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Reading A Psalm In Six Steps

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Feb 1, 2001

The previous articles have pointed out some characteristics of Biblical poetry. We have also explained that the characteristics of parallelism and balance can still be discerned in the Bible translations that we have. In this article, I propose a six-step programme for the reading of a psalm. I remind the reader that the kind of reading proposed here is intelligent and done in the spirit of the lectio divina Thus the six steps that I am here proposing is meant for prayer. I am assuming that the reader wants to begin reading the psalms but does not have the time nor the facilities to consult biblical encyclopedias and dictionaries. As has been explained in a previous article, the minimum requirements for the lectio divina are: a good modern translation of Scriptures (with explanatory notes), the desire to read with intelligence, and a faith that seeks dialogue with "the Father who wishes to reveal himself to his children." Biblical encyclopedias and dictionaries may be consulted later for a more rounded Biblical culture.

To illustrate how this six-step programme works, we will read Psalm 51, "The Miserere." This psalm has this sub-title: To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. The reference is to 2 Samuel 12 when Nathan confronts David due to this latter's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah whose murder David himself ordered (see 2 Samuel 11). In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan traps David into pronouncing a sentence on himself through the parable of the ewe (vv. 1-5). When David realizes that the parable is about himself, he says: I have sinned against the Lord (v.13). The sub-title provides the mood of the psalm, that of a discovered guilt (or guilt finally faced?), remorse, and contrition.

1. Create a sentence flow. There is an example of this in our January 1, 2001 article. Copy the psalm on a piece of paper, writing it in such a way that the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) or main and dependent clauses are highlighted. Copying the psalm forces the reader (especially the beginner) to pay attention to the words and helps him/her interiorize the psalm. Click here for a "rearranged" version of Psalm 51 that you can use as reference for the rest of the article.

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2. Search for the thought-rhymes. Once the psalm has been copied, it becomes easier to spot parallels -- the thought rhymes. Look for repetitions, contrasts, ideas that are completed. It helps if one pronounces the words softly allowing them to reverberate. No attempt must be made at this point to apply rational categories. Allow the lines of the psalm to direct your thoughts. For an example, look at verse 1. I have italicized "according to thy steadfast love" and "according to thy abundant mercy". Seeing that, one can consider the relationship between "Have mercy on me" and "blot out my transgressions." Without entering into a too detailed analysis of the text, one senses that "blot out my transgressions" is the particular form of mercy that the suppliant -- the "I" of the psalm -- is asking for. Verse 1 easily flows into verse 2 with parallel lines that echo "blot out my transgressions:"

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The copyright of the article Reading A Psalm In Six Steps in Scriptural Studies is owned by alberto esmeralda. Permission to republish Reading A Psalm In Six Steps in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.