A psalm is a sacred song or hymn, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of Psalms. The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and poems written to God. David penned about half of them, likely compiling his and others’ songs into a unified hymnal. Psalms represents the outpouring of the hearts of men to their Creator.
The Book of Psalms contains some of the most beloved passages of Scripture. Within its pages lie hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. The book of Psalms has been designed to be the prayer book of God’s people as they wait for the return of Jesus Christ. The chief theme of the Psalms is the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. God appointed David, a shepherd boy, to be king over his people. David was called a man after God’s own heart. As a psalmist, David wrote most of the psalms in the Book of Psalms. The Book of Psalms is also called the Psalter.
The Book of Psalms is divided into five parts:
- Book 1 (Psalms 1–41)
- Book 2 (Psalms 42–72)
- Book 3 (Psalms 73–89)
- Book 4 (Psalms 90–106)
- Book 5 (Psalms 107–150)
Each of these five books or sections of Psalms ends with a doxology or a psalm of praise. Psalm 150, the last psalm, is simply a grand doxology, calling everything with breath to praise God.
Types of Psalms
There are various types of psalms, including:
- Psalms of Lament – These psalms arise out of distress, danger, sadness, loneliness and they end with an expression of trust in God’s power and grace. Examples include Psalms 3, 5, 7, 13, 22, 25, 26, 35, 38, 39, 42-43, 51, 54-57, 59, 61, 63, 69-70, 77, 86, 88, 102, 120, 123, 129, 137, 140-143.
- Penitential Psalms – These psalms arise from a sense of personal guilt before God and seek his pardon and reconciliation. Examples include Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143.
- Psalms of Confidence – These psalms reflect a mood of faith and confidence in God’s watchful care and power. Examples include Psalms 11, 16, 23, 27, 62, 121, 125, 131.
- Psalms of Thanksgiving – These psalms begin by reflecting on the goodness of God, thanking him for specific blessings or help, and trusting him for continued protection and care. Examples include Psalms 8, 18, 19, 29, 30, 32-34, 36, 40, 41, 65-68, 75-78, 92, 95-100, 103-106, 111, 113-118, 135-136, 138, 139, 144-145, 147.
- Enthronement Psalms – These psalms celebrate God’s sovereign rule over all creation. Examples include Psalms 47, 93, 95-99.
- Pilgrimage Psalms – These psalms reflect the mood of the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the major festivals. Examples include Psalms 43, 84, 120-134.
- Royal Psalms – These psalms give expression to the special relationship between God and the king of Israel. Examples include Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144.
- Wisdom Psalms – These psalms reflect themes found in wisdom literature, like Proverbs. Examples include Psalms 1, 37, 49, 73, 112, 127, 128, 133.
- Psalms of Praise – These psalms praise God directly in his majesty and greatness. Examples include Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 47, 65, 66, 96, 98, 100, 103-106, 111-119, 134-136, 145-150.
Major Themes in Psalms
Some of the major themes that recur throughout the Book of Psalms include:
- God’s Power and Majesty – Many psalms extol the greatness of God, his omnipotence, and his majesty in Creation (Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 47, 93, 95-100, 104).
- Justice and Righteousness – God is a righteous judge who looks out for the oppressed and punishes the wicked (Psalms 1, 7, 9-10, 12, 17, 35, 37, 49, 58, 82, 94, 113, 140).
- Kingship – Psalms celebrates God’s rule over all Creation and his special covenant with the Davidic dynasty of Israel (Psalms 2, 18, 20-21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, 144).
- God’s Law – The law (Torah) provides guidance, gives joy, and helps one avoid sin (Psalms 1, 19, 119).
- Suffering and Lament – Many psalms cry out to God from suffering, persecution, sickness, danger, guilt, slander, and for help and deliverance from enemies (Psalms 3-7, 10-14, 22, 25-28, 31-32, 35, 38, 39-43, 52-57, 59, 61, 64, 69-70, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85-88, 94, 102, 109, 120, 123, 129-143).
- Praise, Gratitude, and Thanksgiving – Psalms frequently exhort the people to praise God for his greatness, his covenant love, his mighty deeds, and his wondrous works (Psalms 8, 18-19, 29-34, 40, 65-68, 75-78, 92, 95-100, 103-106, 111, 113-118, 135, 138, 144-150).
- Wisdom – Some psalms reflect key themes from Wisdom literature, like the blessings of the righteous life, honesty, virtue, and fear of the Lord (Psalms 1, 14, 37, 49, 111, 112, 127, 128, 133).
- Hope and Trust in God’s Future Victory – Despite lament and suffering, God’s people trust in his ultimate triumph and victory (Psalms 9-10, 12, 16, 17, 49, 56, 60, 62, 71-72, 89, 91, 93, 96-99, 118, 126).
Background
The Book of Psalms originated as temple songs and poetry in the southern kingdom of Judah after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. King David is identified as the author of 73 psalms. But Asaph wrote 12 psalms, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon penned 2, Moses wrote one, Ethan and Heman the Ezrahites each wrote one, while 49 psalms are of unknown authorship. Scholars generally hold that most of the psalms originated between the 10th and 4th centuries BC.
The psalms reflect a wide range of individual and communal emotions, attitudes, and situations: individual laments, communal laments, royal psalms, pilgrimage psalms, wisdom psalms, narrative psalms, songs of trust, thanksgiving hymns, penitential psalms, imprecatory psalms, praise psalms.
The psalms were not numbered originally. The present numbering system probably dates to early printed Hebrew versions of the psalms in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Over the centuries, the Book of Psalms has taken its place as one of the most cherished books in the Bible and has served as a source of comfort and encouragement for millions.
Purpose of the Psalms
The Psalms were Israel’s ancient, God-breathed hymnal. Their purpose was to help God’s people worship. The Psalms teach us to pray through seasons of desperation, disappointment, and even delight. No matter what situation we face, the Psalms model how to properly bring our emotions and requests to God.
The book of Psalms contains prayers, songs, reflections, and laments. Some psalms praise God (for example, Psalm 150). Other psalms cry out to God from a place of suffering (Psalm 13). Still others remind us of the futility of life without God (Psalm 144). Some teach us to meditate on God’s Word and character (Psalm 119).
Through it all, God faithfully communicates through the poetry and song of the psalmists. He desires authenticity. He wants us to draw near with transparency, expressing joy and sorrow, outrage and repentance. Why does God allow the psalmists to question, complain, weep, and doubt? Because open expression invites God’s mercy.
The book of Psalms powerfully resonates with our emotions in all of life’s experiences. God crafted the psalms to serve as a guide for prayer, praise, and lament. When we explore the Psalms, we find words that express our deepest emotions, no matter how dark or overwhelming they may be. Here are just some of the emotions expressed in various psalms:
- Sadness to the point of despair (Psalm 13:1–2)
- Righteous anger (Psalm 58:6–8)
- Repentance (Psalm 51:1–12)
- Sorrow to the point of tears (Psalm 42:3)
- Anxiety over waiting on God (Psalm 13:1–2)
- A broken heart (Psalm 34:18)
- Being overwhelmed by trials (Psalm 61:1–2)
- Feeling unheard or unnoticed by God (Psalm 13:1–2)
- Confusion and disbelief (Psalm 73:21–22)
- Peace and comfort (Psalm 23:1–6)
- Joy (Psalm 34:1–22)
- Praise (Psalm 150:1–6)
While the psalmists were human and expressed a wide range of emotions, all their words pointed back to the character of God. The Book of Psalms reminds us that the best prayer and praise comes from an honest heart.
Interpretation
When interpreting psalms, readers must recognize that the psalms reflect ancient Near Eastern culture. The thoughts, attitudes, and customs of that time and place sometimes differ greatly from our modern-day life. Certain psalm verses reflect violence, anger, cursing, warfare, and a desire for revenge that may seem harsh or politically incorrect to modern readers. However, readers should seek to understand the meaning of the psalm in its original historical-cultural context before rushing to apply it directly to our present time. The psalms contain timeless elements, but they are not direct predictions about Jesus Christ except where the New Testament says otherwise. We cannot treat every lament, cry for vengeance, or mention of enemies as a prophecy about Jesus’ crucifixion. The psalmists expressed the full range of human emotion to God, but the arrival of Jesus Christ ushered in a new covenant of forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love.
When reading and interpreting psalms, important principles to keep in mind include:
- Understand the historical context – What challenge was the psalmist facing? What situation occasioned the writing?
- Note poetic devices – Hebrew poetry uses a lot of imagery and metaphor.
- Identify the type/genre of psalm – Different psalms have different purposes, structures and contents.
- Look for repeated words and themes – What ideas or words recur or stand out?
- Watch for transitions in mood or perspective.
- Identify the voice(s) speaking in the psalm.
- Determine how Christ fulfills the longings expressed.
- Look for gospel parallels revealed in the New Testament.
- Think about personal application – What can we learn about relating to God?
By studying the specific genre, grammar, poetic devices and structure of each psalm, readers can better understand the original meaning and historical setting. This provides a solid foundation for exploring personal application and gospel connections.
Contribution to the Bible
No book in the Bible captures the depths of human emotion and heights of praise like the Book of Psalms. The psalms teach us to pray through seasons of desperation, disappointment, and even delight.
Psalms shows that intimacy with God comes through honesty. The psalmists freely voice their whole range of emotions from despair to rage to repentance. They shout, sing, whisper, curse, and bless—nothing is out of bounds when engaging with the living God. Psalms invites us to Vulnerability and authenticity with our Maker.
The psalms provide comfort, instruction, and encouragement. This divinely inspired songbook still continues to point people to the one true God who listens to our cries.
Some key contributions of Psalms include:
- Sets the tone for prayer and praise – Psalms models raw, authentic interaction with God that expects a response.
- Captures the full range of human emotion – Every anguish, joy and hope finds expression.
- Reveals God’s sovereignty – Despite lament and pain, God reigns supreme.
- Prophesies the Messiah – Jesus embodies the cries for a just king to make wrongs right.
- Inspires worship – Psalms elevate praise and thanksgiving.
- Affirms God’s covenant love – Steadfast devotion appears repeatedly.
- Promotes godly wisdom – Many psalms echo Proverbs.
This ancient collection of sacred songs still resonates today. Through its poems and hymns, we learn to share our whole hearts and lives with our Creator.