The Psalms are central to Christian worship and Church Tradition back into Old Testament times. Priest and Professor John Boddecker of Holy Trinity Seminary gave a talk at Bucknell University on the feast day of our parish (7533/2025) on the poetry of the Psalms that helpful outlined the use of parallelism in the writings as well as spiritual traditions of Orthodox Christian commentary on the Psalms. He also has taught an online course available from the Seminary on the Psalms. Various commentaries on the Psalms, including the writings of St. John Chrysostom (though not surviving in complete form) and St. Augustine among other Church Fathers can be found online and in printed volumes, including anthologies. One helpful Psalter following the Septuagint text used by the Orthodox Church and including patristic commentary is The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy, with the Nine Odes, and Patristic Commentary. Below are a few excerpts from the outline Fr. John presented regarding parallelism, genre, and practice of Psalm reading and praying with the Psalms. Glory to God!
Parallelism is a mark of early Hebrew poetry, followed in the translation of the Psalms into Greek in the Septuagint by Jewish scholars before the Incarnation, and featuring paired lines.
For example, in this selection from the Psalms (138) can be seen the use of terms such as “form” and “knit together,” “fearful and wonderful” and “wonderfully made,” “being made” and “intricately wrought” in parallel.
For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Fr. John noted how parallelism in Holy Scripture has been interpreted in a number of ways across millennia:
1. A does not equal B.
2. A equals B.
3. A, and even more B, which he calls “probably the most convincing interpretation.” This is seen in numeric phrases in which the numeric value increases in the second line.
The inspired effect is encouraging of contemplation with prayer, recognizing a union of the apophatic or mysterious and the cataphatic or knowable in relation to God, the uncreated divine energies, Creation, and ourselves.
Parallelism can be synonymous, antithetical, synthetic (the second statement completing the first but not really with a different take), emblematic (using an explicit or analogous connection using works such as “like” or “as”), and/or repetitive.
Psalms genres include Lamentation, Thanksgiving, and Hymn. can be distinguished by form and structure, and others by content and theme. Royal or messianic Psalms, Psalms of Confidence, Historical Psalms, and Psalms of Remembrance, and of Wisdom, are others discernible by structure. Not all Psalms fit into one category.
St. Athanasius’ famous “Letter to Marcellinus” is especially helpful as a guide to the role of Psalms in our spiritual lives.
Fr. John also notes how St. Gregory of Nyssa and others considered the Psalter as five books: Book One Psalms 1-40, Book Two Psalms 41-74, Book Three Psalms 72-88, Book Four Psalms 89-106, Book Five Psalms 107-150 · These divisions have been seen by some contemporary scholars as an overarching narrative, the story of Israel: 1. Book One: The Lamentations of David – This book describes David’s difficult years before ascending to the throne 2. Book Two: The Reign of King David – This book recounts the high point of his reign 3. Book Three: The Decline and Fall of the Davidic Kingdom – Traces the descent of the Kingdom from David reign, through the dark reigns of his wicked descendants and ends with Psalm 88 which calls into question the whole Davidic promise 4. Book Four: The Babylonian Exile and Hope for Return – Charts Israel’s experience of abandonment by God and gives voice to her hopes to return to the Lord 5. Book Five: The Joy at the Restoration of the Temple – This book contains three cycles moving through lament, to thanksgiving, to praise, culminating in Psalms 148-150.
As Fr. John noted further in the handout for his talk, St. Gregory of Nyssa saw in these divisions the stages of the spiritual life moving from the initial struggles with sin and temptation towards the ultimate goal of human life, beatitude and participation in God 1. .Book One: “The First Division represents the persons living in evil due to falsehood. On the other hand, there are persons who chose the good.” 2. Book Two: “He who had already tasted virtue and has understood by personal experience the good is no longer wicked because constraint and admonition have lured him away from inclinations toward evil; he now looks to virtue and thirsts after the good.” 3. Book Three: “The third part of the Psalter begins with a careful examination of how the justice of the divine judgment is maintained in life’s inequalities.” 4. Book Four: “In the fourth part of the Psalter we go like Paul beyond the third heaven and are raised higher than the other heights previously attained. Such a person makes these ascents no longer as a mere man, but he now clings to God.” 5. Book Five: “ This section leads us to the loftiest peak and degree of contemplation if we are capable to reach such a height and to fly with strong wings beyond the weavings of this life’s webs.”
Finally, Fr. John concluded by noting St. John Cassian’s guidance on the “Practice of Praying the Psalms”: . Quality, not quantity is the rule 2. Memorize, do not just read or pray the Psalms 3. Do not just pray, but read and study the Psalms.
We are grateful to Fr. John for sharing his knowledge and wisdom about the poetics and practice of the Psalter with us as part of our feast day celebrations!