MARCH Acrostics & Simile Psalms 34-35

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” -Psalm 34:8

CHAPTER OF THE WEEK: Psalm 34 You can read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 34:8 You can memorize it, read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

ON THE LOOKOUT: Over the next few months, we’ll be taking a look at the different categories of the Psalms. There are all sorts of categories and themes in Psalms. Keep looking for attributes of God, prophecies and allusions to Jesus, things we can trust God with, verses of lament right next to verses of praise or trust, thanksgiving, and add to your list looking for the theme of the week.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK: “In A World of Many Afflictions: Psalm 34” sermon by Jim Schultz

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Psalm 34 (Taste and See)” by Shane and Shane YouTube link, Spotify link.

PLAYLIST FOR THE WEEK: Here is a playlist with songs from Psalm 34-35 YouTube link, Spotify link.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: As you read Scripture this week, look for verses with simile.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The fear of the Lord is indeed the foundation of life, the key to joy in life and long and happy days, But it is not a guarantee that life will be always easy… It may mend the broken heart, but it does not prevent the heart from being broken; it may restore the spiritually crushed, but it does not crush the forces that may create oppression.”” – from Psalms 1-50 by P.C. Craigie

THOUGHTS on Psalms 34-35

Have you ever wondered why the book of Psalms is considered a book of poetry? It doesn’t look or sound like typical English poetry. We’re used to the ends of phrases rhyming like “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you”. The words ‘blue’ and ‘you’ rhyme. This poem also has a specific meter: 4.4.4.4. Meter has to do with the number of syllables in each line of a poem. Side note, that’s why some songs are interchangeable with other tunes. You can sing “Amazing Grace” to the tune of the theme song from “Gilligan’s Island” because the lyrics have the same number of syllables per line. But even in its original language, Biblical poetry still doesn’t rhyme or always have a strict meter. What is Hebrew poetry like?

Hebrew poetry primarily uses similes. This occurs when two lines next to each other express the same thought but with slightly different words like in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Both lines speak of worshiping God a lot. God definitely knew what He was doing in using similes because this form of poetry works in any translation or language. The beauty and emphasis won’t be lost. Seems providential!

Hebrew poetry occasionally uses acrostics. An acrostic is when each line of poetry starts with the same letter or a subsequent letter of the alphabet. The Acrostic Psalms include 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145. Most of them are partial or unfinished, but Psalm 119 is 176 verses of pure acrostic. Each group of 8 verses begins with the same letter of the alphabet. So cool! Unfortunately, this type of poetry doesn’t translate well into other languages. Translators would have to move things around considerably to get it to work. Not to delve into heresy or bad interpretations, but just because I was curious, I tried to turn Psalm 34:1-7 into an acrostic. On the left is the original ESV and on the right is my hand at making it an acrostic:

It’s definitely more awkwardly worded and I had to pick a few synonyms that aren’t pure translations of the original Hebrew. I totally understand why translators don’t do this.

Why did they use acrostics? There are a couple of different reasons they could have used acrostics. Some commentators said it’s because it’s easier to remember things that follow the alphabet. It also shows completion. We use the phrase from A to Z to mean something that is comprehensive. Acrostics also show the importance of order. God isn’t just sovereign, He’s the best planner ever. Acrostic Psalms help demonstrate that.

But if it doesn’t translate, what’s the value in pointing out that a specific poem in the Bible is an acrostic? We won’t find it easier to memorize, or showing completion, or God’s love of order. The preacher from the resource provided above pointed out in his sermon that it’s helpful to know a Psalm is an acrostic because it reminds us that Providence is working to bring order in the seeming chaos of our lives. Psalm 34 begins with a heading that describes David’s context for writing this Psalm. He was looking back at a harrowing and painful situation and expressing thanks to God for deliverance. Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears”. We don’t always see how God is working, just like we can’t see the Hebrew acrostic in the English language, but the order and beauty of God at work is always present in our lives. We should respond with thanksgiving and confidence just like David, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8).