Doctrine Analysis
11 — Doctrine Analysis: Psalms (Mandarin Destination Language)
Purpose
This document is the full doctrine matrix for the Psalms curriculum, extending the Romans baseline (doctrine_risk_registry.json, translation_memory.json) with doctrines unique to, or newly load-bearing within, the Psalter. It is fully consistent with assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json (Psalms version) provided as prior output: the same 29 doctrine entries, the same risk tiers, the same review routing. This document adds (a) a single consolidated matrix for reference during Phase 2 routing, and (b) a chapter-by-chapter coverage log across all 150 psalms, so that no chapter is silently skipped even where it contributes no new terminology or doctrine.
Psalm 23:1-6 is the curriculum’s theological anchor (Shepherd, provision, refuge, hesed, house of the LORD) but coverage below spans the entire Psalter, Psalm 1 to Psalm 150.
Part 1 — Doctrine Matrix (Full Book)
| # | Doctrine | Mandarin Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages (Psalms) | Risk | Translation Risk Summary | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Character of God as Shepherd | 神作牧者的性情 | 23:1-4; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3 | High | 牧者 risks flattening into a territorial/transactional “guardian deity” (守护神) rather than a personal, providing covenant Lord. | Human theologian |
| 2 | Character of God as King | 神作王的性情 | 47; 93; 96-99; 145 | Medium | 王/神的国 risks being absorbed into the classical 天下 unified-dynasty ideal (baseline caution). | Native speaker review |
| 3 | Character of God as Refuge | 神作避难所的性情 | 46:1; 91:1-2; 11:1; 57:1; 71:7 | Critical | NEVER 皈依 (Buddhist “taking refuge” in the Three Refuges) — imports an alternate soteriological system. | Human theologian |
| 4 | Lament and Honest Prayer | 哀歌与坦诚的祷告 | 6:3; 13:1-2; 22:1; 42-43; 44; 88 | High | Risk of false-resolution smoothing, or of being read as a breach of filial-deference (孝顺) patterns against direct complaint to a superior. | Human theologian |
| 5 | Praise and Worship | 赞美与敬拜 | 100; 145-150; 96-98; 117 | Medium | Risk of association with percussive folk-temple processions (迎神/庆典); teaching point is exclusive direction of praise, not absence of festivity. | Native speaker review |
| 6 | Messianic Prophecy: The Suffering King | 弥赛亚预言：受苦的君王 | 22:1-18; 69:7-9,19-21; 118:22 | Critical | Dereliction cry (quoted by Jesus) must never be softened; casting-lots vocabulary collides with temple fortune-stick divination (求签). | Human theologian |
| 7 | Kingship and the Messianic King (Ps 2, 110) | 君王身份与弥赛亚君王 | 2:2,6-7; 72; 89; 110:1,4 | Critical | Ps 110:1 “my Lord” is the OT’s own argument for Messiah’s supremacy over David; anointed-one/son language is the typological root of 基督/神的儿子. | Human theologian |
| 8 | Confession and Forgiveness (Ps 51) | 认罪与赦免（诗篇51篇） | 32:1-5; 51:1-17; 130:3-4,7-8 | Critical | ”Create in me a clean heart” anticipates the baseline’s CRITICAL 成圣 caution; must never read as self-achieved moral perfection or merit-earning penance. | Human theologian |
| 9 | The Righteous and the Wicked (Ps 1) | 义人与恶人（诗篇1篇） | 1:1-6; 37; 73; 112 | Critical | 义人 must never be read as the Confucian 君子 who achieves 义 by self-cultivation; 有福 risks folk fortune-seeking (求福) association. | Human theologian |
| 10 | Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed) | 约中的信实（慈爱） | 23:6; 5:7; 36:5; 86:15; 89; 103:8; 107; 118; 130:7; 136; 145:8 | Critical | 慈爱 must be distinguished from 恩典 (NT grace), 义气 (sworn-brotherhood loyalty), and 缘分 (folk-Buddhist predestined connection). | Human theologian |
| 11 | Deity of Christ (Psalms extension) | 基督的神性（诗篇延伸） | 45:6-7; 110:1 | Critical | ”Your throne, O God” (Heb 1:8-9) must retain co-equal eternal deity, not an especially exalted, revocable Mandate-of-Heaven-style ruler. | Human theologian |
| 12 | Sonship of Christ (Psalms extension) | 基督的儿子名分（诗篇延伸） | 2:7; 8:4-6 | Critical | Royal-adoptive sonship is type; NEVER equate with 天子 (“Son of Heaven,” a revocable imperial title). | Human theologian |
| 13 | Resurrection of Christ (Psalms extension) | 基督的复活（诗篇延伸） | 16:10; 31:5 | Critical | 复活 never shades toward 轮回/投胎/还魂; “not see corruption” underwrites bodily, non-decaying, once-for-all resurrection. | Human theologian |
| 14 | Lordship of Christ (Psalms extension) | 基督的主权（诗篇延伸） | 110:1 | Critical | Most-quoted OT verse in the NT; 主/我主 must retain exclusive supreme Lordship, not a feudal honorific (老爷). | Human theologian |
| 15 | Universal Human Accountability (Psalms extension) | 全人类都当向神负责（诗篇延伸） | 14:1-3; 53:1-3 | High | 愚顽人 must retain culpable, practical God-denial — not merely “unwise” (缺乏智慧); source text for Romans 3:10-18. | Human theologian |
| 16 | Betrayal and Suffering of the Messiah | 弥赛亚受背叛与受苦 | 41:9; 69:7-9,19-21; 109 | High | Must be taught in continuity with Psalm 22’s dereliction pattern, preserving the weight of betrayal borne by the sinless Messiah. | Human theologian |
| 17 | Crucifixion Typology Details | 十字架预表的细节 | 22:16, 18 | High | 抽签/拈签 (casting lots) collide with temple divination (求签); 扎/刺 (pierced) requires a text-critical translator’s note. | Human theologian |
| 18 | Torah Meditation and Delight | 喜爱默想律法 | 1:2; 19:7-11; 119 (throughout) | High | 律法 must carry the broader “instruction/teaching” sense (ירה) alongside statute, especially amid Ps 119’s near-synonym pile-up. | Human theologian |
| 19 | Fear of the LORD | 敬畏耶和华 | 34:9; 111:10; 128:1; 145:19 | Medium | Reverent covenant awe, distinct from servile terror and from impersonal cosmic dread (天意). | Native speaker review |
| 20 | Providence and Divine Care (Psalms extension) | 神的护理与看顾（诗篇延伸） | 90:2; 91; 104; 121; 139:13-16 | High | Must never slide toward 天意 (impersonal “heaven’s intention”); Ps 91 is also vulnerable to talismanic misuse (cf. Matt 4:6). | Human theologian |
| 21 | Monotheism and the Rejection of Idolatry | 独一神论与拒绝偶像 | 82:1,6; 96:5; 106:36-38; 115:4-8 | Medium | 神 is also the generic noun for any deity/spirit; monotheism must be made explicit, not assumed. | Native speaker review |
| 22 | Zion and God’s Dwelling Place | 锡安与神的居所 | 48; 84; 87; 122; 132 | Medium | 殿 must be taught as God’s own sanctuary, distinct from generic idol/ancestral-hall usage. | Native speaker review |
| 23 | Priesthood and Kingship Typology (Melchizedek) | 祭司与君王的预表（麦基洗德） | 110:4 | Critical | Combines two offices no ordinary Davidic king could hold, fulfilled uniquely in Christ (Heb 7); loosening either term collapses the typology. | Human theologian |
| 24 | Universal Scope of Praise | 赞美普及万民 | 67; 96:3; 98; 117:1; 150:6 | Medium | 列国/万国 must retain full universality; must not echo the classical Hua-Yi (华夷) insider/outsider distinction. | Native speaker review |
| 25 | Sanctification and Inner Renewal | 成圣与内心的更新 | 51:10-12 | Critical | The creation-verb behind “create in me a clean heart” must be God’s own creative act, never the psalmist’s self-cultivation. | Human theologian |
| 26 | Redemption and Ransom | 救赎与赎价 | 49:7-8,15; 130:7-8 | High | 救赎/赎 must stay distinct from 功德-style merit-accumulation; this is God’s costly initiative, not something accrued. | Human theologian |
| 27 | Unity and Covenant Community | 合一与立约的群体 | 100:3; 133:1 | Medium | Avoid framing as a clan/lineage bond (宗族); frame as shared belonging to God’s flock. | Native speaker review |
| 28 | Thanksgiving and Gratitude | 感恩与称谢 | 100:4; 107 (refrain); 116:17; 136 (refrain) | Low | Minor risk of generic secular gratitude without God as explicit object, especially in Ps 136’s repeated refrain. | Automated review |
| 29 | Musical and Embodied Worship Forms | 音乐与身体的敬拜形式 | 150; 149:3; selah markers throughout | Low | Minimal independent risk once exclusive direction of worship (to YHWH alone) is established under Praise and Worship. | Automated review |
Risk summary (must match doctrine_risk_registry.json): Critical 12 · High 8 · Medium 7 · Low 2 · Theologian review 20 · Native speaker review 7 · Automated only 2.
Part 2 — Full-Book Chapter Coverage Log (Psalm 1–150)
Every psalm is logged below by canonical Book division. Where a psalm introduces no doctrine or term beyond what is already anchored elsewhere, it is marked Reviewed — no new load with a note on which doctrine it reinforces, per the PRD’s full-coverage mandate. Anchor citations (the passages actually listed in the Doctrine Matrix and registry) are marked Anchor.
Book I (Psalms 1–41)
| Psalm(s) | Doctrine(s) Touched | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Righteous and the Wicked | Anchor — core text for doctrine #9 |
| 2 | Kingship and the Messianic King; Sonship of Christ | Anchor — 2:2,6-7 |
| 3 | Character of God as Refuge | Reviewed — reinforces refuge (“the LORD is a shield about me”) |
| 4 | Peace (baseline term); Character of God as Refuge | Reviewed — no new doctrine; 平安 baseline caution applies |
| 5 | Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed) | Reviewed — 5:7 “abundance of your steadfast love” reinforces hesed |
| 6 | Lament and Honest Prayer | Anchor — 6:3 “how long, O LORD” |
| 7 | The Righteous and the Wicked; Character of God as Refuge | Reviewed — reinforces #9 and #3 |
| 8 | Character of God as King; Sonship of Christ | Anchor — 8:4-6 (quoted Heb 2, ties to sonship typology) |
| 9–10 | The Righteous and the Wicked; Refuge for the oppressed | Reviewed — reinforces #9, #3 |
| 11 | Character of God as Refuge | Anchor — 11:1 |
| 12–13 | Lament and Honest Prayer | Reviewed — reinforces #4 |
| 14 | Universal Human Accountability | Anchor — 14:1-3, direct source of Romans 3:10-18 catena |
| 15 | The Righteous and the Wicked; Torah Meditation | Reviewed — reinforces #9, #18 |
| 16 | Resurrection of Christ | Anchor — 16:10 (quoted Acts 2, 13) |
| 17 | Character of God as Refuge; The Righteous and the Wicked | Reviewed |
| 18 | Character of God as Refuge (Rock/Fortress) | Anchor — full extended refuge imagery |
| 19 | Torah Meditation and Delight | Anchor — 19:7-11 |
| 20 | Character of God as King; situational deliverance (glossary “deliverance”) | Reviewed |
| 21 | Kingship and the Messianic King (royal psalm) | Reviewed — reinforces #7 |
| 22 | Messianic Prophecy: The Suffering King; Crucifixion Typology Details | Anchor — 22:1-18, dereliction cry, casting lots |
| 23 | CORE CURRICULUM PASSAGE — Shepherd, Hesed, Refuge, House of the LORD | Anchor — convergence point of doctrines #1, #3, #10, #22 |
| 24 | Character of God as King; Glory (baseline term) | Reviewed |
| 25 | Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed) | Reviewed — reinforces #10 |
| 26–27 | Character of God as Refuge; situational deliverance | Reviewed |
| 28 | Lament and Honest Prayer; Refuge | Reviewed |
| 29 | Character of God as King (God’s voice over creation) | Reviewed |
| 30 | Thanksgiving and Gratitude; Lament resolved | Reviewed — reinforces #28 |
| 31 | Resurrection of Christ (committing one’s spirit) | Anchor — 31:5 (quoted Luke 23:46) |
| 32 | Confession and Forgiveness | Anchor — 32:1-5 |
| 33 | Praise and Worship; Character of God as King (creation) | Reviewed |
| 34 | Fear of the LORD; The Righteous and the Wicked | Anchor — 34:9 |
| 35 | Lament and Honest Prayer (imprecatory element) | Reviewed — see sensitivity note below |
| 36 | Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed) | Anchor — 36:5 |
| 37 | The Righteous and the Wicked | Anchor — extended meditation, companion to Psalm 1 |
| 38 | Confession and Forgiveness; Lament | Reviewed |
| 39 | Lament and Honest Prayer; human mortality | Reviewed |
| 40 | Kingship/Messianic Prophecy (minor, quoted Heb 10) | Reviewed — minor messianic resonance, not a primary anchor |
| 41 | Betrayal and Suffering of the Messiah | Anchor — 41:9 (quoted John 13:18) |
Book II (Psalms 42–72)
| Psalm(s) | Doctrine(s) Touched | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 42–43 | Lament and Honest Prayer (“my soul thirsts / why are you cast down”) | Reviewed |
| 44 | Lament and Honest Prayer (corporate “how long”) | Reviewed |
| 45 | Deity of Christ | Anchor — 45:6-7 (quoted Heb 1:8-9) |
| 46 | Character of God as Refuge | Anchor — 46:1 |
| 47 | Character of God as King | Anchor |
| 48 | Zion and God’s Dwelling Place | Anchor |
| 49 | Redemption and Ransom | Anchor — 49:7-8, 15 |
| 50 | Thanksgiving vs. ritual sacrifice | Reviewed — reinforces #28 with a warning against ritual-without-heart reading |
| 51 | Confession and Forgiveness; Sanctification and Inner Renewal | CORE ANCHOR — 51:1-17, 51:10-12 |
| 52–55 | Lament and Honest Prayer; The Righteous and the Wicked | Reviewed |
| 56–57 | Character of God as Refuge (under his wings) | Anchor — 57:1 |
| 58 | The Righteous and the Wicked (imprecatory) | Reviewed — see sensitivity note |
| 59–60 | Lament; Refuge | Reviewed |
| 61–62 | Character of God as Refuge (Rock); situational deliverance | Reviewed |
| 63 | Lament/Praise (“my soul thirsts for you”) | Reviewed |
| 64–66 | Praise and Worship; Lament | Reviewed |
| 67 | Universal Scope of Praise | Anchor |
| 68 | Character of God as King; Praise | Reviewed |
| 69 | Betrayal and Suffering of the Messiah; Crucifixion Typology Details | Anchor — 69:7-9, 19-21 (vinegar) |
| 70–71 | Character of God as Refuge | Reviewed |
| 72 | Kingship and the Messianic King (universal royal reign) | Anchor — extends #7 |
Book III (Psalms 73–89)
| Psalm(s) | Doctrine(s) Touched | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | The Righteous and the Wicked (prosperity of the wicked) | Reviewed — extends #9 |
| 74 | Lament and Honest Prayer (corporate “how long”) | Reviewed |
| 75–76 | Character of God as King | Reviewed |
| 77 | Lament; Providence and Divine Care | Reviewed |
| 78 | Covenant history; Torah Meditation | Reviewed |
| 79 | Lament and Honest Prayer | Reviewed |
| 80 | Character of God as Shepherd (“Shepherd of Israel”) | Anchor — 80:1 |
| 81–83 | Covenant Faithfulness; Character of God as King | Reviewed |
| 84 | Zion and God’s Dwelling Place | Anchor |
| 85 | Covenant Faithfulness (hesed/emet pairing) | Anchor — 85:10 |
| 86 | Covenant Faithfulness (Ex 34:6 mercy formula echo) | Anchor — 86:15 |
| 87 | Zion and God’s Dwelling Place | Reviewed |
| 88 | Lament and Honest Prayer (unresolved darkness) | Anchor — closes without resolution; critical teaching case |
| 89 | Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed); Kingship and the Messianic King (Davidic covenant) | Anchor — full Davidic-covenant meditation |
Book IV (Psalms 90–106)
| Psalm(s) | Doctrine(s) Touched | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | Providence and Divine Care (eternality of God) | Anchor — 90:2 |
| 91 | Character of God as Refuge; Providence and Divine Care | Anchor — 91:1-2 (note: also the Matt 4:6 temptation-misuse passage) |
| 92 | Character of God as Refuge (Rock) | Reviewed |
| 93 | Character of God as King | Anchor |
| 94 | Lament (“how long”); righteous vindication | Reviewed |
| 95 | Character of God as Shepherd | Anchor — 95:7 |
| 96–98 | Character of God as King; Universal Scope of Praise | Anchor cluster |
| 99 | Holiness of God (baseline 圣洁 term, refrain “Holy is he”) | Anchor |
| 100 | Character of God as Shepherd; Unity and Covenant Community; Thanksgiving | Anchor — 100:3, 100:4 |
| 101 | Character of God as King (righteous king ideal) | Reviewed |
| 102 | Lament; eternality of God | Reviewed |
| 103 | Covenant Faithfulness (mercy formula, 103:8); soul/nephesh | Anchor |
| 104 | Providence and Divine Care (creation) | Anchor |
| 105 | Covenant history | Reviewed |
| 106 | Monotheism and the Rejection of Idolatry; Confession | Anchor — 106:36-38 |
Book V (Psalms 107–150)
| Psalm(s) | Doctrine(s) Touched | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 107 | Covenant Faithfulness (hesed refrain); Thanksgiving; situational deliverance | Anchor |
| 108 | Character of God as King; Covenant Faithfulness | Reviewed |
| 109 | Betrayal and Suffering of the Messiah (quoted Acts 1:20 re Judas); imprecatory content | Anchor — see sensitivity note |
| 110 | Kingship and the Messianic King; Lordship of Christ; Priesthood and Kingship Typology (Melchizedek) | CORE ANCHOR — 110:1, 110:4 |
| 111 | Fear of the LORD; Torah Meditation | Reviewed |
| 112 | The Righteous and the Wicked (“blessed”) | Reviewed — extends Psalm 1 |
| 113–114 | Praise and Worship; Exodus deliverance memory | Reviewed |
| 115 | Monotheism and the Rejection of Idolatry | Anchor — 115:4-8 |
| 116 | Salvation (situational, baseline term); Thanksgiving | Reviewed |
| 117 | Universal Scope of Praise | Anchor — shortest psalm, all-nations praise |
| 118 | Covenant Faithfulness (hesed refrain); minor messianic typology (118:22, “the stone the builders rejected”) | Anchor — hesed refrain; note messianic resonance for teaching cross-reference |
| 119 | Torah Meditation and Delight | CORE ANCHOR — the Psalter’s fullest torah meditation |
| 120–134 (Songs of Ascents) | Zion; Peace (baseline term, 122:6-8 Jerusalem wordplay); Providence (121, “he who keeps you”); Unity and Covenant Community (133:1); Covenant Faithfulness (130:7); Kingship (132, Davidic covenant); Redemption (130:3-4, 7-8) | Anchor cluster — Ps 119, 121, 122, 130, 132, 133 individually anchor named doctrines; remaining Songs of Ascents reviewed as reinforcing this cluster |
| 135–136 | Covenant Faithfulness (hesed refrain x26 in 136) | CORE ANCHOR — cross-document consistency required for the refrain |
| 137 | Lament and Honest Prayer (exilic lament; imprecatory closing) | Anchor — see sensitivity note below |
| 138 | Thanksgiving; Praise | Reviewed |
| 139 | Providence and Divine Care (formed inward parts) | Anchor — 139:13-16 |
| 140–143 | Lament and Honest Prayer; Refuge | Reviewed |
| 144 | Character of God as Refuge (Rock/Fortress); Kingship | Reviewed |
| 145 | Character of God as King; Fear of the LORD; Covenant Faithfulness (mercy formula, 145:8) | Anchor |
| 146–150 | Praise and Worship; Musical and Embodied Worship Forms; Monotheism (146, “put not your trust in princes”) | CORE ANCHOR cluster — the Psalter’s closing doxology, all praise-and-worship terminology converges here |
Sensitivity note on imprecatory psalms (Ps 35, 58, 109, 137, and similar passages within 69, 79, 83, 94, 129, 140-143): these are logged above under Lament/Righteous-Wicked/Betrayal doctrines as reviewed or anchor content. No new glossary term is required, but Phase 2 teaching notes must flag that imprecatory prayer is (a) addressed to God rather than taken into the psalmist’s own hands, and (b) not to be taught as sanction for personal vengeance — a distinction relevant given the baseline’s existing cautions around honor/face (面子) dynamics and communal harmony expectations in the destination culture.
Part 3 — Consistency Statement
This document introduces no doctrine, risk tier, Mandarin doctrine name, or review-routing assignment that differs from assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json (Psalms version). All 29 entries are reproduced verbatim in Part 1; Part 2 is a coverage log only and creates no new terminology obligations beyond those already logged in analysis/08_core_glossary.md.
End of Phase 1 Step 4 deliverable.
Critical Risk Doctrines
Character of God as Refuge
Mandarin name: 神作避难所的性情
Key terms: refuge, shelter, fortress, rock, under his wings
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: refuge-taking language must never be rendered or taught using 皈依 (guīyī), the specific Buddhist technical term for ‘taking refuge’ in the Three Refuges (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) — a term with deep, specific liturgical use in Chinese Buddhism. Using 皈依 would import an entire alternate soteriological framework in place of personal trust in the covenant God.
Messianic Prophecy: The Suffering King
Mandarin name: 弥赛亚预言：受苦的君王
Key terms: my God my God why have you forsaken me, pierced, casting lots, reproach, vinegar to drink
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Psalm 22’s dereliction cry is quoted verbatim by Jesus from the cross and must never be softened. Psalm 22:18’s casting of lots uses 抽签/拈签, terms otherwise used for temple fortune-stick divination (求签, flagged in the baseline under ‘prophecy’); a clarifying note is required so this historical crucifixion detail is not read as endorsing divinatory practice.
Kingship and the Messianic King (Psalms 2 and 110)
Mandarin name: 君王身份与弥赛亚君王（诗篇2篇、110篇）
Key terms: anointed one, my Lord, son, priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, sit at my right hand
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Psalm 110:1’s ‘my Lord’ (我主) is the OT’s own internal argument, used by Jesus himself (Matt 22:41-45), for the Messiah’s supremacy over David — a superior lord distinct from any feudal honorific (老爷) or ordinary master (主人). Psalm 2’s royal-adoptive ‘son’ language and the anointed-one (受膏者) title are the historical-typological root of 神的儿子 and 基督 respectively; both must never be conflated with 弥勒 (Maitreya) per the baseline’s absolute prohibition.
Confession and Forgiveness (Psalm 51)
Mandarin name: 认罪与赦免（诗篇51篇）
Key terms: have mercy, blot out, wash and cleanse, create in me a clean heart, broken and contrite heart
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Psalm 51:10’s plea to ‘create’ (בָּרָא, the Genesis creation-verb) a clean heart is the OT’s strongest anticipation of the baseline’s CRITICAL ‘sanctification’ caution — 成圣 is a direct borrowing of the Neo-Confucian technical term for self-cultivation into sagehood (Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming). This psalm must reinforce, not undermine, that renewal is God’s creative act, not self-achieved moral perfection, and that 忧伤痛悔的心 (broken heart) is received repentance, never merit-earning self-punishment (功德-adjacent penance).
The Righteous and the Wicked (Psalm 1)
Mandarin name: 义人与恶人（诗篇1篇）
Key terms: blessed, righteous, wicked, meditate on the law, chaff
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: 义人 reuses the baseline’s Critical-risk 义 (righteousness); Psalm 1’s righteous person must never be read as the Confucian 君子 who achieves 义 through self-cultivation and moral effort. The psalm’s righteous person is rooted and fruitful because he is sustained by delighting in God’s instruction — a received flourishing, not a self-authored one. 有福 additionally risks folk fortune-seeking (求福) associations already flagged under ‘gospel’ in the baseline.
Covenant Faithfulness (Hesed)
Mandarin name: 约中的信实（慈爱）
Key terms: steadfast love, faithfulness, goodness and mercy shall follow me, his steadfast love endures forever
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: 慈爱 (hesed) must be kept distinct from three separate collision risks: (1) 恩典, the baseline’s technical NT grace term — related but not identical, since hesed presumes an existing covenant bond while grace is unmerited favor to the ungodly; (2) 义气 (yìqì), the Chinese sworn-brotherhood loyalty ethic among equals (e.g. the Peach Garden Oath, already flagged under the baseline’s ‘fellowship’ entry); (3) 缘分 (yuánfèn), the folk-Buddhist predestined-connection concept already forbidden under the baseline’s ‘election’ entry. The Psalm 107/118/136 refrain must render identically at every occurrence per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rule.
Deity of Christ (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 基督的神性（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: your throne O God, my Lord, God over all
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: extends the baseline’s ‘deity_of_christ’ doctrine. Psalm 45:6’s address ‘your throne, O God’ to the Davidic king, applied to Christ in Hebrews 1:8-9, must not be softened to ‘a godlike king’ — the co-equal, eternal divine nature must be retained, not reduced to an especially exalted human ruler as in the historic Chinese emperor’s Mandate-of-Heaven-derived, revocable legitimacy.
Sonship of Christ (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 基督的儿子名分（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: you are my son, today I have begotten you, son of man
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: extends the baseline’s ‘sonship_of_christ’ doctrine. Psalm 2:7’s royal-adoptive sonship (2 Sam 7:14 background) is type, not the full doctrine; NEVER equate with 天子 (‘Son of Heaven,’ the historic imperial title under the revocable Mandate of Heaven). The NT (Acts 13:33, Heb 1:5) applies this typologically to Christ’s unique, eternal, co-equal Sonship — an office that could never in principle pass to another holder, unlike the imperial title.
Resurrection of Christ (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 基督的复活（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: you will not let your Holy One see corruption, resurrection, into your hand I commit my spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: extends the baseline’s ‘resurrection_of_christ’ doctrine. 复活 must never shade toward 轮回 (reincarnation cycle), 投胎 (rebirth into a new womb), or 还魂 (folk ghost-story reanimation). Psalm 16:10’s ‘not see corruption,’ quoted in Acts 2 and 13 of Christ, specifically underwrites the bodily, non-decaying, once-for-all nature of resurrection. Psalm 31:5’s committing of one’s spirit (quoted Luke 23:46) must be taught as the living person’s own trusting act at death, not a ritual soul-release rite performed by another (超度, already CRITICAL-forbidden in the baseline under ‘salvation’).
Lordship of Christ (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 基督的主权（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: the LORD says to my Lord, sit at my right hand
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: extends the baseline’s ‘lordship_of_christ’ doctrine. This is the most-quoted OT verse in the NT (Matt 22:44; Acts 2:34-35; Heb 1:13). 主/我主 must convey exclusive, supreme Lordship, not a feudal honorific (老爷) or ordinary master-servant relation (主人); Jesus’ own argument from this verse depends on the full weight of ‘Lord’ being retained.
Priesthood and Kingship Typology (Melchizedek)
Mandarin name: 祭司与君王的预表（麦基洗德）
Key terms: a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: combines two offices no ordinary Davidic king could combine, fulfilled uniquely in Christ per Hebrews 7. 麦基洗德 (Melchizedek) must be retained as an established transliteration and 祭司 (priest) precisely rendered; loosening either term collapses the typology’s central point.
Sanctification and Inner Renewal
Mandarin name: 成圣与内心的更新
Key terms: create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me, your Holy Spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: extends the baseline’s ‘sanctification’ doctrine. The Genesis creation-verb (בָּרָא) behind ‘create in me a clean heart’ must be preserved in teaching as God’s own creative act, never the psalmist’s moral self-cultivation, exactly guarding against the Neo-Confucian self-cultivation-into-sagehood reading the baseline flags for 成圣.
High Risk Doctrines
Character of God as Shepherd
Mandarin name: 神作牧者的性情
Key terms: shepherd, green pastures, still waters, restores my soul, rod and staff
Review routing: Human theologian
牧者 (shepherd) is agrarian imagery with declining lived resonance for urban Mandarin readers, and risks being flattened into the folk-religious ‘guardian deity’ (守护神) framing — a territorial or transactional protector-spirit rather than a personal covenant Lord who provides and leads. Must be actively taught, not assumed as self-evident.
Lament and Honest Prayer
Mandarin name: 哀歌与坦诚的祷告
Key terms: how long O LORD, why have you forsaken me, darkness, cast down O my soul
Review routing: Human theologian
Raw, unresolved complaint addressed directly to God (especially Psalm 88’s closing note of darkness with no resolution) risks being softened in teaching toward either false resolution or, conversely, being read as a breach of the filial-deference pattern (孝顺) that discourages direct complaint toward a superior figure. Both distortions must be resisted: honest lament to God is itself modeled, sanctioned faith.
Universal Human Accountability (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 全人类都当向神负责（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: the fool says in his heart there is no God, there is none who does good, no one righteous
Review routing: Human theologian
Extends the baseline’s High-risk ‘universal_human_accountability’ doctrine; this psalm is the direct Hebrew source Paul assembles into the Romans 3:10-18 catena. 愚顽人 (naval) must not be softened to merely ‘unwise’ (缺乏智慧) — this is culpable, practical God-denial, retaining full moral culpability rather than a graded civilizational-hierarchy reading.
Betrayal and Suffering of the Messiah
Mandarin name: 弥赛亚受背叛与受苦
Key terms: he who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me, reproach has broken my heart
Review routing: Human theologian
Direct messianic-typological suffering language (applied to Judas in John 13:18 and Acts 1:20); 背叛/羞辱 must be taught in continuity with Psalm 22’s dereliction pattern rather than as isolated, unrelated laments, preserving the theological weight of betrayal borne by the sinless Messiah.
Crucifixion Typology Details
Mandarin name: 十字架预表的细节
Key terms: pierced my hands and feet, casting lots for my garments, gave me vinegar to drink
Review routing: Human theologian
抽签/拈签 (casting lots) are also the standard terms for temple fortune-stick divination (求签); a clarifying note is required so this crucifixion detail is not read as resembling or endorsing divinatory practice. 扎/刺 (pierced) requires a translator’s note on the underlying text-critical question while retaining the traditional Christian reading.
Torah Meditation and Delight
Mandarin name: 喜爱默想律法
Key terms: law of the LORD, meditate day and night, your word is a lamp to my feet
Review routing: Human theologian
律法 (torah) must carry the broader ‘instruction/teaching’ sense (from ירה, ‘to teach’) alongside its statutory sense, especially given Psalm 119’s dense pile-up of near-synonyms (话, 律例, 命令, 训词, 典章); flattening torah into bare legal code loses the delight-and-relationship dimension central to these psalms.
Providence and Divine Care (Psalms extension)
Mandarin name: 神的护理与看顾（诗篇延伸）
Key terms: he who keeps you will not slumber, you formed my inward parts, from everlasting to everlasting
Review routing: Human theologian
Extends the baseline’s High-risk ‘providence’ doctrine; 神的护理 must never be rendered with or slide toward 天意 (impersonal ‘heaven’s intention’), a live risk in Psalm 121’s traveler’s-protection language and Psalm 91’s temptation-narrative misuse (Matt 4:6), where the text must be taught as covenant trust, not a talismanic guarantee.
Redemption and Ransom
Mandarin name: 救赎与赎价
Key terms: God will ransom my soul, with him is plentiful redemption
Review routing: Human theologian
救赎/赎 anticipate NT redemption/atonement vocabulary and must be kept distinct from 功德-style merit-accumulation language (baseline CRITICAL caution under ‘grace’) — redemption here is God’s costly initiative on behalf of a life beyond human ransom-capability, not something the redeemed person accrues.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Character of God as King
Mandarin name: 神作王的性情
Key terms: king, reigns, kingdom, throne
Review routing: Native speaker review
王/神的国 language risks being read through the classical 天下 (‘all under heaven’) unified-dynasty ideal already flagged in the baseline under ‘kingdom_of_god’; God’s kingship must be taught as a righteous spiritual reign, not a this-worldly conquest-empire.
Praise and Worship
Mandarin name: 赞美与敬拜
Key terms: praise, hallelujah, new song, sing, instruments
Review routing: Native speaker review
Whole-bodied, instrument-rich praise (Ps 150) risks being associated with the percussive, communal celebration of Chinese folk-religious temple processions (迎神/庆典); the theological point is the exclusive direction of praise (to YHWH alone), not the absence of festive form.
Fear of the LORD
Mandarin name: 敬畏耶和华
Key terms: fear of the LORD, blessed is the one who fears the LORD
Review routing: Native speaker review
敬畏耶和华 must be taught as reverent awe within covenant relationship, distinct from servile terror and from the impersonal cosmic dread carried by 天意 (‘heaven’s intention’), already flagged in the baseline under ‘providence.‘
Monotheism and the Rejection of Idolatry
Mandarin name: 独一神论与拒绝偶像
Key terms: idols, you are gods (of human judges), the LORD is God, there is no other
Review routing: Native speaker review
神 is also the generic Chinese noun for any deity or spirit (folk city gods, kitchen god); Psalm 115’s idol polemic and Psalm 82’s rare delegated-authority use of ‘Elohim’ for human judges both require monotheism to be made explicit in teaching rather than assumed, per the baseline’s existing caution under ‘god.‘
Zion and God’s Dwelling Place
Mandarin name: 锡安与神的居所
Key terms: Zion, house of the LORD, how lovely is your dwelling place
Review routing: Native speaker review
殿 (house/temple, for beit YHWH) must be taught as God’s own sanctuary, distinct from generic idol- or ancestral-hall usage of the same character in broader Chinese religious vocabulary, echoing the baseline’s caution against 庙/寺/道观 under ‘church.‘
Universal Scope of Praise
Mandarin name: 赞美普及万民
Key terms: praise the LORD, all nations, all the earth, let everything that has breath praise the LORD
Review routing: Native speaker review
Extends the baseline’s ‘universal_scope_of_gospel’ doctrine into worship; 列国/万国 language must retain full universality and must not echo the classical Hua-Yi (华夷) civilized-insider/outsider distinction already flagged in the baseline.
Unity and Covenant Community
Mandarin name: 合一与立约的群体
Key terms: how good when brothers dwell in unity, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture
Review routing: Native speaker review
Anticipates, in embryonic form, the baseline’s ‘unity_of_jews_and_gentiles’ and ‘church_as_gods_people’ doctrines; teaching should avoid framing this unity as a clan/lineage bond (宗族) and instead as shared belonging to God’s flock.
Low Risk Doctrines
Thanksgiving and Gratitude
Mandarin name: 感恩与称谢
Key terms: give thanks, his steadfast love endures forever, enter his gates with thanksgiving
Review routing: Automated review
Extends the baseline’s Low-risk ‘thanksgiving’ doctrine with Psalms citations; minor risk of generic secular gratitude without explicit reference to God as the object, especially where the refrain is repeated many times in succession (Ps 136).
Musical and Embodied Worship Forms
Mandarin name: 音乐与身体的敬拜形式
Key terms: trumpet, lute, harp, tambourine, dance, strings, pipe, cymbals, selah
Review routing: Automated review
Low risk once the exclusive direction of worship (to YHWH alone) is established under ‘praise_and_worship’ above; instrument and dance vocabulary itself carries minimal independent doctrinal risk beyond that already-flagged teaching point.
Referenced passages