Thoughts on Psalm Singing

I got on this path yesterday after reading a post that included Psalm 130, My Soul Waits for the Lord.

I’ve been trying to focus on the Psalms more this year as my primary Bible reading. Finally found some good audio versions of them being sung. Still looking for more and a complete Psalter which can be tied to the actual words in one of the old translations like the KJV or Geneva Bible. As it turns out most Psalters are done as paraphrase versions and as you can read below, carefully done, but purposefully to help make them singable. But I did find a lovely version that uses the actual KJV words, 😅 but all do sing well, whatever your language.

Here are a couple of quotes.

The Scottish and English speaking Reformation was influenced by this trend towards Psalms in Geneva. In fact, it is clear from the 1621 psalter of Thomas Ravenscroft that English-speaking persons were familiar with the French version of Psalm 130. The Scottish Psalter of 1635 used the same French tune sung in the example above for Psalm 130 (see pp 194-5). As far as the words to the Scottish Psalter, John Knox put together his own brief psalter of 51 psalms in the 1550’s. This led to a full Scottish Psalter published in 1564.

Notice the extent of the through theological and translation review done back to the original Hebrew text. I don’t think many of our modern hymns and praise songs could pass that test.

Here’s Psalm 130 in that version.

This one is in the KJV.

I really like her version and best if you follow in the KJV, but the words are on the screen.

Hope you are still with me. Here is a wonder quoted sermon portion from an Irish pastor who gives one of the best reasoning for singing the Psalms that I’ve heard.