The Biblical Illustrator, or Anecdotes, Similes, Emblems, Illustrations Expository, Scientific, Geographical, Historical, and Homiletic, Gathered the Verses of the Bible, Vol 1 The Psalms

Excerpt from The Biblical Illustrator, or Anecdotes, Similes, Emblems, Illustrations; Expository, Scientific, Geographical, Historical, and Homiletic, Gathered From a Wide Range of Home and Foreign Literature, on the Verses of the Bible, Vol. 1: The Psalms

Divisions. - We are accustomed to speak as if the Psalter were a single book but, accurately, it is five books drawn up at different times and placed side by side. In Revised Version this division is rightly maintained, and even in Authorised Version it may be traced by means of the doxology with which each book closes. Book I. Comprises Psalms i.-x1i.; Book II., xlil-lxxn. Book III., lxxiii-lxxxix. Book IV xc. - cvi. Book V., evn. - cl. There is some reason to believe, however, that originally the books were three, and that they were altered into five in imitation of the Pentateuch; the original divisions being i. - xli (2) xlii.-lxxxix., (3) xc.-cl. There can be no doubt that these books were compiled in the order in which they come down to us; yet we are not to imagine that all the early Psalms were comprised in the first book, and none but late Psalms in the fifth. An analogy with Hymns Ancient and Modern may help us here. A few years ago an appendix was issued, and this contains many hymns written since the first edition was published but also it goes over exactly the same ground as the original edition, and contains a sprinkling of ancient hymns. It is tolerably certain that originally the compilations were distinct, and that the various editors worked quite inde pendently. This is shown by the remarkable fact that the same Psalms, with slight variations, occur more than once, just as nowadays we may find the same hymn, with or without a slight change, in, say, Hymns Ancient and Modern and The Hymnal Companion. Thus Psalm liii. In Book II. Is the same as Psalm xiv. In Book I., and Psalm lxx. The same as vers. 13 - 17 of Psalm xl. And in Book V. Psalm cviii. Consists of five verses of Psalm lv11 added to six verses of Psalm lx these verses, of course, belonging to Book II. Clearly, if the compilers of the later books were endeavouring merely to supplement the earlier they would never have incorporated into their collections Psalms which they knew had already appeared.

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