Unfolding the Psalms
SH HEB 405 – 2 credits
Course Instructor and Meeting Times
The course will be taught by Murray Salisbury and will be presented in 11 intensive sessions from 4 April, 2023 until 27 June, 2023 (except holidays) between 19:00 – 21:15 on Tuesdays.
Course Prerequisites:
Students are required to have proficiency in reading Biblical Hebrew and in understanding spoken and written English. The course will be taught in English.
The purpose of the Book of Psalms is to connect us to God. Its variety of genres and emotions embrace every kind of situation that we face in life. It is a rich treasure trove of prayers for all occasions. By learning to unpack a psalm, you can help others to connect with God in profoundly meaningful ways.
Every psalm has a story. Every text has a context. Every poem has a provenance (though we cannot always verify all the details). What triggered the psalmist to compose it? What is he hoping to achieve for himself or for his audience? What kinds of situations was it intended to be prayed/sung? To really understand a psalm, join the dots to find the story behind it. This course will show you how.
Whether you are leading a Bible study, preaching, or teaching Bible translators, this course will open up the Psalms for you like never before. Every line of poetry will take on fresh meaning as you link it with the needs and emotions of the psalmist and his audience.
*Jerusalem Seminary (JS) courses are engagingly academic and taught by experts in their field living in Israel. While JS’ courses are not externally accredited, they can be taken for internal JS credit. Any internal JS credit will accrue and at a later time would hopefully, through articulation agreements and accreditation bodies, receive official accreditation; a process that JS is beginning.
