Psalm one said so, part I
Yes, the title of this CHN is a pun.
For those of us used to song books that are arranged alphabetically by first line or by title, the book of Psalms surprises.
Alone of the books in the Bible, the chapter and verse divisions are not recent editorial additions but come with the text.
Speaking of editorial additions, don't get me started. OK, maybe just this once, and only because you people out in CHN land are pushing me.
We are accustomed to the intrusions of latter day editors who assume that we need our subheadings, or else we will flail around the text of the Bible in utter confusion. Those of us who enjoy reading the Bible on its own merits are used to ignoring these frills and spills of editorial ink.
But it's not so easy when it comes to the Psalms. Here, there are a number of divisions that have been put in place not by a crazed sub-editor, but by the Lord himself. Book One of Psalms (Psalms 1-41), for example, really is book one; likewise Books 2, 3, 4 and 5. The headings (“Book One” and so on) themselves are not in the original, but there are plenty of indications that the divisions are. Each of the five books ends with a similar word of praise to God. Ps 41:13 says for example, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.” Psalm 72 ends by saying “Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!” And then the statement “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended”—although there are other songs and prayers of David in books four and five.
Not only this, but there are in fact a number of headings that are in the original Hebrew, and in the Hebrew Bible get their own verse numbers. “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David.” “To the choirmaster: According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.” “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.”
So there you are, there is structure in the book of Psalms; the order is not accidental, and there are even subheadings that are meant to be there because the Lord wanted them there.
By the way, you would think that when the subheadings are supplied by God himself, the sub-editor would leave well enough alone, and not put in extras. But sub-editors are an uppity bunch, and they just can't help insert their own bits, with additional meaningful titles like “Lead me to the rock”, “Tell the coming generation” and “Ode to my best friend Nigel” (alright, I made that last one up).
Like I said, don't get me started.