[1870-1874] CRITICAL STUDY OF THE PSALTER 295 



and assumption, or pause to take up the most abstruse 

 critical questions in a way not very profitable for our 

 present purpose. Thus, for example, such poems as the 

 Blessings of Jacob and Moses have been subjects of so 

 much discussion that we could make no use of them 

 without entering on the question of their genuineness. 

 Again, the dates of the Book of Job and of some parts of 

 Proverbs are still unsettled. The Song of Solomon is 

 still so far a mystery that critics are not agreed whether 

 it is a drama or a collection of lyrics. And, finally, the 

 Psalms themselves, which are in many respects the most 

 important productions of all, are in part unprovided with 

 titles, in part titled in a manner so doubtful as to give 

 us little help. We are not then, at present, in a state 

 to attempt the construction of a really trustworthy 

 history of Hebrew poetry ; though after proceeding a 

 certain length with such critical enquiries as seem 

 absolutely unavoidable, we may be able to reconstruct 

 with some certainty certain chapters in that history. 

 But in the first instance at least we must be content to 

 take up the books one by one, and to go as far into the 

 criticism of them as seems needful in preparation for the 

 proper study of their contents. In particular I wish to go 

 somewhat fully into the questions connected with the 

 Psalter, a book which for the Christian minister is perhaps 

 the most important in the Old Testament, and which 

 cannot be used with full profit even for devotional purposes 

 without considerable scientific preparation, both in the 

 way of historical criticism and in the line of Biblical 

 Theology. 



The Psalter is, as you know, the inspired hymn-book 

 of the Old Testament, containing a collection of songs of 

 prayer and praise, didactic pieces and the like, for use in 

 the service of the temple and in private devotion. These 

 songs are of the most various age and character, and 

 reflect the religious convictions, hopes, prayers, and joys 

 of faithful Israelites under the most diverse circumstances. 



