How to Read a Psalm
Read the small print, read the whole thing, say it aloud, watch the pronouns, stop at the Selah. Eight habits, and where…
The Journal
Category: Faith and Scripture
Short studies of the verses and phrases behind the songs — where they come from, what they actually say, and how they land.
Psalm 150: The Psalms End With a List of Instruments
Thirteen commands in six verses, eight instruments, and one entry requirement: breath. Why an instrument list is a fitting end to that…
Psalm 139: The One You Cannot Sing Casually
Exposure, an attempted escape, “fearfully and wonderfully made”, and the four verses nobody prints. Why the last two verses land as they…
Psalm 121: A Song for Walking
The hills are where the danger is. One Hebrew word repeats six times in eight verses, and the song is built to…
Psalm 51: A Confession Handed to the Choir
David’s worst act became a song the nation sang. No self-defence, a request to be created rather than repaired, and a reason…
Psalm 46: “Be Still” Is Not What You Think
The verse sits immediately after God breaks the bow and burns the chariots. The Hebrew is closer to “cease striving” than to…
Psalm 42: The One That Argues With Itself
A panting deer, a taunt, and a refrain repeated three times that never quite convinces him. What to do when you cannot…
Psalm 23: The Word Where It Turns
The shepherd was a job, not a sentiment, and the psalm changes person exactly as it enters the valley. What the structure…
What Does “Hosanna” Mean? A Cheer That Began as a Cry
Hosanna is “save now”, taken from Psalm 118 and shouted at the triumphal entry. How a plea for rescue turned into a…
What Does “Amen” Mean?
Not “the prayer is over”. It means firm, reliable — it belongs to the people listening, Jesus put it at the front,…