CBO - Triennial Reading Cycle

Triennial Reading Cycle of the Psalms and Torah

A proposed three year reading cycle of the torah

The Structure of the Psalms

As most modern versions of the Bible show, Psalms is actually arranged as five individual books, with each concluded by a short verse saying “Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, amen and amen.”

It is well known that each of these smaller collections of psalms corresponds to one of the five books of the Pentateuch — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy. What is not so well known is the precise relationship between the two. Many Christadelphians have noted a “broad correlation” and an “overall pattern”, but have left it at that, preferring instead to look for the answer to the arrangement of the psalms within the book itself.

The answer to the structure of the psalms lies in the ancient Israelite practice of reading the Torah over three years. This is known as the triennial reading cycle, and is described in a number of ancient rabbinical commentaries. It was known to be the practice in Israel, whereas in Babylonia the Pentateuch tended to be read over the course of a single year.

Since at least the time of Ezra, and most likely much earlier, the Jewish practice has been for a portion of the Torah to be read every Sabbath, followed by a Psalm, supplemented with additional readings from the prophets or histories. When the scriptures are read according to this traditional three year cycle two things become obvious: firstly, that the psalms have been organised in such a way as to act as a commentary on the Books of Moses, and secondly, that both books are actually structured around the Jewish calendar and religious feasts. For example, in every third year Passover coincides with the reading of Exodus 12.

Many of the seemingly randomly placed psalms actually turn out to be placed in that order to coincide with the feasts and seasons of the Jewish year. The Psalms of Asaph (73-83), for instance, would be read around the time of the feast of Succoth, and the Psalm of Moses (90) would be read around the same time of year as his death. Moreover the triennial system explains some odd features of the Psalms, such as the splitting of some psalms into two (Ps 9 and 10), and the inclusion of one Psalm twice (14 and 53).

The relationship between the psalms and the Law is thus very direct. There are 150 psalms, 145 Sabbaths, and 154 traditional divisions of the Torah. Based on the traditional Jewish sources one can quite easily recreate the traditional reading cycle, and I have listed this in the chart below. There are, admittedly, various uncertainties; however, I believe that this really only affects the later books, as the first few, particularly Genesis and Exodus, are highly precise as far as the correspondence goes and almost every source agrees. As you work through the Law, however, the relationship between Psalms and the Law becomes more general and thematic. This makes sense given that the final books of the Law become almost commentaries and reflections themselves, looking backwards. My speculation is that readings for the final year were probably more flexible, adjusting as necessary to make up for the deficiencies of the ancient Israelite lunar calendar.

Reading the Psalms based on this system will give you a fresh perspective. The Psalms perfectly complement the story of the development of God’s promise and people, and they build on our spiritual and emotional responses to God’s Word. The traditional Jewish divisions of the Torah are quite different from our own chapter breakdown, but normally make a lot of sense.

Try Jacob’s blessing, followed by Psalm 40 (“I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation”); Lot being taken captive, and then Psalm 10 (“the wicked hotly pursue the poor…”); Psalm 18, “the Lord is my rock and fortress” being read on the day of Abraham’s death; Joseph being elevated to prime minister (Ps 34, “this poor man cried and Yahweh heard him”); later, when his brothers arrive in Egypt, Ps 35, “without cause they hid their net for me, without cause they dug a pit for my life”. When Esau approaches Jacob, Ps 27, “though an army camp against me, I shall not fear, though war rise against me I shall be confident”.

If you’re skeptical about the whole thing, or if you think you’ve identified an error, email me to discuss. Otherwise enjoy…

Reading Cycle

Genesis (Psalms 1 – 41)

Genesis is the beginning of the conflict between the two seeds, and the introduction of sin, pain, suffering and death into the world. Book I of the Psalms deals with the same themes, depicting the enmity between David, a man after God’s own heart, and his enemies, as well as highlighting his suffering because of his transgression.

Gen 1 – 2v3	Creation	Ps 1
Gen 2v4 – 3v21	Creation and rebellion of man	Ps 2
Gen 3v22 – 4	Cain and Abel	Ps 3
Gen 5 – 6v8	Generations of Adam	Ps 4
Gen 6v9 – 7	Generations of Noah (and the flood)	Ps 5
Gen 8 – 9v17	God’s Covenant with Noah	Ps 6
Gen 9v18 – 10v32	Curse of Canaan	Ps 7
Gen 11	Tower of Babel	Ps 8
Gen 12 – 13v18	Call of Abram	Ps 9
Gen 14	Abram rescues Lot	Ps 10
Gen 15 – 16	God’s Covenant with Abraham	Ps 11
Gen 17	Covenant of Circumcision	Ps 12
Gen 18	Abraham’s intercession for Sodom	Ps 13
Gen 19	Lot rescued from Sodom	Ps 14
Gen 20 – 21	Abraham, Abimelech & birth of Isaac	Ps 15
Gen 22-23	Sacrifice of Isaac, Death of Sarah	Ps 16
Gen 24v1-41	Isaac and Rebekah	Ps 17
Gen 24v42 – 25v18	Marriage of Isaac and death of Abraham	Ps 18
Gen 25v19 – 26v11	Birth of Esau and Jacob & God’s promise to Isaac	Ps 19
Gen 26v12-35	God blesses Isaac	Ps 20
Gen 27v1-27	Isaac blesses Jacob	Ps 21
Gen 27v28 – 28v9	Jacob flees	Ps 22
Gen 28v10 – 29v30	Jacob marries Rachel and Leah	Ps 23
Gen 29v31 – 30v21	Jacob’s children	Ps 24
Gen 30v22 – 31v2	Jacob’s prosperity	Ps 25
Gen 31v3 – 32v3	Jacob flees from Laban	Ps 26
Gen 32v4 – 33v17	Jacob fears Esau	Ps 27
Gen 33v18 – 35v8	Defiling of Dinah	Ps 28
Gen 35v9 – 36v43	Death of Isaac	Ps 29
Gen 37	Joseph’s dream	Ps 30
Gen 38	Judah and Tamar	Ps 31
Gen 39 – 40	Joseph in Egypt	Ps 32
Gen 41v1-37	Pharoah’s dream	Ps 33
Gen 41v38 – 42v17	Joseph’s rise to power	Ps 34
Gen 42v18 – 43v13	Joseph’s brothers return to Egypt	Ps 35
Gen 43v14 – 44v17	Joseph tests his brothers	Ps 36
Gen 44v18 – 46v27	Judah’s repentance and Joseph brings his family to Egypt	Ps 37
Gen 46v28 – 47v31	Jacob’s family united	Ps 38
Gen 48	Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh	Ps 39
Gen 49v1-27	Jacob’s blessings	Ps 40
Gen 49v28 – 50	Death of Jacob and Joseph	Ps 41

Exodus (Psalms 42 – 72)

Exodus contains a parable of national deliverance, the treading down of Egypt, and the construction of the tabernacle where people could find refuge in God. Likewise Book II of the Psalms deals with the righteous finding refuge and offering their sacrifices of contrition and praise, as well as seeing the treading down of their enemies. Many psalms in this book are composed by the sons of Korah, whose ancestors stood aside from their rebellious father.

Ex 1 – 2v25	Birth of Moses	Ps 42
Ex 3 – 4v17	God sends Moses to Egypt	Ps 43
Ex 4v18 – 6v1	Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh	Ps 44
Ex 6v2 – 7v7	God promises deliverance	Ps 45
Ex 7v8 – 8v15	First plague: water to blood	Ps 46
Ex 8v16 – 9	Plagues 2 – 7	Ps 47
Ex 10	Plague 8 – 9	Ps 48
Ex 11 – 12v28	Plague 10 and passover	Ps 49
Ex 12v29 – 51	Death of firstborn and institution of the passover	Ps 50
Ex 13 – 14v14	Fast and unleavened bread and exodus	Ps 51
Ex 14v15 – 16v3	Crossing Red Sea and Song of Moses	Ps 52
Ex 16v4-v28	Manna in the wilderness	Ps 53
Ex 6v28 – 17v16	Water from the rock	Ps 54
Ex 18 – 19v6	Appointing of the elders	Ps 55
Ex 19v7 – 20v26	Ten commandments	Ps 56
Ex 21 – 22v23(24)	Laws about Restitution	Ps 57
Ex 22v25 – 24v18	Sabbaths, festivals and the covenant confirmed	Ps 58
Ex 25	Contributions for the Sanctuary	Ps 59
Ex 26v1-30	The Tabernacle	Ps 60
Ex 26v31 – 27v19	The bronze altar and the court	Ps 61
Ex 27v20 – 28v43	The Lamp and the Priest’s Garments	Ps 62
Ex 29	Consecration of the Priests	Ps 63
Ex 30	Altar of Incense, Bronze basin & anointing oil	Ps 64
Ex 31 – 32v14	Ohiliab and Bezalel, the Golden Calf	Ps 65
Ex 32v15 – 33	Moses intercedes for Israel	Ps 66
Ex 34v1-26	Ten commandments again, covenant renewed	Ps 67
Ex 34v27 – 35v29	Shining face of Moses, Tabernacle contributions	Ps 68
Ex 35v30 – 36	Construction of the tabernacle	Ps 69
Ex 37 – 38v20	Making of the Tabernacle furniture	Ps 70
Ex 38v21 – 39v32	Making the Priestly garments	Ps 71
Ex 39v33 – 40	The Tabernacle erected	Ps 72

Leviticus (Psalms 73 – 89)

Leviticus records the sacrificial requirements of the Law and the statutes of the priesthood and sanctuary. Likewise every psalm in Book III, with the sole exception of Psalm 88, mentions the sanctuary, the congregation, the tabernacle, the temple, the cherubim, the feasts, courts, altars or saints.

Lev 1 – 3	Burnt, Grain & Peace offerings	Ps 73
Lev 4	Sin offerings	Ps 74
Lev 5v1-6v11	Sin offerings for failure to testify	Ps 75
Lev 6v12 – 7	Guilt offerings	Ps 76
Lev 8 – 10v7	The priest and the offerings	Ps 77
Lev 10v8 – 14v32		Ps 78
Lev 15v1-24	Laws about bodily discharges	Ps 79
Lev 15v25 – 16v34	Day of Atonement	Ps 80
Lev 17	Place of sacrifice	Ps 81
Lev 18	Sexual immorality	Ps 82
Lev 19v1-22	God is holy, love your neighbour	Ps 83
Lev 19v23-20v27	Punishments and commandment to be holy	Ps 84
Lev 21 – 22v16	Holiness and the priests	Ps 85
Lev 22v17 – 23v8	Acceptable offerings	Ps 86
Lev 23v9-44	Feasts of the Lord	Ps 87
Lev 24 – 25v12	Sabbath Year	Ps 88
Lev 25v13 – 27	Obedience and disobedience	Ps 89

Numbers (Psalms 90 – 106)

Numbers recounts the wilderness wanderings and the success of the nation in victory against the peoples of the lands to the east of Jordan, preparing for the conquest of the promised land. The psalms of Book IV also speak of the saints in a desolate world seeking protection in their pilgrimage. Furthermore, there are many psalms that speak of Yahweh seizing power from the nations and reigning in absolute victory.

Num 1	A census of Israel’s warriors	Ps 90
Num 2	Arrangement of the camp	Ps 91
Num 3 – 4v16	Duties of the Levites, redemption of the firstborn; duties of Kohathites	Ps 92
Num 4v17 – 5v10	Duties of the Kohathites	Ps 93
Num 5v11 – 6v21	Nazarite vow	Ps 94
Num 6v22 – 7v47	Offerings at the Tabernacle’s consecration	Ps 95
Num 7v48 – 89	Contributions to the Tabernacle	Ps 96
Num 8 – 9v23	Cleansing and retirement of the Levites	Ps 97
Num 10 – 11v15	Silver trumpets, the people complain	Ps 98
Num 11v16 – 12v16	Elders appointed to aid Moses, Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses	Ps 99
Num 13 – 14v10	The 12 spies, and the rebellion	Ps 100
Num 14v11-45	Moses intercedes for the people	Ps 101
Num 15 – 16v50	Sacrifices and Korah’s rebellion	Ps 102
Num 17 – 18	Aaron’s staff buds; duties of Priests and Levites	Ps 103
Num 19 – 23v9	Waters of Meribah; Moses strikes the rock	Ps 104
Num 23v10 – 28v25	Balaam’s second oracle	Ps 105
Num 30v2 – 36v13	Recounting Israel’s journey	Ps 106

Deuteronomy (Psalms 107 – 150)

Deuteronomy is all about the spirit and intention of the Law. It presents such lofty thoughts as loving, fearing, and praising God with all one’s heart, soul and strength. It also delineates the blessings and cursings of the covenant, and ends with a song of witness against Israel. Book V contains psalms with the same themes. They are songs of praise, blessings, thanks, and joyful response to God’s overwhelming graciousness. Psalm 119 records the disposition of the righteous as he contemplates the spirit of God’s law working in his heart. The Songs of Degrees were songs of appreciation following Hezekiah’s deliverance from the Assyrians and from death. Finally there is the series of Hallel psalms that bring the whole of the psalter to a glorious finale with a crescendo of singing and praise.

Dt 1	Israel’s’ rebellion	Ps 107
Dt 2v1-30	The Wilderness years	Ps 108
Dt 2v31 – 3v22	Taking possession of Sihon’s land	Ps 109
Dt 3v23 – 4v40	Moses forbidden to enter land, idolatry forbidden, Yahweh alone is God	Ps 110 – 112
Dt 4v41 – 6v3	Ten Commandments	Ps 113 – 115
Dt 6v4 – 7v11	A chosen people	Ps 116 – 117
Dt 7v12 – 8	Remember the Lord your God	Ps 118
Dt 9 – 16v17	Not for Israel’s righteousness, remember the golden calf	Ps 119
Dt 16v18 – 18v13	Justice; forbidden worship and laws for kings and priests	Ps 120 – 123
Dt 18v14 – 21v9	A prophet like Moses shall be raised up	Ps 124 – 128
Dt 21v10 – 23v9	Laws concerning murder, and families	Ps 129 – 132
Dt 23v10 – 24v18	Uncleanness in the camp, marriage and divorce	Ps 133 – 135
Dt 24v19 – 25v19	Levirate marriage	Ps 136 – 137
Dt 26 – 28v14	Offerings of firstfruits and tithes; altar on Ebal	Ps 138 – 139
Dt 28v15 – 29v8	Curses for disobedience	Ps 140 – 142
Dt 29v9 – 30v10	Covenant renewed in Moab	Ps 143 – 144
Dt 30v11 – 31v13	Repentance and forgiveness; choice between life and death	Ps 145
Dt 32v1-52	The Song of Moses	Ps 146 – 147
Dt 33 – 34v12	Moses final blessing on Israel	Ps 148 – 149
		150