The Aspen Grove

Thematic Phrases and Words in the Psalms

Note Planted:
7 min read

The Big Idea

A collection of words and phrases that have stood out to me as I have been reading through the Psalms

Thematic Phrases and Words

  • The King, Anointed/messiah

  • The Temple/Sanctuary/Zion/Jerusalem

  • The way of the Righteous vs the way of the wicked

  • Lament

    • Psalms 38-43 +44 (7 Psalms) six individual laments end with communal lament

  • The blessedness of the man in Psalm 1 is actually from a verb אֶ֫שֶׁר that means happy or joyful or blessed1. It is a rare word overall but shows up mostly in wisdoms poetry books.

    • Shows up in a total of 19 Psalms.
    • Book 1 Psalms 1-41 (41 Psalms) Shows up in 5 Psalms
      • 1:1, Blessed Man
        • 2:12 Blessed who take Refuge- encloses the introduction
      • 32:1 and 2, Blessed Man
        • 33:12, Blessed Nation
        • 34:8, Blessed Man
      • 40:4 Blessed Man
        • 41:1-2, Blessed Man explained
    • Book 2 Psalms 42-72 (31 Psalms) Shows up in 3 Psalms
      • 65:4
    • Book 3 Psalms 73-89 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 2 Psalms
      • 84:5 and 6,
      • 89:15,
    • Book 4 Psalms 90-106 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 2 Psalms
      • 94:12
      • 106:3
    • Book 5 Psalms 107-150 (44 Psalms) Shows up in 7 Psalms
      • 112:1,
      • 119:1 and 2,
      • 127:5,
      • 128:1 and 2,
      • 137:8 and 9, - Imprecatory
      • 144:15 + 2 times,
      • 146:5

  • Refuge

  • Delight in חָפֵץ has a few different forms but also a rare word that shows up in prophecy and a little history books2.

    • Shows up in 20 Psalms
    • Psalm 40:15 same verse as 70:3
    • 2 Samuel 22:20 same as Psalm 18:20,
    • Book 1 Psalms 1-41 (41 Psalms) Shows up in 8 Psalms
      • 1:2
      • 5:5 + 4 times
      • 16:3
      • 18:19
      • 22:9
      • 34:12
        • 35:22 and 27
      • 37:19 and 23
    • Book 2 Psalms 42-72 (31 Psalms) Shows up in 4 Psalms
      • 40:6 and 8 and 14
        • 41:12
      • 51:6 and 16 and 19,
      • 68:31
    • Book 3 Psalms 73-89 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 2 Psalms
      • 70:25
      • 73:25
    • Book 4 Psalms 90-106 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 0 Psalms
    • Book 5 Psalms 107-150 (44 Psalms) Shows up in 8 Psalms
      • 107:30
      • 109:17
      • 111:2
        • 112:1
      • 115:3
      • 119:35
      • 135:6
      • 147:10

  • Meditate הָגָה or mutter or growl also a rare word3.

    • Shows up in 10
    • Book 1 Psalms 1-41 (41 Psalms) Shows up in 8 Psalms
      • 1:2
        • 2:1 + 2 times
      • 35:28 + 2 times
      • 37:30
      • 38:13
    • Book 2 Psalms 42-72 (31 Psalms) Shows up in 4 Psalms
      • 63:7
      • 71:24
    • Book 3 Psalms 73-89 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 2 Psalms
      • 77:13
    • Book 4 Psalms 90-106 (17 Psalms) Shows up in 0 Psalms
    • Book 5 Psalms 107-150 (44 Psalms) Shows up in 8 Psalms
      • 115:7
      • 143:5

  • Prosper צָלֵחַ, צָלַח4

    • ψ 45:5; ψ 118:25, ψ 37:7, 1:3

  • Holy קֹ֫דֶשׁ a very common word and obviously a big deal across the bible

  • 2:6, 3:4, 5:7, 11:4, 15:1, 20:2 and 6, 24:3, 28:2, 29:8, 30:4,33:21

  • 43:3, 46:4, 47:8, 48:1, 51:11, 60:6, 63:2, 65:4, 68:17 and 24,

  • 74:3, 77:13, 78:54, 79:1, 87:1, 89:20

  • 93:5, 96:9, 97:12, 98:1, 99:9, 102:19, 103:1, 105:3 and 42, 106:47

  • 108:7, 110:3, 114:2, 134:2, 138:2, 145:21, 150:1

  • Refuge

  • Trees (especially trees near water)

    • fruit, leaves (flaura and fauna)

  • Righteous Paths/way

    • righteous congregation

  • God knows yadah

  • walk, stand sit

First Word of Psalm

  • Book 1 Psalms 1-41 (41 Psalms) 5

    • 1 Happy, Blessed אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי

    • 2 Why rage לָ֭מָּה רָגְשׁ֣וּ

    • 3 Yahweh how many יְ֭הוָה מָֽה

      • Question
      • Cry for Help

    • 4 When I Cry בְּקָרְאִ֡י

      • Cry for Help

    • 5 Words, Listen to my words אֲמָרַ֖י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה

      • Listen
      • Cry for Help

    • 6 Yahweh be not angry יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥

      • Ask for Mercy
      • Cry for Help

    • 7 Yahweh Our God יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי בְּךָ֣

      • Seek refuge
      • Cry for Help

    • 8 Yahweh Our God יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ

      • Creation Praise

    • 9 Praise Yahweh אֹודֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה

      • Personal Praise

    • 10 Why Yahweh לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה

      • Question
      • God Far away

    • 11 To Yahweh I seek refuge בַּֽיהוָ֨ה׀ חָסִ֗יתִי

      • Seek refuge

    • 12 Save! Yahweh הֹושִׁ֣יעָהa‬ יְ֭הוָה

      • Cry for help

    • 13 How long Yahweh עַד־אָ֣נָה יְ֭הוָה

      • Question

    • 14 Fool thinks אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל

    • 15 Yahweh, who can dwell יְ֭הֹוָה מִי־יָג֣וּר

      • temple

    • 16 Guard me God שָֽׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֝֗ל

      • seek refuge

    • 17 Listen Yahweh שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה

      • Listen

    • 18 I speak love to Yahweh וַיֹּאמַ֡ר a‬אֶרְחָמְךָ֖b‬ יְהוָ֣ה

      • rescue response

    • 19 The sky tells הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים

      • Creation praise

    • 20 Answer, May the Lord answer you יַֽעַנְךָ֣ יְ֭הוָה

      • Blessing

  • Book 2 Psalms 42-72 (31 Psalms)

  • Book 3 Psalms 73-89 (17 Psalms)

  • Book 4 Psalms 90-106 (17 Psalms)

  • Book 5 Psalms 107-150 (44 Psalms)

Opening and Closing (The First Seven)

Psalm One and Two as portal of Prayer

As I have thought and read and also super procrastinated this project I have come across the start of an image that will help me keep Psalm 1 and 2 firmly placed in my mind.

The image is that of walking up to the beautiful temple of Solomon and seeing the big grand pillars at the entrance. This correlates with treating the Psalter as a spiritual temple with which to worship God. I love this imagery and it helps keep the purpose of the psalms right up front as well as being memorable.

The description of these pillars being built on the physical temple are: 1 Ki 7:21 and 2 Ch 3:17

The basic identity of each pillar:

  1. Right Pillar (primary pillar like right hand is primary) and is the first to be erected. Named Jachin. Which translates to “He Will Establish.”
  2. Left Pillar named Boaz. Which translates to “In Him Is Strength.”

This already is a very compelling image and one that fills the Psalms themselves with a deep sense of place and purpose. I think it will also be a strong anchor to possibly keep developing the “tour of the temple” style memorization as we go.

Treating Psalm 1 and 2 as an overall introduction and as the overall conclusion. I think this will be important to identify important themes and how they start and all lead toward the final praise of God. This looks at the overall structure of the whole book.

This imagery even lines up with the content of the Psalms themselves.

Psalm 1

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words - Priestly in character. Specks of the ideal reader and meditator of God’s word and abiding in the presence of God. Jesus is the ideal mean who lived this which we are then branches of the tree that is Jesus as He abides by the stream.
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections - If we map the first pillar to this Psalm we see that “He will establish” fits well with the overall message of the psalm and who is the one establishing (not us but God). Jerome psalm 1 like entrance to a big mansion and each psalm a chamber they all have a key

Psalm 2

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words - Kingly in character. Jesus is the true Davidic kind that the nations cannot overcome.
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections - Second pillar means “In Him is Strength” which is the best short hand description of Jesus as king that I can think of for the messianic ruler of the universe.

Psalm 146-150 as Concluding Praise

Psalm 146

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words -
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections -

Psalm 147

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words -
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections -

Psalm 148

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words -
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections -

Psalm 149

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words -
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections -

Psalm 150

  • Superscriptions -
  • Textual Structure -
  • Thematic Phrases and Words -
  • Number Symbolism -
  • Other Connections -

Footnotes

  1. Brown, Francis, et al. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, 1977, p. 81. ↩

  2. Brown, Francis, et al. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, 1977, pp. 342–43. ↩

  3. Brown, Francis, et al. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, 1977, p. 211. ↩

  4. Brown, Francis, et al. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Clarendon Press, 1977, p. 852. ↩

  5. Elliger, K., et al. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Electronic ed., German Bible Society, 2003, p. Ps 1-20 ↩

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