Preface: I apologize for the length I am still trying to figure out how to attach this as a PDF and publish just an abstract. But for now this is the only way I have to publish these.
The Tamid Psalms
The Mishnah in Tamid 7:4 records a sequence of seven psalms that are to be sung, one for each day of the week. The statute is as follows:
“This was the singing which the levites used to sing in the Temple. On the first day they sang The earth is the Lord’s and al that therein is, the round world and they that dwell therein; on the second day they sang Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of our God, Even upon his holy hill; on the third they sang God standeth in the congregation of God, he is a judge among the gods; on the fourth day they san O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth show thyself; on the fifth day they sang Sing we merrily unto God out strength, make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob; on the sixth day they sang The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel. On the Sabbath they sang A psalm: A Song for the Sabbath Day; a Psalm, a song for the time that is to come, for the day that shall be all Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting” (Danby, 589).
The sequence of psalms is known as the Tamid Psalms and is as follows: 24, 48, 82, 94, 81, 93, and 92. These psalms have many of the same themes and are connected in pairs. While there are many themes that flow through this collection, the most cohesive pattern is evident when a narrative approach is applied to the collection.
This paper will attempt to argue that the Tamid collection is a narrative that the editors placed together. This narrative depicts the relationship between Israel and Yahweh while looking forward to the day when they will be reunited together. This paper will give a basic analysis of each psalm and its major themes, show the connections between the psalms, and give an argument for looking at the collection as a narrative.
The Psalms
The Tamid collection begins with Psalm 24. This psalm has as its focus Yahweh and his greatness. The psalm is split into three basic sections. The first section establishes Yahweh as God over all things. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it up the rivers”(Ps. 24:1-2)[1] The argument from this section is God created everything therefore everything belongs to him.
The second section introduces the righteous person. The psalmist is seeking to know who can be in God’s holy presence. The answer is given “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully” (Ps. 24: 4 ESV). It is a righteous person that God is seeking. The psalmist then goes on to say that the righteous man will be blessed. “He will receive blessing from the lord and righteousness from the God of his Salvation” (Ps. 24:5 ESV).
The third section of this psalm takes the reader into the Holy Place. The psalmist brings us into the holy place with God and that Holy Place is Zion. “These are the gates of Zion, the city of David, the fortress which he had taken from the Jebusites” (Murphy p. 188). Also there is the might of God that is mentioned; he is “[…] strong and mighty […]” as well as “[…] mighty in battle […]” (Ps. 24:8 ESV). This helps reinforce the place that God has in his creation.
In this first psalm in the collection there is the introduction of Yahweh as the king and warrior of all. The second introduction is of the righteous person who is a pure individual and will be blessed by Yahweh.
The next psalm in the collection is Psalm 48. This psalm opens with the great city of Zion and then moves to the enemies of Zion, ending with Zion being established forever. Psalm 48 can be broken down into three manageable sections as well. First, there is a section describing God and his holy city. God is figured as a refuge and fortress here in this section. His city is a symbol of how he saves his people and is himself a fortress for the righteous. “With in her citadels Yahweh has made himself known as a fortress” (Ps. 48:3 ESV). This section highlights the way that Yahweh will protect his chosen city and his people.
The second section refers to Yahweh as a warrior king. Shown here are the nations, as they come against Yahweh ‘s city and therefore Yahweh. At the mere sight of the city the nations give into panic and disperse. “As soon as they saw it, they were astounded they were in panic; they took to flight” (Ps. 48:5 ESV). Showing how great and mighty Yahweh and his city are. One look at the army of Yahweh and the enemies of Yahweh flee in panic.
In the third section the people are called upon to walk around the city. The people are told to remember Yahweh and tell their children of his might and strength. “Consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God” (Ps. 48:13 ESV).[2]
The primary thematic elements of this psalm are the city of Zion and the protection of his people, the Israelites. Also important in this psalm is the worship of Yahweh after he causes the enemies of the city to flee.
The third psalm in the collection is Psalm 82. Unlike the prior psalms this one cannot be neatly divided into sections rather it is one cohesive whole. In this psalm the themes of Zion and Yahweh’s protection has been left behind. Instead the theme of judgment starts to come toward the forefront.
The psalm begins with God sitting in judgment over the nations expressed here by the term “gods.” Yahweh’s judgment is due to the “gods” allowing wickedness to continue in the world. The traditional interpretation says that the “gods” are the human judges who continue to allow wickedness to fill the earth (Leupold, 592).[3]
The psalmist ends with a warning for those that are judging the earth. “I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince’” (Ps. 82 ESV). The use of the phrase “son of the Most High” harkens back to Psalm 2 where it is seen that this could be alluding to princes of other nations. Here Yahweh is saying I have placed you in this position and like men you will die. He is saying you are no different then other men.
Psalm 82 is a cry for Yahweh to punish the wicked and vindicate the righteous. It is a plea for Yahweh to come and take His inheritance, the nations.
The fourth psalm in the cycle is 94. Once again in this psalm the theme of judgment is brought out as well as the idea that Yahweh is faithful to the righteous who follow him.
The psalm begins with asking for vengeance from YHWH on the wicked then proceeds to as the questions of how long will the wicked continue to prosper and how long will they be allowed on the earth. “O lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words al the evildoers boast, ” (Ps.94: 3-4 ESV).
The psalmist then proceeds to detail the wicked’s deeds. He talks of how they are destroying the people of Yahweh and have no respect for Israel or Yahweh. After talking of the wicked’s deeds the psalmist tells of Yahweh and his power. “Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise” (Ps. 94:8 ESV)? This is the start the psalmist telling the people that Yahweh knows all and will not sit idly by.
The next section brings out the theme of Yahweh as the protector of the righteous from the wicked. “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence” (Ps. 94: 17 ESV). The psalmist is expressing the fact that the wicked are overtaking the people but Yahweh will protect the righteous and be their stronghold. “Here then the matter ends; faith reads the present in light of the future and ends her song with out a trembling note” (Spurgeon, 148). This is the point of the psalm. The people need to have faith and understand that their present situation in the light of what Yahweh has promised them is to come in the future. Israel is being told to look in the future for their salvation from the present oppression.
The fifth Psalm is 81. This psalm takes the judgment theme that has been working its way through last two psalms and places blame at the doorstep of the people of Israel. The psalm begins with praise for Yahweh but quickly heads south for the people of Yahweh.
The first section of this three-part psalm begins with a recount of the exodus from Egypt and uses this act of Yahweh as the reason that Israel should follow Yahweh. “‘I relived your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket’” (Ps. 81:6 ESV). This gives the reason that the nation should be following after Yahweh. It gives the context for why their disobedience is an abomination to Yahweh. “It was by God alone that the nation was set free” (Spurgeon, 401). For he brought them out of slavery and placed them in the land and in return the people rejected him.
The second part of this psalm is Yahweh telling His people to listen and obey him. This is summed up by the verse “I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10). This verse gives the reasoning that Israel needs to follow Yahweh and obey him. “The obligation created by this phenomenal deliverance is of an enduring character and call for nothing less then total and wholehearted commitment unto God” (Leupold, 589). This sets up why it is such a big deal that they have abandoned the Torah and gone after other gods.
The third part of this psalm is a cry on the part of Yahweh for his people to turn back to him. “Oh that my people would listen to me that Israel would walk in my ways” (Ps. 81:13 ESV)! This is Yahweh ‘s heart. He wishes His people to come back to him. Yahweh has given His people over to their stubborn ways but if they would cry out he would turn back to them and they would be free again. This psalm flows from judgment on the people of Zion to desiring that they would turn back to Yahweh and follow his ways.
The sixth psalm is 93. This is the shortest psalm in the collection at just five verses long. The psalm moves from the theme of judgment dominating the conversation back to the theme of worship. In this passage Yahweh is being worshiped by creation. “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring” (Ps. 93:3 ESV). This is a return to the worship of God that was present in the first two psalms. The emphasis of this psalm is worship— specifically nature crying out to Yahweh in worship.
The seventh psalm is 92, which has the superscription, “A Song for the Sabbath,” which is appropriate since this is the Tamid psalm for the Sabbath day. The theme of worship is present in this psalm and is expanded to include the people of Yahweh.
Psalm 92 speaks of the destruction of the enemies of the psalmist and relationship with Yahweh being restored. This psalm focuses on the worship and praise of Yahweh for doing these acts. It speaks of the righteous being blessed and echoes the first psalm in the sequence. “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Ps. 92:12 ESV). This psalm can also be broken into three parts first verses 1-4, which speaks of praising Yahweh and singing. Then 5-11, which talks of the wicked that, have pursued and harassed the people. Finally 12-15, which talk of the righteous being rewarded.
Connections
There are several themes and motifs that help to connect this sequence of psalms together into a cohesive whole and help to point out a possible intended purpose behind the collection.
Psalm 24 and 48: Both of these psalms are set in the same location, Zion. While the idea of Zion is introduced in Psalm 24, it is brought to the forefront in Psalm 48 thereby continuing the thought forward. The motif of worship is also introduced in Psalm 24 and then pushed forward in Psalm 48. This is the way these two work together Psalm 24 introduces the ideas and Psalm 48 develops them.
“Ps. 48 develops motifs introduced in Ps. 24[…] Ps. 48 says more about Yahweh, Zion, and worship than is found in Ps. 24[…] Ps. 24 foreshadows an encounter with Yahweh and PS. 48 describes such encounters” (Trudinger, 170).
This helps us see how these two psalms work together to move forward the idea of Yahweh and his holy city. In Psalm 24 there is a holy hill (24:3) and city (24:7) that is mentioned yet no name is given for this hill or city. In psalm 48 this city and hill are given name, Zion (48:1b-2, 12-13).
Psalm 48 and 82: Psalm 82 shifts themes and motifs from the previous two psalms. The theme of worship is absent and the theme of judgment takes its place. While the themes are different there are still links between Psalms 48 and 82. Both of these psalms seem to have the same settings, Zion, thereby continuing the idea of Zion. Also the idea that it is God who rules in Zion is present in both psalms (Trudinger, 171).
Psalm 82 and 94: these two psalms are the two most closely linked in the whole collection. They both open with pleas for Yahweh to judge the wicked and both picture YHWH as a judge sitting on a throne. “They share the theme of retribution and taken together, they portray the total destruction of wickedness under the judgment of God, first in heaven, then on earth” (Trudinger, 172). Once again these two psalms have been specifically chosen to provide a complete picture of Yahweh and how he works.
Psalm 94 and 81: These two psalms are linked through there use of examples of Yahweh’s saving power and also the 81 gives the reason that Yahweh has not acted as asked in Psalm 94. In Psalm 94 testimony from the psalmist is heard concerning Yahweh saving power while in 81 it is in the form of national history.
Psalm 81 also fleshes out the reasons why Yahweh has not acted. It is seen that the people of Yahweh are rebelling and not worshiping Yahweh like they are supposed to do.
Psalm 81 and 93: both of these psalms contain the motif of praise to Yahweh. Praise is how Psalm 81 opens and practically all of Psalm 92 is devoted to this idea. In Psalm 81 the reason the people are under the divine wrath of Yahweh is due to the fact that they did not follow the commandment to worship Yahweh (Trudinger, 174). [4] They perverted the worship and whored after other gods. But in Psalm 93 Yahweh is being worshiped by nature this juxtaposition could foreshadow a return by the people to worshiping Yahweh. This is not a huge leap as motifs have been developing from psalm to psalm throughout this collection.
Psalm 93 and 92: These two psalms are dominated by their shared motif of praise and worship of Yahweh. Here it is seen that praise has moved from nature in Psalm 93 to humans in Psalm 92. What has happened is that the people have come back to Yahweh and are once again praising His name. “The removal of oppression hinted at in the transition from Ps 81 to Ps 93 is confirmed in Psalm 92 by the rescue of the righteous and their acts of praise” (Trudinger, 175). The foreshadowing of Ps. 93 is realized her in 92. The people have returned and the righteous have been vindicated.
Psalm 92 and 24: These two psalms are the least connected of the whole group. When looking at these two psalms it makes sense more for Psalm 24 to come before Psalm 92. Psalm 24 provides a gateway through which you can access the final promises of Psalm 92. It sets up what is to be expected at the end of the story. Psalm 24 gives us the foundation through which the reader can see how the nation should be acting. It shows what the righteous are to do and have the privilege of doing, namely worshiping Yahweh in Zion. All the psalms from 48 through 93 give the idea that this is not what is happening and there needs to be a shift back toward worship which is what happens in Psalm 92. Thus the flow of ideas from Psalm 92 to Psalm 24 is very weak. No themes are expounded upon and no ideas are pushed forward rather it is a static reality.
The fact that the two psalms don’t really connect from 92 to 24 has interpretational ramifications. In most temple and Jewish liturgy, just as one day follows another, so the psalms used lead into one another therefore creating a circular never-ending sequence. The Tamid sequence breaks this pattern. Instead of a circle there is a never-ending linear argument that is consistently repeated over and over again. “The break between Ps 92 and Ps 24 indicates that this never ending sequence is not to be viewed as an eternal cycle, but as the infinite repetition of a linear sequence of seven, with a beginning, Ps 2 and an end Ps 92” (Trudinger, 177). This also would follow the understanding that the Sabbath is the last day and the conclusion of the week therefore the argument stops on the Sabbath and the Sabbath psalm.
The Story
There have been many attempts to explain the relationships between the psalms of this sequence. The most popular view is that it the seven psalms relate to the seven days of creation. This link is drawn from five of the psalms having superscriptions in the Septuagint (LXX) that links them to the creations narrative. The following lists the psalms and there superscriptions in the LXX.
Ps. 24—“A Psalm of David on the first day of the week” (Brenton, 711)
Ps. 48—“A Psalm of praise for the sons of Core on the Second day of the week” (Brenton, 725)
Ps. 82—“A Psalm for Asaph” (Brenton, 748).
Ps. 94—“A Psalm of David for the fourth day of the week” (Brenton, 755)
Ps. 81— “For the end, a Psalm for Asaph, concerning the wine-presses” (Brenton, 747)
Ps. 93—“For the day before the Sabbath, when the land was first inhabited, the praise of a Song by David” (Brenton, 755)
Ps. 92—“A Psalm of a Song for the Sabbath-day” (Brenton, 754)
The superscriptions here do not place any rational for why these might be linked to the days of creation. Rather it is more likely that they are helping to define the order of the collection. It would make sense that the editors of LXX are just delineating which psalms are to be read on which days rather then providing an argument for the psalms being linked to the days of creation.
The second major attempt is made by Jewish tradition in the Gemara to the tractate Rosh HaShanah in the Babylonian Talmud. This tradition links the psalms to the days of creation as follows (Trudinger, 216):
Day 1 | Ps 24 | Because he [God] took possession and gave possession and became ruler of his world |
Day 2 | Ps 48 | Because he divided his works and reigned over them |
Day 3 | Ps 82 | Because he revealed the earth in his wisdom and established the world for his community |
Day 4 | Ps 94 | Because he created the sun and the moon and someday he will bring retribution upon those who serve them |
Day 5 | Ps 81 | Because he created birds and fishes to praise his name |
Day 6 | Ps 93 | Because he finished his works and reigned over them |
Day 7 | Ps 92 | For the day that is entirely Sabbath…. Said R. Nehemiah…because he rested. |
This is an unsatisfactory answer to the question. At several points the explanations seem inadequate to give us a full picture of what the sequence is attempting to say. In Psalm 81 there is no mention of birds or fishes let alone birds and fishes praising his name. This connection appears to be rather forced and derived from the use of waters in the passage. The explanation given for Psalm 48 could just as easily be used to describe Psalm 93, while it would make more sense for the sixth psalm to reference the creation of man rather than the reign of Yahweh over creation (Trudinger, 217). The rest of the psalms do little better in grasping hold of and connecting to the creation explanation, rather it is more likely that there is an alternative solution that makes more sense.
The best way to understand this collection is if you think of it as a narrative. While normally narrative is found in prose this is a collection of poetry that has been arranged in a specific order for what would seem like a specific purpose. There should be no surprise to the fact that a story emerges with in the themes and structures of the sequence.
By reading the psalms in sequence a story starts to emerge. There are two characters introduced in Psalm 24, Yahweh and those who seek Yahweh. These two characters move into the city of Yahweh in Psalm 48 and are interacting positively. Then scene then shifts to Yahweh governing the universe in Psalm 82 and it is seen that some of the rulers have been ruling badly. The story continues in Psalm 94 with a return to earth and the humans being split into two groups, one that is oppressing and one that is being oppressed, it is seen that those being oppressed are the righteous ones who seek after Yahweh as introduced in 24. The oppression continues in Psalm 81 and a plot twist occurs it is made know that those that are considered the righteous are not worshiping correctly and that is the reason for the issues on earth. There is another shift in the narrative as Yahweh is portrayed in Psalm 93 as the king who is standing above to confusion on earth and establishing regulated order. The narrative ends with Psalm 92 and the people coming back into a right relationship with Yahweh (Trudinger p.228).
This narrative reading of the collection brings to light the thematic and structural issues in the collection and helps to give them a structure and framework that makes sense. There cannot help but see the connections with this narrative structure and the narrative of the Jewish people. All throughout the Old Testament they are following Yahweh then neglecting the Torah and worship of Yahweh and being punished for it then returning to him and being restored into a relationship with him.
Conclusion
This collection of psalms is best read as a narrative. It provides a story that seems to at some level parallel that of Jewish history. It is a story of a righteous person who neglects Yahweh but through faithfulness of Yahweh he is restored back to the faith. The parallels with the acts of Yahweh and the people’s general response from exodus to after the exile is fairly solid. The Tamid psalms emphasis Yahweh’s faithfulness to bring his people back into a right relationship with him.
Works Cited
The English Standard Version. Gen. Ed. Wayne Grudem. Wheaton IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001. Print.
Leupold, H.C. Exposition of Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1969. Print.
The Mishnah. Trans. Herbert Danby. New York: Oxford University Press, 1933. Print.
Murphy, James G. Psalms. Minneapolis, MN: James Family Publishing, 1977. Print.
The Septuagint With Apocraypha: Greek and English. Ed. Lancelot C.L Brenton. London: Samuel Bagster & sons, Ltd, 1851. Print.
Spurgeon, C.H. The Treasury of David. Vol. 2. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988. Print.
Trudinger, Peter L. The Psalms of the Tamid Service a Liturgical Text from the Second Temple. Boston: Brill, 2004. Print.
[1] English Standard Version (ESV) [the fullness thereof, could be translated and all that fills it]
[2] The passage seems to be telling the people to tell their children that the City is God. This could be misconstrued, rather it is the fact that our God created this city and has chosen to dwell here amongst his people. The city is a symbol of God and his covenant with his people.
[3] This is not a satisfying answer to the problem but the alternatives are worse. More likely is that the “gods” refer to the nations that are oppressing Israel. Here the psalmist is crying out for salvation from these oppressive “gods”.
[4] It should be noted that here Trudinger points out that Ps. 93 contains a short reference to the rulings of God and indicates that they are still valid. The people are still under the divine wrath. Yet I see this as more of a foreshadowing of what is to come in Ps. 92 while it is a point of contact with 81 the connection it has with 92 is stronger in my opinion.
Personally, I don't think publishing the PDF is much of a savings, I would rather just read all the text here and not need to load the viewer....just saying...
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