Poetic and Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament
REL 310
Week 3 - Introduction to the Psalms
Class Notes
Textbook Readings :
- Chapter 9, pages 183-213 - Getting Acquainted with the Psalms
InterNet Resources
This Week's Assignment : Twenty Questions
As your answers will be quoting mainly material from the textbook you do not need to check this Assignment with Turnitin™
- When did King Solomon start to build the Temple in Jerusalem, and when was it finished
- Which seven people (or families) are named as authors in the Book of Psalms
- According to the textbook, which is the earliest datable Psalm, and when (approximately) was it written? By whom?
- According to the textbook, when would the Psalms of David and of Asaph have been written
- According to the textbook, which 2 Psalms date to the reign of Solomon? What was the approximate date?
- According to the textbook, which is the latest datable Psalm, and from which period and time does it come?
- According to the textbook, how are obedience and praise related to one another
- According to the textbook, over how long a period of time were the Psalms written
- Into how many "books" is the Book of Psalms divided, and how does each "book" conclude
- Give three examples of duplication within the Book of Psalms
- Give 5 places where the numbering of the Psalms differs between the Hebrew and the Greek versions. How is this difference reflected in English translations?
- What is the oldest existing manuscript of Psalms, and what is its approximate date
- How and why does the numbering of some of the Psalm verses differ between the Hebrew Bible and English Bibles.
- What three elements may be included in a psalm title
- Give the suggested translations for Mizmor, Shir, Maskil, Tephillah, Tehillah, Shiggayon. What is a didactic poem?
- What are the 5 categories or literary types which Herman Gunkel used for classification of the Psalms
- The textbook lists 8 patterns which can be used for classifying the Psalms. List the patterns, and give a one-sentence description of each
- According to the textbook - who is the central figure in the Psalms. What three names are used for this figure, and what does each of them mean
- According to the textbook - what three responses to the grandeur of God's person are stressed by the liturgical psalms
- What is an imprecatory psalm? Which of the views given by the textbook help(s) you to relate to the imprecatory psalms (you may give several. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer)
Remember to cite your sources
Use MSWord or a text editor such as Notepad to prepare and save your work, then send it as an Attachment to, or pasted into, an email message to Dr. Rollinson at rollinsondr@yahoo.com,rollinsondr@hellokitty.com,rollinsondr@mail2world.com.
Please use all 3 email addresses in case any of the mailboxes go down.
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
