The Zohar (Vayetze 158b) explains that the Book of Psalms was composed with divine inspiration, רוח הקודש. Yet, earlier in the same section, the Zohar also explains that the book was a renewal of songs from earlier times. Usually, one associates divine inspiration with special guidance to yield brand new knowledge, not simply as an aid to recast what’s already known.
The lesson to me is that often knowledge which resonated well in past generations can’t simply be transmitted, as is, to a new generation. What worked then does not necessarily work now. Rather, a special divine inspiration is required to lend spiritual guidance to do a creative repackaging; allowing old teachings to come alive with a contemporary feel; opening the ears of audiences will be receptive in rapt attention.
In line with this, King David and his fellow composers probably felt that a simple repetition of songs known from the past, felt sterile and lacked resonance. They needed to rework these songs with a fresh surge of creativity, which fed off of divine inspiration, so the songs could speak freshly and relevantly. As Psalms are filled with biographical tidbits of King David's life, it’s likely that the updating went very far; though without obscuring the core messages.
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