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Like many psalms of praise, Psalm 98 begins with an imperative “call to praise” followed by a “reason to praise” introduced by the Hebrew word ki, “for.”1 Here is my translation of 98:1-3: Sing to (...)

This Psalm is for the asylum seeker, those who seek refuge from adversaries, those who yearn for security and stability.1 Dare I say that this Psalm is for us all especially now? The Psalmist’s experience (...)

If I were tasked with introducing God as our visiting lecturer, I would use this psalm.1 Psalm 111 summarizes God’s “position,” accomplishments, and attributes. It even identifies a personal connection between the one offering the (...)

“Praise the Lord.” What more is there to say? “Praise the Lord.” Period.1 The psalmist has offered five ways to proclaim praise to the Lord with the five Hallelujah Psalms that conclude the Psalter. Even (...)

Psalm 139 is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving.1 In this genre, singers praise God for God’s goodness in delivering them from various life-threatening situations, such as illness, oppression, enemy attack, etc. Here, the (...)

The psalms immediately preceding Psalm 25 form a collection that is arranged in a chiastic pattern as follows:1 A Psalm 15: entrance liturgy   B Psalm 16: psalm of assurance     C Psalm 17: individual lament       D (...)

Psalm 107, classified as a community hymn of praise, was most likely a liturgy of thanks offered by worshipers at a festival at the temple in Jerusalem.1 The psalm opens in verses 1-3 with  an (...)

Psalm 31 is one of three psalms that appear prominently in the story of Jesus’ passion.1 For the Gospel writers this psalm, along with Psalms 22 and 69, seems to have expressed better than any (...)

Borne out of a gut-wrenching anguish, Psalm 22 is the cry of one who knows what it is to be bullied by his enemies, rejected by his community, and abandoned by God.1 The threat for (...)

It is easy to see why Psalm 118 is the psalm selection for Easter for all three lectionary years.1 The psalm is bursting with exuberance and joy, the language barely adequate to the task of (...)