Useful Bible Studies > Songs of Ascent Commentary
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The Songs of Ascent have always been important for both *Jewish and Christian *worship.
*Jewish people read all the Songs of Ascent at the Synagogue (*Jewish place of *worship) each Saturday afternoon.
In many traditional churches, Christians sing or read the Psalms (including the Songs of Ascent) regularly. It is an important part of their *worship.
In modern churches, Christians sing a selection of new and old songs (called hymns) during their *worship. Many of these songs include words from the Psalms. And often, they also read passages from the Psalms at their meetings.
The Songs of Ascent have also provided ideas to poets and writers.
The Rock (a type of music) musician called Bono has written about how the Psalms have helped him. His band, called U2, even discussed the title ‘Songs of Ascent’ as a possible name for a future CD. They did not intend to sing these Psalms on that CD; they intended to sing their own songs. But it seems that they like the idea of ‘Songs of Ascent’. (See About the title: “Songs of Ascent”.)
In every age, Christian writers have loved the Songs of Ascent. One of many writers who wrote much about them was C.H. Spurgeon. And the Scottish writer, R.M. M‘Cheyne, wrote his own series of 14 poems, which he called ‘Songs of Ascent’. Again, they were not the Psalms, but his own poems. He wrote those poems because he liked the idea of ‘Songs of Ascent’.
Next part: Other ideas about the meaning of “Songs of Ascent”
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© 2015, Keith Simons.