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      Note that in this book theology Psalm commentaries are referenced only by last name and page number. Their bibliography information is listed above in the last section of Abbreviations (Bibliography of Commentaries). Scripture translations not identified in this book are from the King James Version (KJV) or are the author’s own very literal translations. The context will generally identify the latter cases (by the use of “literally”). Since Hebrew words are spelled out in the Masoretic script, the transliterations that usually follow are intended only to provide an approximate pronunciation and do not indicate a letter for letter match with the Hebrew; thus some Hebrew letters are not distinguished from each other (for example, both ט and some תs are transliterated as “t”). Both א and ע are treated as silent but indicated by single quote marks (distinguished as ’ for א and ‘ for ע). The velar fricative ח is indicated by “kh.”

      1

      Speech

      Theology is the study of God. It is thus appropriate for a book theology to focus on Him. In Psalms His personal name, Yahweh (usually indicated in English translations by “Lord”),¹⁸ occurs 689 times (not counting 6x in the Psalm titles). Additionally, there are five common titles used for Yahweh in Psalms: God (אֱלֹהִים, ’Elowhiym; 351x), another Hebrew word for God (אֵל, ’Eyl; 68x), Lord (אֲדֹנָי, ’Adownay; 63x), a shortened form of Yahweh, Yah (יָהּ, Yah; 43x), and Most High (עֶלְיוֹן, ’Elyown; 21x).¹⁹ Table A1.3 lists some titles that occur just a few times in Psalms, including the verses where Yahweh or God is connected to the armies of heaven (“Lord of hosts,” KJV). Thus God is mentioned by name or title well over 1200 times. If we include all the references to Him by means of pronouns, then there are well over 2500 cases where something is being said about God. Every single psalm mentions Him at least once.²⁰

      But what does the book of Psalms say about God? When we open our Bible, a truth that jumps out for us right in the very beginning is that God has spoken. We get to the third verse of the first book, and we find the simple words, “And God said” (Gen. 1:3a). As we proceed through this collection of books, we find this claim repeated thousands of times. Although we tend to think of Psalms as a book that records what the saints have said to God in prayer or to each other for instruction or encouragement, the fact is that in at least 29 passages we find direct quotations from God recorded for us. The human authors of the psalms claim that God said something and they wrote it down.

      The doctrine of inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19–21) teaches that all Scripture is God’s word; therefore, direct quotations of God or Christ are not more inspired or authoritative than the rest of Scripture. When the New Testament quotes the Old Testament as Scripture, it does not distinguish between direct quotations of God and the remainder of the texts that Moses and the prophets wrote. The claim of the Bible is that what the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and apostles to write is truly God’s very word. Since there are no quotation marks in the original manuscripts, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between Christ’s very words and the apostles’ declarations in the Gospels.²¹ In the Old Testament the distinction is not always clear between God’s direct speech and the prophets’ written inspired statements.²² This is also the case sometimes in Psalms. Thus what follows is not making a claim of superiority for the quotations of God over the psalmists’ words, which the Holy Spirit inspired.

      Cases of Divine Speech

      It is common to find copies of the Bible where the words of Jesus Christ are printed in red. What is rare, however, is to see a Bible in which all God’s direct quotations appear in the color red. In 1980 under the title The King James Bible Red Lettered, a little-known edition of the Authorized Version appeared that met the challenge.²³ Table 1.1 lists the references in Psalms for these quotations from the 2001 edition. The double lines in the table indicate the book divisions in Psalms; notice that each of the five books has about the same number of quotes. As this edition acknowledges,²⁴ there are difficulties identifying these because the original text does not use quotation marks and 14 of the 29 are not formally introduced. In these cases an interpreter has to make a judgment based on pronoun usage that indicates that God is directly speaking. What we find are first-person pronouns (I, Me, My) that cannot be referring to the psalmist author.

      Many of these cases are fairly obvious with general agreement that God must be speaking: for example, 46:10 (“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted ….); 50:7–15 (“Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God .…”); 89:3–4 (“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant …”). Several other cases, however, call for special comment. (1) Psalm 27:8 contains three short clauses: “to You my heart said”; “Seek [2MP imperative] My face”; and “Your face, Yahweh, I will seek” (literal translations). Because of the difficult syntax many commentators and translators resort to emending the text,²⁵ but it is better to accept the MT and understand David as introducing a divine quotation.²⁶ Various translations add an additional clause like “When You said” (NASB, KJV, ASV, ESV, RSV) to make this clear, suggesting that the second clause is parenthetical to explain why David voiced the first clause; thus the third clause completes the first.

      (2) In Psalm 32 after David addresses God as his “hiding place” (v. 7), suddenly there is another voice: “I will instruct thee …” (vv. 8–9). Without any introduction David records what God said in response to him.²⁷ Critics sometimes look at such cases as occasions when one who is worshipping the Lord suddenly receives what he thinks is a divine oracle.²⁸ We must acknowledge, however, that not all conservative commentators are in agreement about this. For example, Perowne claims that it is the psalmist who is giving the instruction.²⁹

      (3) In Psalm 75 the abrupt change of pronouns between the first two verses clearly marks a switch from the psalmist to God even though there is no introduction of a new speaker. What is not clear, however, is where God’s statement ends. The pronoun “I” (4 times in vv. 2–4) indicates that at least three verses are a direct statement from God, but when does the psalmist begin speaking again (v. 5, v. 6, or v. 7)?³⁰ Generally, the commentators and translations end the quotation before the word כִּי (kiy, “for”; v. 6) since it would possibly indicate a transition to a new thought.³¹ The last verse of the psalm is even more difficult. Is it the psalmist who says, “All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off ” (v. 10a)? Various commentators have declared that it is,³² but Kidner argues that “in view of the emphasis on the one Judge, more probably this echoes God’s own proclamation of 4 and 5.”³³ Asaph, the author of this psalm, has no authority nor power to punish the wicked himself; it is Yahweh that promises to do this Himself.

      (4) In Psalm 82 God, after being introduced in the first verse by the psalmist, is clearly speaking in the sixth verse, but where does His speech commence? Some regard Asaph as the one who says, “How long …?” (v. 2).³⁴ Others who view the first part as God’s inquiry and indictment (vv. 2–4) raise questions about the middle verses (vv. 5–6).³⁵ There is an additional question about the fifth verse: a comment about the rulers or their victims?³⁶ It is best to view this verse as describing the “gods” and to see the first and last verses of the psalm as Asaph’s bracketing of the divine word against human rulers (vv. 2–7),³⁷ which interrogates (v. 2), reprimands (vv. 3–4), describes (v. 5), and passes judgment on them (vv. 6–7).

      (5) At the end of Psalm 87, we find the short clause “all my springs are in thee”( v. 7b). Who says this, and what is the antecedent of “thee”? Is the speaker God or the psalmist? Most commentators understand that the speakers are the singers mentioned,³⁸ but why switch from the plural to the singular (“my”)? The switch from the first half of the verse to the second is so jarring that some have wanted to emend the Masoretic text. Another possibility is that the latter clause is actually the title of a song the musicians sing.³⁹ Context requires that “thee” refers to Zion, rather than to God. Since God has spoken earlier (v. 4), it is possible that the psalmist concludes the psalm with another statement from God about Zion. This is how the Red Letter

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