Psalms

About Psalms

Psalms is the Bible's songbook and prayer book: 150 poems of praise, lament, thanks, anger, trust, and hope. Israel sang them in worship, and believers ever since have used them to bring every human feeling honestly to God. In the Bible's big story, they keep pointing to God's promised King — and the New Testament quotes them about Jesus more than any other book.

Written by

Psalms is a collection by many writers over many centuries — about half are linked to David, with others tied to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, and unnamed poets.

When

The psalms were written across roughly a thousand years, from the era of Moses through the exile and after, and were gathered into their final form by about 400 to 300 BC.

Themes

• Honest prayer for every emotion
• Praise and worship
• Trust in dark valleys
• God's promised King
• Delight in God's Word

Key verses

• Psalm 1:1-2Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
• Psalm 23:1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
• Psalm 150:6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.