106:7-46; 114:1-8; 135:8-12; 136:4-26) Truly such a God deserves to be given praise and thanks. (92:1; 96:1-4; 146-150) To trust in men (60:11; 62:9), riches (49:6-12, 17) or idols (115:4-8; 135:15-18) would be foolishness.

Discuss value of God’s word

The psalms also teach appreciation for God’s word. The sayings of Jehovah are shown to be pure (12:6) and refined. (18:30) His law is precious (119:72) and is truth. (119:142) Lasting benefits result from observing his perfect law, trustworthy reminders, upright orders, clean commandments and righteous judicial decisions. (19:7-11) God’s word serves to illuminate an individual’s path (119:105) and his commandments make one wise and give insight and understanding.—119:98-100, 104.

Clarify and supplement other scriptures

At times the book of Psalms clarifies or supplements other parts of the Bible. It shows that ‘afflicting one’s soul,’ as was done by the Israelites on atonement day (Lev. 16:29; 23:27; Num. 29:7), pertains to fasting. (Ps. 35:13) The psalmist alone tells of the severe treatment accorded, at least initially, to Joseph while imprisoned in Egypt: “With fetters they afflicted his feet, into irons his soul came.” (105:18) From the psalms we learn that “deputations of angels” were involved in bringing the plagues upon Egypt (78:44-51) and that, in the wilderness, the miraculously provided water “went through the waterless regions as a river” (105:41), thus providing an ample and readily accessible water supply for the nation of Israel and their many domestic animals. The psalms furnish evidence that Pharaoh himself died in the Red Sea.—136:15.

Psalm 60 (superscription, vss. 1, 3, 9) indicates that the Israelites experienced reverses and great hardship prior to the defeat of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. This suggests that the Edomites invaded Judah while the nation was warring in the N with the forces of Aram-naharaim and Aram-Zobah.

Psalm 101 reveals David’s manner of administering affairs of state. As his servants, David selected only faithful persons. He could not put up with arrogant individuals and did not tolerate slander. Daily he was concerned about bringing wicked ones to justice.

For further information see the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 101-106.

PSI

PSI [Ψ, ψ].

The twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet, corresponding generally to the English “ps.”

As a number, psi, when accented (ψ΄), represents 700, or, with the subscript (,ψ), 700,000.—See ALPHABET.

PTOLEMAIS

(Ptol·e·maʹis).

Later name of Acco. The apostle Paul stopped at this seaport city near Mount Carmel on his way to Jerusalem about 56 C.E.—Acts 21:7; see Acco.

PUAH

(Puʹah).

This name represents two similar Hebrew names that differ in gender and meaning, but are spelled alike in both their Greek and English translations.

1. [Pu·ʼahʹ, mouth]. Second son of Issachar.—1 Chron. 7:1; see PUVAH.

2. [Pu·ʽahʹ, girl]. A Hebrew midwife who, together with midwife Shiphrah, was commanded by Pharaoh to kill all male babies born to the Hebrews. However, because she feared God, she preserved the baby boys alive and was blessed by Jehovah with a family of her own.—Ex. 1:15-21.

3. [Pu·ʼahʹ, mouth]. Father of Judge Tola and son of Dodo; tribe of Issachar.—Judg. 10:1.

PUBLIC INSTRUCTOR

[Gr., gram·ma·teusʹ, a man of letters, a teacher of the law].

The apostle Matthew uses this term twice with reference to Christians. At Matthew 13:52 it is translated “scribe” in the Authorized Version, “scholar” in Knox, “teacher” in The New English Bible. At Matthew 23:34 the plural (gram·ma·teisʹ) is rendered “men of learning” (Kx), “instructors” (ED), “teachers” (NE).

Under the Law, the Levites were charged with seeing that the people received public instruction. (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 17:10, 11; 2 Chron. 17:7-9) While this duty fell to them as the priestly tribe, Moses the Levite, in his capacity of mediator of the Law covenant, and, later, Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim, as leader of the nation, were also, in effect, public instructors of God’s people. (Deut. 4:1; 34:9; Josh. 8:35) Likewise, the judges and the faithful kings gave instructions in the Law when they heard and judged cases and when they presided on occasions having to do with worship.—1 Ki. 8:1-61; 2 Ki. 23:2.

An outstanding example of a public instructor is the priest Ezra, who, with Nehemiah’s support, conducted a program of public instruction for the Israelites repatriated from Babylon. He read the Law and organized the Levites for the performance of their duties of “explaining the law to the people,” “putting of meaning into it” and “giving understanding in the reading,” thereby “instructing the people.”—Neh. 8:1-9.

When Jesus was on earth, the scribes (gram·ma·teisʹ) were men versed in the Law and teachers of the people, but they had become corrupted by traditions of men and pagan doctrines. The term “scribes” was used toward them more as a title, designating them as a class, rather than having to do with their original copyist duties.

Jesus came to bear witness to the truth. To get the good news of the Kingdom preached, he taught his disciples to be teachers, public instructors respecting the kingdom of God. He magnified their office and the importance of listening to their teaching when he likened each of them to a man having a veritable treasure store from which to draw. (Matt. 13:52) These he sent forth to Israel, but Israel’s own scribes did not discern the treasures that God, through these men, was holding out to them. To the contrary, they opposed the public instruction and took part in scourging, persecuting and killing Jesus and his associate public instructors, thereby proving themselves to be false instructors. Nevertheless, many persons of Israel and of the nations were taught by Jesus’ instructed ones and, in turn, they themselves became public instructors in God’s Word.—Matt. 23:34; 28:19, 20.

PUBLIC READING

An important means that Jehovah used to instruct and educate his covenant people concerning his purposes and requirements. Such public reading is first mentioned at Exodus 24:7, where Moses read from “the book of the covenant” in the ears of all the people. The Israelites were thereby enabled to enter intelligently into an agreement with Jehovah to keep the Law. Relatively few copies of Scripture were available in the days of ancient Israel; so the Levite priests were commanded: “You will read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing.” Moses ordered them to read the Law to all the people together young and old, male and female, Israelite and alien resident, in every sabbath year at the Festival of Booths.—Deut. 31:9-12.

Joshua, therefore, read aloud to the people Moses’ inspired words. (Josh. 8:33-35) King Jehoshaphat dispatched princes, Levites and priests to teach in the cities of Judah (2 Chron. 17:7-9), which teaching no doubt included public reading. Centuries later Josiah read in the hearing of all the people “the book of Jehovah’s law by the hand of Moses” that Hilkiah the priest found during temple repair work, doubtless the original book of the law written by Moses. (2 Ki. 23:2; 2 Chron. 34:14) The result was a national purge of demon worship. After the return from exile, Ezra, with Governor Nehemiah’s support, read the Law to the people from daybreak until noon. Along with the reading, an explanation, or the sense, was given.—Neh. 8:3, 8; see HEBREW, II (When Did Hebrew Begin to Wane?).