2. Temple hymns, sung at the consecration of the Tem- ple, the entrance of the ark, or intended for the Temple service (Psa. xv, xxiv, lxviii, Ixxxi, Ixxxvii, cxxxii, cxxxiv, cxxxv). So also pilgrim songs, sung by those who came to worship at the temple, etc. See Degrees.
3. Religious and moral psalms of a general charac- ter, containing the poetical expression of emotions and feelings, and therefore subjective, e. g. confidence in God (Psa. xxiii, xlii, xliii. lxii, xci, cxxi, cxxv, exxvii, exxviii) ; longing for the worship of the sanctuary (Psa. xlii, xliii) ; and prayers for the forgiveness of sin (Psa. li). So, also, didactic songs relating to relig-
VIII.— B B B
ion, or the expression of some truth or maxim (Psa. i, xv, xxxii, xxxiv, 1, exxviii, cxxxiii). This is a numerous class.
4. Elegiac psalms, con- taining complaints under af- fliction and the persecution of enemies, and prayers for succor. This class, which comprises more than a third of the whole collection, has several subdivisions: (I.) The lamentations or com- plaints of particular indi- viduals (Psa. vii, xvii, xxii, li, Iii, lv, lvi, cix). (2.) Na- tional lamentations, mostly in a religious point of view (Psa. xliv, lxxiv, lxxix, lxxx, cxxxvii). Some are both individual and national lamentations (Psa. Ixix, lxxvii, cii). Most of these psalms are of a late date. (3.) General psalms of com- plaint, reflections on the wickedness of the world (Psa. x, xii, xiv, xxxvi). Didactic psalms, respecting the goodness of God, the condition of the pious and of the godless (Psa. xxxvii, xlix, Ixiii, lxxiii).
5. Psalms relating to the Icing, patriotic hymns, etc. (Psa. xx, xxi, xlv, ex).
C. National psalms, con- taining allusions to the an- cient history of the He- brews and of the relation of the people to Jehovah (Psa. lxxviii, cv, cvi, cxiv). The Messianic psalms ought properly to consti- tute another separate class (Psa. ii, xvi, xxii, xl, lxxii, ex). Many of the prophetic psalms are distributed among the other classes, while the few which cannot be brought under any of the above classes and divisions either constitute new ones by themselves or possess an intermediate character.
IX. Literary Features. —The book has been styled by some moderns the anthology of Hebrew lyric poetry, as if it consisted of a selection of the most admired productions of the sacred muse; but the name is not altogether appropriate, since several pieces of the high- est poetic merit are, to our knowledge, not included — namely, the songs of Moses, in Exod. xv and Deut. xxxii; the song of Deborah, in Judg. v; the prayer of Hannah, in 1 Sam. ii, 1-10 ; and even David's lament over Saul and Jonathan, in 2 Sam. i, 18-27. To these may be added the song of Hezekiah, in Isa. xxxviii, 9- 20, and the prayers of Habakkuk, in Hab. iii, and Jo- nah, in Jon. ii. The truth seems to be, as Ewald and Tholuck maintain, that the collection was made not so much with reference to the beauty of the pieces as to their adaptation for devotional use in public worship. This view sufficiently accounts for omitting most of the above pieces and many others as being either too individual or too secular in their application. It may account for not including the lament over Jonathan, and for the fact that only two of Solomon's compositions (Psa. lxxii and exxvii) are professedly given, though " his songs were a thousand and five" (1 Kings iv,32,33). His themes were secular, and therefore not suitable for this collection. All the best judges, as Lowth, Herder, De Wette,
1 Sam. xxii, 6-23. /I Sam. xxii, 1, 2. (1 Chron. xi, 15-19.
2 Sam. xvii, 1-29. I Sam. xxii, 1-51. 1 Chron. xxii, 1-19. Ezra vi, 1-13.
Neh. xii, 27-43.
PSALMS
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PSALMS
Ewald, Tholuck, and others, pronounce the poetry of the Psalms to be of the lyric order. "They are." says De Wette(Einleifunffin dh Psalmen, p. 2), " lyric in the propi r sense ; for among the Hebrews. as among the an- cient s generally, poetry, singing, and music were united, and the inscriptions to mosi of the Psalms determine their connection with music, though in away not always intelligible to us. Also, a- works of taste, thi Bitions deserve to be called lyric The essence of lyrio poetry is the immediate expression of feeling, and feel- ing is the sphere in which most of the Psalms move. Pain, grief, tear, hope, joy, trust, gratitude, submission to God— everything thai moves and elevates the lean is expressed in these Bongs. Most of them are the lively effusions of I he excited, susceptible heart, the fresh off- spring of inspiration and elevation of thought; while <mly a few are spiritless imitations and compilations, or unpoetic forms of prayer, temple hymns, and collections of proverbs."' For Culler information on this subject . s< e POI I RT.
X. Prophetic and Messianic Significance. — The moral struggle between godliness and ungodliness, so vividly depicted in the Psalms, culminates, in Holy Scripture, in the life of the Incarnate Son of God upon earth. It only remains to show that the Psalms themselves defi- nitely anticipated this culmination. Now, there are in the Psalter at least three psalms of which the interest evidently centres in a person distinct from the speaker. and which, since they cannot, without violence to the language, be interpreted of any but the Messiah, may be termed directly and exclusively Messianic. We re- fer to Psa. ii, xlv, ex, to which may, perhaps, be added Psa. lxxii.