the graciousness of יהוה. The poets write of these attributes unerringly and with a directness and relentlessness that confront the serious reader full force. It is a worthwhile exercise to sit quietly and read this litany of love. As a preamble, Psalm 146:2 states: As long as I live I shall praise יהוה. I shall sing psalms to my God all my life long. This poet knows what [she/he] is talking about!
There is a transformational quality to the following psalms that, at once, serves to embrace and enfold the reader. This section (Books One to Five) is divided according to the traditional five books of the Psalter. This division gives a certain order and accessibility to these extraordinary themes of love, goodness and compassion. That יהוה is a personal, caring and involved God is the foundation of Israel’s covenant relationship. יהוה is invested in Israel’s life! I will be explaining later on in the book just why the Psalter is considered a collection of collections and how it is that the Psalms—as a book—is best understood as having an edited Introduction (Pss 1–2) and a summary Benediction (Pss 146–150) both of which cohere thematically to the overall book of Psalms and whose basic movement is from lament to praise.
Introduction (Pss 1–2)
Happy are all who take refuge in [יהוה] (Ps 2:11);
Book One (Pss 3–40)
Return, יהוה, deliver me; save me, for your love is steadfast (Ps 6:4);
. . . for the king puts his trust in יהוה; the loving care of the Most High keeps him unshaken (Ps 21:7);
Goodness and love unfailing will follow me all the days of my life (Ps 23:6);
All the paths of יהוה, are loving and sure (Ps 25:10);
Well I know that I shall see the goodness of יהוה, in the land of the living (Ps 27:13);
Blessed be יהוה, whose unfailing love for me was wonderful (Ps 31:21);
. . . the earth is filled with the unfailing love of יהוה, (Ps 33:5);
יהוה, who saves both [man] and beast, how precious is your unfailing love! (Ps 36:7);
It is יהוה who directs a person’s steps; [he] holds [him] firm and approves of [his] conduct (Ps 37:21);
You, יהוה, will not withhold your tender care for me; may your love and truth forever guard me (Ps 40:11);
Book Two (Pss 41–72)
By day יהוה, grants [his] unfailing love; at night [his] praise is on my lips, a prayer to the God of my life (Ps 42:8);
Arise and come to our aid; for your love’s sake deliver us (Ps 44:26);
God, within your temple we meditate on your steadfast love (Ps 46:9);
. . . [he] chooses for us our heritage, the pride of Jacob whom [he] loves (Ps 47:4);
God, be gracious to me in your faithful love; in the fullness of your mercy blot out my misdeeds (Ps 51:1);
For I trust in God’s faithful love for ever and ever (Ps 52:8);
May God send [his] love, unfailing and sure (Ps 57:3);
My God, in [his] unfailing love, will go before me; (Ps 59:10);
‘Power belongs to God’ and ‘Unfailing love is yours, Lord’ (Ps 62:12);
Your unfailing love is better than life; (Ps 63:3);
Blessed is God who has not withdrawn from me [his] love and care (Ps 66:20);
Book Three (Pss 73–89)
Assuredly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart (Ps 73:1);
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has [he] in anger withheld [his] compassion (Ps 77:9);
יהוה, show us your love and grant us your deliverance (Ps 85:7);
Lord, you are kind and forgiving, full of love towards all who cry to you (Ps 86:5);
But you, Lord, our God, are compassionate and gracious (Ps 86:15);
The source of all good is in you. (Ps 87:7);
I shall sing always of the loving deeds of יהוה; I said: “Your love will stand firm forever;” (Ps 89:1,2);
Book Four (Pss 90–106)
[יהוה speaks]:’Because his love holds fast to me, I shall deliver him’ (Ps 91:14);
It is good to give thanks to יהוה, to declare your love in the morning and your faithfulness every night (Ps 92:2);
If I said that my foot was slipping, your love, יהוה, continued to hold me up (Ps 94:18);
יהוה loves those who hate evil; [he] keeps [his] loyal servants safe (Ps 97:10);
יהוה has remembered [his] love for Jacob, [his] faithfulness towards the house of Israel (Ps 98:3);
יהוה is good and [his] love is everlasting (Ps 100:5);
As the heavens tower high above the earth, so outstanding is [his] love towards those who fear [him] (Ps 103: 11);
It is good to give thanks to יהוה, for [his] love endures forever (Ps 106:1);
Book Five (Pss 107–145)
Let them give thanks to יהוה for [his] love (Ps 107:8, 15, 21, 31,);
Help me, יהוה, my God; save me by your love (Ps 109:26);
יהוה is gracious and compassionate (Ps 111:4);
Not to us, יהוה, not to us, but to your name give glory for your love, for your faithfulness! (Ps 115:1);
Gracious is יהוה and righteous; our God is full of compassion (Ps 116:5);
Praise יהוה, all the nations, extol [him], all you peoples; for [his] love protecting us is strong, the faithfulness of יהוה is everlasting. Praise יהוה (Ps 117);
Let your love comfort me, as you have promised me, your servant (Ps 119:76);
In your love hear me, and give me life, יהוה, by your decree (Ps 119:149);
For in יהוה is love unfailing, and great is [his] power to save (Ps 130:7);
It is good to give thanks to יהוה, for [his] love endures forever (Ps 136 = the entire psalm);
For your love and faithfulness, I shall praise your name; your love endures forever, יהוה (Ps 138:2, 8);
In the morning let me know of your love, for I put my trust in you (Ps 143:8);
יהוה is gracious and compassionate, long-suffering and ever faithful. יהוה is good to all; [his] compassion rests upon all [his] creatures (Ps 145: 8,9).
Concluding
