The Bible Dept. – Day 263: Psalms 33-35

Host: Dr. Manny Arango
Date: September 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Manny Arango guides listeners through Psalms 33, 34, and 35 as part of a 365-day journey to read and understand the entire Bible. The episode focuses on context, literary features, and theological insights within these Psalms. Dr. Arango offers historical and literary context, “nerdy nuggets” of fascinating details, and wraps up with practical, timeless truths to apply to daily life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context and Categorization of the Psalms

• [02:45] Dr. Arango encourages listeners to start classifying Psalms by type: descriptive praise, lament, personal lament, etc.
  • Psalm 33 is highlighted as a “psalm of descriptive praise.”
    • “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous. It is fitting for the upright to praise him.” (02:45)
• Psalm 34’s heading references David pretending to be insane before “Abimelech.”
  • Dr. Arango clarifies this historical event involving David, Achish (the Philistine king), and the meaning behind “Abimelech.”
    • “Abimelech is a lot like the word Pharaoh… it just kind of means king.” (06:50)
• Psalm 35 continues the exploration of David’s challenges, moving into intercessory language.

2. Historical and Literary Context

• Psalm 34’s background:
  • Connects to 1 Samuel 21:10-15 where David feigns insanity to escape danger.
  • Explanation of the term “Abimelech” as a Canaanite title, akin to “Pharaoh” or “Caesar.”
    • “Achish is one of the many Abimelech. Okay? So it's a Canaanite word that means ‘father of my king.’” (08:00)

“Nerdy Nuggets” – Five Fascinating Details

1. Psalm 33:6-9 – A Mini Creation Story

• [12:00] Psalm 33 retells Genesis 1 poetically:
  • “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made... He spoke, and it came to be.”
  • The Psalm expands Genesis’ “broad brushstrokes” into vivid, emotional poetry.
  • Links to Psalm 74:13 and poetic expansion of creation and the Red Sea crossing.
    • “Psalms are gonna take these moments from creation, these snapshots from Genesis 1, and explode those snapshots and go into detail where Genesis 1 only gives us broad brushstrokes.” (15:30)

2. Psalm 34 – Acrostic Structure

• [19:20] Explained as a poem with every stanza beginning with consecutive Hebrew alphabet letters:
  • “An acrostic means that the full breadth of that topic is being covered... God deserves the full range of praise, the full range of thanksgiving.”
  • Indicates depth and totality of David’s gratitude.

3. Psalm 34:8 – “Taste and See that the Lord is Good”

• [23:40] Dr. Arango notes the phrase’s positive Old Testament context, but its stern usage in Hebrews 6:4-5 and 1 Peter 2:3 as warnings:
  • "If you believe that you could be once saved and always saved, don't read the book of Hebrews. Cause you will come out going, oh, no. People can definitely lose their salvation.”
  • While David celebrates God’s goodness, the New Testament cautions that to experience God and fall away is especially tragic.
    • “It would be better to have never tasted of the goodness of God, because at least then you could say, yeah, God, I don't know. You could plead ignorance.” (26:30)

4. Psalm 34:20 – “He Protects All His Bones”

• [29:00] Interpreted prophetically:
  • “John is going to take this line about David and apply it to who? Jesus, the son of David…although Jesus went through great affliction on the cross, He emerged with no bones broken.”
  • Details how crucifixion ordinarily involved breaking legs, but Jesus’ bones remained unbroken, fulfilling prophecy.

5. The Angel of the Lord in Psalms 34 & 35

• [31:00]
  • The "angel of the Lord" appears in Psalm 34:7 and 35:5-6.
  • Explores interpretations: as a manifestation of Yahweh, a pre-incarnate Christ, or a unique angelic figure.
    • “Is this the pre incarnate Christ? It could be. There's a lot of scholars who would line up that way...That's probably the least likely option here, to be totally honest.” (33:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Categorizing Psalms:
  • “I want you to start to categorize the psalms as you get more and more familiar with them.” (03:15)
• On Biblical Context:
  • “Abimelech is the same [as Pharaoh or Caesar]. So there's going to be multiple Abimelech, why? Because Abimelech actually just means father of my king.” (08:00)
• On Literary Devices in Hebrew Poetry:
  • “An acrostic is a literary tool that communicates to the culture… that David would have been writing to, God deserves the full range of praise.” (19:20)
• On “Taste and See” Warning:
  • “It would be better to have never tasted of the goodness of God… but to have tasted and seen that God is good and to still have doubts and to still fall away or to deny Christ, that is a massive warning.” (26:30)
• On Fear and Faith:
  • “Fear is never going to be something that just goes away in your life. But the question for you and I needs to always be, what am I afraid of? …Fear isn't going to go away. But what I am afraid of can totally change.” (36:30)

Timeless Truths & Application

[36:30]

• Dr. Arango closes with a reflection on the nature of fear, drawing from Psalm 34:7-8.
• Core message: It’s not about erasing fear, but about redirecting it towards God:
  • “Fear is not bad. But who I'm afraid of changes everything... One of those fears is gonna cause me to be paralyzed. And one of those fears is gonna cause me to actually live uprightly.”
  • The “fear of the Lord” leads to wisdom and divine protection.
  • “I want to be afraid, good, healthy fear. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Important Timestamps

• 02:45 – Categorization of the Psalms
• 06:50 – Context of “Abimelech” and David’s escape
• 12:00 – Mini creation narrative in Psalm 33
• 19:20 – Psalm 34 as Hebrew acrostic
• 23:40 – “Taste and see that the Lord is good” in Old and New Testament
• 29:00 – “Not one bone will be broken”: prophecy and fulfillment
• 31:00 – The Angel of the Lord in Psalms 34 and 35
• 36:30 – Application: Redirecting fear toward God (“Timeless Truth”)

Episode Tone

Dr. Arango’s style is enthusiastic, educational, and personable. He frequently encourages and affirm listeners, using phrases like:

• “Family, welcome to day 263… super, super excited to dive into these psalms with you!”
• “If you’re on a streak, I’m proud of you. If you’re not on a streak, I’m proud of you. I love you so much.”

He blends deep scholarship with practical application and genuine encouragement.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode provides rich biblical insight and practical application by examining the genres, literary devices, and theological themes of Psalms 33–35. Dr. Arango explains how ancient texts connect to the New Testament and our lives today—challenging listeners to reframe their fears, grasp the full depth of gratitude, and see Old Testament poetry through new eyes.