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Index: Psalms

The Psalsm are a collection of poetic songs.

Psalms 14:3: Are some people described as sinless -- contrary to the teaching of this verse?

Psalms 19:1, 76:2, 123:1: Does God dwell in heaven (123:1), or in Zion as the other two say? The problem here is that critics think that "dwell" implies permanent residence. The word "dwell" is yashab and simply means to settle or sit down for a given time period; it is used of the nomadic tribesman of the OT who moved from place to place. What keeps God from manifesting His presence in Zion or elsewhere as needed?

Psalm 22: Did Christians invent the "pierced my hands and feet" part? [Off Site] See also here.

Psalm 44:23: Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. This is countered with Ps. 121:4, which says that God "shall neither slumber nor sleep." Initially since this in the genre of proverbial literature it is enough on the surface to say that it is poetic. This is clear enough two verses later: "For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth." Does this mean David was actually slithering on the ground? Hardly. Ps. 44 is a psalm of lament that characterizes the writer's feelings and perceptions.

Psalms 90:10: This says our lifespan is 70; what of all the people who lived to be 400, 900, etc? The skeptic who calls up this one needs to note that Ps. 90:10 is a written well after all of these people and describes current conditions at the time of the Psalmist; b) as proverbial literature is hardly stating an absolute and universal number in the first place.

Psalms 137:9: "How can David say this and sound happy about it??? What a barbarian!" See also here.

Psalms 145:9: How can this verse be right when God does so much bad stuff?!?

Psalms 145:15-16: The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. How is this reconciled with Rom. 8:22, For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now? How can God be satisfying desires when the whole creation is groaning in pain? This objection overlooks the poetic and therefore proverbial, non-absolute nature of the Psalms. That passage is said in the context of a hymn of praise.

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