1. Introduction
The origin of the name “Psalms” comes from the Hebrew language. In Hebrew the word “Psalms” means "praises" and in Greek it means "songs." Historically, the book of Psalms covers the time from Moses until the end of the exile of Israel. Although some scholars consider the titles of the Psalms difficult to understand, it is known that the title of each Psalm elucidates the historical context of the biblical passage. One of the main purposes of the book of Psalms is to describe the liturgical and religious life of Israel’s people. Furthermore, the book of Psalms could lead current believers to worship God biblically as observed in the history of Israel. By analyzing specific historical characteristics of the book of Psalms, it …show more content…
One of the problems is that the book is a collection of books and not a cohesive composition. Moreover, several psalms do not present a specific historical background. Longman and Dillard think that “the attempt to root individual psalms in one historical event work against the intention of the psalms themselves, which are nonspecific in terms of historical reference.” (Dillard 240) Although there are some doubts related to the originality of the titles of the Psalms, the history of Israel shows that each Psalm has a particular motivation or event related to it, such as in Psalm 90 where Moses, who represents a unique and special time in the history of ancient Israel, praises God for everything that He has made in the life of Israel’s people. By reading the Psalm 90, one can recall the Mosaic period which can be described as the time of the birthday of the congregational song. It was on Mount Sinai that the first worship service occurred. God communicated His message to Israel people and the process of worship took place. Also, the idea of communion was present during the Mosaic period where God speaks with His people and have a response from them, which also is a clear evidence of worship. Moses was used by God to convey God's revelation to His people. As observed in the Psalm of Moses, the Psalms titles and authorship are important elements that can clarify the historical context of the book …show more content…
Elmer Towns and Vernon Whaley argue that the book of Psalms can teach people how to worship God because they are a complete hymnal of praise. According to them the Psalms were crucial for Hebrew worship because they describe man’s relationship with God and they are full of rich poetry and music (36). According to traditions, the book of Psalms was divided into five books: book I includes Psalms 1-41, book II Psalms 42-72, book III Psalms 73-89, book IV Psalms 90-106, and book V Psalms 107-50. Each Psalm book has specific psalms that were important elements of Hebrew liturgy and
The origin of the name “Psalms” comes from the Hebrew language. In Hebrew the word “Psalms” means "praises" and in Greek it means "songs." Historically, the book of Psalms covers the time from Moses until the end of the exile of Israel. Although some scholars consider the titles of the Psalms difficult to understand, it is known that the title of each Psalm elucidates the historical context of the biblical passage. One of the main purposes of the book of Psalms is to describe the liturgical and religious life of Israel’s people. Furthermore, the book of Psalms could lead current believers to worship God biblically as observed in the history of Israel. By analyzing specific historical characteristics of the book of Psalms, it …show more content…
One of the problems is that the book is a collection of books and not a cohesive composition. Moreover, several psalms do not present a specific historical background. Longman and Dillard think that “the attempt to root individual psalms in one historical event work against the intention of the psalms themselves, which are nonspecific in terms of historical reference.” (Dillard 240) Although there are some doubts related to the originality of the titles of the Psalms, the history of Israel shows that each Psalm has a particular motivation or event related to it, such as in Psalm 90 where Moses, who represents a unique and special time in the history of ancient Israel, praises God for everything that He has made in the life of Israel’s people. By reading the Psalm 90, one can recall the Mosaic period which can be described as the time of the birthday of the congregational song. It was on Mount Sinai that the first worship service occurred. God communicated His message to Israel people and the process of worship took place. Also, the idea of communion was present during the Mosaic period where God speaks with His people and have a response from them, which also is a clear evidence of worship. Moses was used by God to convey God's revelation to His people. As observed in the Psalm of Moses, the Psalms titles and authorship are important elements that can clarify the historical context of the book …show more content…
Elmer Towns and Vernon Whaley argue that the book of Psalms can teach people how to worship God because they are a complete hymnal of praise. According to them the Psalms were crucial for Hebrew worship because they describe man’s relationship with God and they are full of rich poetry and music (36). According to traditions, the book of Psalms was divided into five books: book I includes Psalms 1-41, book II Psalms 42-72, book III Psalms 73-89, book IV Psalms 90-106, and book V Psalms 107-50. Each Psalm book has specific psalms that were important elements of Hebrew liturgy and