Through fifteen sessions requiring about six hours each of study, writing, and interaction, the student is introduced to the Psalms of the Old Testament as well as some of the canticles of the Bible. In addition to becoming acquainted with the content of the Psalms, the student will perform exercises to promote his/her personal assimilation of the Psalms in life and in prayer.

Course Syllabus: Living and Praying the Psalms
Description: Through fifteen sessions requiring about six hours each of study, writing, and interaction, the student is introduced to the Psalms of the Old Testament as well as some of the canticles of the Bible. In addition to becoming acquainted with the content of the Psalms, the student will perform exercises to promote his/her personal assimilation of the Psalms in life and in prayer. Since some knowledge of the history of Israel and its scriptures is a prerequisite for understanding and appreciating the Psalms, a study of the “historical” Psalms comes early in the course. It is recommended that the student have access to a recent, scholarly publication on the history of Israel. Whatever else a student can bring from the study of the Bible to this course on the Psalms will prove helpful. However, the course is intended primarily for the neophyte in religious and biblical studies.

Texts: The student is to understand that no one book can serve adequately as a “stand-alone” textbook, and no single book on the Psalms covers all of the material of this course. However, it is helpful to center on a particular textbook or two for the sake of convenience and coherence. Thus, the basic textbook for this course is The Gift of the Psalms, by Roland E. Murphy, Hendrickson Publishers, 2000. The Reading Guide to the Psalms, pp. 241-255 from The Catholic Study Bible (CSB) is very good. Other works by Roland E. Murphy and by John F. Craghan on the Psalms will be helpful. Useful bibliographies can be found in these books. The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, by Sigmund Mowinckel (two volumes) is a “classic” and highly recommended, but perhaps not available to some students. The English version of the Psalms, abbreviations, etc. for this course will usually be from the New American Bible (NAB), which is widely available. As much as necessary or needed, the instructor will provide some text or lesson material for the student, either via e-mail (frken@idahomonks.org), U.S. Mail, or at www.amorchristi.org

UNIT I: Getting Acquainted with the Psalms
Note: The numbers assigned to the Psalms for this course are those of the Hebrew version rather than those of the Greek (Septuagint) version.

Exercises 1 and 2: allot 12 hours
Become acquainted with the Psalms by reading three English versions at least in part in addition to the NAB. Include the translation from the Jerusalem Bible.

Read chapter one (Interpretive Approaches) from GP (The Gift of the Psalms).

Read Guide to the Psalms from CSB(the Catholic Study Bible), pp. 241-255.

Read the instructor’s notes for this unit at www.amorchristi.org/page4.html

Write and send (via e-mail or US Mail) to the instructor an essay of two to four typed pages on the differences you noted in translations. Include some comments on the MT (Masoretic Text), the LXX (Septuagint) and the Latin Vulgate. Comment on “Why were there different translations in the same language in ancient times? Why are there differing translations in modern times?”

Exercise 3: allot 6 hours
Read the “historical Psalms”: 78, 105, 106, and 136, and the corresponding comments from Part Two (Commentary) of GP. Consult other commentaries that are available to the student.

Read Exodus 15:1-21 and consult appropriate commentaries on this ancient song, often viewed as the core of the Old Testament.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of several typed pages on the historical events in the life of Israel that the above reading material covers. Consult a recent textbook on the history of Israel when preparing this essay. (The instructor will provide a brief summary of events and dates in the history of Israel). Include some comments about the authorship and history of composition of the Psalms.

Exercise 4: allot 6 hours
Consult the instructor’s notes regarding the literary forms and poetic characteristics of the Psalms at www.amorchristi.org/page4.html

Read the introduction, The Book of Psalms, from the CSB, pp. 646-647.

Consult commentaries on the poetic character and devices of the Hebrew Psalter.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of two to four typed pages on the nature of Israel’s poetry. Include examples of the use of poetic devices (e.g. alliteration, chiasmus, parallelism) from an English version of the Psalms. Include a personal rewriting of a Psalm of your choice in which you employ alliteration, chiasmus, and parallelism.

Unit II: The Royal/Messianic Psalms

Exercise 5 and 6: allot 12 hours
Read I Samuel 7 - 15 (on the difficulties in establishing royalty in Israel).

Read Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) chapter 36, vv 1-17. Note especially vv 14-15, which view prophecy as something oriented to the distant future–an interpretation of prophecy that prevailed only after the Babylonian Exile.

Read Psalms 132, 2, 45, 72, 101, 110, and Isaiah 52:7-10, Luke 2:39-45, and Luke 19:36-38. Consult corresponding commentaries in GP and other sources.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of two to four typed pages commenting on the royal Psalms. Include reflections on the relationship between God and the king that these Psalms depict. In view of a Psalm like Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd) and passages such as Isaiah 40:9-11 and 44:28, Jeremiah 23:1-5, and John 10:1-18, how does the image of “shepherd” fit into the image of “king.” Write and send to the instructor an essay of two to four typed pages of personal reflections, commenting on the use of Psalm 22 (My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?) in the New Testament and how a Christian could think of this lament as “a Royal Psalm.”

Unit III: Wisdom and the Psalms
Note: The small book, Wisdom Literature & Psalms, by Roland E. Murphy, Abingdon Press, 1983, would be of help for this unit. Likewise, The Psalms, Prayers the Ups, Downs and In-Betweens of Life, by John F. Craghan, published by Michael Glazier, Inc., 1985, pp. 66-87 (The Good Life: Wisdom Psalms), is very good for the purposes of this course.

Exercise 7: allot 6 hours
Read pp. 255 - 286 in the CSB (Reading Guides to Proverbs and other Wisdom literature).

Read Psalms 1 (cf. also 92), 14 and 53, 15, 19 , 24, 25, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 49, 62, 71, 90, 101, 103, 111, 119, 127, 128, 147 (Pay special attention to the numbers in bold print).

Write and send to the instructor an essay of several typed pages that defines Wisdom in its various aspects: e.g., as God’s word, as the wise teachings from others, as the Torah, as God, as the superior knowledge of God’s people (cf. also the story of Joseph in Egypt: Genesis 37, 40 and 41; and the story of Daniel: Daniel 1 - 2)

Exercises 8 and 9: allot 12 hours
Using the cross references (footnotes) for the Psalms, find references to various Wisdom Psalms that occur in the New Testament. Cf. esp. Pss 14, 24, 34, 36, 37, 39, 49, 62, 90, 147 and their cross-references and footnotes.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of several typed pages on these passages, and comment on how Jesus is the fulfillment of Wisdom. Include John 1–the “Logos”/Word/Light (cf. also John 8:12), John 6–on the Eucharist, and John 17–Jesus’ prayer. (Consult the footnotes and cross references for these passages).

Note: The student may choose to present exercises 8 and 9 in two distinct essays or as one longer essay divided in distinct parts.

Unit IV: Psalms of Creation and Nature; Life and Death

Exercise 10: allot 6 hours
Read GP, pp. 40-54 and the Psalms and biblical passages referred to in those pages.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of two to four pages commenting on the views that the Psalms present in regard to Creation and Nature. Cf. also Job 38-42; 2 Maccabees 7:20-29.

Exercise 11: allot 6 hours
Read Pss 18, 50, 65, 68, 77, 78, 82, 89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 104, 107 (vv. 23-43), 114, 138, 148 (Note especially the numbers in bold print).

Write and send to the instructor an essay of two to four typed pages commenting on how the Psalms portray God in regard to creation, nature, and human events.

Exercise 12: allot 6 hours
Write and send to the instructor an essay of several typed pages that incorporates material and scenes from the above Psalms in regard to Jesus Christ. E.g., compare Ps 107 (vv. 23-43) with Mt 8:24-27 and John 6:16-21, and similar passages.

Unit V: Psalms of the Heart
Note: This is a broad category covering Psalms of lament, cursing, repentance, trust, deliverance, and praise. Only a few representative Psalms can be examined here.

Exercises 13 and 14: allot 12 hours
Read chapter three (Praying the Psalms) of GP and read again Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus) 36:1-17 (Note especially that vv 14-15 view prophecy as something that was oriented toward the distant future–an idea often expressed in the New Testament, especially as “the fullness of time”–even though the original prophecy may have been intended for the present or immediate future in the prophet’s own time).

Read Psalms 37 and 94: Note especially how trust in God couples with questions about God’s justice, i.e., in allowing evil persons to prosper–the so-called “problem of theodicy.”

Read Psalms 69, 109 and 137, which combine several “matters of the heart.”

Read GP’s commentary on Psalm 6 and the “penitential Psalms” that are referenced: Psalms 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

Read Psalms 66, 125, 126, 131, and 141– on trust, deliverance, and praise. Read also the corresponding commentaries in GP.

Write and send to the instructor an essay of several typed pages explaining how the Psalms present the “matters of the heart,” that is, quote examples, note the literary genres (e.g., lament) and the real or supposed historical background/setting of the Psalm. Comment on Jesus’ way of dealing with cursing of enemies. How did the early Church sometimes interpret the cursing Psalms? (Hint: Origen, using allegory, typology, etc., saw various level of meaning and interpretation in Sacred Scriptures. St. Augustine sees the Psalms as essentially Christological. E.g., in St. Augustine’s comments on Psalm 136 (137), the infants of Babylon are our evil thoughts, and the rock is Christ–cf. 1 Cor 10:4).

Exercise 15: allot 6 hours
Complete the exercise sheet that the instructor will provide for the student. Return the completed page to the instructor together with an essay of two to four typed pages commenting on the ways in which the Psalms can enrich one’s appreciation of Sacred Scripture and enhance one’s prayer life.

When praying the Psalms, we come before God in all our moods, trials, joys and sorrows.