I can do no better than to quote HaRav Shimshon R’phael Hirsch z’l (Collected Writings Vol. IV, pp. 259-260, quoted in the foreword to the English translation): “Truly, the happiest hours of my youth were those I spent attempting to identify with the mood and train of thought of one of the Psalms, to seek out the original thought that first inspired its writing and to find the central idea around which it is built. It was pure delight for me to see the structure of the entire Psalm with all its details emerging as a living unit, as it were, around the basic concept that forms its core…. Indeed, we must never think we truly understand a Psalm as long as we can view it only as a series of loosely-jointed verses and not recreate it in our own mind as a unified, harmonious whole. It is our task to delve into the basic thought underlying each Psalm and to meditate about it as the singer himself must have contemplated before choosing the precise words and sentences in their particular sequence of thought and perception. We should then endeavour to understand every sentence, every word and every literary nuance as we come upon them, relate them to the thoughts we have thus discovered, and accept each and every word in the text not only as well-chosen but as genuinely true and vitally necessary for the proper understanding of the ideals expressed therein.” I doubt that anyone has ever better expressed and formulated the correct attitude and methodology regarding reading and studying this unique Book.
One of HaRav Hirsch’s most important works is his commentary on T’hilim, which exists in both Hebrew and English translations from the original German. The English translation is excellent. I highly recommend studying T’hilim with this perush; it is unique and illuminating.
See the rest on Machon Shilo, here.