due to [his] name. Bring an offering and enter [his] courts; in holy attire worshipיהוה (Ps 96:7–9);
יהוה has become King; let peoples tremble. [He] is enthroned on the cherubim; let the earth shake. יהוה is great in Zion; [he] is exalted above all the peoples. Let them extol your great and terrible name. Holy is [he] (Ps 99:1–3);
Let all the earth acclaim יהוה ! Worship יהוה in gladness; enter [his] presence with joyful songs. Acknowledge that יהוה is God; [he] made us and we are [his], [his] own people, the flock which [he] shepherds. Enter [his] gates with thanksgiving, [his] courts with praise. Give thanks to [him] and bless [his] name; for יהוה is good and [his] love is everlasting, [his] faithfulness endures to all generations (Ps 100);
I shall sing of loyalty and justice, as I raise a psalm to you, יהוה. (Ps 101:1);
As long as I live I shall sing to יהוה; I shall sing psalms to my God all my life long. May my meditation be acceptable to [him]; I shall delight in יהוה (Ps 104:33, 34);
Give thanks to יהוה, invoke [him] by name; make known [his] deeds among the peoples. Pay [him] honour with song and psalm and tell of all [his] marvelous deeds. Exult in [his] hallowed name; let those who seek יהוה be joyful in heart. Look to יהוה and be strong; at all times seek [his] presence (Ps 105:1–4).
Book Five
It is good to give thanks to יהוה, for [his] love endures forever . . . Let them give thanks toיהוה for [his] love and for the marvelous things [he] has done for [hu]mankind . . . Let them give thanks toיהוה . . . Let them give thanks to יהוה . . . Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of [his] deeds with joyful shouts . . . Let them give thanks to יהוה for [his] enduring love and for the marvelous things [he] has done for [hu]mankind]. Let them exalt [him] in the assembly of the people and praise [him] in the elders’ council (Ps 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 22, 31);
My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I shall sing and raise a psalm. Awake, my soul. Awake, harp and lyre (Ps 108:1, 2);
I shall lift up my voice to extol יהוה, before a great company I shall praise [him] (Ps 109 30, 31);
With all my heart I shall give thanks to יהוה in the congregation, in the assembly of the upright, Great are the works ofיהוה (Ps 111: 1,2);
Praise יהוה! (Ps 112:1; 113:1; 117:1);
Blessed is [he] who enters in the name of יהוה; we bless you from the house of יהוה (Ps 118:26);
I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of יהוה’ Now we are standing within your gates, Jerusalem; Jerusalem, a city built compactly and solidly . . . Pray for the peace of Jerusalem . . . I shall say, ‘Peace be within you.’ (Ps 122:1–3, 6);
Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary and bless יהוה. May יהוה, maker of heaven and earth, bless you; May יהוה, maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion! (Ps 134:2, 3);
I shall give praise to you, יהוה, with my whole heart; in the presence of the gods I shall sing psalms to you. I shall bow down towards your holy temple; for your love and faithfulness I shall praise your name, (Ps 138: 1, 2);
I shall sing a new song to you, my God, psalms to the music of a ten-stringed harp (Ps 144:9);
I shall extol you, my God and King, and bless your name for ever and ever. Every day I bless you and praise your name for ever and ever (Ps 145:1, 2).
Concluding Benediction (Pss 146–150)
Praise יהוה. My soul, praise יהוה. As long as I live I shall praise יהוה; I shall sing psalms to my God all my life long (Ps 146:1,2);
יהוה will reign forever, Zion, your God for all generations. Praise יהוה! (Ps 146:10);
Praise יהוה. How good it is to sing psalms to our God! How pleasant and right to praise [him]! (Ps 147:1);
Sing to יהוה a song of thanksgiving, sing psalms to the lyre in honour of our God (Ps 147:7);
Jerusalem, sing to יהוה; Zion, praise your God, for [he] has strengthened your barred gates; [he] has blessed your inhabitants (Ps 147:12, 13);
Praise יהוה. Praise יהוה from the heavens; . . . Praise יהוה from the earth . . . let them praise the name of יהוה, for [his] name is high above all others, and [his] majesty above earth and heaven, [He] has exalted [his] people in the pride of power and crowned with praise [his] loyal servants, Israel, a people close to [him]. Praise יהוה (Ps 148 :1, 7, 13, 14);
Praise יהוה. Sing to יהוה a new song, [his] praise in the assembly of [his] loyal servants! Let Israel rejoice in their maker; let the people of Zion exult in their king. Let them praise [his] name in the dance, and sing to [him] psalms with tambourine and lyre . . . Praise יהוה (Ps 149:1–2, 9).
Thirteen, communal solidarity holds a fundamental place in the Hebrew’s awareness of the corporate personality paradigm. This is reflected continuously throughout the Bible. The “I” of the psalms is now commonly recognized as “we,” the community of Israel confessing its faith through a variety of spokes-persons. Clearly, individual contributions were not lacking for leaders such as Levites, prophets or kings and their associates. The various poets who contributed to the Book of Praises, too, articulated this common faith from within their own particular and unique perspectives.
The shared nature of the Psalms’ confessions however is made clear when we reflect on the fact that they were commonly chanted, as their many references to singing make clear and their frequent use of simple refrains in which all could join. We have in the Psalms an example of the sensus fidelium, functioning with health and vigor in the life of the people of God.
You, the praise of Israel, are enthroned in the sanctuary. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted, and you rescued them (Ps 22:3);
How good and how pleasant it is to live together as [brothers] in unity! It is like fragrant oil poured on the head and falling down upon the beard (Ps 133:1,2).
The presence of יהוה was most acutely mediated throughout ancient Israel’s temple liturgy in which all the people gathered and participated–
The nations will revere your name, יהוה, and all earthly kings your glory, when יהוה builds Zion again and shows [himself] in [his] glory (Ps 102:15, 16).
The immense significance of the temple as the locus of the presence of יהוה in the midst of Israel is reflected in countless references throughout the Psalms–
יהוה, who may lodge in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain? (Ps 15:1);
Great is יהוה and most worthy of praise in the city of our God. [His] holy mountain is fair and lofty, the joy of the whole earth (Ps 48:1,2);
יהוה of hosts, how dearly loved is your dwelling-place! . . . Happy are those who dwell in your house; they never cease to praise you! Happy those whose refuge is in you, whose hearts are set on the pilgrim’s way! Better one day in your courts than a thousand days in my home (Ps 84: 1, 4, 5, 10).
The joyful faith of those journeying up to the temple rings out in a series of fifteen remarkable psalms,
