150 chapters · 123 video commentaries · covered in 25 courses
The Book of Psalms is a collection of ancient Israelite poetic and liturgical texts, comprising 150 individual psalms. It served as a hymnal for worship, expressing a wide range of human emotions and experiences in relation to God.
AuthorThe traditional attribution of many psalms to David is ambiguous; the Hebrew 'Lu David' does not necessarily mean 'written by David' but rather 'to,' 'about,' or 'belonging to' him. Many psalms are anonymous, and the collection developed over centuries.
WrittenComposed over a long period, from the early monarchy (10th century BCE) through the post-exilic period (5th-2nd centuries BCE), with the collection finalized later.
GenrePoetry, liturgy, hymnody
AudiencePrimarily the Israelite community for use in worship and personal devotion, assuming familiarity with daily life and religious practices.
PurposeTo provide a corpus of prayers, praises, laments, and wisdom for communal and individual expression of faith, and to reflect on God's relationship with Israel.
Covered inThe Genius of Mark: Jesus the Secret Messiah · The Bible and Abortion: When Does Life Begin in the Bible? · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Before the Bible: Mesopotamia and the Myths that Shaped Scripture · Cities of the Bible · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible +19
What our scholars get into
Our commentary explores the Psalms as a "rolling corpus," continuously expanded and organized over time, with evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls revealing additional psalms (Ehrman, YouTube). We examine the ambiguity of titles like "A Psalm of David," noting they are later interpretive additions rather than original authorship claims. You'll discover how parallelism functions in biblical poetry, and how some psalms, like Psalm 29, show strong Canaanite influence. Bart Ehrman discusses how the New Testament creatively interprets Psalms, such as applying Psalm 22 to Jesus' cry of abandonment, even as other scholars debate whether this was a historical event or a theological statement. We also delve into the complex understanding of the divine realm in psalms like Psalm 82 and 97, which depict Yahweh judging other deities or divine beings bowing down to him, challenging simplistic notions of monotheism.
Introduction drafted from the lecture transcripts by AI, pending the team's edit.
Biblical focus on monumental aspects of Israelite life
The Hebrew Bible primarily focuses on monumental aspects of Israelite life, such as battlefields, temples, palaces, and figures like priests, kings, prophets, and soldiers. This focus reflects the Bible's motivation to explore Israel's relationship with God through its leaders and significant events, rather than the everyday lives of common people.
Summarized by AI · Everyday Life in Ancient Israel · Lecture 2: The Household and Its Foodways · watch the clip
Biblical assumption of audience familiarity with daily life
The Hebrew Bible assumes its original audiences were familiar with the daily life aspects it describes, rarely providing detailed explanations of mundane objects or activities. This means modern readers, separated by significant time and cultural differences, need to actively research these aspects to fully understand the biblical world.
Summarized by AI · Everyday Life in Ancient Israel · Lecture 2: The Household and Its Foodways · watch the clip
Authoritative Scriptures and Commentaries
The Qumran community clearly possessed authoritative scriptures, as evidenced by their commentaries on certain texts, particularly from the Torah and the Prophets. They cited laws from the Torah as authoritative. Most surviving commentaries focus on prophetic books, including Psalms, which they considered prophecy, indicating a specific understanding of inspiration and canon.
Summarized by AI · Judaism Before Jesus · Lecture 12: The Dead Sea Scrolls · watch the clip
Dead Sea Scrolls include additional Psalms
The Psalms Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls contains approximately six additional Psalms not found in the traditional Hebrew Bible. This suggests a broader collection of sacred poetic literature was in circulation and considered authoritative by some communities during that period.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 27: The Biblical Canon (There Was No Canon) · watch the clip
Psalms as Ancient Israelite Liturgy
The book of Psalms likely served as ancient Israelite liturgy, with its contents being recited during worship. This suggests a performative use of these texts, although literacy was limited to a small elite.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden · watch the clip
The Rolling Corpus of Psalms
The Book of Psalms was not a static collection but a 'rolling corpus,' meaning it was continuously expanded and organized over time. Evidence for this includes multiple internal collections within the book, an extra psalm in the Greek translation, and additional psalms found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden · watch the clip
Acrostic structure in Lamentations
Chapters 1, 2, and 4 of Lamentations are acrostic poems, with each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3 extends this by having three verses per letter, totaling 66 verses. This rigid literary form, also seen in Psalm 119, may convey a sense of completeness (A to Z) or, paradoxically, a way to contain the inexpressible and endless pain of the destruction, providing a fixed structure when the poet might otherwise be overwhelmed.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 24: Ruth and Lamentations | Ladies' Night · watch the clip
Two Ways of Dealing with Sin in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible presents two primary methods for dealing with sin: forgiveness and atonement. Forgiveness involves repentance, apology, and a commitment to change, with God then pardoning the transgression, as seen in the Psalms. Atonement, on the other hand, involves sacrifices, particularly those outlined in the Law of Moses in Leviticus, where an animal sacrifice is accepted as payment for sin.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Where Did Original Sin Come From? · watch the clip
Canaanite influence in some Psalms
Some Psalms contain very old material, so ancient that they appear to have Canaanite origins. While these Psalms have been updated to refer to Israel's God, Yahweh, replacing Yahweh with the Canaanite deity Baal would make them resemble texts found in Ugarit from the middle of the second millennium BCE. This suggests that while the ideas or content might be older, the current form of these Psalms is a later Israelite adaptation.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The oldest Biblical text isn't in Genesis. And it's brutal · watch the clip
Hymns of Thanksgiving to God
Following their victory in the trial, the inscription includes a hymn of thanksgiving to Sarapus, praising the deity's 'countless and wondrous works.' This practice of composing hymns to express gratitude for divine intervention is comparable to the linguistic register found in the Psalms.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Acts builds an origin story. A 200 BCE inscription shows how it's done. · watch the clip
Background and context
Augustine on Impersonal Evil
Augustine offered multiple explanations for impersonal evil, such as plague or earthquake, drawing from Stoic ideas. He suggested that 'black adds beauty by providing contrast,' or that evil is only apparent. He also argued that tough times are 'our deserved punishment,' and that God's purposes in history are often obscure.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 20: The End of Ancient Christianity · watch the clip
Satan, Transgression, and Illness
The Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically the 'Plea for Deliverance' (11Q5), provide evidence for the emergence of Satan as a chief evil figure in the Second Temple period. This text also connects transgression or sin with evil spirits, suggesting that these spirits might cause sin and manifest as physical pain or illness, indicating a package of ideas around purity, sinfulness, and disease.
Summarized by AI · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible · Lecture 14: Demons and Exorcism in the Dead Sea Scrolls · watch the clip
Short average lifespan in ancient Israel
The average lifespan in ancient Israel was significantly shorter than today, with individuals often considered elderly and wise grandmothers by their late thirties. This reflects the harsh realities of subsistence living, demanding physical labor, and limited medical knowledge, making life a constant struggle for survival.
Summarized by AI · Everyday Life in Ancient Israel · Lecture 2: The Household and Its Foodways · watch the clip
Psalms as Prophecy in the New Testament Context
The Dead Sea Scrolls provide context for the New Testament's use of Psalms as prophecy. The Qumran community regarded David as inspired and therefore a prophet, treating Psalms as prophetic texts. This demonstrates that the Gospel authors were operating within a contemporary Jewish understanding where Psalms could be interpreted prophetically, even if not strictly categorized as 'prophecy' in a generic sense.
Summarized by AI · Judaism Before Jesus · Lecture 12: The Dead Sea Scrolls · watch the clip
Multiple Residences of the Yahad
The Community Rule (1QS) explicitly states that members of the Yahad (the association) would 'walk in these precepts in all their places of residence,' indicating that they did not all live in one location. This contradicts the early assumption that all Essenes resided solely at Qumran, suggesting a broader distribution of communities or settlements.
Summarized by AI · Judaism Before Jesus · Lecture 13: The Sectarian Association · watch the clip
Waiting for the day of revenge
A hymn in the Community Rule expresses a commitment not to retaliate against evil in the present, stating, 'I will not grapple with the men of perdition until the day of revenge.' This indicates a strategy of patience and restraint, awaiting God's appointed time for judgment and retribution against the wicked.
Summarized by AI · Judaism Before Jesus · Lecture 15: Apocalypticism in the Scrolls · watch the clip
Asherah's role in the Kirta Epic
In the Kirta Epic, Asherah is crucial for conception and the royal lineage. King Kirta's vow to Asherah, promising gold and silver for success in battle and an heir, highlights her power. When he fails to fulfill his vow, Asherah threatens him, leading to his illness and the potential loss of his heir, demonstrating her ability to both grant and revoke royal succession.
Summarized by AI · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · watch the clip
Asherah's association with Yahweh in Kuntillet Ajrud
An inscription from Kuntillet Ajrud, dated around 800 BCE, explicitly mentions 'Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah,' alongside iconography of male and female divine figures. This suggests Asherah was considered Yahweh's consort, challenging interpretations that 'his Asherah' refers only to a cultic object, especially given the depiction of divine figures.
Summarized by AI · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · watch the clip
Judean Pillar Figurines and child-rearing
Judean Pillar Figurines (JPFs), common in ancient Judah, primarily depict female figures supporting their breasts, lacking the pubic triangle associated with fertility deities. This suggests their symbolism is linked to lactation and child-rearing, rather than fertility. While some may have associated them with Asherah, their primary use was likely for healing, blessing new mothers, or other domestic concerns.
Summarized by AI · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · The Israelite Goddess Asherah · watch the clip
Old Testament View of Death and Sheol
The Old Testament generally portrays humans as a unified body and soul, with life ceasing upon death. Sheol, often mistranslated as 'hell,' refers to the grave or tomb, not a place of eternal torment or a separate realm for the soul. There is no concept of a soul separating from the body to live with God in a divine realm after death.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Actually Believe in Heaven? · watch the clip
Old Testament Rewards in This Life
In the Hebrew Bible, rewards for serving God and living righteously were expected in this life, not an afterlife. People worshipped God for tangible benefits like healing, successful childbirth, abundant crops, or wealth, as these were beyond human control. There was no expectation of continued reward after death.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Actually Believe in Heaven? · watch the clip
Ethical Expectations in Judaism and Christianity
A significant distinction of Judaism and Christianity, compared to pagan religions, is the emphasis on ethical behavior towards other people. The Old Testament laws frequently address how Israelites should treat each other, and God's anger, as seen in the prophets, often stems from social injustice rather than a lack of worship. Pagan gods, in contrast, generally did not concern themselves with human morality, only with receiving worship.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · One God Among Many: Rethinking the God of the Bible · watch the clip
Psalm titles are not original and often generic
The detailed titles or 'super-descriptions' found above many Psalms, such as those attributing them to David or specific life events, are almost certainly not original to the Psalms. Many psalms, like Psalm 22:17, are generic in their language, making them interchangeable with other psalms and adaptable to various situations, suggesting the titles were later additions for interpretive purposes.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 21: Psalms | The Poetry of the People (?) · watch the clip
The preposition 'la' in Psalm titles is ambiguous
The Hebrew preposition 'la' in Psalm titles, often translated as 'of David,' is highly versatile and can mean 'to,' 'about,' 'concerning,' or 'belonging to,' but never 'written by.' This ambiguity, combined with titles like 'Lu the Conductor Lu David,' suggests that these titles indicate collections, performance styles, or narrative settings rather than authorship.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 21: Psalms | The Poetry of the People (?) · watch the clip
Psalm titles indicate collections or performance styles
The phrase 'end of the prayers of David, son of Jesse' in Psalm 72:20 suggests that 'a Psalm of David' might designate a collection of psalms associated with David, rather than indicating his authorship. Alternatively, these titles could refer to a specific style of performance, such as 'in the royal style' associated with David's musical role in the temple.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 21: Psalms | The Poetry of the People (?) · watch the clip
David did not write the Psalms
Despite traditional associations, David did not write the Psalms. References to the temple in Psalms attributed to David, such as Psalm 138:1-2, are anachronistic because David did not build the temple; Solomon did. This further supports the argument that the 'Psalm of David' titles are later interpretive additions, not claims of authorship.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 21: Psalms | The Poetry of the People (?) · watch the clip
Courses that cover Psalms
The Genius of Mark: Jesus the Secret Messiah
The Bible and Abortion: When Does Life Begin in the Bible?
Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years
Before the Bible: Mesopotamia and the Myths that Shaped Scripture
Cities of the Bible
Demons and Ghosts in the Bible
Did the Christmas Story Really Happen? The Birth of Jesus in History and Legend
Digging Up Eden: The Immortality of Adam and Eve
Everyday Life in Ancient Israel
Holy Pain: Why Early Christians Embraced Suffering
Jesus and the Old Testament
Jesus the (Actual) Son of Joseph: Evidence from the New Testament Itself
Judaism Before Jesus
Luke's Maverick Gospel
Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide
The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems
The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles
The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel
The Israelite Goddess Asherah
The Mysteries of the Synoptic Gospels: Discovering Matthew, Mark, and Luke
The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible
The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation
Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance
