of God, or to imitate Christ: all we can do, is to desire and pray that we might be able to do the Word, and imitate Christ’s example; and, when we have gained some power so to do, to praise, and give thanks unto God. What else then is the Psalter but praying to, and praising God? that is, a book of hymns?
Therefore, the most gracious and blessed Spirit of God, the Father of his humble scholars, and the teacher of infants, well knowing that “we know not how to pray as we ought,” as Paul saith in Rom. 8 :26, in order to help our infirmities, like schoolmasters who compose letters or subjects for their pupils to write home to their parents, has prepared for us in this book words and sentiments with which we may converse with our heavenly Father, and pray unto him concerning those things which he has taught us in the other books are to be done and imitated; that man may not want any thing that is necessary unto his eternal salvation. So great are the care of God over us and his kindness to us! Who is blessed for ever. And in him may your most gracious Highness live and prosper now and for evermore! Amen! Wittenberg, March 27, 1519.