Beautiful Psalm Verses

A particular difficulty is that presented by the "imprecations" of the Psalter, with their violent desires for revenge and their expressions of hatred against "enemies". In order to place these imprecations in their proper context, it is appropriate to take into account, albeit very briefly, who are the "enemies" referred to in the Psalms. Sometimes the imprecations are directed against the "enemies" of Israel, that is, against those responsible for serious national misfortunes, including – as in the cases of Assyria and Babylon – the destruction of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah(2 King). 17. 5-6; 25. 8-21). National pride and conviction that Israel's enemies were God's enemies make some expressions more explainable, such as those of Psalms 79. 12; 137. 7-9. On the other hand, these imprecations reproduce more or less stereotypical formulas, typical of the warrior language of the time. Other times, "enemies" are all those who had the Psalmist for a sinner and saw in their sufferings a punishment from God, because of the purely earthly retribution perspective typical of the Old Testament. For this mentality, all suffering was a consequence of sin, and those who suffered it were "abandoned from God." Aware of his innocence, the Psalmist appeals to the Lord to "confuse" his enemies. Only in this way would God's righteousness and the innocence of the righteous be manifested, and one could not doubt the protection the Lord bestows upon his friends. Finally, at other times, it is the "enemies" who persecute and oppress the poor and the weak. In such cases, the imprecations – even the most violent ones – reveal an uncontainable craving for justice and a legitimate yearning for liberation that never lose their presentness. Christian use of the Psalter The early Christians made the Psalter their "Prayer Book" par excellence, although they "reread" it in a new spirit, in the light of the Paschal Mystery. This fact is particularly significant, given that all the other cultural elements of the OLD ALLIANCE–the Temple, priesthood, and sacrifices—were abolished by Christ, the true Temple, the High Priest, and the only God-pleasing Victim. By preserving the use of the Psalms, the early Christians did nothing but follow Christ's example. The Psalms, in fact, encouraged their constant dialogue with the Father. A Psalm expresses the meaning of its mission, at the time of coming into this world(Psalm 40. 8-9, quoted in Heb. 10. 9). On his pilgrimages to Jerusalem, before starting his public ministry, Jesus sang the gradual Psalms(Luke 2: 41-42). At the Last Supper, he sang the Psalms recited by the Jews as they celebrated the Passover Supper(Matthew 26:30). And on the Cross, he once again turned to the Psalter to express his pain and his trusting abandonment in the hands of the Father(Matthew 27:46; Lk 23. 46; Jn. 19. 28).

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