Reflections on the Psalms

Lewis begins with a disclaimer: this is not a scholarly book by an expert in biblical studies or ancient history, but rather a series of reflections written “as one amateur to another” (2). Lewis justifies this approach by the fact that a nonexpert is often in a better position to help a fellow nonexpert with difficulties in a particular subject.

Secondly, the book will treat the Psalms as poetry, with all “the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections” (3) that poetry implies. One of the main poetic features of the Psalms is parallelism (See: Index of Terms), in which the same thing is said twice in different words. This device is pervasive in Hebrew poetry and survives in translation. Parallelism expresses one of the main principles of art, namely, “the same in the other” (4), whereby unity is combined with variety, enhancing memorability. Lewis further postulates that it is fitting for the divine nature to express itself in poetry, an imaginative form of speech. The fact that Jesus used the Hebrew poetic idiom expresses his submission to human nature.

Lewis emphasizes that his book is not meant as a complete or exhaustive treatment of the Psalms but is a personal work, led by his own tastes.