The psalms are different from every other part of the Bible. They are grouped together with Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs in the section known as wisdom literature. It is true that there is a lot of wisdom in the psalms. However, the biggest difference between the book of Psalms and the other books of the Bible is that these are songs which were originally meant to be sung rather than simply recited. The question arises, “How do you study a song to get the most spiritual meaning?” There are a variety of methods that can be used to study psalms.
The first method is simple memorization. Because many psalms are short (Psalm 119 is the exception), they are prime candidates for memorization. Whether you use the tried-and-true method of repeating sections over and over again until you can recite the psalm without looking, or you sing the psalm to a tune, memorizing a psalm is worth the time and effort you invest. You can make up your own tune as you sing a psalm, or you can use a song that has already been created by someone else. The Scottish Metrical Psalter has the words of the psalms arranged so that you can sing it to tunes like Amazing Grace and America, the Beautiful. There are also some examples of singing these psalms on that site. You can also just learn some of the common popular songs that use psalms. There is a beautiful version of Psalm 19 on YouTube. The Psalms Project has put many psalms to music. Psalm Songs is an attempt to set the Psalms to music word for word. It is interesting that some psalms stay in our memory even when we have not tried to learn them. Psalm 23 is a good example of this kind of psalm. Because we hear it repeated so much, it sticks in our memory with no effort. This suggests that one way to memorize a psalm is to simply listen to it recited over and over again.
Another way to study a psalm for deep meaning is to examine its organization. Many (if not all) of the psalms are organized as chiasms. In a chiasm, ideas are repeated in the beginning and ending until they meet with the most important idea in the middle. For a more complete explanation of a chiasm, check out my articles “Chiasms—the Logic of the Hebrew Language” and “The Chiastic Structure of Psalm 23 Study Guide” on this blog. To understand the chiastic organization of a psalm, read it and try to pick out the repeated ideas and to find the middle idea. That will be the most important or culminating thought of the psalm. Some psalms have already been studied extensively and the chiasms mapped out by theologians, but if you just want to check out the chiasms that ordinary Bible students have found, you can go to Biblical Chiasm Exchange. I personally do not always agree with the way the other person has organized the psalm into a chiasm, but it is interesting to compare my ideas to another person’s thoughts.
A third method of studying the psalms is to “Pray the Psalms.” There are several methods of doing this. You can check out my article on this blog called “Praying the Psalms—It’s Not Just a Gimmick” for a more detailed description of how to use these methods. In my opinion, the best way to “Praise the Psalms” is to paraphrase the words of a particular psalm in a way that applies to your own life. Feel free to add your own ideas to the psalm as you do this. You are not trying to match the psalm’s meaning exactly. Instead, you are trying to apply the principles that you are reading to your present situation.
Many psalms are prophetic and/or messianic. These psalms should be read on three levels: what meaning did the original author find in his own life; how was the psalm fulfilled in Jesus’ life; and what personal application can you make to your life today? Messianic psalms include, but are not limited to Psalm 2, which points to Jesus’ incarnation, Psalm 22, which points to the crucifixion, and Psalm 47, which references the ascension. Other Messianic psalms are Psalms 8, 16, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 78, 97, 102, 110, and 118.
Psalms is quoted in the New Testament more than any other book of the Old Testament. One way to study a psalm is to check its cross references and analyze how and why it is quoted in the New Testament. Is the whole psalm connected to the New Testament passage where it is quoted or is the author just using one specific verse to make a point? Examining cross references is also an excellent method of studying topics in the Old Testament. Many psalms give additional information and details that are not in the original stories. For example, 2 Samuel 12 tells us about how Nathan the prophet brought judgment from God on David for his sins of adultery and murder, but it does not tell us how David felt. For that, we need to go to Psalm 51. There we see David’s deep repentance for his sin. Another example of discovering new information in a psalm is Psalm 78, which recounts the exodus experience. We would not know that manna was the “bread of angels” without this psalm. Psalm 137 reveals the emotions of the Jewish exiles in Babylon and their bitterness at the Edomites’ cheering as Jerusalem was destroyed.
The psalms are organized into five books. Books one and two take place during the time of King David. Books three and four are set in the time of the Babylonian exile. Book five celebrates the return to Jerusalem. You can compare the psalms in different books and see how they relate to the times that they were set in. However, be aware that a psalm can be included in a book but not be written during that time period. For example, Psalm 133 is in the return from exile book, yet it was written by David, so it was written during the time period of the first and second books, not the fifth book. There are different kinds of psalms. You can develop your own organization by categorizing psalms of similar types. Ask yourself if the psalm is a lament, an angry rant about needing revenge, a royal psalm, a historical account, a song of praise and thanksgiving, etcetera. You do not need to use other people’s categories. Sort the psalms according to your own ideas about the different types of psalms.
God is portrayed in fascinating ways in the psalms. One method of study is to compare how God is described in different psalms. Possible categories are Creator, Deliverer, Redeemer, Ruler, Shepherd, and Law Giver. As you sort the psalms according to how they describe God, also look for words such as mercy and judgment that give a clearer picture of the God we worship.
The psalms are worthy of deep examination. They speak to our emotions on a level that narratives and prophecy cannot. However, we too often simply give them a surface reading rather than delving deep into the message that they are conveying. Take the time to pull a psalm apart and put it back together. After all, that is what the psalmist does to our own emotions. (To hear an example of a psalm that breaks your heart and then restores your faith, check out The Chosen’s rendition of Psalm 77)