The Psalms

Author:  Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We don’t know when this Psalm was written

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we don’t know when this Psalm was written, we don’t know anything about the original readers

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is about the wicked and calling upon God to judge them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The psalmist writes this to call his readers to turn to God And call for him to execute justice on the wicked, since he is a just God, bringing righteous judgment upon the wicked.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? We don’t know when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers?  Because we don’t know when it was written, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?  This letter is entirely messianic, and the king that it talks about putting on the throne must be the Messiah because it talks about universal themes. Regardless of the original audience, it is obvious that this has written for all generations to prepare the coming of the Messiah and the necessity that we will honor him and bow before him when he arrives.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .   This Psalm was clearly written to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah so that all peoples, including the Jews would humbly bow before him at his coming and worship him as the Son of God.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when this Psalm was written, although some manuscripts put this Psalm together with Psalm 9.  The difference between the two psalms are really very important, for psalm 9 is talking about the nations whereas this Psalm is talking about wicked people.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this was written, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is about the wicked and calling upon God to judge them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist writes this to call his readers to turn to God and call for Him to execute justice on the wicked, since He is a just God, bringing righteous judgment upon the wicked.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm was probably written after David had served as king over Israel.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this psalm was written, we cannot guess much about the original hearers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The psalmist wanted his original readers to trust in Yahweh because Yahweh was their deliverer and their faithful God and supporter of his chosen people Israel.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The Psalmist wrote this Psalm to encourage his readers to be joyful about Yahweh’s character and ways and to take steps of faith with God based on His character and ways.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know who wrote Psalm 66, but we do know that the subtitle says that it  was “For the music director”. This probably means that it was written after David had become king and organized all of the music for the temple. Beyond that, we do not know if it was written during David’s rule or the rule of any king after David or possibly even after the Jews returned from the exile.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this psalm was written, we cannot guess much about the original hearers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The psalmist wanted the original readers to consider the world they lived in in light of God’s faithfulness to Israel in the past and especially thinking about the Red Sea crossing and how this should stir them to trust him and to bring their needs to him because he was faithful in every way.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The author wanted his readers to trust in God in their current lives in light of God’s great glory which was demonstrated when Israel crossed the Red Sea. Israel should give thanks to God for his great works in the past and apply that to their present

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know who wrote Psalm 66, but we do know that the subtitle says that it  was “For the music director”. This probably means that it was written after David had become king and organized all of the music for the temple. Beyond that, we do not know if it was written during David’s rule or the rule of any king after David or possibly even after the Jews returned from the exile.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this psalm was written, we cannot guess much about the original hearers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The psalmist wanted to expand his readers’ vision to see all of the nations as part of God’s plan.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The Psalmist wanted his original readers to seek to spread God’s salvation to the peoples living everywhere on earth.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Psalm 71 Is not attributed to anyone in the normal Masoretic text of the Old Testament Hebrew Bible. The ancient Greek translation called the Septuagint called this Psalm “of David.” Even though it sounds like David, we have to put it in the category of anonymous. We do not know when it was written except that the author was old.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this psalm was written, we cannot guess much about the original hearers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The author wanted his original readers to praise God and trust in him even if they are old.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

This Psalm is written by a man who’s old and is calling upon God to rescue him and help him in the time of need.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know who wrote this and therefore it could have been written at any point in Israel’s history.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We cannot guess anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The Psalmist was calling his readers to keep themselves within the protective shelter of Yahweh and trust wholly in Him.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wrote this Psalm to assure his readers that they could trust in Yahweh as a sure protector whom they could always trust because of his mighty power and faithfulness to those who love him.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

It looks like this psalm was written after the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, but beyond that, we have no idea of when it was written, and we’re not even sure about that.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since we don’t know when it was written, we cannot speak to the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The Psalmist is rejoicing in Yahweh’s protection and victory over their enemies.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The Psalmist wanted his original readers to trust in God, worship him, praise him, and know that he would defeat all of their enemies.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Psalm 93 does not give a clue to when it was written, so we cannot guess.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We do not know when it was written, so we know nothing about the original readers. 

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

God is Lord over all the earth and His law is perfect.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

This psalm reminds the readers that God is awesomely powerful, even more powerful than the ocean and therefore they can trust Him.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know and cannot guess when this psalm was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this Psalm was written, we cannot know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The Psalmist was under attack by those who were wicked and he wrote to encourage his fellow believers that they must trust in God who would bring righteous judgment upon those who persecuted them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist was describing to God the situation where wicked people are ruling and oppressing God’s righteous saints and asking God to bring relief as a model to the readers of this Psalm to call upon God in the same way. 

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know and cannot guess when this psalm was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this Psalm was written, we cannot know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The Psalmist is writing to encourage his readers not to rebel against God but to praise him for his greatness and serve him in humility and obedience.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The Psalmist was seeking Israel to worship God with great joy and not to rebel against him as their ancestors had done.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know and cannot guess when this psalm was written beyond the suggestion that it was written at a time when the faithful were able to bring offerings to the temple.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We cannot know anything about the original readers because the text does not provide any clues except revealing the fact that the faithful were able to bring offerings and sacrifices to the Temple.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This song focuses on God’s greatness but also on calling the nations to put their faith in him and recognize his glory.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The author wrote this Psalm as an invitation to all of the nations on earth to recognize and rejoice in Yahweh’s awesome glory and power and to worship him as God.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This song was written sometime after Judah and Israel separated. Beyond that we cannot guess.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We don’t know anything about the original readers because we don’t know when this was written

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This Psalm seems to be a warning to those who would worship idols and an encouragement to those who worship the Lord.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wanted his readers to rejoice in Yahweh and his greatness and not to worship or turn to idols that are useless.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm gives us no clues to tell us when it was written. It only talks about the family of Israel come up with that suggests it was not during those years when Judah and Israel were two separate nations.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We don’t know anything about the original readers because we don’t know when this was written

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This is another song which talks about how the nations will see the justice of Yahweh and his great works of deliverance of his chosen people Israel.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wrote this Psalm to encourage the people of Israel and all of the nations of earth to praise Yahweh and trust him for deliverance.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We only know this Psalm was written after the temple was built on Mount Zion and we can guess that this Psalm was not written during the exile. Beyond that, we cannot guess.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since we cannot guess when this song was written, we cannot know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This is another song that talks very much about the nations and their relationship to Yahweh. This song exalts Yahweh in all of his glory and calls upon the nations to worship him, That also glories in his presence on Mount Zion.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wrote this song to encourage the nations to bow before Yahweh to encourage Israel to rejoice in the fact that Yahweh dwelt in Mount Zion in Jerusalem and to promote fairness and equity in the land.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

It is probable this Psalm was written when the temple was standing on Mount Zion, but beyond that there are no other clues.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Even if this is written about worshiping God in the temple, we know nothing about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The Psalmist seems to be talking about coming to Jerusalem to worship God with praise in His Temple on Mount Zion.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wrote this Psalm to be sung as pilgrims were entering the temple so that they would praise Yahweh joyfully.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

The inscription of the Psalm says, “the prayer of an oppressed man as he grows faint and pours out his lament before Yahweh.” This does not mention Jerusalem’s exile or destruction (even though the Psalm mentions the dust, which could suggest the temple is in ruins, but that’s not very likely). Because the inscription says it is personal, we should read it that way. We should take this Psalm as written any time after Solomon had constructed the temple, but probably not as a result of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile. In other words, we don’t know when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this was written, we know nothing about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The writer wanted to encourage his original readers to trust in God even one’s circumstances are difficult, because God’s character and past actions are proof that He will deliver in HIs timing and way.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The original readers can be confident Yahweh will hear their cries to him for help and will ultimately deliver them.

Author: Unknown

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

There are no clues in the Psalm when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this was written, we know nothing about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The original writer seems to be examining more universal themes, calling people to rejoice in Yahweh because of His magnificent work of creating and sustaining all nature.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

The psalmist wrote this psalm to show how magnificent is God’s command over all creation. This glory is revealed by the foundation of the earth to the ordering of the skies to the creating land and sea to the populating the earth with creatures of marvel and wonder.

Author: Unknown, but actually written by King David (read the information there)

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Read the information under David’s Psalms

What do I know about the original readers? 

Please read the information under David’s Psalms.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

Please read the information under David’s Psalms.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

Please read the information under David’s Psalms.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We don’t know when this Psalm was written

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we don’t know when this Psalm was written, we don’t know anything about the original readers

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is about the wicked and calling upon God to judge them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The psalmist writes this to call his readers to turn to God And call for him to execute justice on the wicked, since he is a just God, bringing righteous judgment upon the wicked.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Since we do not know when this Psalm was written, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This Psalm and Psalm 43 are speaking to people who are discouraged and even perhaps depressed and need to remember again yahweh’s faithful goodness and his love.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This passage is a combination of complaining about suffering but at the same time refocusing attention to God who is trustworthy.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Sons of Korah ask for vindication and deliverance

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Since we do not know when this Psalm was written, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This Psalm and Psalm 43 are speaking to people who are discouraged and even perhaps depressed and need to remember again yahweh’s faithful goodness and his love.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This passage is a combination of complaining about suffering but at the same time refocusing attention to God who is trustworthy.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Sons of Korah ask for vindication and deliverance.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when this Psalm was written by the sons of Korah. We do know that there was a defeat in battle which seems to be a national catastrophe, but we don’t know any details of it. It does not sound like it’s the exile.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this psalm was written, we cannot know anything for certain about the original readers except that they were in the midst of a national catastrophe, having experienced a Serious loss in war.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The sons of Korah wrote this Psalm to rally their people pray to God honestly and openly after a national catastrophe of defeat in battle.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The sons of Korah wanted their original readers to come to God and ask him to deliver them from their enemies and to bring victory in their battles.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

The author wrote this sometime after David became king. It shares the same messianic outlook as the book of chronicles so it could be written after the return from the exile, as strange as that sounds, since there was no king sitting on the throne during those days..

What do I know about the original readers? 

Although usually, knowing something about the original readers is helpful, in this case we have a messianic Psalm and don’t need to know about the original readers. This is a timeless psalm.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The writer clearly wrote this to stir longing in his readers for the coming of the Messiah. Whatever this says to the original king, it is clearly not about David or Solomon or anybody else but it’s about the coming son of God.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The writer composed this Psalm as a messianic hope to remind his readers of the coming Messiah.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when this Psalm was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this Psalm was written we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm talks about God’s amazing power and talks about his “river” which flows into jerusalem. Because there is no such river, there has to be a metaphorical meaning. God is israel’s sustainer and protector and we’ll be exalted over all the nations.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The writer wanted Israel to see the mighty power of God and to recognize that He is God and not to fear.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm does not tell us when it was written, but it is about God ascending to his throne and ruling over the nations. Therefore, in some way it is messianic, although it does not mention the messiah directly.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We cannot know anything about the original readers because we do not know when this song was written. Since it is messianic, may well have been written after the return from exile when the writer looked forward to God taking his throne in Zion, which will happen when the Messiah returns to rule the earth as God the Son.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The original writer wrote this to encourage his original readers that Yahweh is awe inspiring and rules over the earth and will come to rule in Jerusalem over all the earth.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

This is a messianic Psalm describing the ascension of the son of God as Messiah unto the throne over all of the earth, ruling from Jerusalem.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We cannot guess when the Korahites wrote this Psalm.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this song was written, we cannot guess anything about the original readers. This could have been during the time of David, it could have been during the time of Hezekiah or could even be post exilic. Because it is an idealized picture of Jerusalem, it could even be messianic.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

The original writer wanted his original readers to rejoice in the fact that Yahweh dwelt in Jerusalem and was an invincible warrior.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The sons of Korah wrote this to call all of the Hebrews to rejoice in Yahweh’s indwelling presence in Mount Zion, but also possibly to point to the messianic kingdom when the Messiah God himself will sit on His glorious throne in Jerusalem when He returns in glory.

Author:  The Sons of Korah, who are the descendants of Korah, who was punished for his rebellion against Moses by being swallowed up by the earth.  These psalm writers composed words and music in David’s day all the way to the Exile.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We cannot guess when the Korahites wrote this Psalm.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this song was written, we cannot guess anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This is a wisdom Psalm (“I will declare a wise saying”) teaching the foolishness of trusting in wealth, since both the wealthy and animals share the same fate—they are utterly mortal.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The author wrote this Psalm to show that wealth does not protect people from dying, so that the readers will not trust in the wealth of man but rather in faithful obedience to God.

Author: 

The Sons of Korah, a family of many generations who composed Psalms in many different eras of Israel’s history. It is difficult to guess during which era this Psalm was written, except that it would either have to be during the preexilic times or the postexilic times.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We cannot guess when the Korahites wrote this Psalm.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this song was written, we cannot guess anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Since the Psalm is about the temple on Mount Zion, we can guess that the Sons of Korah wished the original readers to cherish the presence of God’s temple on Mount Zion and to see it as Israel’s greatest blessing.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Sons of Korah wrote this Psalm to inspire the people of Israel to rejoice in and treasure deeply the presence of Yahweh in His temple on Mount Zion.

Author: 

The Sons of Korah, a family of many generations who composed Psalms in many different eras of Israel’s history. It is difficult to guess during which era this Psalm was written, except that it would either have to be during the preexilic times or the postexilic times.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

It is difficult to say when this was written. It does not sound like the time of exile Babylon, because it talks about crops, which is an unlikely subject if they were living in Babylon. The only fact we know about their situation was the fact that the nation was under God’s discipline for sin.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when it was written, we cannot realistically guess about the readers except they were experiencing God’s discipline apparently through bad harvests.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

It seems that the Psalmist was calling God’s people to repent so that God’s glory might dwell in the land.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Psalmist sought his people to seek for God’s return to favor with them.

Author: 

The Sons of Korah, a family of many generations who composed Psalms in many different eras of Israel’s history. It is difficult to guess during which era this Psalm was written, except that it would either have to be during the preexilic times or the postexilic times.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We know that this Psalm was written when Zion was the home of Israel’s worship (either the Tabernacle tent or the Temple). That means this Psalm could not have been written during the exile. Beyond that, we cannot guess when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since we do not know when it Psalm was written, we know nothing about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm rejoices in Zion.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Rejoice in the fact that the Temple was in Zion.

Author: 

The Sons of Korah, a family of many generations who composed Psalms in many different eras of Israel’s history. It is difficult to guess during which era this Psalm was written, except that it would either have to be during the preexilic times or the postexilic times.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We cannot guess when this Psalm was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We cannot guess anything about the original readers because we do not know when the Psalm was written.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is a complaint with piercing reminders of God’s nature and actions as loyally loving, acting in faithfulness, doing amazing deeds and showing Himself as the God of deliverance.  The original readers need to realize that they can ask God to deliver them  in their moments of despair because God still possesses all of these assuring qualities.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Psalmist brings his terrible grief and despair to Yahweh, even as he reminds Yahweh and his readers as well that Yahweh is loyally loving, faithful, doing amazing deeds and showing Himself as the God of deliverance.  The Psalmist wrote this for those who feel abandoned by God to give them a voice in praying in their times of uncomforted sorrow but also to show them that God is still the God of amazing deeds and the faithfulness Lord, giving them hope that they can bring their griefs and pain to Him and hope in Him to save them.

Author: Solomon

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

The most likely way to interpret the inscription “of Solomon” is that Solomon himself wrote this.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This was a time of great prosperity and safety; the greatest time period in israel’s history.  Until the end of Solomon’s life, there was peace.  Nevertheless, this

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Solomon wanted his people to recognize that a far greater King was coming, one whose reign would be over all nations, even far and distant nations, and this far greater King would be utterly just and good.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

Since this is messianic Psalm, we must guess that Solomon wanted his original readers to recognize that a much greater Son of David would come and rule over all of the earth; the people should long for and pray for this final Son of David’s appearance and unending rule.

Author: Ethan the Ezrachite.  We do not know for certain much about this person.  1 Kings says this about Solomon’s wisdom: “He (Solomon) was wiser than anyone —wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol. His reputation extended to all the surrounding nations.” (1 Kings 4:31)  However, there is an Ethan (listed with Heman, who is also a Ezrahite (Heman but not Ethan is one of the Sons of Korah, so he is listed there).
Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

  If the Ethan who wrote this Psalm, considered very wise, is the person mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31 and 1 Chronicles 2:6, then the writer of this Psalm served during David’s rule. 

What do I know about the original readers? 

David’s rule was generally a time of wars and dangerous battles, as well as civil war. It is probably that there was much uncertainty during these days.  The time of this Psalm is apparently during a time where Jerusalem was defeated and walls of the city were broken down by enemies although this could be poetical metaphor.  If Ethan is the person mentioned in Chronicles and Kings, then we know that King David was threatened, almost certainly by Absalom.  If the author of the Psalm is another Ethan, then this would be another time in Israel’s history where the king is threatened and the walls either metaphorically or literally were broken. 

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm reminds readers that God made eternal promises to the family line of King David and therefore, even though there was serious uncertainty, the original readers of this Psalm needed to trust Yahweh to support and deliver the line of David and restore Jerusalem to David or his heir.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

Although this Psalm is not specifically messianic, it holds up clearly messianic promises of an eternal rule of David over all the earth.  In the same say, Ethan wants his readers to join him in calling upon Yahweh to honor his covenant with David and rescue David’s house from enemies who are overwhelming them.

Author:

Moses, the greatest figure in the Old Testament and greatest hero of the faith.
Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Moses wrote this sometime during the Israelites’ 40 year wandering through the wilderness.  We need to remember that Moses wrote this four centuries before David began his rule as king.

What do I know about the original readers? 

There were two sets of readers: First, the Hebrews who had be rescued from slavery in Egypt and acted as if they were still former slaves. The other group of readers were those who were their children and grandchildren and had only known teachings of Moses and the life of depending every day thank God for food and water to drink.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Moses wanted his readers to learn how to consider their mortality in light of the fact that life is so short and to be satisfied with God’s love and kindness and to have joy in the midst of their many sorrows.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? .  

Moses wanted his listeners and readers to understand their mortality and their utter dependence upon God, who served as Israel dwelling place forever.

Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2).

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this Psalm sometime during the reign of David’s kingship.  These were times of battles and war, since there was not rest for David’s army’s all of his reign. It was probably somewhat of an uncertain time politically and internationally.

What do I know about the original readers? 

David’s role was characterized by war and uncertainty and political instability, as well as times of peace. The original readers lived in an uncertainty because of many battles and also internal strife.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph wanted his original readers to understand that bringing sacrifices to the temple is meaningless without obedience to the covenant promises.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this Psalm to call the Hebrews living in Israel to repentance and to be faithful to the covenant and not just to offer sacrifices.

Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2).

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this Psalm sometime during the reign of David’s kingship.  These were times of battles and war, since there was not rest for David’s army’s all of his reign. It was probably somewhat of an uncertain time politically and internationally.

What do I know about the original readers? 

David’s role was characterized by war and uncertainty and political instability, as well as times of peace. The original readers lived in an uncertainty because of many battles and also internal strife.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph wanted his original readers to reconsider their envy of the wicked, who lived lives of ease and safety even though they were in rebellion against God and His truth

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this letter to encourage his readers to stop coveting the wealth and easy life of the wicked, looking instead to how God would judge them in the end.

Author: The heading ascribes this to Asaph.  We know of the Asaph who served as a musical prophet in the court of King David, but it is obvious this Psalm was not written during David’s time, but rather during the time of the Babylonian siege and defeat of Jerusalem.  Perhaps the writer was a descendant of Asaph (like the sons of Korah), was possibly of the “school” of Asaph (concerning which we do not know if such a “school” even existed).  Perhaps another writer had the name Asaph during the time when Babylon destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and this person wrote this Psalm.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm almost must have been written during the Fall of Jerusalem.  

What do I know about the original readers? 

This is the most horrific time in the history of Israel and the readers would probably already be living in exile when this Psalm was written.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph must have written this to remind his readers of God’s covenant and to urge them to bring their requests to Yahweh to deliver Israel from this terrible situation.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this Psalm to remind the Jews that they needed to call upon Yahweh to deliver Jerusalem and the temple from the cruelty of the Babylonian armies.
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Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2).

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this Psalm sometime during the reign of David’s kingship.  These were times of battles and war, since there was not rest for David’s army’s all of his reign. It was probably somewhat of an uncertain time politically and internationally.

What do I know about the original readers?

David’s rule was a time of war, battles, and uncertainty and it is possible that the original readers were facing uncertainty and possible danger. 

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph must have written this to remind his readers of God’s covenant and to urge them to bring their requests to Yahweh to deliver Israel from this terrible situation.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this Psalm to assure his readers that God was sovereign Lord over the world and would bring justice and protection to his people and judgment of the wicked.

Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2).

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This is clearly a time of battles and war, so the original readers were facing many challenges and threats of danger.

What do I know about the original readers?

David’s rule was a time of war, battles, and uncertainty and it is possible that the original readers were facing uncertainty and possible danger. 

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph wanted his original readers to make vows to Yahweh and to repay them and bring Him tribute.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph’s original readers should pay their vows to Yahweh and bring Him tribute because they could trust Yahweh to defeat their enemies.

Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2). David’s rule was a time of many wars and battles both with the nations surrounding Israel, securing cities even within the boundaries of Israel and also dangerous civil war.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this during the reign of King David. David’s rule was a time of many wars and battles both with the nations surrounding Israel, securing cities even within the boundaries of Israel and also dangerous civil war.

What do I know about the original readers?

We can guess that the situation of the original readers was uncertain and perhaps even threatening, because of the political and military circumstances of David’s reign.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm describes a situation where it seems as if Yahweh has left Israel and is no longer supporting them, but Asaph chooses to remember Yahweh’s work of deliverance at the Red Sea, implying that God would again deliver his people

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wanted his readers to consider carefully the fact that even though they feel like Yahweh has abandoned him, he is the God who led Israel through the Red Sea and they should think about the great things he had done for them in the past.

Author: Asaph was appointed by King David to lead Israel in praise to Yahweh and served Israel by prophesying under David’s authority (1 Chronicles 25:1-2). David’s rule was a time of many wars and battles both with the nations surrounding Israel, securing cities even within the boundaries of Israel and also dangerous civil war.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this during the reign of King David. David’s rule was a time of many wars and battles both with the nations surrounding Israel, securing cities even within the boundaries of Israel and also dangerous civil war. This particular Psalm defends God’s choice of Zion as the dwelling place for the ark and Judah rather than Ephraim as the source of Israel’s kings.

What do I know about the original readers?

We can guess that the situation of the original readers was uncertain and perhaps even threatening, because of the political and military circumstances of David’s reign.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph is explaining Ephraim’s failures in the wilderness and in Canaan and is promoting Judah as God’s chosen tribe for Israel’s kings. We know there was more than one time that 10 of the 12 tribes complain about the primacy of Judah and Jerusalem.  Asaph, however, wants all the tribes to make sure their children know Israel’s past rebellions against Yahweh so that they can train the next generation NOT to rebel.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wanted his readers to recognize that God selected Judah as the source of His appointed kings and specifically David as his anointed King over all the descendants of Jacob.  Furthermore, he wanted his readers not to be like their ancestors, who were a stubborn and rebellious generation that was not committed to Yahweh’s ways.

Author: The heading ascribes this to Asaph.  We know of the Asaph who served as a musical prophet in the court of King David, but it is obvious this Psalm was not written during David’s time, but rather during the time of the Babylonian siege and defeat of Jerusalem.  Perhaps the writer was a descendant of Asaph (like the sons of Korah), was possibly of the “school” of Asaph (concerning which we do not know if such a “school” even existed).  Perhaps another writer had the name Asaph during the time when Babylon destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and this person wrote this Psalm.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm almost must have been written during the Fall of Jerusalem.  

What do I know about the original readers? 

This is the most horrific time in the history of Israel and the readers would probably already be living in exile when this Psalm was written.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph must have written this to remind his readers of God’s covenant and to urge them to bring their requests to Yahweh to deliver Israel from this terrible situation.  The Psalm calls upon Yahweh to defeat their enemies and deliver Jerusalem.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this Psalm to remind the Jews that they needed to call upon Yahweh to deliver Jerusalem and the temple from the cruelty of the Babylonian armies.
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Author: The heading ascribes this to Asaph.  We know of the Asaph who served as a musical prophet in the court of King David and this seems to be the Asaph we are talking about for Psalm 80.  Some might disagree because it mentions Israel’s defeat and God’s failure to deliver them.  However, the defeat is not the kind of cataclysmic disaster we read about in Psalm 79, the Psalm before this one.  Also, this Asaph specifically mentions Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh, tribes which were scattered in exile to Assyria by the time of the Babylonian defeat and exile. 

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph, David’s musical prophet, seems to have written this Psalm during David’s rule when Israel had been defeated by one of their many enemies.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It is clear that this is a time of uncertainty and danger for the people of Israel.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph is calling on his people to turn to the Lord and to pray to Him, asking God to show the mercy and to defeat their enemies.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wanted his people to recognize that God could still show them a favor as he had in the past when he rescued them from Egypt and brought them to the promised land.

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Author: Asaph, David’s appointed prophetic musician and poet. wrote this Psalm during the reign of King David.  

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this during David’s rule as a prophetic call to David’s kingdom.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Perhaps this was a time of military danger since there is a hint that God is disciplining Israel because they are secretly worshiping idols as did their ancestors. 

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph is calling on the people of Israel to put away all idols and objects of worship and to reject the wickedness of the Israelites which happened during the period of the judges, pledging faithfulness solely to Yahweh.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph wrote this Psalm probably for the feast of booths and used this celebration to urge his readers to repent from worshipping idols and instead to obey only Yahweh so that He would then be pleased to deliver them from their enemies.
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Author: Asaph, David’s appointed prophetic musician and poet. wrote this Psalm during the reign of King David.  

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this during the reign of King David. He was david’s appointed prophetic musician.

What do I know about the original readers? 

One way to read this is that Asaph was writing to Israelites who were secretly worshipping canaanite gods. Probably a better way of interpreting this passage is that Asaph is writing to the kings and rulers of neighboring nations who call themselves the sons of God and see themselves as above God’s righteous judgment.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Asaph wrote this specifically to one the people of Israel not to respect or honor the kings and rulers of neighboring kingdoms, for they will be judged by Yahweh. 

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph was exposing the wickedness and injustices of the rulers of the earth and pronouncing God’s judgment upon them because they had been mistreating the weak and vulnerable.  Asaph also wanted his original readers, some of whom were experiencing the oppression of the wicked, to know that Yahweh would bring His judgment upon the wicked, who would in the end pay for their acts of injustice.

Author: Asaph, David’s appointed prophetic musician and poet. wrote this Psalm during the reign of King David.  

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

Asaph wrote this during the reign of King David. He was david’s appointed prophetic musician.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This Psalm Clearly shows us that the original readers lit in a time of great danger come a surrounded by nations which were belligerent toward the kingdom of Israel.  There was threat of war and the possibility of defeat and great loss.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is written to encourage the people of Israel to trust in Yahweh and to call upon him for his protection and defense against Israel’s belligerent neighbors.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

Asaph Wanted his original readers to recognize that God is going to judge the nations which were terrorizing them and bring them within his rule and reign.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? David wrote this song when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.

What do I know about the original readers?  It seems like it was a time of great danger for anyone who was a follower of David. It was certainly a time of uncertainty and confusion.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?  The times were dangerous and it was impossible to know whom one could trust. Some of David’s close advisors had gone over to Absalom.  David wrote this letter to turn the eyes of his supporters to Yahweh, who was their protector and deliverer.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?  David wrote this Psalm to encourage his followers to continue to trust in God and ask God to protect them and defeat Absalom and his armies.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when his honor was being insulted, but that could be any time in his life.  We simply know that David wrote this.

What do I know about the original readers? 

All of David’s days were times of great danger for the people of Israel.  There were dangers of war from both foreign and home enemies.  We cannot say anything beyond this.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wanted his godly readers to be faithful and to trust in God and meditate on his goodness and faithfulness and he wanted those who had turned to wickedness to repent and return to fearing and obeying Yahweh.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

This Psalm is all about God and his faithfulness and care over his people. David wanted to teach his readers to trust in Yahweh even when things were difficult and dangerous.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

It is most likely that David wrote this Psalm after he had conquered Jerusalem and set up the tabernacle on Mount Zion (although Zion is not mentioned directly).  These were times of battles and wars.

What do I know about the original readers? 

All of David’s days were times of great danger for the people of Israel.  There were dangers of war from both foreign and home enemies.  We cannot say anything beyond this.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David trusts in God even though the unrighteous are dangerous and threaten God’s people.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wants his readers to think about God trustworthiness and to commit their ways to Him alone to judge the wicked and protect the godly.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when David wrote this Psalm. It could happen at any time in his life.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when David wrote this Psalm, we cannot really know anything about his original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David trusts in God even though the unrighteous are dangerous and threaten God’s people.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wanted his readers to bring their terror and their fears to Yahweh and the trust Yahweh to deliver them in their times of need, knowing that if he heard them, he would answer.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm apparently when he was being pursued by king Saul, guessing that the word Cush is referring to Saul.

What do I know about the original readers? 

If David wrote this when he was being pursued by Saul, it is very possible that David was alone and that this is written before he had a band of followers. If that’s the case, then he wrote this with God as his only audience.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this to assure himself and perhaps those who were with him (if this was written a little later in David’s time of running from Saul) that God is a just and righteous judge who will bring justice.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David is under attack by king Saul and is running to hide from him. This Psalm describes David’s struggle, his innocence and his confidence that God will bring judgment upon those who are trying to destroy him.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

There are no clues in the Psalm itself when David wrote this.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since we do not know when David wrote this Psalm, we must assume that we do not know anything about his original readers, except for the fact that the times of David were unsettled times in the history of Israel. There were many wars and battles from all sorts of enemies, so we can assume that life was not easy.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this magnificent Psalm to help his readers to recognize that they have a unique position in the creation of God; he has made them rulers over all of his creation on earth. This should cause a spirit of Thanksgiving and humility.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wanted his readers to recognize the reality that even though humans are a part of the earth and God is magnificently glorious in his creative power and majesty, nevertheless, god has given humans the position of our ruling the earth. This should bring great humility and appreciation for God’s mercy and gift.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was king over Israel and the nation was under attack by foreign powers.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This would have been a time of great confusion and fear for those who lived in Israel because of the threat of war from foreign nations.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to remind his readers that Yahweh is an amazing God who will defeat their enemies and keep them safe.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wanted his people to trust in Yahweh to defend them in battle, reminding them about Yahweh’s character and his faithfulness to help in every circumstance.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when David wrote this, but it seems like it was written when his son Absalom rebelled against him and tried to take over the Kingdom. Of course, that is a guess because it does not say.

What do I know about the original readers? 

This could have been written when David was a young man fleeing from Saul, but if it is more likely that it was written when David was king and his rule was challenged by his son, then the people would be in danger if they supported David or if they didn’t. They certainly needed to see that Yahweh was in his holy temple.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to encourage those loyal to him to look to Yahweh in his holy temple seated on his throne in heaven, so that they would not trust in armies or fortresses or even mountain strongholds, but would rather trust in the king over the universe.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wrote this song to lead his people in trusting Yahweh as the king over the universe who would exercise his sovereign power to bring righteousness and justice.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

King David wrote this Psalm, but we don’t know when. It sounds like the time when his son Absalom was plotting to take over the Kingdom, but there is no clear indication of this.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since we do not know when David wrote this, we can only make general assumptions about the audience. Most of David’s life after he was anointed by prophet Samuel was filled with battles and uncertainty and that meant that the lives of his people were also unsettled and perhaps even at times fearful.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to assure the people who were needy and being oppressed that God’s word was irrevocable and that he would protect him because he promised he would.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to encourage those people who were godly that Yahweh would fulfill his promise to rescue them from their danger.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

There’s no direct clue when this Psalm was written, although it was clearly written by David. It seems as if his enemy is personal rather than a nation and it is very possible this was written when David was fleeing from king Saul.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when this was written we cannot say for sure what is going on in David’s original readers.  However, we know that the entire time that David was king was the time of wars and battles, both from the outside of Israel as well as within Israel. If this is written when David was fleeing from king Saul, there certainly were many battles that were being fought during those days as well, so the original readers probably lived in times of uneasiness and uncertainty.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

If David had original readers, he wrote this for them to trust in God’s faithfulness even when it seemed as if God had abandoned them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David probably wrote this song when he was fleeing from king Saul, but there are no strong indications either way here. David wanted his original readers to trust in God’s faithfulness and his deliverance even when it seemed as if David’s enemies were winning the war.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was king over Israel, for it mentions Zion. We don’t know when during David’s rule he wrote it and it describes the situation of all human beings on our planet.

What do I know about the original readers? 

The original readers lived during a time of turbulence when there were many battles and wars to be fought. True peace did not come to Israel until Solomon’s reign, but even then there were times of disruption and fear.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to remind his people not to trust in man because all men are corrupt, but rather to trust in Yahweh alone who loves them and will deliver them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this so that his people would rejoice in Yahweh and trust in His promised deliverance, even though they were surrounded by very wicked people who always sinned and who always turned against Yahweh’s way.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this after he had conquered Mount Zion and made it the central place of Israel’s worship.  Beyond that, there are no other clues in this Psalm about when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Since it was written while David was king, we can know something about the circumstances of the original readers. David’s rule as king was a time of uncertainty, with many battles both from foreign enemies as well as conspiracies in Israel itself.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This is a teaching Psalm and David clearly wrote it to teach his readers what is expected of those who come to Zion for worship.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David’s original readers should examine their lives very carefully to make sure that they live up to the expectations which are part and parcel with coming to Mount Zion and the House of God, especially in how they relate to others who also fear God.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when David wrote this Psalm and the clues are too confusing to be useful..

What do I know about the original readers? 

Because we do not know when David wrote this Psalm, we can only make general guesses about the original readers. David’s rule is king was a time of uncertainty and many battles against foreign enemies as well as those in David’s own household. Therefore, we would assume that the lives of the people would be filled with uncertainty and danger.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his readers to constantly trust in Yahweh who will not allow them to be overtaken by evil people.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David was asking for Yahweh’s protection, contrasting himself and his purity of devotion to the falseness of leaders in the land who were trusting in sacrifices to false gods.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was under serious attack. Sometimes he talks about wicked people as a group who are threatening him, but then he also talks about a single individual. That person could be king Saul or it could be Absalom or perhaps somebody else we don’t know about.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It sounds like the time when David wrote this was filled with uncertainty and calamity. It’s possible that only David experienced this if he is running away from king Saul, but we can assume that the original readers were living in difficult and even possibly dangerous times.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David is searching his heart in this Psalm to make sure that when he asks God to deliver him from his enemy, he will himself be walking in godliness before his Lord. David Surely wanted his original readers to have the same approach as they brought their needs to God.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wanted those who were his readers also to examine their hearts and to make sure that when they asked God to deliver them, they could be confident they were not participating in the very sins that their enemies were committing.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm apparently long after he had become king over both Judah and the rest of Israel. It says that he wrote this after Yahweh had rescued him from the power of all of his enemies, Including king Saul, which sounds like it was somewhere during the middle of his rule as king, during a time of peace.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It seems like this was a time of great prosperity for King David and that there must have been peace in the land at this point. This is almost certainly before David fell into sin with Bathsheba. So it was a time of peace and safety for David’s subjects living in Israel.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wanted his original readers to trust in Yahweh in every circumstance they would find themselves.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his people to trust in Yahweh as their deliverer and protector, because Yahweh had delivered David from all of his dangers and He would deliver them as well.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We know that David wrote this Psalm but there are no clues telling us when he wrote it. It could have happened at any stage in his life.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We can only make general assumptions about the situation of the original readers. The rule of David as king was a time of upheaval and regular battles both against foreign and internal enemies. So we can assume that the lives of the people were unsettled and sometimes even fearful.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David describes the beauty of creation, its orderliness, it’s witness to its creator and then compares that natural beauty to the beauty of the words of God, most specifically, the law. He wanted his readers to value the beauty of the law and realize that the law and the creation both reveal the character of the Creator.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wanted his original readers to value the beauty of God’s law and then see God’s Law as equally beautiful and choose to walk in blameless ways through knowing, appreciating and applying God’s Law to their own lives..

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

King David wrote this song when he was ruling in Jerusalem as king.

What do I know about the original readers? 

The original readers lived in times that were uncertain, often interrupted with fearful wars. Beyond that, we are not sure of when this was written except that it was written during David’s rule.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Even though this Psalm can be interpreted simply as a prayer David wrote for his people to pray on his behalf, it is much more likely to be messianic and therefore composed to turn the eyes of God’s people toward the coming Messiah.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm as in prayer to be prayed on his behalf by his people perhaps, but it is so clearly a messianic psalm as well that that must not be overlooked. This is a prayer for the Messiah to come to victory in all of his battles.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

King David wrote this song when he was ruling in Jerusalem as king.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It sounds as if it was a time of peace in David’s rule and so perhaps there were not many battles against foreign enemies at this point.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this to encourage his original readers to trust in Yahweh to defend his king and therefore also the Kingdom, the nation of Israel.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David describes the glory that Yahweh has given to him as king and urges them to trust in Yahweh to deliver them as a nation bye destroying their enemies.  In a typological sense, this is ultimately pointing to the final King, the Messiah.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this but there is no indication when he wrote it.

What do I know about the original readers? 

Normally, we know a general idea about those who were David’s original readers, but this particular Psalm is clearly messianic in every way and seems to have no connection to David’s life and experiences.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm for all generations to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah who would suffer horribly to bear the sins of humankind.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

The Messiah feels abandoned by God even though he is crying out to him by prayer, but ultimately triumphs over death to bring glory to God through the testimony of God’s people to the next generations.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? After the period of the judges, during the days of David’s rule, before the rule of King Solomon and other descendants of David, many of whom worshiped idols.

What do I know about the original readers?  We can guess that this Psalm was written to the Hebrew people who lived in Israel during David’s time.  These are people who had survived many years of war against many enemies, including a war between David and Solomon’s heir, but also including many other battles.  Although they were certainly led by a godly King and were not allowed to commit idolatry, before the days of King Saul, many Hebrews (their fathers and grandfathers) worshiped idols.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?  The only possible clue telling us why the Psalms were written and collected might be Psalm 1, which says, “¹Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.  ²Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night.” It is possible that these Psalms are helping Hebrews to find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? We can only guess by reading the Psalm, but it seems like King David wanted his people to trust in God because of God’s character and to walk with God even through the many difficult trials they were facing in wars and conflict.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was king, and Zion had been conquered and established as the place of the tabernacle.

What do I know about the original readers? 

The reign of David was a difficult time filled with war and battles and uncertainty. Therefore, we can be fairly sure that the readers of this Psalm lived in times that were often difficult and unsure.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

King David reminds his readers that God, Yahweh, is in control and there’s the mighty warrior king who rules over Israel. He wants his people to face the battles and struggles that are before them with confidence knowing that Yahweh is with them As their divine king and will defend them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wanted his original readers to trust that Yahweh, their divine King, would defend them and stand with them in every battle and challenge they might face.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We do not know when David wrote this Psalm.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We can guess that this was a time of unrest and possibly military danger for the people of Israel. In general, the years of David’s rule were filled with battles and political and social uncertainty.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this so that his readers would be open with God about their struggles with sin and would seek for his help to guide and protect Israel in their times of need.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this letter to encourage his readers to be honest with God about their struggles with sin and to seek him for his deliverance and help in times of need, trusting that he will be faithful to what he has done in the past OK

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was king and when he was coming to the Tabernacle on Zion.

What do I know about the original readers? 

We do not know what period of time it was that David wrote this, but in a general way we can know that most of David’s rule was a time of uneasiness and uncertainty because of wars and battles which were fairly regularly going on.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this to encourage his readers to examine their hearts and their actions to make sure that they were walking in godliness before Yahweh, and if they were, to bring their needs to him for his protection and deliverance.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wrote this Psalm to encourage his people to examine their lives to make sure that they were walking in godliness and to trust in God to deliver them in light of that.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was king over Israel and when the Tabernacle was securely placed on Mount Zion.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It is clear that David is facing war and battles and so this was a time of uncertainty and danger for the nation of Israel and this was certainly felt by David’s original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David seems to have written this Psalm to encourage his people that God will protect them and that they can trust in God even as they face difficulties and war.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wrote this Psalm to encourage his original readers to trust in Yahweh even as they face difficult battles and frightening war.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

All we know about this Psalm is that it was written during the time that David was king. It could have been written during the time that David was dealing with his son Absalom who tried to overthrow him. All we can know for sure is that it was an uncertain time of danger and possibly betrayal.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It is clear that David is facing war and battles and so this was a time of uncertainty and danger for the nation of Israel and this was certainly felt by David’s original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is a request that God would deliver David from his enemies and also a praise that God has answered his prayer.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wrote this song to encourage his original readers to ask Yahweh to deliver them from people who were scheming to destroy him and then to rejoice at Yahweh’s answer and provision.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

All we know about this Psalm is that it was written during the time that David was king. It could have been written during the time that David was dealing with his son Absalom who tried to overthrow him. All we can know for sure is that it was an uncertain time of danger and possibly betrayal.

What do I know about the original readers? 

It is clear that David is facing war and battles and so this was a time of uncertainty and danger for the nation of Israel and this was certainly felt by David’s original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is a request that God would deliver David from his enemies and also a praise that God has answered his prayer.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

King David wrote this song to encourage his original readers to ask Yahweh to deliver them from people who were scheming to destroy him and then to rejoice at Yahweh’s answer and provision.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was old and under attack, probably during the time of Absalom his son, who rebelled against him and tried to become king.

What do I know about the original readers? 

The times were perilous because Absalom was plotting to overthrow David and those who were David’s loyal subjects probably were in danger.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this when he was old and surrounded by enemies, which was also true for those who were his loyal followers.  David was calling them to trust in Yahweh even when things might prove dangerous.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm so that his original readers would turn to Yahweh and trust in Him during the perilous times of danger when they felt surrounded by wicked and dangerous people.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

If this was written for the dedication of Solomon’s temple, then this was surely a time of great prosperity and peace and the people were secure in their economic and military safety and security. If written for the dedication of the tabernacle on Mount Zion, it was the opposite situation, with uncertainty and many battles facing Israel’s armies.

What do I know about the original readers?

We know that David’s original readers had difficult times, especially after David’s sin with Bathsheba and these difficult times seem to have continued right up to David’s death.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the original readers lived in times of uncertainty and worrisome battles, plagues, plots and intrigues.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm about a time when he was sick and at the point of death, but God delivered him, thus encouraging his listeners to trust in Yahweh during times of difficulties and stress.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this letter to be read at the dedication of the temple, either when the tabernacle was dedicated on Mount Zion or in preparation for the dedication of Solomon’s temple. He wrote this to encourage God’s people to trust in God even when He seems to be silent, and their outlook seems hopeless.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm after he committed sin with Bathsheba during the time that he was king over Israel.  David’s sin with Bathsheba marked a turning point in his rule as king.  From this point on, Israel’s history under David was filled with difficulties.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

We know that David’s original readers had difficult times, especially after David’s sin with Bathsheba and these difficult times seem to have continued right up to David’s death.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the original readers lived in times of uncertainty and worrisome battles, plagues, plots and intrigues.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

We know that after David committed this sin of adultery, deceit and murder, his rule as king was filled with troubles.  We can imagine that David’s readers experienced many of the negative aftereffects of David’s sin.  Perhaps David wrote this Psalm to encourage them in the midst of these difficulties to nonetheless follow God.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

This passage specifically talks about David’s unwillingness to admit his sin and how God disciplined him until David came to the point of admitting his sin and turning to God for forgiveness and cleansing.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

 David wrote this song before he became king when he was fleeing from king Saul.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

David had a small band of discontent outcasts who must have been the readers of this Psalm when it was written. These were people whose lives were always at risk, because they were being hunted down by king’s soul..

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David says that he wrote this Psalm to encourage his followers to trust in the Lord no matter what happened and to rejoice in God’s loving kindness.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his followers to meditate on God’s character and goodness and reliability and love and then to trust him in every situation they face.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm but we can’t tell when. It makes sense that he wrote it when he was fleeing from king Saul, but it also could be when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

Because we do not know when the Psalm was written, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

This Psalm is a combination of complaint, request for god’s deliverance from enemies, and request that God would judge enemies. It seems as if David wanted his original readers to trust God to bring his righteous judgment on those who were doing what was wrong

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this song during a time of great danger and trouble when he was threatened by many enemies and was asking God to defeat those enemies.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm does not say when it was written, but it is possible that the superscription at the beginning, “for the director”, suggests that David wrote this to be processed by the director of music, which might say that David wrote this when the ministry of musical singing at the tabernacle (initiated apparently by David) was running, which would mean it was written when David was king. Of course, that superscription could have been added by a Hebrew prophet much later, long after David had composed the text of the Psalm.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

We know that during David’s entire life there was lots of war, both foreign and civil war, and much uncertainty politically and otherwise, so that it is probable that the original readers lived in a time when it was hard to know what would happen next.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

In the title of this Psalm we are told that this is an Oracle, which means that it is a prophecy about what is going to happen to the wicked as well as how God is utterly loving and faithful to his people. So, this Psalm was written to bring comfort and encouragement in the midst of seeing the wicked prosper in rebellion against God.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this to encourage his readers to see how amazingly loving and faithful God is and recognize that God will have victory over those who are wicked, even if the wicked are rebellious to the core.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he was old.  We can’t be sure whether it was written BEFORE Absalom’s rebellion or after, but was certainly written within that time.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

The times of David were filled with war and dangerous battles. In addition, David in this Psalm is old, so that this some could have been written right before Absalom attempted to overthrow his father 4 perhaps in the five years after Absalom was killed in battle. This means that the plight of the original readers was uncertain and at times dangerous.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his readers to trust in God even though the wicked seemed to be in the ascendancy and the righteous to be oppressed.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his readers to trust in Yahweh even when things were difficult and even dangerous power because the wicked would be judged and the oppressed righteous would be rewarded.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this psalm but we don’t know when. It was a time when he was being persecuted, possibly because of the sin he had committed or perhaps because of a group of sins perhaps? It could be before David became king or it could be after he had become king. However, David does talk about his “neighbors”. It’s hard to imagine him worrying about that when he was king, so perhaps this was written before David became king. On the other hand, the word “neighbors” simply means “those who are close to me”. It could be referring to relationships.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

Because we do not know the timing of the writing of the Psalm, it’s difficult to guess the situation of the original readers. If David was king, then these readers were in a difficult situation. But we simply don’t know the answer to the question.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David is asking Yahweh to forgive him and to cleanse him of the guilt of his sin and so David is also inviting his readers to confess their sins before Yahweh and seek for his forgiveness and cleansing.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his readers to bring all their sins before God and to be honest with God about what they had done so that he could cleanse them and forgive them.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this, but we do not know when. It could have been at any time in his life. The instructions “For the music director” could have been written by David when he wrote the Psalm, by David many years later, or by the prophet who put the Psalms together.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

Since we do not know when David wrote this, we do not know anything about the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this letter so they would learn their own moral inability to control even just their speech and how desperately they need Yahweh’s help to overcome sin.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to remind his readers they must depend solely on God’s mercy and not on their righteousness, because they cannot truly make themselves righteous.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We know that King David wrote this Psalm, but we can’t know when he wrote it. It seems like David wrote this when he was king, but that is not clear enough to make a definite statement.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 

Because we do not know when David wrote this, we cannot really say anything about the original readers because this could have been when he was young or hold. However, we can say that times were probably uncertain because David’s entire lifetime was characterized by wars and battles.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wanted his readers to be joyful and rejoice in Yahweh.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?

David wrote this letter to encourage his readers to trust in the Lord even when things are difficult and when suffering and enemies seemed to be pressing upon them.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?
David wrote this Psalm, but it does not say when. Even so, it sounds as if David was king during the time that people were preparing to try to make Absalom his son to be king. However, there is another side to this Psalm which is messianic. Jesus in the gospel of John directly quotes from this Psalm to say that it is about him. It is one of the messianic psalms where the psalmist says that he has sinned (verse 4), yet most of the psalm is messianic.

What do I know about David’s original readers? 
We do not know for certain that these original readers we’re living at the time of Absalom’s rebellion, but it’s a fairly good guess. This was a very dangerous time to be a faithful follower of Yahweh and a loyal subject to David and so we can assume that this is a time of danger for the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 
This Psalm was written to encourage his followers to trust in Yahweh completely, knowing that Yahweh will deliver them from those who are slandering David and are preparing to harm him.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?
It is difficult to be sure, but this Psalm is probably mostly messianic, perhaps as a type of the Messiah, but also encouraging David’s supporters to be courageous in trusting Yahweh in the midst of treachery of Absalom and his supporters.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? After the period of the judges, during the days of David’s rule, before the rule of King Solomon and other descendants of David, many of whom worshiped idols.  This particular Psalms tells us EXACTLY when it was written:  “A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.”  If you do not know the story, read about it in the timeline.

What do I know about the original readers?  We can guess that this Psalm was written to the Hebrew people who lived in Israel during David’s time.  These are people who had survived many years of war against many enemies, including a war between David and Solomon’s heir, but also including many other battles.  Although they were certainly led by a godly King and were not allowed to commit idolatry, before the days of King Saul, many Hebrews (their fathers and grandfathers) worshiped idols.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?  Since the Psalm was written at the time that Nathan confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba and his decision to murder her husband, Uriah,  we can guess that David wrote this as a public confession of guilt before God and Israel.  It is very possible that David did this as a response to Nathan’s statement, “2 Samuel 12:¹²You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.”

What did the author want to change in his original readers?  We can guess that David wanted his readers to avoid ever hiding their sins from God, but always to come to Him, who alone can wash away our guilt.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? After the period of the judges, during the days of David’s rule, before the rule of King Solomon and other descendants of David, many of whom worshiped idols.  This particular Psalms tells us EXACTLY when it was written:  “For the music director; a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: ‘David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”” (Psalm 52:title)

What do I know about the original readers? 

There would be very few original readers of this Psalm because David was alone at this point.  The Hebrew people who lived in Israel during David’s time had survived many years of war against many enemies, but this Psalm was written when King Saul was often struggling with bouts of insanity because God had removed His Spirit from Saul as a response to Saul’s disobedience.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this specifically in response to Doeg betrayal, calling on Yahweh to judge this man and deliver David from his treachery.

What did the author want to change in his original readers?  David was asking God to judge Doeg and to defeat him.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story? After the period of the judges, during the days of David’s rule, before the rule of King Solomon and other descendants of David, many of whom worshiped idols. David wrote this at some time when he was king over Israel, but we cannot pin it down any closer than that.

What do I know about the original readers?

Generally speaking, the years when David reigned as king were filled with battles and times of uncertainty and difficulties, including civil wars. The lives, therefore, of the readers were often difficult and uncertain.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

Dave is exposing those who act as if God does not exist and showing how corrupt they actually are, which is the natural outcome of denying our Creator.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wanted his people to realize that God would judge those who ignored Him and would bring blessing to Israel from the Temple.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?
David wrote this when he was fleeing from King Saul and was betrayed into Saul’s hands by the Ziphites.

What do I know about the original readers?

David’s original readers were on the run from king Saul who is trying to kill David and probably would kill them as well.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David was asking God to save him from those who are betraying him and trying to kill him and therefore those supporters of David could also do the same, seeking for god’s help in their time of need because God was with David.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David seems to have written this Psalm to encourage his followers that Yahweh would deliver them and rescue them from all trouble.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?
This Psalm was written long after David had become king and probably deals with the civil war which happened when David’s son Absalom tried to overthrow his father and set himself up as King over Israel.

What do I know about the original readers?

This was obviously a time of great political unrest and danger for those who supported David openly.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David is calling his readers to trust in Yahweh and not to allow themselves to be misled by the smooth words of Absalom and his supporters.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

King David wrote this Psalm to rally his supporters before God’s throne to ask God’s help and deliverance and ask God to judge those who were attacking David.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?
David wrote this Psalm when he was all alone, without supporters or help. This was during the reign of King Saul before David began attracting outcast soldiers and supporters.

What do I know about the original readers?

David was probably the only reader when this Psalm was written.  Later on, he published this, probably when he was king.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this as a prayer, asking God to deliver him and protect him.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm as an appeal to God for His protection and deliverance. Perhaps we can say that David later published this Psalm when he was king to encourage his readers to trust in God in times of great danger.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?
David wrote this when he was fleeing from King Saul. This is when he had a small band of followers (including his brothers and whole family).

What do I know about the original readers?

These were perilous times for anyone with the courage to support David. King Saul was driven by his obsession with maintaining his kingdom and passing it on to his son and would stop at nothing to destroy David and his followers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David’s followers needed to recognize that God was with them and He was filled with infinite lovingkindness and compassion and they could trust Him to bring them to ultimate victory.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm during a dangerous time of his life when he was being pursued by king Saul and he wanted to encourage those who were following him that God is faithful and his loving kindness is infinite and they can trust him to bring their ultimate victory.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this sometime during his life, but there are no clues in the Psalm as to when that was.

What do I know about the original readers?

It’s impossible to know when this Psalm was written and therefore, we do not know anything about the original readers. We do not even know if anyone else read this song when it was written except for David.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

We don’t know if David was writing this to other people or just to God himself. David is asking God to judge his enemies in very violent ways.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to assure those who are righteous that God will bring vengeance upon men and women who act wickedly and persecute the righteous.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was all alone and pursued by Saul’s soldiers.

What do I know about the original readers?

David wrote this when no one was supporting him so the only original reader was God himself. Later David shared this with his people and perhaps added to it then, guessing from verses 5 and 8, which apply these truths to foreign enemies as well.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

When David shared this with his people later on, it seems as if he wanted them to trust in the Lord when they were under attack by foreign powers or by enemies close at hand.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this psalm to stir his readers to Trust God in the midst of great difficulties and danger.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was king during a difficult battle with Eden.

What do I know about the original readers?

The original readers were living in a time of great uncertainty and doubt. This Psalm is about a time when Israel faced a great battle with enemies who had purposely shamed them. This suggests that these were uncertain and difficult times for the original readers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers? 

David wrote this to give courage and proper perspective concerning Yahweh in the midst of their great military struggle; Yahweh would win on their behalf.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David was asking God to help Israel to defeat their enemies in battle, before it seemed as if god had abandoned them.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm when he ruled as king over the united Kingdom of Israel.  We do not know anything more than this.

What do I know about the original readers?

David’s rule as king was often characterized by battles and political instability or danger.  We cannot know more than that  about the particular timing of this Psalm.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

The exact circumstances that led to David writing Psalm 61 are unknown, but it is thought to have been written after David became king.  It may have been written during Absalom’s rebellion or during a military campaign. The psalm itself is a prayer for David himself for long life and is a declaration of trust in God’s protection.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David asks Yahweh for long life and also rejoices in God’s faithful protection and safety and David’s original readers could see this and trust in Yahweh to help them in their lives.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm, but we do not know when it was and there are no clues in the text to help us guess.

What do I know about the original readers?

Because we do not know when David wrote this, we can only know a little bit about the original readers. David’s rule as king was filled with war and battles and uncertainty. Before David became king, there were also times of great uncertainty and danger.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

David wanted his original readers not to trust in wealth and not to resort to oppressing others but to trust God to demonstrate his loyal love to them.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David asks Yahweh for long life and also rejoices in God’s faithful protection and safety and David’s original readers could see this and trust in Yahweh to help them in their lives.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was in the Judean wilderness. It’s possible that it could be when David was running from Saul, but it’s much more likely that it’s when he was running from his own son’s Absalom at the end of David’s rule, especially because in verse 11, he calls himself “the King”.

What do I know about the original readers?

This was a disastrous time in Israel’s history because David’s life was in danger, and the lives of many of those who were loyal to him were also in danger. David’s original readers of this Psalm would need to know they could trust in God during difficult and dangerous times.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This Psalm rejoices in God’s beauty, goodness, and great power in the midst of their danger.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to encourage those Hebrews who had accompanied him as he fled from his son Absalom. He said they should put all of their hope in God because God was reliable, good, and powerful enough to defend them in times of danger.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this when he was under attack at some point, but we cannot guess when that was.

What do I know about the original readers?

Because we don’t know anything about their situation of David, except the fact that he was in danger, we really can’t guess much about his readers except that these would be people who lived in times of war and battles and difficulties regardless of whether David was king or running from king Saul

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

In the last half of the Psalm, David talks about the fact that God will bring deliverance and those who are faithful will be saved, so one can assume that this was written so that David’s followers (either when he was king, possibly running from Absalom or when he was running from king saul) with trust in God during these difficult times.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wrote this Psalm to encourage his original readers to trust in God, knowing that god would defend them in the end and defeat their enemies.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this and almost certainly he wrote it when the Tabernacle was situated on Mount Zion, but beyond that we have no knowledge of when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers?

The original readers were living perhaps in a time of peace but much more likely there were wars and battles going on on a regular basis so that their lives we’re characterized by uncertainty. It is, however, possible that at this particular moment Israel was at peace.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

David wrote this to encourage his people to rejoice in the presence of God on Mount Zion and especially in the blessing of God upon all nations for his generous watering of the crops and blessing all of nature.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David wanted his readers to recognize the blessing that it is to have God’s dwelling in their presence on Mount Zion and the blessing that he gives to all of the nations in watering the earth.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this and almost certainly he wrote it when the Tabernacle was situated on Mount Zion, but beyond that we have no knowledge of when it was written.

What do I know about the original readers?

The original readers were living perhaps in a time of peace but much more likely there were wars and battles going on on a regular basis so that their lives we’re characterized by uncertainty. It is, however, possible that at this particular moment Israel was at peace.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This Psalm encourages people to rejoice in God’s rule as king over the universe and to know that he would bring justice and righteous judgment against their enemies.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

This Psalm focuses on God’s justice on behalf of those who are defenseless and powerless and encourages Israel to be courageous in battle, knowing that God is going to fight on their behalf.

Author:  David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this and almost certainly he wrote it when the Tabernacle was situated on Mount Zion.  It seems as if it must be during the rebellion of David’s son Absalom, but we can’t be sure of this.  However, New Testament writers also quoted this Psalm as prophecies about the Messiah.  It is better to see it as a description of David’s sufferings, yet also being prophetic about the inner turmoil of the Messiah to come.

What do I know about the original readers?

The original readers were living in a time of danger.  This must have been a terrifying time for any supporter of David and dangerous because of the possibility that those who followed David would be found and executed. It also speaks about the Messiah’s situation as rejected, conspired against, and betrayed by his own people and brothers.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

Because this Psalm is in some way messianic, God had two goals in leading David to write this Psalm. First, David wanted to encourage his followers to call upon God as David was calling upon God to judge his enemies and those who were attacking him. In addition, however, this is written for all time And all believers to show us the inner struggles of the Messiah as he encountered the hatred and duplicity of those who rejected him.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

This Psalm has a double fulfillment first in David’s life, and then in the life of the Messiah. David is going through a terrible time because of his son Absalom and he asks for God’s deliverance. At the same time, he is also describing the inner turmoil of the Messiah, who will be betrayed and rejected and hated by those who should receive him.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

King David wrote this but it could have been at any time in his life, so we do not know when it was written beyond that.

What do I know about the original readers?

Since we do not know when this was written we cannot guess too much about the original readers. We can guess that their lives were probably uncertain because of many wars with neighboring nations and even within Israel itself.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

This is more focused on God’s wonderful character than on the situation at hand, as if David wanted his original readers to first examine who God is and what He is like and then to apply these wonderful truths to their difficult situation.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David was praying for deliverance from his enemies yet exalted God’s character, thus setting an example for his readers to bring their dangers and struggles to Yahweh, who hears prayer and is faithful to His people.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

David wrote this Psalm and it is pretty clear he wrote it while he was king.

What do I know about the original readers?

We know that life was quite uncertain for Israelites living during the days of David’s rule. There were many battles against foreign enemies and even problems with civil war.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

David seems to be making a pledge concerning those who take part in the running of his kingdom that they will be godly and trustworthy people.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David seems to be making a promise about how he will rule his Kingdom and the kinds of people he will put in charge of its work.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

This Psalm was written during the life of King David, but we don’t know when. It could have been when he was young or old.

What do I know about the original readers?

Because we cannot guess when in David’s life this Psalm was written, we can only guess that generally, the people who would have first read this Psalm were very likely in unsettled times of battles and wars, which typified much of David’s rule as king, but we do not know.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

David wanted his original readers to focus their attention on God’s glorious character and magnificent power and actions.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

David commanded his readers to consider the character and mighty actions of Yahweh, who cared for them and faithfully fought on their behalf.

Author: 

David, the descendant of Judah and 2nd king of Israel.  God said of David that he was a man after God’s own heart.  Read David’s story in the Old Testament timeline.  David spent much of his life in dangerous situations at the hands of sinful people.

Where does this fit into God’s Salvation Story?

We learn from 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 that King David wrote this Psalm to celebrate the transport and placement of the Ark of the Covenant into the tent constructed by David on Mount Zion.  This is a great step forward in God’s salvation history as He moves Israel toward the building of the Temple by David’s son Solomon.

What do I know about the original readers?

The original readers were representatives of all Israel, many of whom were newly incorporated into David’s kingdom after King Saul’s dynasty collapsed.

What do I know about why the writer wrote this letter to these original readers?

David wrote this Psalm to connect this event with God’s covenant with Israel, His faithfulness in deliver the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, and God’s miracles on behalf of His chosen people. David wrote this psalm to remind the Hebrews of God’s past faithfulness to his covenant promises, to encourage them to trust God, and to praise him for his faithfulness.

What did the author want to change in his original readers? 

King David calls upon God’s chosen people to rejoice in Yahweh’s faithfulness to His covenant promises and to worship Him for His constant love in the past and present.