Alphabet Acrostics

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:1

In the Hebrew, every verse of Psalm 34 begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order from first (aleph) to last (taw), making it an acrostic poem. The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 consonants, written from right to left. There are several passages in the Old Testament that are alphabetically acrostic:

Psalm 9-10 together: 2 verses per Hebrew letter

Psalm 25: 1 verse per Hebrew letter

Psalm 34: 1 verse per Hebrew letter

Psalm 37: 2 verses per Hebrew letter

Psalm 111: ½ verse per Hebrew letter

Psalm 112: ½ verse per Hebrew letter

Psalm 119: 8 verses per Hebrew letter

Psalm 145: 1 verse per Hebrew letter

Lamentations 1-2: 1 verse per Hebrew letter

Lamentations 3: 3 verses per Hebrew letter

Lamentations 4: 2 verses per Hebrew letter

Proverbs 31:10-31: 1 verse per Hebrew letter

Nahum 1:1-9: 2-3 verses per Hebrew letter

What is the significance of this? It can point to completion and wholeness (from A to Z, so to speak)—the idea that the poet is fully exploring the topic, or that God wholly reflects the subject. It can be, and perhaps was, a helpful mnemonic device, which is interesting to reflect on. We don’t often approach Scripture as content to be memorized, but perhaps it’s worth exploring more seriously ourselves. Kathy Keller writes about memorizing Psalm 34 during a period of suffering. The acrostic structure also points to a sense of well-defined order. It sets boundaries and confines that causes the poet to limit himself, that allows him to showcase his skills. 

Most of all, though, the acrostic structure adds a certain auditory and visual beauty to the entire text. There is a kind of order, progression, and fullness that comes from hearing and seeing each letter enumerated upon, knowing which one is next, knowing when the ending is coming. Perhaps there is some nuance of meaning added when you know a particular word was chosen for its starting sound. There’s a kind of cognitive beauty to it, like a puzzle put together. There’s an implicit love for the Hebrew language, for how God literally inhabits every letter in the mouths of his people. Our English translations convey meaning, but they aren’t always able to fully convey the full poetic impact of the text, so it’s good to read with at least a background awareness of the hidden beauty within it.