Psalms Layer by Layer

10/18/2026

What do we mean by "meaning"?

In our latest session of Going Deeper, "What the Author Means," we explored the use of Speech Act analysis in interpreting and translating the Psalms. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/LwmNi6mHSB4

10/16/2026

How long does it take to understand a work of art?

You can read a Psalm in half an hour and come away with a perfectly reasonable understanding of its message. But that doesn't mean you've exhausted what the poem has to say. This is why the long work of scholarship matters.

In this month's newsletter, we'll be looking at an example of this from Psalm 150. To follow along, sign up at:

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10/11/2026

What do we mean when we talk about "meaning"? What does the psalmist actually mean when he uses his words? And why does he say the things he says?

Join us as we explore these questions together at our Going Deeper Zoom event, this Tuesday (10/13). We'll be discussing Speech Act Analysis, and look at why these details matter for both understanding and translating the Psalms.

You can register at: https://www.scriptura.org/going-deeper/

10/10/2026

How long should it take to understand a Psalm?

Some insights come quickly. Others emerge only after sustained attention—looking at the poem from different directions until its pieces begin to fit together. This month, we'd like to give you a glimpse of that process as we work through a familiar psalm together. Join us by signing up for our newsletter:

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10/04/2026

It's one thing to know that the Psalms are full of imagery, beauty, and emotion. It's another thing to experience it firsthand. This month, we'll be exploring the careful, patient study that can transform familiar truths into something much more powerful.

As part of that exploration, we invite you to our upcoming Going Deeper session, where we'll explore Speech Acts, or what the psalmist is actually accomplishing through the words of the Psalms. Register now at: https://www.scriptura.org/going-deeper

09/27/2026

Interested in what our work in Psalms translation resources looks like? Join us for our next Behind the Scenes gathering on October 1. We'll pull back the curtain on what Scriptura is learning, and how those insights make their way into the hands of Bible translators.

To register for this Zoom event, visit https://www.scriptura.org/links/

09/26/2026

Why does Psalm 92 celebrate the flourishing of the righteous? Its answer isn't what we might expect. Yes, the psalm compares faithful people to palm trees and cedars—planted, growing, and bearing fruit even in old age (vv. 12–14).

But their flourishing has a purpose: it leads to the psalmist proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (v. 15). The tree becomes a testimony. Our lives aren't ultimately projects of self-development or self-growth. Instead, our life is process of bearing the fruit of proclamation of God.

We encourage you to listen to such stories of God'sproclamation. We've gathered some of them here:

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09/20/2026

If you'd like to see more closely what our work in the Psalms looks like, our next Behind the Scenes gathering is October 1. We'll pull back the curtain on what Scriptura is learning, and how those insights make their way into the hands of Bible translators.

To register for this Zoom event, please visit www.scriptura.org/links

09/19/2026

Psalm 92 looks honestly at a world where things go wrong. Wicked people flourish. Enemies rise. Life doesn't always seem fair. Yet in the middle of it comes this declaration: “But you, LORD, are forever exalted.”

God's people are not tasked with fixing the brokenness. That's God's job. Ours is to be like a tree—planted, growing, flourishing, and resting in the Lord who causes us to bear fruit.

For more of this month's reflection on Psalm 92's "psalm for the Sabbath day," sign up for our newsletter at

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09/13/2026

This month, we're meditating on Psalm 92, "a psalm for the Sabbath day." Why did God have to command his people to rest on the Sabbath?

Part of the reason is perspective. In the midst of our busy weeks of work, frustrations, and cares, God calls us to proclaim, “How great are your works, LORD! How profound your thoughts!” (Ps 92:5)

Join us this week in our Day of Prayer, where we will set aside time, in the midst of our busyness, to proclaim and petition the Lord. Register at https://www.scriptura.org/links/