Whenever I read the Psalms,I am always encountered in two distinct ways. First,I come into contact with humanity. There are psalms of joy;psalms of sorrow;psalms of repentance;psalms of victory;psalms of suffering;psalms of frivolity;psalms of liturgy;psalms of fear;psalms of calm;psalms of praise;psalms for everything under the sun. All of these are the mark of human emotion. They show what is common to personality and the human condition. There have been those persons who wish to go all the way back to find authorial intent,and this is a right goal;however,when it comes to biblical interpretation,the original intent can never be the final purpose. Throughout history these psalms have been used in various ways by manifold persons. Even today,when a reader comes to these ancient words,they perceive at them through their own looking glass. Thus,they interpret in order to find personal meaning and seek a relation to these words.
The second distinct encounter I face is with God. He too is a personality,like a man yet distinct. It is almost with a mystical,or perhaps agnostic,fashion with which one need to describe him based on the psalms. There are numerous musings by the authors about who God is,and there is always something more to be said. God is certain,yet forgiving;Immutable,yet variable. There is much more to say in regards to these particular subjects;indeed,one probably lacks the ontological capacity to grasp such things.
FAQ:
1) Where does the word “psalms”come from? (Gr:Psalmoi)
2) It is commonly believed that many of the Psalms were written by David himself. Is it not better understood that the ones that bear his name were merely written during his reign?