The Poetical Character of the Psalms.— There is much difference of opinion concerning the essential nature of Hebrew rhythm. Many regard accent as its essential feature; but the better view seems to be that, in the very nature of the case, duration of time, rather than ac cent, is always the fundamental element- in rhythm. The Hebrew foot, therefore, has the same essential nature as the classical foot, but is more elastic. The Hebrew foot may be de fined as follows: A group of syllables, more or less in number, which, together with any silences that may be included, occupies in utterance a time relatively fixed, that is, the same as other feet in the same composition (consult Lanier, Science of English Verse,' p. 40). The number of feet in a line in the Psalms varies from two to six, there being a measure of uniformity in an individual psalm. The normal stanza consists of two lines, being ordinarily a verse. A division into strophes, a regular combination of several stanzas, is found occasionally, but is no regular feature of Hebrew poetry, although many consider it to be such. This division into strophes, when found, is sometimes marked by a refrain. Parallelism of the lines of a stanza is frequent but not universal, parallelism being also found in He brew prose. Assonance, particularly the repeti tion of the same word in lines near together, especially in the two lines of a stanza, is fre quent. Most of the Psalms are lyric, a few didactic while a few have a dramatic element. Psalms ix, x, xxv, xxxiv, xxxvii, cxi, cxii, cxix, c.xlv have the alphabetic or acrostic structure, in which the separate lines, or stanzas (verses), or two successive stanzas, begin in Hebrew with the successive letters of the alphabet. Ps. cxix, however, is distinguished by being divided into sections of eight verses, each verse in a section beginning with the same letter.
The Thought of the the psalms are for the most part lyric they are pri marily an expression of feeling. Hence a pres entation of thought would naturally be in a less connected form than in other parts of the Old Testament. Nevertheless, the book con
tains the principal phases of thought found elsewhere in the Old Testament. The impreca tions found in abundance in several of the psalms constitute their principal defect to the thought of the present day. Yet that feature is easily intelligible when approached historically and constitutes no real difficulty when under stood in relation to the time. Several of the psalms show an attitude that is favorable to ward the ritual worship, yet with no presenta tion of its details. For the most part, however, the general attitude of the psalms is in accord with that of the prophets. The lyrical element in the psalms, their character as an expression of deep religious feeling, gives them an appeal to the feelings of men through the ages. While much is in form local and national, there is often an underlying universality of spirit which gives them permanent value as one of the supreme products of the thought and feeling of humanity in fellowship with God.
Binnie, William, 'The Psalms, their History, Teachings and Use' (London 1886) ; Briggs, C. A., 'A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms' ((International Critical Commentary,' 2 vols., New York 1906-07) ; Cheyne, T. K., 'The Book Y of Psalms' (New York 1904) ; id., 'The Origin and Religious Contents of the Psalter> (New York 1895) ; Cobb, W. H., 'A Criticism of Sys tems of Hebrew Metre' (Oxford 1905) ; Davies, T. W., 'The Psalms' ((The Century Bible,' Vol. II, Edinburgh 1906) ; Davison, W. T., 'The Psalms' ((The Century Bible,' Vol. I, Edin burgh n.d.); Gordon, A. R., 'The Poets of the Old Testament' (London 1912) ; Kirkpatrick, A. F., 'The Book of Psalms' ((Cambridge Bible,' 3 vols., 1895-1903) ; Robertson, James, 'The Poetry and the Religion of the Psalms' (New York 1898).
GtDRGE RICKER BERRY, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Semitic Languages, Colgate University.