Dignoscentia

This psalm is a marked improvement on the prayer in psalm 70. It’s interesting to find pretty much the same phrases in verse 13 of this psalm as in verses 2 and 3 of psalm 70. Having encountered them in other psalms, I can venture to say they’re probably formulaic.
It appears that this psalm is [...]

Going through the motions and not feeling satisfied? Not feeling like you’re truly communicating with God, but more like reciting formulas? I’ve been going through the same thing, but then I read this article. It’ll set you straight. It sure helped me.

This psalm unfurls like a little play. It’s different from other psalms, because the narrative thread is continuous. The author begins with a plea for protection, then describes the reason for it: wicked people are seeking his destruction, and hurting him in secret by spreading evil words. I love the way he describes them: “They [...]

There are some powerful phrases in this psalm, which not only serve to illustrate beautifully the point of the author, but also serve as reminders of how one’s faith in and desire for God should manifest. (I’m going to ignore verses 9 and 10, since I’ve already said plenty of times that it’s wrong to [...]

God’s goodness and constancy is made all the more relevant and poignant in contrast with the evil present in the hearts of men, and the dirty deeds they commit. This psalm is full of profound advice, and great quotable lines. I believe there’s even a hymn inspired by verses 1 and 2.
How majestic they are! [...]

A tone of wailing can be heard throughout this psalm. Pain and defeat are confessed, and help is asked of God. It’s a tortured prayer, after a battle that’s left Israel in a pretty sorry state. “God, you have rejected us…” the author cries out. A better exclamation would have been, “God, what have we [...]

Like Psalm 56, this psalm shows a right attitude with God. David wrote this after escaping from Saul in the cave. This story is absolutely amazing, and is described in 1 Samuel 23 and 24. Read it, it won’t take but a few minutes.
Now that you’ve gotten the background, doesn’t this psalm leave you refreshed? [...]