#Psalmtweet #Psalter 76:2-5, 1:1

 This slightly longer post shows how the music helps us to see larger structures in a Psalm and indeed, in the whole Bible.

The music indicates that this comment is connected probably to the prior verse.

Let's look:

Hmmm, G-d destroys weapons of war by light - perhaps bringing out of darkness the lies of war.

Verse 4 connects itself to verse 3?

How do we critique such analysis?

This analysis is incomplete.

One verse at a time is insufficient for analysis. Sometimes the continuation is a comment on the previous stanza. So for this psalm, verses 2-4 are a unit ending with Selah. Verse 5 comments on the whole prior unit. 

נוֹדָ֣ע בִּֽיהוּדָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל גָּד֥וֹל שְׁמֽוֹ		2 Renowned in Judah is God. In Israel great is his name.
b nody bihudh alohim biwral gdol wmo	8 8	nv/dy b/ihvdh alh\im b/iwral gdl wm\v
וַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן		3 And there is in Salem his booth, and his habitation in Zion.
g vihi bwlm suco umyonto bxion	7 7	vi/hi b/wlm svc\v v/myvn\tv b/xivn
שָׁ֭מָּה שִׁבַּ֣ר רִשְׁפֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת מָגֵ֬ן וְחֶ֖רֶב וּמִלְחָמָ֣ה סֶֽלָה		4 ♪g There he shatters the fire-brands of bow, shield, and sword, and battle. Selah.
d wmh wibr rwpi-qwt mgn vkrb umlkmh slh	7 11	wm\h wbr rwp\i qw\t mgn v/krb vm/lkm\h slh
נָ֭אוֹר אַתָּ֥ה אַדִּ֗יר מֵֽהַרְרֵי־טָֽרֶף		5 ♪g Light-giving you are more excellent than mountains of prey.
h naor ath adir mhrri-'trf	10	n/avr ath adr m/hr\ri 'trp

You might have noticed that Psalm 1 begins on a note that is not the tonic.

The whole book of psalms -- indeed the 3 books are each a commentary on Torah and Prophets

No one ever suggested to me as a singer that the Psalter tells a story. But if you read it in sequence, paying attention to the clues -- of which there are many more than I can point out -- it is clearly providing the storied context for the birth of a people able to exercise mercy and praise the creator who has provided such a context.

Only four books in the Scripture begin on a note other than the tonic. Surprise - these are Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, and Job. I did a little analysis on first notes 7 years ago here.