At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | David (73 psalms); Asaph (12); Sons of Korah (11); Moses (1, Psalms 90); Solomon (2); Heman (1); Ethan (1); anonymous (~50) |
| Date | Compositions from Moses (~1400 BC) through post-exilic (~400 BC) |
| Genre | Hebrew poetry / hymns / prayers |
| Purpose | Israel's and Church's prayer book, full range of human-divine communication |
| Chapters | 150 (Brenton LXX has 151) |
Five books of Psalms
The Psalter is structured into five books, paralleling Pentateuch:
| Book | Psalms | Closing doxology |
|---|---|---|
| Book 1 | 1-41 | 41:13 |
| Book 2 | 42-72 | 72:18-19 |
| Book 3 | 73-89 | 89:52 |
| Book 4 | 90-106 | 106:48 |
| Book 5 | 107-150 | 150 (entire psalm) |
Major psalm types
| Type | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Lament (individual and corporate) | Psalms 3; 22; 42-43; 88; 137 | Honest grief, complaint, appeal |
| Praise / hymn | Psalms 8; 19; 100; 113; 145-150 | Adoration of God |
| Thanksgiving | Psalms 30; 116 | Gratitude for deliverance |
| Wisdom / Torah | Psalms 1; 19; 119 | Reflection on Law and righteous life |
| Royal / Messianic | Psalms 2; 45; 72; 110 | Davidic king and Messiah |
| Imprecatory | Psalms 35; 58; 69; 109; 137 | Calls for divine justice |
| Confession | Psalms 32; 38; 51 | Penitence |
| Pilgrimage / Ascent | Psalms 120-134 | For temple-going journeys |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's character | Holiness, love, justice, faithfulness |
| Human experience | Full range, joy, grief, anger, despair, hope |
| Davidic-Messianic | Future king prophetically anticipated |
| Trust | "The LORD is my shepherd" type psalms |
| Worship | Music and community and individual |
| Honesty before God | Lament psalms model honest complaint |
Key psalms
- Psalms 1, two ways
- Psalms 2, Davidic Messiah
- Psalms 8, humanity's dignity
- Psalms 19, creation and Word and heart
- Psalms 22, suffering (Christ's cross)
- Psalms 23, Shepherd
- Psalms 51, repentance after Bathsheba
- Psalms 73, Asaph's struggle resolved
- Psalms 90, Moses
- Psalms 100, thanksgiving call
- Psalms 103, God's love and forgiveness
- Psalms 110, Davidic and Messianic (most-cited OT in NT)
- Psalms 119, extensive Torah meditation (176 verses)
- Psalms 139, God's intimate knowledge
- Psalms 150, closing doxology
NT use
Psalms is the most-cited OT book in the NT. Christ quoted Psalms throughout his ministry; Psalm 22 cited on the cross; Psalm 110 cited extensively for Messianic exposition; many Christological readings of psalms by NT writers.