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ESV

English Standard Version (ESV)

New Living Translation (NLT)

123 A Song of Ascents. To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

4 Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. The ESV® Bible audio production, copyright © 2008 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Read the complete notice here.

Introduction to Psalms

Background of Psalms

What Is the Book of Psalms About?

Time: 4 Minutes

Have you ever been at a loss for words?

It happens to all of us. Maybe you’re in a conversation and someone makes a comment that you don’t know how to respond to. Or you see a wonder like the Grand Canyon that leaves you speechless. Maybe a friend showed you such kindness that you responded with, “I don’t know what to say.” Maybe you’ve had experiences so tragic that all words seem too shallow and hollow to capture your feelings.

In God’s kindness, the Bible has a book that helps us communicate our emotions to God. In other words, this book gives us words to express our experiences of joy, grief, anxiety, fear, gratitude, or anticipation. It’s called the book of Psalms.

This book is a compilation of 150 songs written by Israelites like King David, Moses, Solomon, or the worship leader Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:39; 15:17; 16:5; 2 Chronicles 5:12). These songs give voice to the deepest human emotions and experience. But unlike a cry in the dark, scream therapy, or an artful expression, the psalms lead us to a person. They implicitly train us to approach God in any state we find ourselves in, and to process the workings of our soul with him in a way that honors him. For, not all self-expression is honoring to the Lord. He welcomes us to “vent” to him, but also gives us a sort of “breathing lesson” through the psalms, so that we grow in a righteous and loving relationship with the Lord in heartfelt prayer.

John Calvin refers to this book as an “Anatomy of All Parts of the Soul.” In the same way that cardiologists study ventricles, atriums, or the aorta, Christians study the soul—the most essential part of life that we cannot see. And the psalms are a window God has given to us through which we can see our own souls, but they are also like a counselor who helps us express our hearts to God.

Have you ever felt envious towards others? Asaph has. He writes, “God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart. But as for me, my feet almost slipped . . . For I envied the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:1-3 CSB).

Have you ever been afraid? “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4 CSB).

Have you ever felt so burdened by your sin that you felt even God couldn’t redeem you? “He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle” (Psalm 103:3-5 CSB).

More than simply teaching us how to express our feelings towards God, the book of Psalms also teaches us what healthy emotions towards God look like. When we come to the book of Psalms, we should be encouraged to reflect on our own feelings and challenged to bring our own hearts and minds in line with that of the psalmist. This book is a wonderful reminder that God cares about our emotions because he cares about us (1 Peter 5:7).

However, the book of Psalms is not only about our emotional life. Most importantly, the psalms reveal God’s character to us and train us to praise him.

The book of Psalms welcomes us to sing, to cry, to pray to the God of Israel, our God, the God, whether in pain or times of prosperity.

This book celebrates God’s past faithfulness (Psalm 78). It warms our hearts to God’s compassion as we hear the songs of lament spoken out of great darkness (Psalm 13). It welcomes us to join in shouts of praise as it sings about the unchanging character of God (Psalm 92). This book invites the readers into the story of Scripture—his past faithfulness, his present help, and future promises—not as a passive onlooker, but as a participant. The book of Psalms welcomes us to sing, to cry, to pray to the God of Israel, our God, the God, whether in pain or times of prosperity.

We know, looking back, that the deliverance, steadfast love, and triumph that the psalmists hoped in came to us fully in Jesus Christ. He is the promised one who would rescue Israel from sin and death and open the way for us to love and worship God as his people, no matter what nation we come from (John 14:6). The psalms speak prophetically about Jesus’ coming and his triumph on behalf of God’s people all throughout (e.g. Psalm 22).

Open the book of Psalms. It won’t just give you something to say, when you’re at a loss for how to speak to God. It will fill your soul with praise, and train you to cry out to the King of kings and loving Lord in every situation. And it will clarify your vision of God as you discover what the God of Israel is really like.

What Is the Background of Psalms?

Time: 30 Minutes

The Background of Psalms

1

Author and Date

Individual psalms come from diverse periods of Israel’s history, but at every stage they served as the songbook of God’s people. David wrote about half of the Psalms. His role as king was more than that of a ruler. He was to represent and even embody the people, and their well-being was tied to his faithfulness. David, then, writes as a representative, and the readers must discern whether the emphasis of a psalm is more on his role as ruler or more on his role as ideal Israelite, in which he is an example for all. The historical occasions mentioned in the psalm titles help the reader see how faith applies to real-life situations.

2

Key Themes

The Psalter is fundamentally the hymnbook of God’s people. It takes the basic themes of Old Testament theology and turns them into song:

1. Monotheism

The one God, Maker and Ruler of all, will vindicate his goodness and justice in his own time. Everyone must know and love this God, whose purity, power, wisdom, faithfulness, and unceasing love are breathtakingly beautiful.

2. Creation and Fall

Though God made man with dignity and purpose, all people since the fall are beset with sins and weaknesses that only God’s grace can heal.

3. Election and Covenant

The one true God chose a people for himself and bound himself to them by his covenant. This covenant expressed God’s intention to save his people, and through them to bring light to the world.

4. Covenant Membership

In his covenant, God offers grace to his people: forgiveness of their sins, the shaping of their lives to reflect his own glory, and a part to play as light to the Gentiles. Each member of God’s people is responsible to believe God’s promises and to grow in obeying his commands. Those who do this enjoy the full benefits of God’s love and find delight in knowing him. The well-being of God’s people as a whole affects the well-being of each member. Each one shares the joys and sorrows of the others. When believers suffer, they should not seek revenge but should pray. They can be confident that God will make all things right in his own time.

5. Eschatology

The story of God’s people is headed toward a glorious future, in which all kinds of people will come to know the Lord. The personal faithfulness of God’s people contributes to his ultimate purpose. The Messiah, the ultimate heir of David, will lead his people in the great task of bringing light to the Gentiles.

3

Types of Psalms

The Psalms can be identified according to some basic categories:

Laments, which lay a troubled situation before the Lord, asking him for help. There are community (Psalm 12) and individual (Psalm 13) laments. This category is the largest by far, including up to a third of all Psalms.
Hymns of praise, which call God’s people to admire his great attributes and deeds. Examples include Psalms 8; 93; and 145.
Hymns of thanksgiving. As with laments, there are community (Psalm 9) and individual (Psalm 30) thanksgiving psalms.
Hymns celebrating God’s law (Psalm 119).
Wisdom psalms (Psalms 1; 37), which reflect themes from the Wisdom Books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon).
Songs of confidence, which enable worshipers to deepen their trust in God amid difficult circumstances (Psalm 23).
Royal psalms, which present the Davidic monarchy as the vehicle of blessing for God’s people. Some of these are prayers (Psalm 20), some are thanksgivings (Psalm 21). All relate to the Messiah, the ultimate heir of David, either by setting a pattern (Psalms 20–21) or by portraying the king’s reign in such a way that only the Messiah can completely fulfill it (Psalms 2; 72), or by focusing on the future (Psalm 110).
Historical psalms, which take lessons from the history of God’s dealings with his people (Psalm 78).
Prophetic hymns, which echo the Prophets, calling people to covenant faithfulness (Psalm 81).

4

Structure

The standard Hebrew text divides the Psalms into five “books,” perhaps in imitation of the five books of the Pentateuch.

Background of Psalms

The Global Message of The Psalms

The Psalms are a resounding call for all God’s people and for all the world to sing! We are called to sing songs of confession and trust in God; to sing songs of thanksgiving and praise. The Psalms summon the global church to take up the cause of calling the world to join in such global and eternal songs of trust in, delight in, and worship of God for his magnificence—especially his magnificence displayed in his saving mercy.

1

Songs of Honest Lament

There is a surprising degree of honesty found in the prayers and songs of the Psalms. We find honest lament to God, with frequent repetition of questions such as “Why?” and “How long?” The psalmist asks in Psalm 42:9, “Why have you forgotten me?” Another psalm wonders, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1; see also 88:14). “How long, O Lord?” is a frequent cry to God in the Psalms (see Psalm 6:3; 13:1; 79:5; 89:46). Such prayers flow from desperately challenging situations, in which life feels overwhelming. Yet they also reflect the confident expectations of our honest cries to our compassionate and faithful God. The Lord invites his people worldwide to be boldly transparent before him—no masks, no pretense—even when the heart is breaking. He promises never to abandon those who belong to him.

2

Songs of Repentance and Trust

Songs of repentance are scattered throughout the Psalms. In such songs there are confessions of corporate sin—“Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness” (Psalm 106:6)—and individual songs of penitence (Psalms 6; 25; 32; 38; 51; 130; 143). These are not hopeless laments, but cries to a God who is a gracious deliverer (Psalm 6:4), who deals with us according to his great love and mercy (Psalm 51:1), and whose forgiveness flows from his goodness and not ours (Psalm 130:3–4).

There is abundant reason to trust such a God for every good thing and in every situation (Psalm 23). To such a God we turn in times of great trouble, when we are at an utter loss in this fallen world. When enemies surround us and there is no one to help, God is our hope for deliverance (Psalm 22). Whether the desperate individual (Psalm 13) or the destitute community (Psalm 12) is in view, God is faithful to his promises. His steadfast love endures. He is worthy of our songs!

3

Songs of Thanksgiving and Praise

The Psalms are a divinely orchestrated hymnbook of thanksgiving and praise for God’s people. The covenant people of God return thanks to God for his wonderful deeds of deliverance, justice, and defense (Psalm 9), and for his favor and mercies (Psalm 30:5, 7, 8, 10). All of this moves his people to burst into songs of joy and glad dancing (Psalm 30:11–12).

In the Psalms, the people of God rejoice in all that God is and all that he has done. These songs of praise exalt God for his unsearchable greatness, his glorious splendor, and his awesome deeds (Psalm 145:3–6). He is worshiped as the King over all creation (Psalm 93:1), the eternal King (Psalm 10:16), the King of glory (Psalm 24:8, 10), the King of all the earth (Psalm 47:7), and the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:3).

4

The Global Message of the Psalms

For All God’s People

The global message of the Psalms is that in light of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness there is a song to be sung by all God’s people everywhere—whatever their circumstances, whatever their emotions, whatever their adversity. The song to be sung will be of varied themes: lament, confession, repentance, thanksgiving, or praise to God. All of these, however, are songs of worship, expressing the universal experiences of God’s people. This is worship of God by the individual and the community, local and global, young and old (Psalm 148:12), now and forever (Psalm 89:52). For a lost world filled with rebellion and sorrow, there is no greater remedy than a song that brings those who sing it to take refuge in God himself: a song for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the sojourner, the widow, and the fatherless (Psalm 146:7–9).

A New Song

The message of the Psalms is a call to the whole world to “Sing a new song!” “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 96:1). This is not a song of empty promises, but a song full of hope, a song exulting in the salvation of a covenant keeping and merciful God; not a song that fades, but an enduring, eternal song; a song of a God who lifts us out of mud and mire (Psalm 69:2, 14).

Celebrating Salvation

The book of Psalms opens with a picture of the two ways of life—the blessed and fruitful life of the one who delights in God, and the fleeting life of the wicked who (apart from God) stand condemned (Psalm 1). The world is called to set aside folly and to join in the life and song of the Redeemer, celebrating the salvation that is rooted in the sacrifice of the Savior (Psalm 22). This new song has been sung down through the ages; it continues today throughout the world; and it will one day be sung in the very throne room of God (Revelation 14:3).

5

Summoning the Nations

To the Ends of the Earth

The global church has a message for the world: join in this song! It is a celebration that will generate further praise—globally, generationally, and eternally. The church is to “declare his glory among the nations!” (Psalm 96:3). From Israel to the Christian church today to the global kingdom that will one day be known to the very ends of the earth, the redeemed of the Lord will come from every nation, tribe, people, and language, giving God thanks and celebrating his grace (Revelation 7:9).

For All Nations

There is a message for the nations: “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” (Psalm 117:1). The Lord humbles the nations (Psalm 9:5, 19, 20), but he extends to all an offer of mercy and grace. One day, the nations will become Christ’s inheritance (Psalm 2:8). This song begins with us but it must not end with us. There is a glorious globalization of the worship of God that we are privileged to help advance. In Christ we have found fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). In turn we call the nations as well to be glad and sing for joy in him (Psalm 67:4).

Fulfilled in Jesus

The love and mercy of God that forms the heart of the Psalms explodes onto history with the coming of Christ. It is in and through him that believers worldwide see God’s covenant faithfulness right before their eyes.

Spreading God’s Glory

That glorious, global worship of God through Jesus Christ is not yet fully known or complete. Generating it is therefore our glad mission while on this earth. We will not rest till God’s glorious name is blessed forever and the whole earth is filled with his glory (Psalm 72:19).

Read the Preface for ESV Study Notes

Ps. 123:1–2 The first section describes the way God’s faithful look toward God for help. The image of servants looking to a master and a maidservant to a mistress is that of waiting patiently and trustingly for God to act.

Psalm Ps. 123. This is a community lament, as the references to “we” and “us” show. In this Song of Ascents (see note on Psalm 120), the faithful pilgrims feel themselves to be the objects of scorn and contempt. The psalm goes beyond simply asking for a safe journey. It seeks relief from the scorn.

Ps. 123:3–4 The wait for mercy (v. 2) becomes a prayer, have mercy upon us. The mercy desired is relief from those who show contempt and scorn toward the faithful pilgrims.

Search Results

Hymns

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

What Is the Book of Psalms About?

What Is the Background of Psalms?