Another Bible Commentary: Psalms

The Book of Psalms is the Hebrew hymnbook. I offer some notes about context, New Testament references, etc., but I’m intentionally trying to say less to let the songs breathe. The numbering of the Psalms may differ according to which translation of the Bible you are reading. Like Job, here are more examples of people expressing their feelings to God. Getting a taste of the style and use of metaphorical language of Hebrew poetry will help us understand the prophets better when we get to them.

1:2 Throughout the Psalms, “law” can also be thought of as “teaching”.

1:3 This same sentiment is ascribed to the faithful in Jeremiah 17:7-8. Like a tree planted by the water with plenty of air and sunlight, we have everything we need for life and godliness thanks to Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Please forgive me for tangents about biblical geography, botany, etc. An acacia tree can lie dormant (much like a believer meditating on Scriptures during a difficult season) in a desert until the rainy season brings back the stream.

1:4 Chaff is the husks of grain easily blown away by the wind.

1:6 “righteous” Jesus made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), so believers are always on the “us” half of these blustery us/them declarations.

Psalm 2 is about the Messiah.

2:2 is a preview of Armageddon.

2:7 “become” or revealed that He is (Matthew 3:17).

2:8 like Psalm 82:8. See Daniel 7:14 and Isaiah 53:12.

2:10 Jesus’ recorded words are not favorable about the actions of bad shepherds. The “rulers of the earth” can also be seen through the lens of Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and 1 John 5:19 about Satan and the Watchers (Genesis 11:8 note).

2:12 Again, the rough stuff is for unbelievers (John 6:37-40).

Psalm 3 is set in the days of 2 Samuel 15 through 2 Samuel 18.

3:3 “lifts my head high” Encourages.

3:7 David (1 Kings 15:5), a man after God’s own heart, wrote many imprecatory Psalms (including such feel-good hits as “Break the Teeth of the Wicked” and “May His Children Be Fatherless and His Wife a Widow”). There is a difference between praying for justice (which may be expressed any number of ways in the heat of the moment; God knows the heart he installed in you) and yelling “Drop dead!” at someone as if you had the final say. There is more about this in the next Psalm.

4:1 “righteous God” is translated elsewhere as God of my righteousness, the God who declares me innocent, etc. (Romans 8:33 and 2 Corinthians 5:21).

4:4 “tremble in your anger and do not sin” is quoted in Ephesians 4:26. This is what David was doing in Psalm 3:7. There is a difference between being rightly riled up at circumstances and the hatred/grudges forbidden in Leviticus 19:17-18, otherwise table-flipping Jesus would have been accused of sinning (John 8:46).

4:7 “my heart”, “their grain” Lasting joy from trusting God trumps external circumstances.

5:4 God’s not pleased with wickedness, so Jesus took it all (John 1:29).

5:6 “bloodthirsty and deceitful” The very things David failed at (2 Samuel 11 and 1 Kings 15:5). The things we judge others for can become stumbling blocks for ourselves. Ultimately, to try to live under the Law is to fail (Galatians 3:9-14). See Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:1, and Romans 7:15.

5:7 “your house” See John 14:2-3. David meant the Temple, but Christians will get an upgrade reminiscent of the Beverly Hillbillies.

5:9 like Psalm 12:2, Psalm 28:3, etc.

5:12 “righteous” See 2 Corinthians 5:21.

6:1 “anger”, “wrath” Jesus took it all (1 John 2:1-2 and 1 John 4:18). The same sentiment is in Psalm 38:1.

Psalm 7 is said to be about “Cush, a Benjaminite”. Saul, son of Kish, is plausible for the royal lion in verse 2.

7:3 “guilt on my hands” More like a Job-esque “I haven’t done enough wrong to deserve this” than an absolute declaration of sinlessness.

7:4 “repaid my ally with evil” David eventually did this to Uriah. See Psalm 5:6 note.

7:10 “upright in heart” Christians have received new hearts as a part of the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:26); God knows they’re good because He put them in that way.

Psalm 8 - Tom Fettke’s choral anthem “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name” based on this is worth a listen.

8:2 The Septuagint rendition of this is: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, because of thine enemies…” Jesus quotes it in Matthew 21:16.

8:5-6 “lower than the angels” is sometimes translated as “lower than God”. God gave us a world (Genesis 1:26), and we gave it to Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), so it works either way.

9:10 See John 6:37-40.

9:12 This will be a big theme in Revelation.

9:17-20 are instructive concerning Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25, in which we fare well as “the least of these” aka His brethren (and the corrupt leaders of this world’s institutions aka the viceroys of Satan do not).

Psalm 10 is really Psalm 9 Part 2; the numbering of the Psalms may differ according to which translation of the Bible you are reading.

10:2,8 See 2 Samuel 11 regarding Uriah.

11:5-6 Raining fire and sulfur are context clues. See Genesis 19 to see what sort and level of “violence” is meant. See also Revelation 8:5. The Greek boxing Paul used non-judgmentally (1 Corinthians 9:26) as a sermon example was more violent than the mixed martial arts, football, wrestling, etc., that are popular at the time of this writing.

11:7 See Matthew 5:8. Who is “pure in heart”? Those whom God has made pure (Ezekiel 36:26). See John 6:29.

12:2 Again, like Psalm 5:9, Psalm 28:3, etc.

12:4 in defiance of God.

12:5 “needy” See 1 Peter 1:18-19. Our money has no real value. It cannot buy an hour in Heaven. God owns everything, and those of us that recognize that are “needy”. The godless persecute the godly. Rich David, who acknowledged God as the source of his blessings (Psalm 16:2) considered himself poor and needy (Psalm 40:17, Psalm 70:5).

12:7 “keep the needy safe” = “keep us safe”

12:8 The “proud” are those who do not acknowledge God’s superiority (Proverbs 22:4). Mere arrogance can be off-putting, but this distinction frequently gets forgotten.

13:2 “wrestle with my thoughts” like in Genesis 32, the origin of the name Israel: “Wrestles With God”.

13:5-6 Re-read these a few times; very New Testament.

14:1 “fool” A biblical fool is not just unintelligent, gullible, etc., but an actual or practical atheist who denies God’s existence or authority (or lives like that without considering the topic).

14:3 See Jeremiah 2:29, Ecclesiastes 7:20, and Romans 3.

14:5 We’re the righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21) thanks to what Jesus did for us. God is with us. To attack an ally is to attack all allies. Our enemies fight God.

15:1 Jesus. Here’s why…

15:2-4 Being utterly truthful without saying anything derogatory about others seems like a superheroic feat akin to eating soup with a fork (James 3:2). Jesus did all of Psalm 15 for us, so He gets to live in the holy place. He’s going to let us live with Him (John 14:2-3). That being said, saying positive true things, holding your tongue when appropriate, and keeping your word are great.

16:1 Like I said, living with Him is the thing to do.

16:10 Sure enough, Jesus rose from the dead before decaying.

17:3 “I have planned no evil” Hebrew scholars tell us that coveting is wanting something that belongs to another and wanting for them not to have it. It is the envious “evil eye” that begrudges another’s success. If you would settle for a substitute and would be perfectly happy for them to have an even better one, it does not rise to the level of covetousness. When translated into Greek from Hebrew, the best word they had access to for coveting was “epithumeo” (roughly, to set the heart upon) or inordinate out-of-bounds lust, which was subsequently translated merely as “lust” throughout some English Bibles, creating many inconsistencies. Notice throughout the Bible how often “covet” goes with “and take”; there is an intent to steal (Exodus 34:24, Deuteronomy 7:25, Joshua 7:21). Also, Jesus taught that hatred/grudges in violation of Leviticus 19:17-18 is akin to plotting murder in the Sermon on the Mount by placing that scenario alongside coveting/adultery.

17:8 “apple” the pupil

17:10 can be translated “they have closed up their fat” to indicate callous prosperity. This verse is reminiscent of men like Nabal (1 Samuel 25).

17:12 Since lions can symbolize royalty (Genesis 49:9-10), this may have been about Saul.

17:14 like Exodus 20:5-6.

17:15 This is included in our deal (Revelation 22:4).

Psalm 18 – “David..sang…when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from…Saul.” When David says this again in 2 Samuel 22, the forgiveness material we covered in that note applied, but based on this introduction this was first uttered before the Bathsheba scandal. Therefore, the iniquity David denies doing would have been killing Saul, Nabal, etc.

18:19 He saved us because He loves us; look at the Cross.

18:20-24 This would have to be a Job-esque “I haven’t done enough wrong to deserve this” rather than an absolute declaration of sinlessness without some serious mental gymnastics (Psalm 32:2). Jesus’ righteousness is greater than everything, and it is imputed to us (Romans 8:33).

18:25-26 By the same math, the merciful receive mercy. See Matthew 5:7.

18:27 We acknowledge God’s superiority, so we’re “humble”; the “haughty” do not.

18:30 See John 6:37-40. All’s well that ends well.

18:31 Sorry Dwayne Johnson, but God is the Rock and the Great One.

18:34 This sentiment is repeated in Psalm 144:1.

18:37-47 Compare what David did and what God did. Vengeance is His (Deuteronomy 32:35, Leviticus 19:18), but that does not preclude any action by us. There are legitimate uses of force by government, military, police, in self-defense, etc., depicted in the Bible.

19:1 See Romans 1:20

20:3 There’s one sacrifice He accepts; it was the Crucifixion. See Hebrews 10:14.

20:4-5 Nice. See Psalm 37:4 and 1 John 5:14-15.

20:6 “anointed” David means the king, and by extension King Jesus, but we have this too (1 John 2:20).

21:4 See John 3:16, Colossians 2:13, and Ephesians 2:4-9.

21:6 See Romans 8:32.

21:9 See Revelation 20:9.

Psalm 22 – Jesus quoted this during the Crucifixion.

22:7-8 See Matthew 27:43.

22:12 “Bashan” was the Deuteronomy 3 ranch land.

22:14-15 Jesus was thirsty from blood loss (John 19:28).

22:16 “pierce my hands and feet” with nails to a cross.

22:18 See Matthew 27:35.

22:19-21 Let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but Thine be done…

22:22 “my people” or “my brethren” also known as we Christians (Hebrews 2:12).

22:26 “eat and be satisfied” See John 6:35; “live forever” See John 3:16.

22:27-30 Remember when Jesus referenced Psalm 22:15 so that Scripture would be fulfilled? Psalm 22 ends with Messianic world domination.

22:31 “He has done it!” Amen, yes he has! When He said “It is finished” in John 19:30, He meant it. See Hebrews 10:14.

Psalm 23 – This beloved often-memorized passage deserves extra attention. In summary, the LORD is my Shepherd, and that’s all I need to know.

23:1 In the part of the world where this psalm was first uttered, human shepherds lead sheep with their voices through the desert to new patches of “just enough” grass and puddles in a manner reminiscent of Moses’ forty year hike (Deuteronomy 8:3). However, there were lots of leftovers every time Jesus miraculously fed crowds, etc. Our Father gladly gives us more than enough (Romans 8:32).

23:2 As sheep, we’re too dumb to know what’s good for us. He has to make us lie down where it’s nice. Spots like this require gardening in Israel; the Shepherd is hard at work preparing things on our behalf beyond our comprehension in every area of our lives (e.g. John 14:2-3). Also,we have to be led by still waters because we sheep are too dumb to drink running water.

23:3 It’s not that we deserve it; not only does He have a reputation to uphold (Psalm 109:21), but helping us is consistent with His good nature (Isaiah 43:25).

23:4 It’s not the Valley of Death, just a place where the light is momentarily blocked by death’s existence. We “walk through”; we’re not staying there. A staff nudges sheep onto the right path; a “rod” is a club for predators. The Bible repeatedly tells us not to fear because we are completely loved by the scariest, most powerful, most Other, our-enemies-would-go-insane-and-die-if-they-ever-looked-directly-at-Him God (Romans 8:31).

23:5 A Host must protect His guests according to the expectations of Middle Eastern hospitality. We’re not promised a lack of enemies, but we’re provided for and protected in their midst. Anointing a guest with oil, apart from the biblical “Hey, this person is special!” was soothing in a dry dusty land and also masked odor; He can deal with our messiness. Our cup overflows; we are so blessed that we cannot comprehend or contain it all.

23:6 “Surely” certainly, indubitably; “follow me” actively pursue. We’re being hunted down by goodness and mercy right now, we couldn’t outrun them if we tried. Regarding “house”, David meant hanging out at the Tabernacle, and we’re looking forward to John 14:2-3, but a house also means a dynasty/family (2 Samuel 7:11). We are His children forever.

24:1 like Deuteronomy 10:14.

24:3 Who? Only Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 7:25)...

24:7…here He comes, right on schedule. Judges decided cases at the city gates; in this verse, earthly rulers are put on notice that the King of Kings was on the way.

25:4-5 The Psalms are beautiful, and people feel good praying the texts they’ve memorized. Therefore, they end up praying Old Covenant prayers for stuff we already have (John 16:13).

25:7 We’ve got that as well (Hebrews 8:12).

25:11 Done (Isaiah 43:25).

25:14 “fear” is more like “are in awe of” or “worship”. Don’t take my word for it; take Jesus’ instead. Compare Matthew 4:10 with Deuteronomy 6:13, which He quoted.

26:1,3 Paired items often reinforce the same point in Hebrew (or teach it with contrast). Therefore, to be blameless, trust Him. It’s about His reliability and His love, not our efforts. David’s repeated requests to be vindicated in the Book of Psalms can be understood as “show my enemies that my suffering is not because of my sins; improve my circumstances to demonstrate your favor”.

26:8 The Glory of God (John 1:14) is said to be the pre-Incarnate Christ (based on passages like Ezekiel 1:26-28).

27:9 We have Hebrews 8:12 and Hebrews 13:5.

27:10 We have Ephesians 3:12.

27:12 “false witnesses” Something else Jesus has in common with David.

27:14 To do this, pray and trust that help is coming instead of reacting like a godless fool. Don’t overlook the helicopter if it shows up (Nehemiah 4:9 note).

28:5 “deeds of the LORD…what His hands have done” He made us, and He’s fond of us. See Ephesians 2:10.

29:9 Whether this Hebrew phrase is “twists the oaks” or “makes the deer give birth”, the tree-stripping voice of God is impressive, and He used it to say that He will never leave you, He will never forsake you, and that nothing in all of Creation can snatch you from His hand, yourself included (Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:31-39).

30:3 Jesus was resurrected.

30:5 See Exodus 34:6-7. God’s momentary anger was handled at the Cross (1 John 2:1-2); we’re on the lifetime favor side of the sentence. Joy is coming.

31:5 See Luke 23:46.

31:11-12 See Isaiah 52:14. Jesus was beaten beyond recognition.

31:15 “my times are in your hands” He holds your future.

31:18 Our accusers include the Accuser, Satan. See Romans 8:33.

31:19 See Psalm 37:4, John 10:10, Romans 8:32, and 1 Corinthians 2:9.

31:23 The “proud” cannot say “He is God and I am not”.

Psalm 32 – This is set after (the much more often-quoted) Psalm 51 after David’s Bathsheba-related scandal was resolved.

32:1-2 That’s us (John 1:29, Colossians 2:13-14, Hebrews 8:12, Ezekiel 36:26). Noticing that this kind of righteousness was credited to Abraham (not for works – Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:20) prior to circumcision (Genesis 15:6) just for faith (providing a faith-alone path for Gentile believers) was a big talking point for Paul (Galatians 3:6-9). See Romans 3:20-31 for more.

32:5 The Old Covenant was about confessing sins. We’ve sinned millions of times and confessed far fewer; our memories and legal pads are insufficient to the task. The New Covenant is about confessing that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is Lord (Romans 10:4,9). The New Testament is in Greek; to “confess” is “homologeo”, or “say the same thing as”. It’s important to agree with God about sin and about how that got fixed (Hebrews 10:14).

32:10 “many are the woes of the wicked” One of the mistakes of Job’s “friends” was to back-calculate wickedness based on the presence of woes. See Psalm

34:19, too. Then, resume here for unfailing love in exchange for faith.

32:11 “upright in heart” This is something Jesus did for us (Ezekiel 36:26 and 2 Corinthians 5:21).

33:12 See John 17:24 and Ephesians 3:6.

33:22 “hope in You” instead of in our own works.

Psalm 34 – “Abimelech” or “my father is king” was a title/regnal name/etc. for Philistine rulers. This one was Achish (1 Samuel 21:10-15).

34:8 Sorry VH1, but the real Flavor of Love is right here (1 John 4:8).

34:15 “righteous” See 2 Corinthians 5:21.

34:16 like Isaiah 59:1-2, but remember that we’re back in verse 15 thanks to Jesus.

34:18 See Matthew 5:3-4.

34:19 He makes all things right, in this life and/or the world to come. Here’s an exercise for your faith: if you happen to acknowledge a bad situation (which is fine), instead of dwelling on it, say “nevertheless, I know that He delivers me”. It’s not a magical formula to control God; just a reminder to trust Him.

34:20 See John 19:36.

34:22 Everyone who trusts in Him is freely pardoned.

35:1 There is a difference between anger without a cause (bad – Matthew 5:22) and being provoked but refusing to sin/refusing to act in God’s stead/asking Him to recompense (Deuteronomy 32:35, Psalm 4:4, Psalm 37:8, Ephesians 4:26-27).

35:13 The prayers of the righteous don’t always turn out in the expected way (1 John 5:14).

36:6 He cares for all creatures. We’ve covered the permission to eat meat previously, but that wasn’t a license for purposeless cruelty.

36:8-9 Jesus is the Bread (John 6:35), the water source (John 7:37-39), and the Light (John 8:12).

36:11 We have that (1 John 5:18).

Psalm 37 teaches us How to Be Meek, aka the sort of people who will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

37:1 “Do not fret” or “do not be vexed by” is the proper gist of “do not resist an evildoer” (Matthew 5:39)...

37:2…because they will get what’s coming to them (Deuteronomy 32:35).

37:3 “do good” Tzedakah means righteousness or being good to others. A mitzvah is a good deed, and if someone cannot repay you, God will.

37:4 Re-read this one a few times.

37:5 Pairs: To “commit your way” is to “trust in Him”.

37:7 Vengeance is His (Deuteronomy 32:35, Leviticus 19:18).

37:8 Anyone who sits around listening to fear-mongers all day angry at one party or another isn’t really living the life for which He saved them.

37:11 like Matthew 5:5.

37:16 Righteous and have little? Go check out verse 4 again.

37:18 like 1 Peter 1:4.

37:21 “give generously” is taken to mean “lend freely” in verse 26, as in “Lend your thirsty neighbor a shovel so he can dig a well”, which is a far cry from “Buy him a smartphone you wouldn’t waste money on for yourself”. Remember this historical cultural attitude when we get to Matthew 5:42.

37:23-24 God’s got you.

37:28 like Revelation 2:23

37:31 God did this for us in Jeremiah 31:33.

37:32 the Accuser, Satan (Hebrews 2:14).

37:33 See John 5:24 and Romans 8:33.

37:37 like Matthew 5:9.

38:1 “anger”, “wrath” Jesus took it all (1 John 2:1-2 and 1 John 4:18). The same sentiment is in Psalm 6:1.

38:14 Jesus was silent during portions of His trial.

38:18 This verse about sin is problematic for some people when they see other verses from this Psalm used in reference to Christ, but He took my record for me (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Psalm 39 – “Jeduthun” was a music minister in 1 Chronicles 16:41-42. This psalm addresses similar themes to Ecclesiastes.

39:11 What is translated as “wealth” in the NIV is communicated elsewhere as “beauty”, “precious”, “desired”, etc. It’s lost as a verse 6 inheritance in light of the death of the ephemeral in verses 4 and 5. In a more straightforward manner, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God’s not making you poor to teach you things (John 10:10), but He can use mishaps in this fallen world to make you more Christlike (Romans 8:28-29).

40:2 like putting clay on the Potter’s wheel.

40:5 like John 21:25.

40:6 Your translation may say “but my ears you have opened”, but the Septuagint renders it “but a body you have prepared for me” which is quoted in Hebrews 10:5 in reference to Jesus. Regarding offerings, see also Psalm 69:30-31, 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1:11, and Micah 6:6-8.

40:17 Wealthy King David was poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). See also Psalm 70:5 and Psalm 86:1.

41:2-3 We’ve got prosperity, protection, and nursing us back to health all right there. There is criticism of the “prosperity gospel”; there are hucksters that cherry-pick verses to get donations without a care for telling people about Jesus, but there is a true gospel, and there happens to be some prosperity in it. There’s also a “social gospel” that tells you to have less, and it can veer into attempts at works-based righteousness. We’ll discuss this more later. The summary is we have a kind Father, everything will be made right in this world or the next, and real contentment is found in Christ regardless of our circumstances here (Philippians 4:13).

41:4 The assumption in the background is that disease is the result of sin, therefore being healed comes from forgiveness.

41:9 Jesus lived this verse with Judas.

Psalm 42 – On to Book 2 of 5. The Sons of Korah (Numbers 16) mentioned as psalmists are men like Heman (1 Chronicles 6:33-37) and likely his associates like Ethan, Asaph, etc.

42:1-2 Many people sound super-spiritual when they sing or pray this, but just remember that they’re asking for things we already have thanks to Jesus (John 6:35, John 7:37-39). You share a spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17); you can’t get any closer. You might subjectively feel distant, but your feelings can be all over the place. Faith is knowing. Christians: what will you do when you finally get closer to God? Please start doing it now.

42:5,11 Since Psalm 43:5 is the same as these two verses, Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 may have been together as one song. As we mentioned earlier about chapter divisions, some of these decisions were made many, many years after the words were written. Or, since copyright law is a recent innovation, it may have been what we might call a sample or a remix.

43:3 The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

44:9-18 The continued existence of standing armies, neighbors, and a Job-like denial of covenant-breaking suggest that this song is set in the time of 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 32. The north was scattered, the towns were destroyed, and Jerusalem alone stood before Sennacherib.

44:12 See Isaiah 52:3.

44:19 Talking about being crushed and covered with darkness means more coming from descendants of Korah, whose family the ground swallowed (Numbers 16:31-33).

45:1 “king” This can be read in reference to Jesus.

45:2 “forever” See Hebrews 7:25.

45:3-6 like in Revelation.

45:7 “anointing” See Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18-19.

45:8 “cassia” like the Exodus 30 Holy Anointing Oil. Kings smelled regal.

45:9 like Revelation 19:7.

46:2 “earth give way” Again, this means more from Korah’s family since the earth swallowed their kin.

46:4 Ergo, perpetual water-powered joy. See Ezekiel 47.

46:5 This was perhaps a favorite verse of the idol worshippers pre-586 BC, but Leviticus 26:31 was always on the table for them. A better use of it is for us, the New Jerusalem, secure forever because of His indestructible life (Hebrews 7:25).

46:7,11 like Isaiah 7:14.

46:9 as with victory in a holy war (Joshua 11:9). Similar world peace through hegemony is found in Isaiah 2.

46:10 These words have connotations like be still, be quiet, relax, let go, release, put it down, sink, and sit down because God is God. See Habakkuk 2:20 and look back to Habakkuk 2:4 – faith is what’s needed.

Psalm 47 continues the theme of Psalm 46:10.

48:6 Death during childbirth was a common occurrence.

49:4 Music was a spiritual experience in that culture (2 Kings 3:15).

49:5-6 Think of the wealth confiscation and wrestling-promo-level sacrilegious bravado seen in 2 Kings 18.

49:8-9 What do you give the God who has everything? How about gratitude (Psalm 50:14, 23, Romans 1:21, and Hebrews 13:15). No payment is ever enough to buy life (Mark 8:36-37). The rich young ruler got an object lesson about this in Mark 10, Luke 18, and Matthew 19. It is accepted as a free gift (Ephesians 2:1-9). Also, note “forever”; this and verse 15 further show an understanding of eternal life even under the Old Covenant.

49:10-12 similar to Ecclesiastes.

Psalm 50 – Asaph was a Levite musician (1 Chronicles 6:39, 2 Chronicles 5:12) Based on Ezra 2:41, some say a post-Exile Asaphite is possible for any/all of these songs attributed to Asaph.

50:9-13 God has no need of us. In verse 10, do you think He doesn’t own the cattle on the 1,001st hill? No, verse 12 makes it clear He has it all and that other uses of “1,000” can be figurative.

50:14 Being grateful and living with integrity are more valuable than offerings. See Psalm 49:8 note.

50:16 “wicked” is clarified in verses 18 through 20 (theft, adultery, speaking curses on people, lying/perjury, slander). It’s easy for believers under the influence of pastors who quote Jeremiah 17:9 about (depending on the translation) deceptive, wicked hearts at the drop of a hat to forget that Jesus made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:14).

50:23 Alternatively, “giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors Me.”

Psalm 51 is a commonly memorized psalm that people pray when they mess up. Feeling bad about sin is natural for a saint because it goes against your new nature. Learn from it and move on. See Hebrews 9:22-28. The lesson to take away from that is 1) God accepts blood, not apologies, 2) Christ isn’t up in Heaven dying over and over again, so 3) you’re not being forgiven over and over again down here. The Cross worked. We all stumble and learn, but Christians are totally forgiven people all the way.

51:1-2 Done, praise Jesus. See Jeremiah 31:33-34, Colossians 1:22, and Colossians 2:13-14.

51:3 You may remember them, but He doesn’t (Hebrews 8:12).

51:4 “you only” Uriah, Bathsheba, the dead soldiers, their families, and David’s cursed families might have begged to differ.

51:7 “hyssop” See Leviticus 14:6-7; sin is like leprosy.

51:10 David grew up hearing and internalizing things like 1 Samuel 17:28. We have Ezekiel 36:26-27.

51:11 “cast me…from your presence” This is utterly impossible for a Christian; Jesus prayed John 17:20-26 and His request was granted. Read that John passage over and over until you accept that your union with Him is real and unshakeable. You can’t lose someone you share a Spirit with (1 Corinthians 6:17). In the Old Testament, sin made the Holy Spirit leave people. They only had the Spirit on them for a time for a specific task. Jesus took our sin away and God remembers it no more, so we have the Holy Spirit always (John 14:16-20, emphasis on “forever”).

51:12 Done. See Philippians 2:13.

51:17 and “thanks” works, too (Psalm 50:14, Psalm 50:23, Hebrews 13:15)

After reading Psalm 51, go back and read Psalm 32 again. Moving on…

Psalm 52 is about Doeg the Edomite in case your translation lacks the introductions.

52:7 Killing priests was just another day at work for Doeg in 1 Samuel 22. His “great wealth” came from his role as King Saul’s chiefs shepherd (1 Samuel 21:7)

52:8 “olive tree” Olive trees live for a long time.

Psalm 53 – If you like Psalm 14, it’s basically here again.

53:3 Only Jesus ever passed the test.

Psalm 54 – See 1 Samuel 23:19. The Ziphites were also snitches in 1 Samuel 26:1.

55:6 I wonder if Jenny from Forrest Gump heard this at church, for those who get the reference.

55:9-11 “confound their words” Here’s a Jerusalem as Babel/Babylon metaphor. This comparison gets used frequently in the prophets.

55:19 “does not change” like Hebrews 13:8.

55:22 is quoted in 1 Peter 5:7.

56:8 He records your tears. Someone will pay. This is a big theme in Revelation.

57:8-11 is also Psalm 108:1-5.

58:1 In addition to human rulers, Watchers/fallen angel spirit princes/gods of pagan nations are a possible subject.

58:8 is poignant coming from David (2 Samuel 12:14).

Psalm 59 is set around 1 Samuel 19.

59:5,8 “nations” David calls Saul’s men goyim, also known as Gentiles, implying that no true son of Abraham would treat him thusly.

59:11,13 David was so mad he wanted God to consume his enemies until they were no more without killing them (too quickly, perhaps?); it feels like a “killing’s too good for them, put them through the woodchipper feet first” scenario. God can handle whatever you’re feeling; talk to Dad.

Psalm 60 – See 2 Samuel 8:13.

60:3 Wine is a double-edged sword. It is a cup of blessing in Psalm 23 and in Psalm 104:15. Esther 1:8 gave us a chance to explore the role of a Host in assigning the portion size, and whether something is a medicine or a poison frequently comes down to the size of the dose. Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:21-23, Jeremiah 25:15-29, Jeremiah 51:7, and Habakkuk 2:15-16 further explain the distinction between celebrating with someone and drugging them into a Genesis 9:21 state.

60:5-12 is Psalm 108:6-13.

61:6-7 We reign with Christ forever (Ephesians 2:6).

62:4 “curse” Remember, this isn’t just allegedly “naughty” words, it’s intent to harm with speech, like a magical incantation or yelling “Drop dead!” with the intent of it working.

62:9 “but a breath” This is a big theme in Ecclesiastes.

62:10 The back half of this verse is frequently preached about not making wealth the center of your life, which is fine, but let’s not forget the context here is extortion and theft. Money isn’t evil, the love of money isn’t evil per se, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. When the desire for more escapes its proper boundaries, evil happens. Who loves money more, an honest miser or a poor man willing to throw an old lady down a flight of stairs for a paltry government check?

62:12 “according to what they have done” If you have accepted Jesus Christ (John 6:29), you have done what is required. You have Christ’s life and resumé now. See John 5:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21, John 17:20-26, 1 Corinthians 6:17, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 10:14, and I could keep going. Your security in Him is an old song worth hearing again and again.

Psalm 63 seems like it’s set around 1 Samuel 24:1 or perhaps 2 Samuel 15:30-37.

63:1 We hungry and thirsty (Matthew 5:6) have been filled thanks to Jesus (John 6:35, John 7:37-39).

Psalm 64 – There will be more about taming the tongue throughout Proverbs, etc., and especially in James 3.

65:2, 5 Gentile inclusion was always part of God’s plan.

65:3 See Ephesians 2:1-9.

66:9 See Jude 24.

66:15 Remember the smell of blood and fat in the air whenever a pastor preaches Old Covenant stuff to you like works-based righteousness, being forgiven a little at a time, or “backsliding”. Hebrews 10 makes the point that the blood of bulls and goats was thought to be effective on an annual basis, and Christ’s blood is far, far superior. We have a new, better covenant now. I’ll probably beat this drum more than once, but there is no “backsliding” because there is no climbing. Jesus came down and got you, and you can’t get out of His hand. If you could somehow “slide”, you’re united to Jesus, so He comes with you. Sin’s not fun or fulfilling anymore for believers, when you really look at it, because we’re attached to Him. You can be saved and still be miserable (Galatians 5:17), we all have struggles and lessons to learn along the way, and we all choose wrongly on this side of Heaven, but growth into a mature Christian walk is not “sanctification” since we’re already set apart because of what He did (1 Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:10). A plant that sprouts from an acorn and grows into a tree is an oak the whole time, and believers in Christ are saints now and always.

67:2-5 Gentile inclusion was always part of God’s plan.

68:4 Baal was thought to ride the clouds by his adherents, but we know God is the real deal. See also Psalm 104:3 and 2 Kings 2:11.

68:6 Think of how many TV shows, etc. are built around a “found family” or “chosen family” of friends that take care of each other while facing a common opposition. Christianity, the Body of Christ, is meant to be such a family. We’re siblings; take care of each other out there. Be down to conglomerate; believe in Jesus Christ and love people. Regarding “prisoners”, see Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18-19.

68:18 In Ephesians 4:8’s quote of this, Christ gave us gifts instead of receiving them. The Septuagint’s translation of this is “received gifts in/among men”; He ascended, received gifts, and gave them to us (like in Acts 2)

68:19 Whether your Bible says “daily bears our burdens”, “carries us in His arms”, “loads us with benefits”, etc., our Father is kind.

68:20 Crowds flocked to Jesus.

68:21 See Ezekiel 18:23.

68:27 This verse demonstrates that post-Saul, eventually Benjamin was reconciled to Davidic rule; Zebulun and Naphtali geographically show that the whole nation supported David.

68:30 The promise of the nations bringing wealth to Jerusalem instead of plundering it is also seen in Isaiah 60:5.

Psalm 69 is referenced frequently in the New Testament because of hints of Christ.

69:3 See John 19:28.

69:4 “hate me” See John 15:25; “restore what I did not steal” Jesus claimed to be the rightful occupant of David’s throne and also claimed to be divine; Jesus is both of those.

69:7 Thank you, Jesus.

69:8 See John 7:5.

69:9 See John 2:13-17 and Romans 15:3.

69:15 “pit” refers to the grave.

69:21 See Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:36, Luke 23:36, and John 19:29.

69:22-23 is seen again in Romans 11:9-10. However, Jesus healed people and forgave his killers.

69:25 See Acts 1:20.

69:27 Jesus did the opposite.

69:28 was David’s wish regarding his enemies, but I hear lots of anxiety among Christians about this. Revelation 3:5 is Jesus promising not to blot us out, and we can trust Him.

69:30-31 Praise and thanksgiving were always worth more than offerings even before Hebrews 13:15.

70:5 See Psalm 40:17 note.

71:9 See Hebrews 13:5; “never” means never.

71:16 “your righteous deeds, yours alone” Only God is good (Mark 10:18).

71:20 Think of Christ’s resurrection; we have that coming too (1 Thessalonians 4:14). See also Hosea 6:2, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, and Ezekiel 37.

Psalm 72 is “of Solomon”.

72:4 Without the rule of law, the poor are victims of bullies and thieves. They lacked other ways of getting justice, so they begged the king. Blessed are the poor in spirit…

72:10,15 Presents to gain favor with the monarch, like the Queen of Sheba or the wise men did.

72:12-13 That was us when we came to Jesus.

72:14 See Revelation 6:10.

72:15 “ever pray for Him” Maranatha! (Lord, come!)

72:17 “all nations” See Genesis 12:3.

72:19 “whole earth” Gentile inclusion.

72:20 This phrase just means “that’s the end of Book 2 of the 5 sections of Psalms” rather than contradicting the attributed authorship of Psalm 72.

Psalm 73 – “Asaph” See the Psalm 50 introductory note.

73:1 “pure in heart” Done for us (Ezekiel 36:26).

73:3 “arrogant” and “wicked” defined in verses 6 through 9. These are the godless that mock believers and are proud of their “intellect”, prowess in only mere earthly things, and “success” due to moral flexibility; the amoral aspiring world controllers, oppressors, “bad shepherds”, etc.

73:9 “lay claim to heaven” or “boast against the heavens”; “take possession of the earth” say they rule the world. However, the meek will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

73:12 They are devoid of love for God or neighbor. The wicked prosper for a while…

73:18…but then they don’t.

73:23-24 is very New Testament.

73:27 We have a better deal in the New Covenant (2 Timothy 2:13).

74:13-14 See Exodus 14 note. See also Psalm 104:26, but the most likely antecedent is Genesis 1:6. Since the deep represented chaos to the Hebrews, dividing the waters looked like defeating the dragon of Revelation.

75:8 See Psalm 60:3 note.

75:10 The root of sin is dead (Galatians 5:24, Colossians 2:11). A flower blooming in water in a vase looks good temporarily, but it is still dead. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is coming in the lives of all who believe in Jesus (John 10:10, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:13, etc.). It's just a matter of time.

76:9 In the midst of this bluster, remember that we can be fearless children of a fearsome Father (1 John 4:15-19).

77:16 in reference to the Red Sea (Psalm 77:20).

78:2 “of old” is also translated “since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35).

78:9 “Ephraim” See Psalm 78:67-70 to see where this is going. There’s a “Here’s Why David is King and the Temple is in Jerusalem Instead of With the Descendants of Joseph” theme. About “the day of battle”, everyone failed to enter Canaan; Shiloh was in Ephraimite territory and the psalmist reminds us of losing the Ark in verse 60.

78:12 “miracles being plagues; See Psalm 78:43-51. The “region of Zoan” is where the city of Rameses was (Exodus 1:11).

78:32 “kept on sinning” specifically unbelief.

78:39 “a passing breeze” gives us another preview of Ecclesiastes.

78:41-42 “vexed” The King James Version translates this “limited”; they did not remember His power. Believe big.

78:60 in 1 Samuel 4.

78:71-72 God took David from the pasture to the palace. What you’re doing now is preparing you for what you’ll be doing later. Trust Him and have integrity in the little things.

79:12 like Cain’s mark, the sevenfold punishments of Leviticus 26, and the sevenfold punishments of Revelation.

80:8 The metaphorical vine is Israel. That seems pretty obvious, but I point it out to say that the prophets that we will read later use language similarly.

80:16 like in John 15.

80:17 “right hand” See Psalm 110; “Son of Man” See Daniel 7. This is Jesus.

80:18 “revive us” See Ephesians 2:1-9.

81:11-12 “gave them over” like Romans 1:21-31.

82:1 is a statement about Heaven, specifically the “heavenly court” which for a time includes Satan (as seen in Job) and the Watchers/spirit princes/fallen angels/pagan gods of other nations (Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 6:12, and the Genesis 11:8 note). Jesus talks about them in John 10:35 as the ones to whom the Law came, and they’re identified as angels in Galatians 3:19. The same Hebrew word translated as “gods” here is also translated as “judges” in Exodus 21:6 and Exodus 22:8.

82:7 “like mere mortals” This would be unnecessary to say if mere mortals were being addressed.

82:8 like Psalm 2:8.

83:1-8 The prophets mention this sort of multinational enemy team repeatedly (e.g. Ezekiel 38, Ezekiel 39, Revelation 20).

83:9-12 refers to the events of Judges 4 through Judges 8.

84:7 “go from strength to strength” Not weaker and weaker from exertion, but stronger like gaining experience points in a video game.

84:11-12 God’s not holding out on you. To be blameless (verse 11), trust in Him (verse 12).

85:2 “forgave…all” As He did for us.

86:1 See Psalm 40:17 note.

86:5 “all who call” like in Romans 10:9.

86:9 Gentile inclusion was always planned.

86:11 Done (John 16:13) and done (Ezekiel 36:26).

86:12 “forever” as seen in Revelation 4:8.

86:13 Thank you, Jesus.

87:4-6 is like “everyone has become a citizen here”, as it will be when we, the New Jerusalem, take our destined place.

Psalm 88 “Heman the Ezrahite” 1 Chronicles 6 shows us a Levite named Heman descended from Azariah, an alternative spelling of the same name, and therefore descended from Korah.

88:8-12 Think about the buried Korahites in Numbers 16:32.

89:4 Christ, having no beginning or ending, fulfilled this both going forward and retroactively.

89:10 “Rahab” is not the woman from Jericho but the primordial sea monster for which she was named. “Tiamat” or a sea serpent might be more familiar images. The Babylonian god Marduk was said to have slain Tiamat (water/chaos) at Creation; God gets the honor here.

89:30-33 like 2 Samuel 7:14-16.

89:34-35 God can swear by no one greater, so He swears by Himself. The New Testament says that your salvation is maintained by the strength of such a promise from God to God (Hebrews 6:16-20). Christians are beneficiaries of an agreement they cannot mess up.

Psalm 90 – Kicking off Book 4 is an oldie from Moses.

90:4 This seems to be mathematically derived from Genesis 2:17 (Adam was to die that day) and Genesis 5:5 (Yet, Adam lived 930 years).

Psalm 91 was thought to be apotropaic, or recited as a defense against evil, demons, etc. Christians have Christ, the greatest Exorcist of all time, living in us and are naturally protected from such things (1 John 5:18).

91:5 “terror of the night” Goat demons (Leviticus 17:7), Lilith (Isaiah 34:14), and anything else that might have lurked in the inky blackness beyond the reach of the firelight.

91:6 “pestilence that stalks in the darkness” was understood to be sentient, demonic, etc., beyond simple germs.

91:9-13 Salvation as a result of faith is a huge theme in the New Testament. For starters, see Romans 10:9.

91:14 Worried you don’t love God enough or consistently enough? Romans 5:5 says He put His love in your heart at salvation. He did everything that needed to be done for us.

91:16 Nothing’s longer than everlasting (John 3:16).

92:7 like Matthew 13:30.

Psalm 93 – The Festival of Booths may have been like an enthronement ceremony/commemoration like neighboring human kings had.

94:2 “proud” More than mere arrogance; the following verses will elaborate.

94:21 Remember, Christians are the “righteous” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the “innocent” (Colossians 1:22) because of what Jesus did for us.

95:3 “gods” See Psalm 96:4-5. This brand of my-God-can-beat-up-your-god is called henotheism.

95:6-11 Hebrews 4 uses this passage to make an evangelistic appeal for the rest and salvation available through Jesus today.

Psalm 96 should sound familiar, as much of it was in 1 Chronicles 16.

96:3 “nations” means Gentiles, which means most of us.

97:6 See Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20.

98:5-6 Some churches fear instrumentation.

99:6 Moses (Exodus 32:11-4, Deuteronomy 9:26-29), Aaron (Numbers 6:22-26), and Samuel (1 Samuel 7:9) are all credited as successful intercessors. Even better, we have Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). Moreover, since Jesus made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), we are great at praying on behalf of others (Psalm 34:15).

99:8 “a forgiving God, an avenger of the wrongs done to them” is one way to translate this passage.

100:5 and His mercy endures forever.

101:3 “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile” This is another verse often quoted out of context to sell accountability groups, software, etc. Without throwing stones at fellow believers’ efforts to live lives worthy of their calling as they see fit, let me humbly point out that Psalm 101 is about being a godly ruler of a nation with regard to slander, lies, idol worship, etc. See Proverbs 25:5.

102:6-7 Owls are nocturnal; he’s saying he has insomnia.

102:18 Us.

102:20 See Ephesians 2:1-3.

102:25 Jesus the Carpenter, similar to Proverbs 8:22-30 about wisdom.

Psalm 103 is a great one to learn.

103:1-2 Amen.

103:3 like Isaiah 43:25. Since illness was considered punishment for sin, to forgive is to heal. Some cures wait for the new bodies we’ll get (1 Corinthians 15), but all will be made right in the end.

103:4 Amen.

103:5 like Isaiah 40:31. Phoenix stories, new plumage, or simply a renewal of vigor that makes the psalmist feel like he can soar have all been proposed as meanings.

103:8 like Exodus 34:6-7.

103:12 Walking eastward on a globe, you never catch up to the west. Our loving Father has already washed our sin away with the blood of Christ, and it could not be any farther away from us now.

103:15 like Isaiah 40:7-8.

103:18 We have Christ’s report card (2 Corinthians 5:21).

104:3 Baal was thought to ride the clouds by his adherents, but we know God is the real deal. See also Psalm 68 and 2 Kings 2:11.

104:4 Angels are made from wind and fire like humans are made from God’s breath and dirt. Therefore, Hell is like “dust to dust” for them.

104:15 This, plus the “mandatory fun” verses about the festivals, was interpreted to mean that it isn’t a party without alcohol. Enjoy God’s blessing responsibly.

104:27 His eye is on the sparrow.

Psalm 105 should sound familiar, as much of it was in 1 Chronicles 16. This could be titled, “God’s Wonderful Deeds in the History of Israel” in comparison to Psalm 106.

105:8 “covenant” specifically the land deal in verse 11.

Psalm 106 could be titled, “Sin and Judgment in the History of Israel” in comparison to Psalm 105.

106:1 like 1 Chronicles 16:34.

106:17 in Numbers 16; note no mention of the praise team’s ancestor Korah this time.

106:28 in Numbers 25.

106:38-40 You can see hints of the pikuach nefesh hard stops of idolatry, murder, and sexual immorality here, like in Acts 15:29. These are things not to be done even to save a life, as death or loss of the Promised Land would result from acting like Canaanites who were judged even apart from the Law of Moses.

Psalm 107 – Onward to Book 5.

107:1 His mercy endures forever.

107:3 like Deuteronomy 30:4-5.

107:6 “they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them” is a refrain that repeats throughout this song.

107:9 like Luke 6:21 and Matthew 5:6.

107:29 like in Matthew 8, Mark 4, and Luke 8.

107:30 like John 6:21.

107:34 See Deuteronomy 29:23.

107:35 See Isaiah 41:17-18.

Psalm 108 is a combination of Psalm 57 and Psalm 60.

109:4-5 “friendship”, “prayer (for them)”, “good”, “friendship” makes the imprecatory stuff that follows hit harder.

109:8 like Matthias taking Judas’ spot in Acts 1.

109:9-10 There’s a difference between praying for help (God knows your heart, no matter how you phrase it, including all this may-he-stub-his-toe-and-have-a-zipper-accident-at-the-urinal talk) and telling someone to drop dead to their face like you want to see it happen on your own authority.

109:21 like Isaiah 43:25 and Psalm 23:3.

109:22 like Psalm 40:17.

109:26 He did.

Psalm 110 is about the Messiah.

110:1-2 Jesus pointed out that David called the Messiah, the promised Son of David, his Lord (Matthew 22:41-46) as a nod to the Incarnation. Kings also provided clemency. The Book of Hebrews points out that Old Covenant priests did not sit, because their work of atonement was never done. Priests provided cleansing. A king who was also a priest sitting down is an image of once-for-all cleansing and clemency.

110:4 comes around again in Hebrews 6:20. He’s the best High Priest because He lives forever to intercede for us; rather than by our own works, our salvation is maintained by the power of His indestructible life (Hebrews 7:25).

110:5-6 The “bad shepherds” don’t stand a chance against the Good Shepherd.

110:7 means He doesn’t stop conquering to go home.

111:9 “covenant forever” Davidic in 2 Samuel 23:5 and New in Jeremiah 32:40.

111:10 like Proverbs 1:1.

112:3 “righteousness endures forever” Not only do we have the righteousness of the eternal Christ, but no good deed of yours (or done for you, because you are His) is ever forgotten (Matthew 10:42, Matthew 25, Mark 9:41).

112:6 like Isaiah 32:8.

112:9 “righteousness” tzedakah, charity; the gifts for the poor. This and Proverbs 11:4-8 are the source of the alms righteousness or “treasure in Heaven” further developed in Tobit 4 and Sirach 29 on its way to Jesus’ teachings about the Law. Only Jesus gave enough, and only Jesus had anything worth giving.

“Hallel” is Psalm 113 through Psalm 118 recited on holidays. These six songs were likely the hymn sung at the Lord’s Supper (including the hints at death and resurrection in Psalm 116:3,8).

113:7 like Matthew 5:3.

114:8 See 1 Corinthians 10:4.

115:4-8 is Psalm 135:15-18.

115:16 plus Deuteronomy 13 equals a burning fallen world in Zephaniah 1.

115:18 as you can see us doing in Revelation.

116:3 “death”, “the grave” See Psalm 116:8.

116:6 “the unwary” Jesus spoke well of childlike faith (Matthew 18:2-5).

116:8 “delivered Me from death” Jesus.

116:9 “walk before the LORD” this intention or sincere direction of the heart, living in the sight of an audience of One, is called kavanah.

116:15 like John 11:35.

116:16 “servant” “mother” like Luke 1:38; “chains” or in Jesus’ case, linen graveclothes.

Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible.

118:1 His mercy endures forever.

118:8 “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans” is at the halfway point through the Bible. Congratulations!

118:14 “The LORD is” “my salvation” Indeed He is.

118:17-21 is a story we share with Jesus (Galatians 2:20). Jesus is the Gate (John 10:9).

118:22 See also Daniel 2:34-35.

118:25-26 “LORD, save us!” or Hosanna. You probably hear this every Palm Sunday.

118:27 “boughs” See Leviticus 23:40.

118:29 “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever” is the last line of Hallel, so it’s probably the last thing Jesus sang with the disciples on the night of the Lord’s Supper.

Psalm 119, an acrostic poem, is the longest chapter in the Bible. All of it is in praise of God’s Law/teaching. See Hebrews 10:1. The Law is a shadow. Replace devotion to the Law with devotion to Jesus. The Torah or Law also means God’s teaching, but Jesus is God’s Word (John 1). Paul's ministry was primarily to Gentiles. He taught that we Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses, that we aren't under it now, and that we're not being tutored by it (Ephesians 2:11-18, Acts 15:10, and Galatians 3:23-25). That's a good thing, because trying to live under it is cursed (Galatians 3:10). Jesus alone ever kept it entirely, and it is an all-or-nothing proposition (James 2:10). The Law of Moses increased sin (Romans 5:20, Romans 7:8). We who admit our need of grace establish the Law as the perfect, impossible standard it is meant to be (Romans 3:31). The Law has not passed away, but we have died to the Law (Romans 7:4). Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe (Romans 10:4). We will explore in the New Testament how the new commands written on our new hearts are “believe”, and “love”; every bit of that is accomplished by looking to Jesus. There are a few other things to avoid that even Canaanites without the Law were punished for, but Jesus living inside you never told anyone to, for example, molest farm animals.

119:8 “I will obey” No, you won’t (Galatians 3:10, James 3:2, Romans 3:20), but He still won’t forsake you (2 Timothy 2:13).

119:15 like Deuteronomy 17:19.

119:25 “your Word” See John 1.

119:34 “heart” See Deuteronomy 6:5.

119:36 “selfish gain” Covetousness or the evil eye. See the Exodus 20:17 note if you need a refresher.

119:41 Remember that “unfailing love” in Hebrew is more like “loyalty” than fuzzy feelings.

119:51 “I do not turn from your law” is in essence “I do not stop studying your teaching”; missteps are evident in Psalm 119:39 and Psalm 119:67.

119:57 “You are my portion, LORD” is spoken like a landless Levite.

119:85 See Exodus 21:33-34.

119:89 is very John 1.

119:96 like Ecclesiastes.

119:100 “for I obey your precepts” now, that is (Psalm 119:39 and Psalm 119:67).

119:102 is like Psalm 119:51.

119:154 “according to your promise” Hebrews spells out how we are saved because God keeps a promise God made to God.

119:176 “lost sheep” like Luke 15. I can’t do the impossible (Romans 3:19, Acts 15:10), but His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 5:20).

120:5 The Hebrews considered the inhabitants of “Meshek” and “Kedar” barbarians.

121:3 like Jude 24.

121:5 “shade” It is hard to overemphasize what shade means in a desert culture.

121:7 “all harm” and “all evil” (as in “deliver us from evil” in Matthew 6:13) are interchangeable.

122:6 “be secure” as in prosperous. Let us take a moment to pray God’s blessing upon Abraham and Abraham’s children (Genesis 12:3) and for the peace of Jerusalem.

125:1 is another fine sola fides verse.

125:5 “those who turn” Okay, that’s everyone (Romans 3:12). Thankfully, we have Hebrews 7:25 and 1 John 4:17-18.

126:4 Dry riverbeds in the desert can become streams quickly when it rains.

127:1 Since “house” can mean family, there is a bit of wordplay here with builders/“banim” and sons/“bonim”.

127:2 “for while they sleep He provides for those He loves” like in Matthew 6.

127:3 Following the train of thought, the children provide for their sleepy elderly parents in this scenario.

128:1 Again, “fear” is more reverence/awe/worshipfulness.

128:3 Olive trees live long.

129:6 “grass on the roof” Grass that grew in mud used to repair a roof in that part of the world didn’t do well in that much sun.

129:8 If there were no harvest, then there would be no blessings exchanged at harvest time.

130:3 Amen, so He doesn’t. See Colossians 2:13-14 and Hebrews 8:12.

130:4 Grace teaches us to say no to sin (Titus 2:12).

130:5 “in His Word I put my hope” Jesus (John 1).

130:7-8 Jesus has unfailing love and full redemption for the asking. The “redeem” language is that of slavery (Romans 6:17-18).

131:1 Sounds great, how do we do that? Read the next verse.

131:2 Jesus spoke well of childlike faith (Matthew 18:2-5).

131:3 Faith in Him is the answer (John 6:29).

132:17 “lamp for my anointed one” The eternal flame of the Temple altar in Jerusalem was one way to understand it; John the Baptist’s mission to identify the Messiah (Anointed One) is another.

135:15-18 is Psalm 115:4-8.

Psalm 136 tells us repeatedly that God’s love endures forever. Legalistic believers still seem to forget that. See Romans 8:31-39.

136:8-9 The prophets use the sun and moon as veiled references to governments.

136:19 in Numbers 21.

136:20 in Numbers 21 and Deuteronomy 2.

136:25 like Matthew 6:26.

137:7 See Obadiah 8-14, Ezekiel 25:12-14, and Ezekiel 35:2-9.

139:16-17 God made the whole timeline when He made the world. Humanity (Psalm 115:16) ruined it. God is not sending bad things your way. You live in a fallen world, you have demonic opposition, there are other misguided humans, but God is working within you. He doesn’t send bad things, but He can use everything. He will make all things right at the end.

139:24 He removed it (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Colossians 2:11) like He said He would (Deuteronomy 30:6). Jesus is your Way, your Truth, and your Life (John 14:6 and Colossians 3:4); He walks with you no matter which door you choose, so take Him places He likes, please and thank you.

141:2 Prayer and praise are offerings.

143:2 He won’t (John 5:24).

143:10 See John 16:13, Philippians 2:13, Ezekiel 36:26-27.

143:11 See Isaiah 43:25.

143:12 “servant” Thanks to Jesus, we’re not only God’s children (John 1:12 and 1 John 3:1) but even friendly with each other (John 15:15).

144:1 like Psalm 18:34.

144:4 like Ecclesiastes.

145:8-17 Righteous people act like their righteous God, right? (This doesn’t negate Psalm 144:1 for legitimate uses). These values of kindness, mercy, integrity, loyalty, and generosity are all seen in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon even says to be as holy/perfect as God (Matthew 5:48). Good luck with that. We can’t do it; we need grace. Live like someone who knows they needed grace and got it.

146:6 “faithful forever” He keeps His promises.

146:7 Jesus fed thousands.

146:8 “prisoners” Jesus used this language in regard to healing a crippled woman (Luke 13:16). He also gave sight to many blind people. Regarding the “bowed down”, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

146:9 Jesus healed “foreigners”. He resurrected the child of a “widow” too. He “frustrated” the wicked by overturning their table, outsmarting their riddles, exorcisms, etc.

147:6 like Matthew 5:5.

147:10 Nor is it in our human works and efforts.

147:11 Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

147:20 Don’t get any ideas, Gentiles (Acts 15:10).

148:10 Some translations include reptiles. Lift your wee, tiny dinosaur arms!

Psalm 149 turns metal halfway through verse 6. The saints will rule the world (1 Corinthians 6:2).

149:8 In addition to human “bad shepherds”, don’t forget the Watchers (Ephesians 6:12).

150:3-6 This amount of instrumentation and movement would perhaps not be well received in many churches now.

Previous Post

Next Post