Psalm 52, Introduction to the Psalms (8) (Titles, 1)

8)    Titles of the Psalms

As we said, classifying the Psalms is something done by students of the Psalms.  It can be quite helpful.  But “titles” are actually given to the Psalms in the Bible.  Or are they?  As you will note, most recognize that the titles were not original but were added later.  Then the question is, of course, can we rely on them?  In today’s post we will share thoughts on this question.  In the next post we will list the titles.

a)    Saxe:

i)      Not part of the original psalms but added later, probably at least before 200 BC. (A very late date compared to the other commentaries.)

ii)   Don't have weight of dependability as inspired text but the best rule of thumb to follow is to accept them as they stand.

b)   Leupold:  The fact that they do not belong to the text every student of Hebrew has long known.  However, they were in their day inserted by men in Israel who belonged to her trustworthy leaders.  This could have been done by men like Ezra ... demands that allowance be made for the fact that our knowledge of the events of David's life is quite limited, and that much supplementary information may be culled from the psalms.

c)    The Reliability of the Hebrew Psalm Titles (Archer)

i)      Critics disregard them.

ii)   But mature reflection should lead the investigator to an opposite conclusion.

(1)                        It is impossible to explain how any "later rabbis" would have ventured to attach titles of this sort to psalms whose text does not clearly reflect the situations in David's life which are assigned as settings for the compositions.

(2)                        The LXX is conclusive the titles were added long before Hellenistic times.

(3)                        The fact that some of the Hebrew technical terms were no longer understood can only lead to the conclusion that these particular words had fallen out of use so long before the 2nd century BC that the true meaning had been completely forgotten.

(4)                        In regard to the once-favored theory of Maccabean origin of the Psalms, we note that 1 Maccabees 7:17 has a passage from Ps 79:3 that quotes it as as Holy Scripture.  Thus, Psalms predates Maccabean times.

d)   5-fold function of the Psalm titles (Ellison)

i)      Titles describing the character of the Psalm.

ii)   Titles giving musical instruction.

iii)            Titles indicating liturgical use.

iv) Titles relating authorship.

v)    Titles describing its original setting.