Literary Devices in Psalms
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
The world seemed huge to the Israelites, but compared to what we know now, their world was actually pretty tiny. To put it in perspective, Biblical writers thought that Lebanon, which was a few hun...
Genre
You probably noticed that the Psalms are written in verse. If you didn't, you might want to go back for a reread. Songs and poetry appear elsewhere in the Bible, but Psalms is by far the biggest co...
What's Up With the Title?
In Hebrew, Psalms is called "Tehillim," which roughly translates to hymns or praise songs. And that's exactly what psalms are—songs. Don't forget it, as you read through them. The Book of Psalms...
Trivia
Psalms have been part of our global culture for centuries. A book of Psalms was even found in an Irish bog. Gator wrasslin and Psalms—huzzah! (Source.)Think 150 Psalms is a lot? You're right. Psa...
Sex Drugs And Violence Rating
Psalms is a book about faith, but that doesn't mean there won't be a fight over it. The Israelites of old lived in a rough neighborhood, and victory or defeat often meant enslavement, death, and th...
Allusions
De Profundis by Oscar Wilde When Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for "gross indecency," he penned a 50,000-word letter to one of his friends. The letter was written at a bizarre point in Wilde's life, a...