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How to Understand the Context of the Psalms

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We’ve given a long list of examples to show how critical literary context is for interpreting Bible verses. Many of our favorite and most-quoted verses either find greater nuance or challenge our presumption when we read them in the context of the argument or story in which they reside.

But different kinds of literature work in different ways. And “context” does not always work in exactly the same way.

Take, for example, the Psalms. While each psalm is a self-contained poem that ought to be read in its own right—and not twisted to say whatever we want it to say—”context” in the psalms is more fluid than in other books of the Bible. The poetic/literary context may help us to avoid clear misinterpretation. But there is another equally important context for these poems: Israel’s life of worship and personal devotion. Similar to how we might quote a line of a favorite hymn without deep analysis of the statement’s context, we might find ourselves using Psalm verses in the same devotional manner.

For example, before I can quote or sing, “hither by Thy help I come,” must I first understand what an “Ebenezer” is (Come Thou Fount, verse 2)? For another example, I can find encouragement that “I once was lost but now am found” without having to explain in detail that this amazing grace is a sweet-sounding doctrine that saves wretches like me.

Why can I say this about the Psalms? Where does this idea come from?

From looking at how the Psalms were actually used in ancient Israel. If we look at Old Testament examples of people referencing the Psalms, they rarely quote an entire psalm. Instead, they mash together a pile of quotes from a variety of psalms. This mash of verses becomes a newly sung or prayed poem in its own right.

Scott Barkley (2008), Creative Commons

Example #1: Relocating the Ark

When King David moves the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem and sets it inside his new tent, a celebration erupts, rife with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and singing (1 Chr 16:1-7). And the song they sing that day is recorded for us:

  • 1 Chr 16:8-22 largely matches Psalm 105:1-15 (only the first third of the psalm).
  • 1 Chr 16:23-33 has been modified from Psalm 96:1-13 (most of the psalm, but with a few lines omitted).
  • 1 Chr 16:34 concludes with a common introductory refrain from many psalms (Ps 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 118:29, 136:1 ).
  • 1 Chr 16:35-36 presents a second, responsive song, consists of a modification of Ps 106:47-48.

So here, in a concrete example of Israel’s worship, we see selections from at least 3 psalms mashed together with a refrain found in four other psalms. They did not need to clarify, to take one example, the context of Psalm 105 or 106 (the ups and downs of Israel’s history) in order to sing the “praise verses” from those psalms as part of the medley.

Example #2: Praying in the Fish’s Belly

We have a more rapid-fire example of selecting an assortment of verses and mashing them together in Jonah 2. This example also shows us not the corporate worship of the assembled people, but the private worship of a man crying out to his God.

  • Jonah 2:2 = Ps 120:1, Lam 3:55-56
  • Jonah 2:3 = Ps 88:6-7, 42:7
  • Jonah 2:4 = Ps 31:22
  • Jonah 2:5 = Lam 3:54, Ps 69:1, 18:4-5
  • Jonah 2:6 = Ps 116:3, 9:13, 30:3
  • Jonah 2:7 = Ps 142:3, 143:5, 18:6, 88:2, 11:4
  • Jonah 2:8 = Ps 31:6
  • Jonah 2:9 = Ps 50:14, 26:7, 22:25, 116:14, 116:18, 3:8

Now you’ll notice that the lines from Jonah are not typically exact quotes of the related psalm verses. But it should be easy to see how those verses from many psalms have shaped Jonah’s prayer. He’s taken all the verses about watery judgment, earthen graves, and rising up to call upon the Lord, and he’s compiled them to make the prayers of many psalmists his own.

Conclusion

While we are never justified in using a psalm verse in a manner contrary to its meaning in the context and flow of the poem, it is clear that we can and should draw on verse selections, or compilations of verse selections, to inform both our corporate and personal worship. We do not violate the principle of “context” if we take a selection of verses with a common metaphor and combine them into a new poem.

The Shocking Judgment of Ananias and Sapphira

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Matthew Boffey takes a look at the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 to see what Luke’s point may be in this compact and impactful narrative.

Boffey observes the text well, marking comparisons and contrasts, repetition, and climax. He asks good interpretive questions, answering only those which are assumed or addressed in the text. He lets the rest of his questions go. And he applies the text personally from its main point. Do you fear God?

This is a great example of skilled Bible study, and I commend it to you.

Check it out!

ESV Gospels, Reader’s Set

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If you haven’t yet caught on to the reader’s Bible fad, the ESV Gospels, Reader’s Set set might be the perfect gateway. And if you already own and love a reader’s Bible, there might still be a place on your shelf for this new edition of the gospels from Crossway.

What It Is

A reader’s Bible is an edition published to encourage and assist lengthy reading. Many of the latest reader’s editions remove all footnotes, cross-references, section headings, verse numbers, and (more often than not) chapter numbers. You’re left with the plain text of Scripture, elegantly typeset, so you can sit and read for hours on end.

This new edition from Crossway presents only the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—each with its own undersized hardbound volume, in a sturdy slip case. This is something you’ll enjoy having on your shelf. And you’ll enjoy even more having it in your hands while you get lost in the narrative glory.

What It Does

The page layout of these reader’s gospels is very similar to the layout of the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6 Volume Set, which I loved enough to write reviews both before and after reading it. The fonts, margin proportions, and clean text block are the same. It uses the same number of unobtrusive headings for each book’s major divisions.

The biggest difference is that the Gospels set is about half the size. Each volume is just larger than a compact disc and fits in your hand, or in your pocket. This small size makes the pages fly past as you read.

And this is marvelous, because this edition does what reader’s Bibles do best, and it does it even better than previous editions: It gives you permission to keep reading and reading and reading. The smaller size makes me feel like I should just keep reading, and I’ll finish the book before I know it.

In addition, these four volumes do not come with ribbon bookmarks. At first, I was not pleased with this aberration. But now that I’ve spent more time with these four volumes, I have found the lack of bookmark to provide further permission and encouragement to keep reading. It really is not hard to read a complete gospel in one sitting with this edition! And that is something to be commended.

What Could Be Better

My biggest complaint is that the covers of the four volumes are all the same rust color, with no distinguishing visuals or artwork, besides the name on the spine (which is not terribly easy to read). But since these volumes are meant for extended reading, and not for frequent reference, this visual plainness is easy to forgive.

In addition, I would prefer for the ESV Reader’s Bibles to be more like the NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project and break up the text according to its natural structural divisions. As it is, the text presents in one lengthy block, with no breaks, for pages on end. But this complaint goes for both this set and the Six-Volume Set.

Conclusion

I am thrilled to have received a complimentary copy of this set from Crossway in exchange for an honest review. I expect to use it often. Right now, it’s perfect for a repeated re-reading of Luke’s gospel as I prepare to teach that book.

If you haven’t yet tried a multi-volume reader’s edition of the Bible, the ESV Gospels, Reader’s Set would be an excellent and inexpensive start. And if you’re already a fan of reader’s Bibles, this will add another useful tool to your workbench.

Find it at Amazon or Westminster.

Disclaimer: Amazon and Westminster links are affiliate links. Clicking them and buying stuff will enable us to continue reviewing Bibles for you, at no extra cost to yourself.

Why Bother With the Bible?

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It’s an important question. And, writing for TGC Africa, Sike Osinuga claims that being a Christian without the Bible is like playing soccer without a ball.

Such a situation is unseemly not to mention unlikely yet it serves as a metaphor for Christianity throughout Africa. Though it is unthinkable that a game of soccer would kick off without a ball, many Christians go about their lives without regularly hearing from God in his Word. Actually, many wonder why we should even bother with the Bible.

Osinuga has some helpful thoughts on the nature and benefits of the Scripture, and how God speaks to us when we take it up to read. It’s encouraging to see what God is doing among his churches in Africa.

Check it out!

Context Matters: I Never Knew You; Depart From Me

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Perhaps you’ve heard that not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7:21). And that Jesus will blindside such folks on the last day when he claims not to have known them, and he commands them to depart from him (Matt 7:23). Have you ever feared finding yourself among that number of woefully deluded souls?

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of isolated quotes or arbitrary threats—we’ll find that some of our most familiar sayings have more nuance or qualification than we typically assume.

denipet (2008), Creative Commons

The Text

The warning Jesus issues near the end of his Sermon on the Mount is, in fact, rather sobering. Anyone unmoved by it ought to be the first to fear:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ” (Matt 7:21-23)

It is clear that calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough, on its own, to gain a person entry into the kingdom of heaven. Neither is speaking prophesy, nor casting out demons, nor doing mighty works in the name of Jesus.

And these facts ought not surprise anyone who has read the Bible.

  • Balaam spoke true prophecy from the Lord (Num 23-24), but did not end well (Num 31:8, 16).
  • Saul had his demons cast out (1 Sam 16:23). Judas Iscariot, along with the other 11 disciples, was authorized to cast demons out (Mark 3:14-19).
  • Solomon did mighty works of wisdom (1 Kgs 3:16-28) and temple construction (1 Kgs 6:1, 7:51). Yet he did not stay the course (1 Kgs 11). (Though it’s possible that Ecclesiastes represents Solomon’s repentance in old age.) We could also cite Jonah, Joab, King Uzziah, Demas, and Judas Iscariot as examples of those who did “mighty works” but arguably may not have entered the kingdom of heaven.
  • Of course, Judas is our chief example of one who called Jesus “Lord” without membership in the kingdom.

So the warning is real, and particular examples can be given. But what does the warning mean, and who exactly should tremble at it?

Preceding Context

In the preceding paragraph, Jesus sets an expectation that his community, his kingdom on earth, will consist of a number of wolves dressed up like sheep. These are what he calls the “false prophets” (Matt 7:15).

Jesus says two times that “you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16, 20). The nature of the fruit matches the nature of the tree. Good fruit comes from good trees. Grapes come from vines. Thorns come from thorn bushes. You can’t pick up a fig and conclude it came from a thistle.

And the trees that fail to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt 7:19). This is exactly what John said when describing the coming judgment (Matt 3:10b).

So the argument goes like this: The new community of Jesus will have false prophets within it. You will recognize them by their fruits, which prove what sort of tree the person is. And the unfruitful tree will be burned.

This paragraph demands a “so what” question: So what kind of fruit signals that one presenting as a sheep is in fact a wolf? What exactly is the fruit of a false prophet?

A Preliminary Answer

Matt 7:21-23 begins to answer that question by explaining what we are not looking for. Jesus thereby flips the question around. Instead of defining the fruit of a false prophet, he first defines what is not the fruit of a true sheep:

  • Calling Jesus “Lord”
  • Speaking prophecy in Jesus’ name
  • Casting out demons in Jesus’ name
  • Doing mighty works in Jesus’ name

Such fruit does not guarantee that the apparent sheep is an actual sheep. There could still be a wolf lurking underneath the wool dressing gown. They are called “false prophets” for a reason!

A Fuller Answer in the Subsequent Context

So we look to the next (and final) paragraph of the Sermon to get the answer we’ve been looking for.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matt 7:24, 26)

Here is now something observable. Does the person not only hear Jesus’ words, but do them? This is the mark of a true sheep. Does the person only hear his words but not do them? This is the mark of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

And the “doing” he refers to cannot be the “doing” of theatrical rituals, such as naming Jesus’ name, speaking prophecy, or casting out demons. The “doing” almost certainly refers back to everything Jesus has covered in this Sermon.

Being poor in spirit, meek, peacemaking, etc. (Matt 5:2-16). Honoring God’s law from the heart and not merely outwardly (Matt 5:17-48). Avoiding ostentation in the practice of piety (Matt 6:1-18). Seeking the kingdom instead of money and possessions (Matt 6:19-34). Living generously and graciously in community (Matt 7:1-12).

These are the folks, the true sheep, who “enter by the narrow gate,” which is hard but leads to life (Matt 7:13-14).

And they know how to recognize the “many” who try entering through the wide gate that leads to destruction. The fruit of the false prophets is the outward exercise of religion divorced from the personal and private transformation of the heart to love God and love his people.

Conclusion

If this warning from Jesus doesn’t cause you to tremble, you are most likely in danger from it. Please re-examine whether your religion is any deeper than outward conformity to a set of public practices. If your life doesn’t change when you hear this word of Christ, yours will be a pitiable case on the day of judgment.

But if your heart quails at the thought of ever missing your Lord Jesus and his kingdom, you’re probably already well on your way down that narrow road toward eternal life (Matt 5:3-6).

Context matters.

Thanks to Bonnie S for the idea for this post.

For more examples of why context matters, click here. 

Analyzing the Rich Man and Lazarus

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Peter Gurry has an interesting post at the Gospel Coalition entitled “Is the Rich Man and Lazarus a Parable?” While the post does address that question, it also does much more.

Gurry tackles the account in Luke 16:19-31, demonstrating a number of excellent OIA skills. He observes how the characters are named and portrayed. He considers the surrounding context. He asks great interpretive questions and answers them from the text. He draws vibrant application from the passage.

I encourage you to read the article to see another example of good Bible study skills (even though he doesn’t use the terminology of OIA).

Check it out!

Remember the Risen Christ

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In 2 Timothy 2:8, Paul issues a brief command, remarkable for its profound simplicity. “Remember Jesus Christ” is both the most important and most difficult thing a person could do. And what are we to remember about him?

James Emery (2007), Creative Commons License

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!” (2 Ti 2:8–9).

There are five things on Paul’s list:

  1. Risen from the dead—he really died, and he really rose. Not just in the hearts and memories of his followers, but bodily.
  2. Offspring of David—heir to the promised eternal throne of God’s kingdom.
  3. Preached in the gospel—something and someone we simply can’t shut up about. The best news you’ll ever hear.
  4. Occasion for suffering—when you preach the risen Christ, you will suffer and be bound as a criminal, like he was. But fear not: After dying with him comes resurrection with him (2 Tim 2:11).
  5. Impossible to stop—the word of God is not bound. Many have tried to squash this message, but that has only catalyzed the explosion.

Of course, we ought to remember the risen Christ at all times and not only on Easter. But Easter gives us a timely opportunity to remember the risen Christ once again.

Jesus’ resurrection confirmed the passing of the present age, and it signaled the invasion of the age to come. This historic event, which changed everything, is dynamic enough that one explanation of it could never capture its effects. That’s why the four gospel writers have at least four different points to make when they recount the resurrection.

Perhaps this weekend would be a good time for you to remember Jesus Christ. Dig into each gospel and discover anew what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each had to say about the center of human history, the risen Christ.

Are All Who Laugh or Have Wealth Cursed?

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Luke 6:20-26 appears to make no qualification whatsoever:

  • Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God…Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
  • Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied…Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
  • Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh…Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

We may be inclined to race to Matthew’s parallel passage so we can qualify the text with “poor in spirit,” “hunger for righteousness,” etc. But that would violate a fundamental principle of observing and interpreting Luke’s intended message for his audience.

So what should we make of these extreme statements?

In a recent episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper masterfully demonstrates why context matters. He takes up this question on this text, and he observes the context of Luke’s argument to help us understand and apply these verses as Luke intended.

The podcast would be a great use of 11 minutes of you day. Check it out!

Great Bible Study Models for Women

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I have the privilege of serving a terrific campus ministry organization, DiscipleMakers. This blog and my book arose from the training we offer college students in Bible study, which I wanted to make available to a wider audience. But I’m not the only one who can show you how to do this.

For one example, I am delighted by Ryan’s help with this blog. He’s an old friend who learned this stuff at the same time I did, and I’ve learned a lot from his insights into the OIA method.

And for another example, I am happy to commend to you the models found in the videos below. These videos were recorded at the recent DiscipleMakers Women’s Conference, which had the theme of worshiping together as pilgrims (the Psalms of Ascent). Each main session talk from one of my colleagues masterfully models a different aspect of the OIA method.

Now these talks did not have a stated purpose to teach the skills in bold type. They were just normal talks given to explain a psalm to the women who attended the conference. But I share these talks with you to show you how important OIA skills are for effective ministry of the word.

Heather Smartt (Psalm 121) excels at observing the text carefully and making specific and concrete application, directly connected to the text:

Faith Thomas (Psalm 124) models how to observe and interpret the themes of a passage and make satisfying connections to the gospel:

Beth Dripps (Psalm 126) demonstrates the importance of relevant historical context to illuminate interpretive answers that are assumed in the text:

Megan Royes (Psalm 131) is an expert in illustration both to make the text pop and to speak application compellingly to the heart:

It is my privilege to serve the Lord with these ladies, and with many more men and women like them. I am happy to commend them to you as model Bible students worth imitating. If one my descriptions covers a skill you could develop further yourself, I recommend you watch the corresponding video to see how it can be done well.

For more teaching like this, check out our recordings archive here.

How to Use the Law Properly

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Colin Smith has a stimulating piece at Unlocking the Bible about how to use the Old Testament law properly. According to 1 Tim 1:7-8, the Old Testament law is good…if we use it properly. So how do we do that?

Smith first proposes a few negatives:

  • Don’t use the law for self-justification.
  • Don’t use the law for self-sanctification.

Then he states his case positively:

  • Read the Old Testament forward.

In other words, use the law to show you more of Jesus Christ.

I would differ with Smith’s use of Jesus’s “you have heard it said, but I say to you” sayings, but I believe his point can still be substantiated from other Scriptures (Rom 10:4, 2 Cor 1:20, etc.). And I would also mention that the law is useful in showing us the way of love, which is both Paul’s aim (1 Tim 1:5) and Jesus’ greatest commandment (Mark 12:29-31). But Smith’s reflections are still quite useful and worth pondering.

Check it out!