{"id":1056,"date":"2012-08-31T02:17:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T02:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matsati.com\/bblog2\/client\/index.cfm\/2012\/8\/30\/Tehillim--PSalm-Study--Introduction"},"modified":"2018-09-21T01:07:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T01:07:26","slug":"tehillim-psalm-study-introduction-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/tehillim-psalm-study-introduction-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Tehillim – Psalm Study – Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The writings of the Apostles in the Ketuvei Shelachim (Apostolic Writings) say:<\/span><\/p>\n

Romans 15:4<\/span><\/p>\n

15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (NASB)<\/span><\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 10:11<\/span><\/p>\n

10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (NASB)<\/span><\/p>\n

Rav Shaul (the Apostle Paul) reminded Timothy on the importance of the scriptures from the Tanach that he had learned as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n

2 Timothy 3:14-17<\/span><\/p>\n

3:14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 3:17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (NASB)<\/span><\/p>\n

These things are especially true for sefer <\/span>Tehillim \/ Psalms<\/span>. The Scriptures tell us in <\/span>Ephesians 5:19 <\/span>19<\/span>\u03bb\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 [\u1f10\u03bd] \u03c8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f55\u03bc\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1fa0\u03b4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2, \u1f84\u03b4\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c8\u1f71\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03c4\u1fc7 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u1f77\u1fb3 \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff7 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u1ff3, 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; (NASB)<\/span> and in <\/span>Colossians 3:16<\/span> 16<\/span>\u1f41 \u03bb\u1f79\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03ba\u03b5\u1f77\u03c4\u03c9 \u1f10\u03bd \u1f51\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd \u03c0\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u1f77\u03c9\u03c2, \u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u1f71\u03c3\u1fc3 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c6\u1f77\u1fb3 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b4\u1f71\u03c3\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03b8\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2, \u1f55\u03bc\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2, \u1fa0\u03b4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03c5\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd [\u03c4\u1fc7] \u03c7\u1f71\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03b9 \u1f84\u03b4\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u1f77\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff7 \u03b8\u03b5\u1ff7: 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (NASB)<\/span> and <\/span>James 5:13<\/span> states<\/span> 13<\/span>\u039a\u03b1\u03ba\u03bf\u03c0\u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u1f51\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd; \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03b5\u03c5\u03c7\u1f73\u03c3\u03b8\u03c9: \u03b5\u1f50\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03b5\u1fd6 \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2; \u03c8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bb\u1f73\u03c4\u03c9. 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing psalms. (NASB)<\/span> The Psalms were an important part of the life and relationship with the Lord in the first century believer. Within the book of <\/span>Tehillim \/ Psalms<\/span> is the eager yearning and longing for God\u2019s presence, there are prayers and songs of joy expressing trust and praise in the Lord. We find every form of emotion expressed in the Psalms for example, joy, anger, praise, repentance, trust, and doubt. The Psalms we are told are to be for us a hymnal of praise to God, a prayer book for learning how to approach and pray to the Lord, we find scripture for building our faith in Yeshua the Messiah, and we find a guide for learning to live a holy and righteous life before God even in the midst of our troubles. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Purpose of this Study<\/span><\/p>\n

The study of Sefer Tehillim (Book of Psalms) will be made using a two-pronged approach towards exegesis. First and foremost, we will be concerned with understanding the psalmists\u2019 words, ideas, and motivation for writing the song\/poem. How did the Torah affect the psalmists\u2019 understanding of God, of his relationship with God, and the struggle he was going through in life? What was the goal set out by David and others in conveying their feelings toward the Creator God and portraying them through the breadth of their emotions? When King David calls out to God in distress, what is the nature of his call? What would be our application of his fervent expressions towards our own often distressful situations in life? I also want to look at the various messianic expectations found within the Psalms and draw in the Torah and NT scriptures while examining them. A second, equally important, goal (for the biblical exegete) is to ask not the objective question of what is the meaning of this verse, but a more subjective one of what does this phrase, or idea, mean to me? In other words, while the primary goal is to comprehend the word of God as it relates to Avraham, Moshe, David and Solomon, we want to think about our understanding of who God is; our understanding of God today is it consistent with how they understood God and His promises according to the Scriptures? In addition to this, we want to study how some of the scriptures come to be interpreted as a messianic expectation of the Messiah. How does the word of God and the actions of our forefathers relate to us? How does what we learn about Scripture affect our everyday lives? We will approach this study in the following way, (i) we will examine the original Hebrew (Masoretic Text), Aramaic (Targum Pseudo Jonathan), and Greek (Septuagint, LXX) texts of sefer Tehillim, (ii) we will look at classical Christian commentary, and (iii) we will examine the Rabbinic commentary from Midrash Tehillim. <\/span><\/p>\n

Overview of Tehillim<\/span><\/p>\n

Sefer Tehillim (Book of Psalms) is derived from the Hebrew word Tehillim meaning <\/span>\u201cPraises\u201d<\/span> and is the first book of the third section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Ketuvim or Sacred Writings, and is comprised of 150 psalms. A large number of the psalms contain superscrip\u00adtions that describe their contents, their author, and, it is generally assumed, in some cases, the melodies to which they were sung during the services in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple in Jerusalem). In Jewish tradition, in the transmission of the Hebrew bible, these superscriptions are considered separate verses. Therefore when studying the verses of Tehillim and comparing to the English translations (i.e. the KJV) the verse numbers are offset as a result of the superscriptions becoming verses in our Hebrew Bible. These superscriptions are not considered verses in the English translations. The KJV and other English translations of Tehillim do not consider these superscriptions as separate verses so the numbering scheme throughout the English translation of the Psalms are off with respect to the Hebrew Bible. This is an odd translational feature of the English versions of the Scriptures so one needs to keep this in mind while referencing the Masoretic text. Sefer HaTehillim consists of prayers and songs that have inspired people throughout history. According to the Masoretic text Sefer HaTehillim consists of several collections or groupings of Psalms. Scholars believe the first Psalm (\u05ea\u05d4\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0) to be an introduction to the book as a whole, and Psalm 150 (\u05ea\u05d4\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e7\u05e0) to be an epilogue. There are also concluding notes at the end of the Psalms 41, 72, 89, and 106 which corroborates the layout of the book as being written or grouped into five separate sections. The rabbinic midrash (<\/span>rabbinic interpretation from the period of the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud<\/span>) to Psalms states that David com\u00adposed the Psalms in five books, just as Moses wrote the five books of the Torah (Pentateuch). The midrash suggests that there may be a parallel, on the grouping of the Psalms into five books, with the Torah being given to us consisting of the five books of Moshe. In our studies David will be assumed to be the author of the book of Psalms but we will also take into consideration that the Psalms were written over a broader span of history contributed by various authors. In the <\/span>Talmud Bavli Bava Batra 14b<\/span>, the rabbis state that the authorship of the Psalms was David even though some Psalms preceded his writings. For example, the superscription to Psalm 90 says <\/span>\u201cA prayer of Moses, the man of God.\u201d<\/span> Scholars attribute seventy two of the psalms to David where Tehillim 90 is attributed to Moshe because it is explicitly stated according to the written text. Other Psalms are not attributed to a par\u00adticular author and are therefore called the <\/span>\u201corphan psalms.\u201d<\/span> Therefore, according to the Masoretic text itself it would be incorrect to say that David is the author of all the psalms in sefer Tehillim. Neverthe\u00adless, rabbinic tradition sees David as the final author of the book, although he is said to have included the works of others in his final compo\u00adsition. In <\/span>2 Samuel 23:1<\/span> \u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05bc\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d3\u05bc\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b6\u05df-\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05bc\u05b6\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d4\u05bb\u05e7\u05b7\u05dd \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d6\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc. <\/span> Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel (NASB),<\/span> David is described in <\/span>2 Samuel 23:1<\/span> as <\/span>\u201cthe sweet singer in Israel.\u201d<\/span> The view of the Davidic authorship of all of Tehillim was not left unquestioned in the Middle Ages and is rejected by all modern biblical scholars as anachronistic (out dated). The reason being for example, <\/span>Psalm 137<\/span> speaks of the period hundreds of years following David\u2019s death, when the Temple was destroyed and the Israel was in exile in Babylon. The book of Psalms is now seen as a collection of poetry, hymns, and songs compiled at different periods in history. There is no real reason to doubt that some of them go back to David himself, with psalms or groups of psalms added later to the collection.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Psalms consist of 5 books<\/span><\/p>\n

Book 1 \/<\/span> \u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\u05d5\u05df<\/span>: Tehilim \/ Psalms 1-41<\/span><\/p>\n

Book 2 \/ <\/span>\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9<\/span>: Tehilim \/ Psalms 42-72<\/span><\/p>\n

Book 3 \/ <\/span>\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05e9\u05dc\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9<\/span>: Tehilim \/ Psalms 73-89<\/span><\/p>\n

Book 4 \/ <\/span>\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05e8\u05d1\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9<\/span>: Tehilim \/ Psalms 90-106<\/span><\/p>\n

Book 5 \/ <\/span>\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05d7\u05de\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9<\/span>: Tehilim \/ Psalms 107-150<\/span><\/p>\n

Davidic Psalms:<\/span><\/p>\n

Tehilim \/ Psalms 3-41, 51-65, 68-71, 108-110, 138-145<\/span><\/p>\n

Sons of Korah: <\/span><\/p>\n

Tehillim \/ Psalms 42\/43-49, 84-85, 87-88<\/span><\/p>\n

Asaph: <\/span><\/p>\n

Tehillim \/ Psalms 73-83<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalms grouped together in a particular genre<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Tehillim \/ Psalms of ascents 120-134<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Enthronement Tehillim \/ Psalms 93, 96-99<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Hallelujah Tehillim \/ Psalms 146-150<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Reference Materials<\/span><\/p>\n

    For the layperson performing a word study in the Hebrew and Greek bibles, one will minimally need the following resources. (i) The Masoretic text or an interlinear English-Hebrew text. If you know very little Hebrew you may also use an English translation with words that are keyed to the Strong numbers such as the AMG Hebrew Word Study Bible. (ii) A Hebrew Lexicon for definitions and studying the etymology of selected words. (iii) A concordance in order to study the frequency and range of usage for selected words in the Hebrew and Greek Bibles. (iv) Other bible research tools such as software resources for searching the Hebrew and Greek texts. I used the following resources while studying the Hebrew and Greek texts, definitions, and performing word searches, etymology, frequency and range studies contained in this book. Throughout the studies in the Psalms the words and definitions, etc., should be assumed to be taken from the following list of reference materials. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB)<\/span>. The BDB is considered the finest and most comprehensive Hebrew lexicon available to the English speaking student and is based upon the classic work of Wilhelm Gesenius. This is available in hard copy or pdf format. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Englishman\u2019s Hebrew Concordance of the Old Testament<\/span> coded with Strong\u2019s concordance numbers by George V. Wigram. This book is good for Hebrew word searches through the Tanach and provides the various occurrences as each word is used according to their verbal stems. It is important to understand that the context and sentence syntax must be taken into consideration while attempting to translate and understand a given word within the Hebrew Scriptures.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Thayer\u2019s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament<\/span> coded with Strong\u2019s concordance numbers by Joseph H. Thayer. Thayer\u2019s Greek-English lexicon is one of the best Greek New Testament lexicons available. Based upon the acclaimed German lexicon by C. L. W. Grimm, Thayer\u2019s first appeared in 1885.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Englishman\u2019s Greek Concordance of the New Testament<\/span> coded with Strong\u2019s concordance numbers by George V. Wigram. This book is a must have for Greek word searches through the Ketuvei Shelachim (Apostolic Writings, New Testament). <\/span><\/p>\n

    Hatch and Redpath Concordance to the Septuagint<\/span>, second edition, Baker Academic publishers (HPCLXX), by Edwin Hatch and Henry A. Redpath. This book is a must have for word searches being conducted in the Greek language in the Septuagint and other Greek versions of the Old Testament including the Apocryphal Books. <\/span><\/p>\n

    \u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05de\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd<\/span> (Sefer Milim) Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Yerushalmi, and Midrashic literature<\/span> by Marcus Jastrow. This lexicon is available for free download online in pdf format. This lexicon is a must have for serious students of the Hebrew and Aramaic texts. The literature in this lexicon covers a period of one thousand years and contains Hebrew and Aramaic elements in about equal proportions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u05e1\u05d3\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e7\u05d5\u05dc \u05d9\u05e2\u05e7\u05d1<\/span> (Siddur kol Yaakov) Rabinical Council of America Edition of the Artscroll Siddur<\/span> by Rabbi Nosson Scherman and Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz. This Siddur was used for study of the rabbinical liturgy and contains both Hebrew and English parallel texts with commentary, Torah and instructions, layout and typography and Hebrew grammar. This has become a standard in rabbinic Judaism liturgy for Shabbat and festivals services.<\/span><\/p>\n

    New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis<\/span> (5 Vol Set) by Willem A VanGemeren. Available in book form or on CD ROM. This work is based upon the NIV and is becoming a standard lexicon for Hebrew Word studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Theological Word book of the Old Testament<\/span> by Harris, Archer, and Waltke. Includes discussions on every Hebrew word of theological significance in the Tanach, plus brief definitions of the words found in Brown, Driver, and Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. Keyed to Strong\u2019s Concordance.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament<\/span> by William Lee Holladay. Based on a larger and more exhaustive Halot lexicon, the concise Halot contains almost every word in the Hebrew Tanach without long, drawn out definitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era: The Age of Tannaim, Vol. 1 & 2 <\/span>by George Foot Moore, Hendrickson Publishers. These books were used to help understand the history of the Jewish people from the time of the exile of the Jews from Yisrael until the first century community during the second temple period. The aim of these volumes is to represent Judaism in the centuries in which it is assumed definitive form as it presents itself in the tradition which it has been regarded as authentic. This work cites primary sources and texts from the Talmud, Midrashic literature, the Tanach and the Ketuvei Shelachim.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sapirstein Edition Rashi: The Torah with Rashi\u2019s Commentary Translated, Annotated and Elucidated, Vols. 1-5: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy<\/span> by Rabbi Yisrael Herczeg. Rashi\u2019s commentary, English translation is is taken from the Sapirstein Edition and the Hebrew text quotations of Rashi\u2019s was taken from the Judaic Classics Digital Library. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Everyman\u2019s Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages<\/span> by Abraham Cohen. This is a comprehensive introduction to the teachings of the Talmud that summarizes the wisdom of the rabbinic sages on the dominant themes of Judaism: the doctrine of God, God and the universe, the soul and its destiny; prophesy and revelation; physical life; moral life and social living; law, ethics, and jurisprudence, legends and folk traditions, the Messiah, and the world to come. This book may be used as a quick reference on the teachings found in rabbinic Judaism. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Judaic Classics Digital Library CD ROM, Judaic Classics Torah Resources CD ROM (JCD)<\/span>, by David Jantrowitz, Version 3.0.8 \u00a9 1991-2004 Institute for Computers in Jewish Life, Davka Corporation, and\/or Judaica Press Inc. Brooklyn NY, <\/span>www.davka.com<\/span><\/a> This software was the source for the Hebrew and Aramaic text shown in this book including the word searches. This software contains a large collection of resources, the Tanach, the Torah commentary, Parashah insights from Rashi and others, Talmud Bavil and Yerushalmi, Tzuras Ha-Daf, Kabbalah, Midrashim, and more. The resources found on this DVD collection are in Hebrew and Aramaic only. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Judaic Scholar Digital Reference Library<\/span>TM<\/span> (JSDRL),<\/span> 2008, <\/span>www.publishersrow.com<\/span><\/a>, Whether your field of interest is Jewish Studies, Hebrew Bible, early Christianity, or Comparative Religion, this is an online subscription library that includes resources such as the following collections, The War against Israel, JPS Digital Torah Library, Judaic Scholar Digital Reference Library, Rabbinic Bookshelf, S.R. Driver – U. Cassuto Collection, Sepharad: The Essential Library, The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Tanakh. This collection has 434 books available for use as reference materials and is a subscription use access that may be rented on a year to year basis and accessed from almost any computer with an Internet connection. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments<\/span>, Samuel Rolles Driver, Alfred Plummer, 2005, Varda Books, 1906, T & T Clark, Edinburgh. This commentary was originally published in 1906. The introductory chapters contain information on the division of the Psalms, the Hebrew MSS and the Massorah, the traditions of the church, and information on the interpretation of the Psalms from the Roman Catholic Church. This commentary will help to offer background information on interpretation of the Psalms from a traditional Christian perspective. This will be valuable with respect to our analysis of the rabbinic commentary on the Psalms.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Learning to read Midrash, by Simi Peters, Urim Publications, Jerusalem, 2004.<\/span> This book was used to help understand the mashal (parable) and the nimshal (the text narrative that follows the mashal and seeks to clarify the link between the mashal and the biblical text) that is found within the Midrash on Tehillim. These writings and interpretations are open to debate and criticism since the rabbis often have a didactic agenda in telling their stories and the way the midrash is weaved together. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Rabbinic Commentary<\/span><\/p>\n

    Studying the rabbinic commentary from Midrash Tehillim we will following Simi Peters method of analysis to analyze the midrash by (i) dividing the paragraph into its constituent parts, (ii) examining the mashal (parable) as a story in its own right, (iii) isolating the important elements of the mashal, (iv) matching the elements of the mashal and the nimshal, (v) drawing conclusions, and (vi) re-reading the biblical text in light of the midrash. The midrash will be read where each mashal is considered an individual work authored by the rabbi to whom it is attributed. The sowing together of the disjointed sayings of the rabbis will be discussed to try and understand the role of the chronology and sequence of references found throughout the midrash.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>Midrash Tehillim (<\/span>\u05de\u05d3\u05e8\u05e9 \u05ea\u05d4\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd<\/span>) is a haggadic midrash known to exist from the 11th century and is quoted by Rashi (<\/span>Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak (1040-1105), who is the author of influential rabbinic Biblical and Talmudic commentaries<\/span>) in his commentary on <\/span>1 Samuel 17:49<\/span>, and in many other passages. Midrash Tehillim (<\/span>\u05de\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05dc\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd<\/span>, Midrash Psalms), a Haggadic Midrash on the Psalms is also called Aggadat Tehillim. Rashi on <\/span>Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 33:7<\/span> uses this phrase <\/span>\u201cAggadat Tehillim\u201d<\/span> and in many other passages. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Mashal (Midrashic Parable)<\/span><\/p>\n

    The mashal is generally made up of two parts (i) the parable itself and (ii) the nimshal or explanation of the midrash. The mashal is introduced by the Hebrew phrase <\/span>\u05dc\u05de\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d3\u05d5\u05de\u05d4<\/span> (le-ma hadavar domeh, <\/span>\u201cthis may be compared to\u201d<\/span>). The nimshal is introduced by the Hebrew word <\/span>\u05db\u05da<\/span> (kakh, <\/span>\u201cthus\u201d<\/span>). The question for ourselves is \u05dc\u05de\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d9 (lama li?) why do I need this word, verse, statement, or phrase? What does the mashal add to our understanding of the text? What would be missing if we read the text without the aid of the mashal? The mashal is like a metaphor, it is thought provoking because it compares two things revealing differences between them. The parallels drawn out by the mashal are only partial or superficial. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The mashal may introduce an interpretive problem and then provide its resolution. Studying the mashal we might miss its meaning, therefore to ensure we methodically examine the midrash thoroughly. I will try to follow this six step procedure.<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Divide the paragraph into its constituent parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Examine the mashal part of the midrash as a story in its own right to look for inconsistencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Isolate important elements of the mashal part of the midrash.<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Match elements of the mashal and nimshal.<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. Draw conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    6. Read the biblical text in light of the midrash to see how the mashal has helped interpret the text.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Due to the length of each midrashim it will not be possible to address all of the midrashic commentary. Take for example in <\/span>Tehillim \/ Psalms 1<\/span> there are 22 parts, 15 pages of text. Therefore, we will look at selected portions of the midrash and the rest will be left for personal study.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Reading the midrashim it is important to watch for the absence of straight forward statements, sometimes the midrash will clearly state the problem and at other times a clear statement will be missing. The nimshal is an expansion of the midrashic story that expands upon the biblical story beyond what is actually written in the text. We must keep these things in mind, metaphor is being used to help understand the text and to dig a little deeper, the midrash is not attempting to rewrite the biblical narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Translation of Midrash Tehillim<\/span><\/p>\n

    In these studies we will be looking at the Hebrew\/Aramaic midrashic literature on Psalms. I will also be translating the midrash into English. There are difficulties in translation and trying to translate the Hebrew and Aramaic text of the midrash. Translation issues arise for several reason, one of the greatest difficulties is that word meanings may have changed or been lost to us over time. The loss of meaning becomes obvious when the translation becomes awkward and we find ourselves unable to translate words. The differing meaning of words through time (history) also cause us to mistakenly assume we have understood something correctly. The difficult task then will be to determine the meaning of the words within their context found in the midrash and in the holy Scriptures. The English translation will definitely affect our understanding and interpretation of the text, therefore these things must be kept in mind while reading the English translation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The midrash generally has the following structure:<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. The <\/span><\/a>dibur hamat\u2019hil (line 1, the beginning word)<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. The <\/span><\/a>petihta (line 2), homiletic introduction to the section including a verse from the Scriptures.<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. The <\/span><\/a>mashal (parable)<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. The <\/span><\/a>nimshal (expansion of parable)<\/span><\/p>\n

    5. The concluding verses with commentary<\/span><\/p>\n

    Christian Commentary<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Psalms, similar to other wisdom literature of the Tanakh (<\/span>i.e. Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes<\/span>) is written in Hebrew by an ancient people. Unlike English poetry which emphasizes rhyme and meter, the Hebrew poet emphasized other characteristics such as parallelisms and figures of speech. Looking at recent research, commentary, and publications interestingly the discovery of Ugarit and the Ugaritic texts have had a profound impact upon the modern scholars understanding of Tehillim \/ Psalms. The following journals will be surveyed (searched) using key words pertaining to each particular Psalm throughout this study. The purpose is to examine the most recent literature researchers have been publishing on the Psalms. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Bible Research Journals<\/span> (<\/span>http:\/\/www.sagepub.com<\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n