Classifying the Psalms – (Acts 4:25)

1. From which of the five books of the Psalms does the psalm come?

• 1–41 David’s conflict with Saul
• 42–72 David’s reign
• 73–89 The Assyrian crisis — the fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
• 90–106 Self-examination over the destruction of the temple and the Babylonian exile
• 107–150 Reflection on the return from exile and the beginning of the new era

2. Who is the author of the psalm?

• David:
  • 2 (Acts 4:25), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
  • 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41,
  • 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65
  • 68, 69, 70,
  • 86, 95 (Hebrews 4:7), 101, 103,
  • 108, 109, 110, 122, 124, 131, 133,
  • 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145
• Asaph (1 Chronicles 15:16–19; 16:4–6; 2 Chronicles 29:30):
  • 50
  • 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83
• The sons of Korah:
  • 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
  • 84, 85, 87, (88)
• Solomon: 72, 127
• Moses: 90
• Heman the Ezrahite: 88
• Ethan the Ezrahite: 89
• Anonymous: 1 (perhaps Ezra), 10, 33, 43, 66, 67, 71, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 (perhaps Ezra), 120, 121, 123, 125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150

3. Is it connected with any specific historical occasion? If so, with which one?

• 3 — 2 Samuel 15:13–37
• 7
• 18
• 30
• 34
• 51 — 2 Samuel 12
• 52 — 1 Samuel 21:1–9; 22:6–23
• 54
• 56
• 57
• 59
• 60
• 63
• 126 — The return from the Babylonian exile
• 142

4. Was it used in any of the Jewish festivals? If so, in which one?

• Evening prayer: 4
• Morning prayer: 5
• The days of the week:
  • First day (Sunday): 24;
  • Second day: 48 (145);
  • Third day: 82;
  • Fourth day: 94;
  • Fifth day: 81;
  • Sixth day: 93;
  • Seventh day (Saturday): 92
• Passover: 136
• 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118 were used during the new moon, Passover, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Hanukkah (the dedication of the temple)
• 7 was used at the feast of Purim
• 12 was used on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles
• The penitential psalms were used on the Day of Atonement
• 145 — in Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening. According to the Talmud, anyone who repeats it three times a day will have a share in the world to come and will be called “happy.”

5. Is the psalm communal or personal?

• Communal: 83, 84, 90, 103
  • “Songs of Ascents” — used by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem during the three annual festivals — Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles:
    • 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
• Personal: 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 16, 18, 22, 23, 30, 32, 34, 51, 63, 66, 116

6. What type (genre) is the psalm?

• Praise (hymn):
  • 8, 9, 19, 29, 33, 47, 48, 65, 68, 92, 95, 96, 103, 104, 136
  • 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
  • Psalm of creation — 8, 19, 104, 148;
  • Psalm of the exodus from Egypt — 136;
• Lament:
  • 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, 17, 22, 26,
  • 30, 31, 32,
  • 35, 39,
  • 41, 42, 43, 44,
  • 54, 57, 58, 60, 63, 69, 71, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 91, 94, 102, 123, 130
    • seven components: invocation, petition, complaint, confession of faith, confession of sins or a claim of innocence, imprecation, praise or blessing
• Thanksgiving: 18, 30, 32, 41, 56, 66, 116, 124
• Instruction (wisdom): 1, 14, 34, 53, 73, 78, 119
• Trust (confession of faith): 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 91, 121, 125, 131
• Penitential: 32, 51
• Historical (remembrance): 78, 105, 106, 135, 136
• Royal: 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 132, 144
  • Royal-messianic: 22
  • Prophetic-messianic: 2, 110
• Imprecatory: 35, 69, 109, 137

7. Is it used in the New Testament? If so, where?

• 2:7 — Acts 13:33
• 8:6 — Hebrews 2:6–10
• 16:10 — Acts 2:27; 13:35
• 22:1 — Matthew 27:46
• 22:8 — Matthew 27:43
• 32:1–2 — Romans 4:7–8
• 40:6–8 — Hebrews 10:5–7
• 41:9 — John 13:18
• 45:6–7 — Hebrews 1:8–9
• 69:9 — John 2:17
• 110:1 — Hebrews 1:13
• 110:4 — Hebrews 5:6; 7:17; 7:21
• 118:22 — Matthew 21:42
• 118:26 — Matthew 21:9

8. Alphabetic (acrostic) psalms: 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145

9. Duplicated psalms:

• 53 = 14;
• 70 = 40:13–17;
• 108 = 57:7–11 and 65:5–12