Heidegger's Bible Handbook: Psalms: Chapter Summary

The Inscription. ספר תהלים, the Book of Psalms. Ψαλμοὶ, the Psalms. Ψαλτήριον, the Psalter, 1. The writers were diverse, yet David was principal. The five other authors. The Psalms לאסף, were they written by Asaph? Jeduthun, Korah, Assir, Elkanah, Abiasaph, why are their names set before certain Psalms? The Psalms ἀνεπίγραφοι, without inscription, 2. The Psalms are the most elegant composition in the whole world. Their argument, 3. The Encomia of the book in the words of Saint Basil, Athanasius, Augustine, and Calvin are woven together, 4. The multifaceted distinction between the rest of the Scriptures and the Psalms is set forth, 5. David deservedly called the sweet psalmist of Israel. The hymn-writers of the Gentiles are not even able to be compared with him, 6. The Psalms were composed in meter. Yet its sort is uncertain. The attempt of Mercerus and Gomarus to elicit it has been opposed by Cappel. Rivet’s ἐπίκρισις/judgment, 7. The music and manner of singing of the ancients. The Titles on the Psalms concerning Music explicated out of Gataker: שירים, שושנים, מזמרים, שיר מזמור, נחילות, נגינות, etc., 8. The persons to whome the Psalms were committed, 9. The Psalms were divided according to their dignity: מעלות, מכתם, 10. The distribution of the Psalms into five parts by the Hebrews, displeasing to Jerome and others. The division of Athanasius taken from the argument, and also of others from the inscriptions and Music, 11. The Order of the Psalms somewhat disturbed after Psalm 10 in the Greek and Latin. The arguments of the individual Psalms. A Synoptic Table of the book, and its Interpreters, ancient, Reformed, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Hebrew, 12.