July 20th, 2025 - Interpreting the Psalms

Scripture Passage:  Psalm 131

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Psalm Spelunking
(verb = cave exploring)

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Psalms & caves:
1) Hidden wonders
2) Bigger on the inside
3) Scaffolding & paths (translations)

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Step 1: Get familiar with your psalm
1) Read it a lot
2) What kind is it?
3) Translations

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Step 2: Imagery
*"this is like that" "this is that"
*a part for a whole

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*east/west day/night coming/going
*exaggerating on purpose
*objects as people

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*irony & sarcasm
*rhetorical questions

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That's simile & metaphor, metonymy & synecdoche, merism, hyperbole, personification, irony & sarcasm, rhetorical Qs

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Step 3: Structure
pairs, repetition, & voice

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Step 4: Finalizing
context, Jesus, then & now

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Let's try it!
(or... ps 131 for example)

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