The order of the Psalms in the Psalter

 In last month's carnival I pointed out an 1888 pdf (well, the book was 1888 not the pdf - but you know what I mean) that discusses the sequence of the psalms in the Psalter.

The writer, John Forbes, D.D., LL.D., Emeritus professor of Oriental Languages, Aberdeen, is scholarly and in conversation with scholars of his time. They were approaching the Bible with the language of their time. I think they believed perhaps the way my teachers from the mid 20th century might have learned, but didn't teach. Perhaps they would have considered me too young for such in any case.

I would have learned this sort of language from attitudes I absorbed in my late '20s. I have gone away from this reasoning because it was founded for all its scholarship, on English words in translation.

I am no longer in a hurry, so I have thought I might read this ancient pdf slowly and see if I think the conclusions about the Psalter are supported by the arguments. My initial scan says to me that their conclusions are iffy, and are supported by a wholistic reading of the 'Bible' that I would not support. You can tell I still feel like a renegade. I do not want to be at home with power masking as truth. And there is power here. And I need power, but power to do, not power to reign at anyone else's expense, or power to have the last word.

I was told by a DD that I should not be reading the epistle to the Hebrews because I was not a priest. I am still astonished at this. His children were my adult friends. He was impatient with my ignorance. Of course and I was ignorant. But I was not going to get my ignorance fixed by being told not to read.

Priests and I do not have a good history. But even at 76 or whatever my age is when you read this, I am still ignorant of many things. The question now is, how do I manage the little knowledge that I have? Can I read and critique, and explain or counter-argue any better than I could 50 years ago? And will the results be good: fruitful of love, joy, and such.

Let's see.

Here's the beginning: 

This Book is simply what it calls itself—" Studies on the Book of Psalms." It does not pretend to be an exhaustive treatise on the Psalter, but only to follow out a certain line of investigation which long ago seemed to the Author to offer a satisfactory solution of many difficulties in Hebrew Literature. Advancing study of the Sacred Writings has not tended to weaken his faith in the fruitfulness of this line of inquiry, but, on the contrary, fully to justify it. The principles of Parallelism, as laid down by Bishops Lowth and Jebb, and followed out by the Author so far in his Symmetrical Structure of Scripture, are here applied more fully to the elucidation of some of the many problems that have perplexed the student of the Psalms. These principles do not need now any justification, since they have been acknowledged by all competent scholars. The applicability of them in particular instances, and for special purposes, may, however, call for proof, and such proof the Author has afforded in sufficient measure in these Studies.

These principles do not need now any justification, since they have been acknowledged by all competent scholars.  Really? I still have trouble with parallelism. I see it as too varied in form and too subjective.

Not individual Psalms merely, but the Psalter as a whole, is shown to have been arranged by the final editor, under the guiding hand of God, with great minuteness and delicacy of finish, and with one grand purpose dominating all. The point which these Studies are meant to establish is not affected by the hypothesis of many editors or of only one. There may have been collectors in the case of each of the seven Books, and the existence of such may tend to simplify matters to some critics ; but it is just as probable that one collector or editor, whether Ezra or not, arranged each series in its present order, and impressed upon each his own individuality. The contention of the Author of this book is that he did so, and that he arranged the whole in the present highly artistic form so as to prepare his fellow-worshippers in each series for further revelations of the Coming Messiah.

... one grand purpose dominating all - the Coming Messiah. OK - maybe so, but this was not the conclusion I came to. My conclusion was 

This psalm [149] is bound together by the חֲסִידִים, Chasidim. These may be identified with 'the saints' as is traditional but the word is not derived from holiness, but from that inimitable word חסד (ksd) which some would prefer to borrow into English rather than translate. The mercy or kindness so spoken of defines this plural character, the kasidim, which in turn defines the Psalter as the story of how mercy is shown, and how it is to work, and the story of the formation of a community of the merciful who have learned mercy through their covenant with God. (Seeing the Psalter, 2013, page 457.) No indication that I was reading Messiah back into the Psalms. 

The opening letter goes on to say:

The Author has not gone to the New Testament first for his ideas of what should be in the Psalms, but has tried to gather, from the Psalter itself, the thoughts which must have been in the minds of the individual Psalmists, and in that of the final collector—those ideas which would, therefore, after the Book had become the Church's Manual of Devotion for all time, naturally suggest themselves to the Israelite student as he pondered over its contents.

 not gone to the NT first, eh? In 1888, this desire would have been impossible for the author, DD, LLD or not. Anyway, going on, 

It is to be regretted that Dr. Forbes has, through advance of years, been unable to give the finishing touches necessary to the full development of his views. The critical eye may mark, for instance, that on p. 192 the Psalms of the Seventh Book are left untouched. It may be mentioned also, that Dr. Forbes intended, had strength permitted, to account for the existence of the series of "Elohim" Psalms occurring in the Second and Third Books. The master-hand has, however, failed, and the defect cannot be remedied now. From p. 264 to the end, with the exception of what relates to the twenty-fourth Psalm, the text is compiled from material which was evidently intended to be revised and recast by the Author for publication. It has been put into such form as will show how Dr. Forbes wished to conclude the task he assigned himself.

 Seventh Book! That was a new one on me. I will see (have already looked) if the claim of division of Book 5 into 3 books is justified.

The book now offered to the public will, it is hoped, be sufficient to justify in the eyes of the critical scholar the remark of Augustine, chosen as its motto, " Ordo Psalmorum niihi magni sacramenti videtur continere secretum," and may perhaps induce other labourers in the same field to carry on, amend, and perfect the work.

JAMES FORREST. The Manse, Lonmay, January 1888.

The Latin is roughly: The order of the Psalms seems to me to contain the secret of great mystery.

I have no problem with this thesis from Augustine. I should have no problem with Forbes and Forrest, but I do. They know the original tongues far better than I, but the end of Christendom was the Shoah. And that undoes my trust in their knowledge and their good.