The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs, prayers, and poems that express the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Israel. These psalms reflect a wide range of human emotions from joy and praise to anger, doubt, and despair. There are several different types or classifications of psalms, each serving a different purpose in ancient Jewish worship.
Psalms of Lament
The most common type of psalm is the lament psalm, which expresses pain, grief, or sadness as well as a plea for God’s help. There are more than 60 psalms of lament, including Psalm 13: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). These psalms give voice to human struggles and difficulties and call upon God for deliverance. Psalms of lament begin with an address to God, followed by a complaint, a request for help, an expression of trust, and usually end with praise. Examples include Psalms 5, 6, 7, 28, 31, 39, 42, 43, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 69, 70, 71, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 88, 90, 102, 109, 120, 130, 140, 141, 142, 143.
Psalms of Praise
Psalms of praise make up another major category, expressing joy and gratitude to God. These psalms extol God for his mighty acts, his creating and sustaining power, his covenant faithfulness, and his just rule over the world. Psalms of praise include Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 47, 65, 66, 67, 68, 96, 98, 100, 103, 104, 105, 111, 113, 114, 117, 135, 136, 145-150. “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:1-2).
Psalms of Trust
Psalms of trust, a subset of praise psalms, affirm trust and confidence in God’s protection and care. These psalms do not gloss over difficulty but steadfastly rely on God for salvation amidst trial. Psalms of trust include Psalms 4, 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 63, 91, 121, 125, 131. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Even “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Psalms of Thanksgiving
Psalms of thanksgiving praise God specifically for his answering a prior lament. The psalmist gives thanks to God for delivering him from danger. Psalms of thanksgiving often begin by recounting the psalmist’s pain and crying out to God, followed by an expression of God’s saving response, ending with testimony to God’s goodness and greatness. Psalms of thanksgiving include Psalms 18, 30, 32, 34, 40, 75, 92, 116, 118, 138. “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy…The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me…I was brought low, and he saved me” (Psalm 116:1, 3, 6).
Psalms of Confidence
Psalms of confidence express a bold belief in God’s power, often in response to national military crises. These psalms affirm trust in God’s ability to subdue the enemy and exalt the psalmist’s nation. Psalms of confidence include Psalms 2, 20, 21, 44, 46, 48, 76, 83, 89, 110, 124, 129, 132. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1-2).
Penitential Psalms
Penitential psalms express remorse over sin and plead with God for forgiveness. The seven traditional penitential psalms are Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. Psalm 51 is the most familiar example: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:1-2). These psalms articulate the human struggle with sin and guilt while affirming God as merciful to those who repent.
Psalms of Wisdom
Psalms of wisdom share similarities with the biblical wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes) in style and theme. Wisdom psalms offer practical advice and observations about life, character, justice, and relationship with God. Psalms 1, 14, 25, 34, 37, 49, 73, 78, 112, 127, 128, 133 are examples of wisdom psalms. These psalms exhort the reader to follow the way of righteousness rather than wickedness. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
Liturgical Psalms
Liturgical psalms were used in Israel’s worship services, providing structure and content to corporate praise and prayer. These psalms focus on honoring God (Psalms 95, 100), celebrating God’s faithfulness (Psalms 105, 136), expressing dependence on God (Psalms 23, 63), admitting sin and embracing forgiveness (Psalm 51), and anticipating Messianic deliverance (Psalms 2, 110). The Psalms formed the ancient Jewish hymnal, used both in the Temple and synagogues.
Messianic Psalms
Certain psalms contain prophetic passages that were interpreted as referring to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. These became known as Messianic Psalms due to their depiction of the coming Messiah. Psalms 2, 22, 69, 110 explicitly portray the sufferings and triumphs of Christ and are cited in the New Testament. Other possible Messianic Psalms include Psalms 16, 40, 45, 72, 118. Jesus cited Psalm 110 to confound his critics and prove his divinity (Luke 20:41-44).
Imprecatory Psalms
Imprecatory psalms invoke judgment, calamity, or curses upon one’s enemies. These psalms express hatred toward enemies, calling on God to destroy the wicked. Imprecatory psalms include Psalms 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109, 137. “O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:8-9). These psalms reflect an ancient cultural context of violence and retribution, challenging modern sensibilities.
Songs of Ascent
The Songs of Ascent are a special collection of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that pilgrims sang on their way up to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. These psalms express trust in God’s protection, joy in blessing, and yearning for the presence of God. “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). They likely provided inspiration and perspective for pilgrims ascending Mount Zion.
Acrostic Psalms
Acrostic psalms contain lines that begin with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Examples include Psalms 9-10 (one alphabet), 25 (duplicated alphabet), 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 (8 alphabets), 145. In Psalm 119, the longest psalm, each of the 22 stanzas begins with a successive letter, highlighting the completeness of Scripture from A to Z. The acrostic form may have served as a memory aid in an oral culture.
In summary, the Book of Psalms contains a wide range of poetic genres, themes, and purposes. The psalms originated as songs and prayers defining the corporate worship life of ancient Israel. They cover the full spectrum of human emotion and every occasion of life, from desperate lament to exuberant praise. The psalms remain relevant for worship, encouragement, and reflection today.