The Psalms of David shape our worship and prayer far more than we commonly realise; they teach us rever­ence and the fear of the Lord, and form in us the mind of Christ, who found his mission so clearly depicted in these Psalms. It is a profound privilege to have reliable versions for public singing in our own language. This article calls our attention to a notable anniversary of the Scottish Psalter.

Perhaps we do not value sufficiently what always lies close to hand. We pick up our psalm book and sing – but do we value that book? Professor Douglas Kelly of Jackson, Mississippi recently gave the opinion that "the Scottish metrical ver­sion of the Psalms is still a highly usable, rich repository of the deepest and broad­est and most living Scriptural piety avail­able to the human soul." (Worship in the Presence of God, ed. Smith and Lachman, p.122) With such warm encouragement from across the Atlantic, the date 1 May 2000 should be boldly circled on the calendars of all who use these metrical psalms, for it is the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the authorising of the Scot­tish Psalter to be used as the only para­phrase of the Psalms in congregations of the Church of Scotland, and in family worship. It came bearing the revealing title: "The Psalms of David in Meeter: Newly translated, and diligently compared with the original Text, and former Trans­lations: More plaine, smooth, and agree­able to the Text, than any heretofore".

Metrical Form⤒🔗

There are many points of interest in this title. The volume contains The Psalms of David in Meeter (poetic metre), but why the metrical form? It was not required by the regulative principle of worship; it was a device to accommodate the Hebrew Psalms to Western modes of singing, whether in French or in English. But it brought the problem of making these verses agreeable to the Text, for the mak­ers of a psalter are under many specific constraints not shared by the hymnist. There is a continual tension between com­pression and expansion of the inspired text, for the aim is not simply translation, but a version that can readily be sung. (The 1650 Psalter does have some curious compressions and expansions, especially in Psalm 119).

It follows that any metrical version outside of the Semitic languages may place an alien structure on the existing subtle poetry of the Psalms, which is based on the balancing or contrasting thoughts of the Hebrew parallelism. Since the Revised Version of the Bible in 1885, the text of the Psalms has generally been set out to show this parallelism of thought. But the requirement that every psalm be represented by a Common (ballad) Metre version (8.6.8.6) prevented the lengthening of the line except in a few cases, such as the second version of Psalm 124 which followed the Genevan model. Thus Sing Psalms (Psalmody Committee, 1999) re­turns to the older Genevan programme of capturing the moods of different psalms by the use of varied metres and rhythms. New tunes have been composed for some of these, which fulfill admirably Calvin's requirement for music with strength and dignity, suitable for use in worship.

Use of Sources←⤒🔗

As the title indicated (diligently com­pared with ... former Translations), the 1650 Psalter represented a great deal of revision and collation of sources. Rous' version had been revised by the Westmin­ster Assembly, and sent out for use through England and Wales in 1647. But it fell flat; moreover, the General Assembly of the Kirk also refused it as a symbol of Presbyterian unity, and resolved to sub­mit it to further revision. This was thor­oughly accomplished in six stages, span­ning two years and four months. The revisers represented the best scholarship in Scotland, and concentrated on this task. The end product shows that they drew upon at least ten other versions besides the old Scottish version of 1564 and the West­minster version. Psalm 23, for instance, has seven identifiable sources for the final language used, and yet is a seamless pro­duction, of matchless literary skill.

It is clear, then, that although the 1650 Psalter declared itself to be newly trans­lated, it saw no virtue in originality. Much strong and vigorous language can still be drawn today from old sources; sometimes the 'invisible mending' of old versions maintains continuity with what is familiar whilst removing inversions, archaisms and other blemishes, and may be preferable to new drafting. The succinct crispness and freshness of Psalm 95 could have been preserved in this way, for the old language is extraordinarily clear, using short words to great effect.

Style of Language←⤒🔗

The claim to be "More plaine, smooth ... than any heretofore" presupposes some acquaintance with these older versions – when the claim would at once be con­ceded! Take, for instance, the opening stanza of Psalm 1 in the form proposed by the Westminster Assembly:

The man is blest that in th'advice of those that wicked are
Walks not, nor stands in sinner's path, nor sits in scorner's chaire,
But in God's law delights, on's law both day and night doth think;
He shall be like unto a tree set by the river's brink,

Millar Patrick comments, "As to the merits of the two versions there cannot be two opinions." (Four Centuries of Scot­tish Psalmody, p.101) The language of the 1650 Psalter is strong, vigorous, well-pruned and simple; one has only to turn over to the Paraphrases offered for com­ment in 1745 (but never fully sanctioned) to find a very different style (No. 2, v.3):

Through each perplexing path of life our wand'ring footsteps guide...

These complex and flowery turns of phrase are markedly absent in the Psalter, so that its language, even when archaic, has been enduring and endearing. Ab­stract words like 'enlightenment' (Psalm 119:125, Sing Psalms) are avoided; with William Tyndale, they remembered the ploughboy. Sometimes the archaisms blend with current Scots dialect, so that people are largely unconscious of them:

Thou also most entirely art acquaint with all my ways.

Various Omissions←⤒🔗

Although the volume claimed to contain "The Psalms of David ... diligently com­pared with the original Text" there were omissions, and the style of presentation was stark and minimalist when compared with some older Scottish versions.

The 1650 Psalter omitted, even in prose, the canonical headings to the Psalms, which often give vital help to understanding; they have recently been restored in the TBS large-print Psalter (1998). It omitted also the explanatory headings which had featured in Scottish Psalters from 1564 to 1635; for instance, in 1595, in Henry Charteris's Psalter, Psalm 23 is headed: "David having tried Gods manifold mercies diuerse times, gathereth assurance that God will con­tinue his goodnesse for euer".

There was no prose text of the psalm in the margin in 1650, an attractive fea­ture of the 1635 Psalter. One canonical verse was omitted (as in Sing Psalms), Psalm 72:20, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." If it be objected that this is just a marker in the text, like Selah (also omitted), then it has been overlooked that it highlights the division of the Psalter into five books, being the conclusion of the second book; and also that this verse may preserve an older name for the Psalter, 'prayers' (tephilloth), which would be significant for the under­standing and use of the Psalter in wor­ship.

There was also omitted any supple­ment of Scriptural Songs, as what was presented on request in 1648 by Zachary Boyd (a notable Glasgow churchman) failed to satisfy the Committee. (Our present views on psalmody must not be allowed to obscure the historical fact that this particular omission was contrary to the General Assembly's declared inten­tion.) The times being out of joint, this project was abandoned. Whether the Assembly then considered their book of praise complete is a fascinating question. The 1635 Scottish Psalter had contained fourteen other pieces of varied character and antiquity after the metrical psalms, like most Reformed Psalters since Calvin's time; these included the Ten Commandments; the Lord's Prayer; the inspired songs of Simeon, Mary and Moses; and other hymns and prayers.

No Alternative Tunes←⤒🔗

The war-time austerity of the 1650 Psal­ter was completed by its being published, notoriously, without any tunes. Very few tunes were known or sung by the people at this time; an Aberdeen printer issued a collection of twelve tunes in 1666, all in Common Metre (with BON ACCORD, a fuguing tune [i.e. for different voices], added for local reasons). Thus the thirteen alternative versions could not be used, and even the finest of the old tunes in other metres were forgotten.

It is worthy of note that these thirteen alternative versions were all included in 1650, and were not a later addition. Six times the psalm in alternative metre stands first, and it is the Common Metre psalm that is headed, "Another of the same." Millar Patrick observes (p.100) that some of these alternative versions were from the Reformation Psalter, the most notable being "the 100th by Kethe, the 124th by Whittingham, and the 136th and 145th by Craig. From George Wither the fine sec­ond version of Psalm 148 was taken; and the long-metre version of the 102nd is largely founded on Barton's version of that Psalm." Wither's brilliant rendering of the 148th, "The Lord of heav'n con­fess," presents the stanza in eight lines, with no less than four rhymes (1+3, 2+4, 5+8, 6+7; cf. "Ye holy angels bright" by Richard Baxter), whereas Sing Psalms expresses the same metre in six lines, with only two rhymes. Something has been lost in terms of beauty and memorability (not to speak of the dragons!).

The split-leaf music edition that the Free Church now uses is a much later invention, being the brainchild of Thomas Legerwood Hately (1815-67), precentor to the General Assembly of the Disrup­tion Free Church until his death, and tire­less in his efforts to raise the standard of psalmody and musical knowledge in the Free Church. His Book of Psalms and Sacred Harmonies (1854) was the first split-leaf psalter, the music being placed below the words.

Early Attempts at Revision←⤒🔗

In 1778 Dr. James Beattie wrote to Hugh Blair concerning the Psalter that "the Scotch idiom occurs in several places: and the old Scotch pronunciation is some­times necessary to make out the rhyme." (Millar Patrick, p.221). A Committee was appointed in 1807, with Sir Henry Moncreiff as Convener, to improve the church's psalmody; at least three selec­tions of Additional Psalmody were sub­mitted to the General Assembly in 1811, 1814 and 1820, and printed for the inspec­tion of Presbyteries. But there was no enthusiasm for revision of the Psalter; James Hogg (the Ettrick Shepherd) wrote strongly to the Committee against the project, and Sir Walter Scott leapt to the defence of the old version in 1818 with a letter to Principal Baird:

The expression of the old metrical translation, though homely, is plain, forcible, and intelligible, and very often possesses a rude sort of majesty which perhaps would be ill ex­changed for mere elegance ... I hope, therefore, that they will be touched with a lenient hand.Millar Patrick, pp.213-4

John Ker also emphasised (The Psalms in History and Biography, pp.207-8) the huge task faced by any would-be reviser of the Psalter:

We can claim that no version has ever been made which ad­heres so closely to the Scripture. It pro­ceeds on the principle of giving every thought in the original, and nothing more; and in this it has succeeded to an extent which is marvellous, and which can be realised only by one who has tested it through careful comparison.

It meets with some stones of stum­bling and suffers some dislocation of words, by adhering to the line laid down; but there is abundant compensation in the life and energy, the picturesqueness and colour, which it preserves by close con­tact with the old Hebrew soil. The thought stands out clear, distinct, forceful, not wrapped up in wordy paraphrases where David himself would have had difficulty in recognising his meaning, or liquefied into weak sentimentalisms from which his manly nature, to take no higher view, would have turned away ashamed.

This too may be said, that those por­tions which the heart feels that it needs in its sorrowful hours, over which it leans and pores in its deep musings, or from the summits of which it mounts as on eagles' wings in its moments of joy, have a ten­derness, a quaint beauty, a majesty in their form, peculiar to that age of the English language in which they were framed.

Celebrating the Anniversary←⤒🔗

It would be good to remember this particular anniversary in several ways. Firstly, be sure to be at the 'Festival of Psalms' in Inverness on 13 May if at all possible!

Secondly, why not have a local psal­mody evening, of a more informal kind? There are all kinds of variations, and some refreshments will help to attract folk.

Thirdly, have a '1650 day' at church, when all the psalms are from the older version – you might get some favourable reaction from the senior members of the congregation, who know many of them by heart!

Lastly, store away some of the truly great portions of the Scottish Psalter in your own memory, so that wherever you are – in church, at home, out in the fresh air – you can pray and praise God through the medium of these great verses. It is a central part of your spiritual heritage: do not let it slip through your fingers.