Most of us love the book of Psalms. We connect with them in a unique way because they engage our emotions and ignite our imagination. But do we understand the psalms as well as we could?

Before we study any book of the Bible it’s helpful to learn about its background. Facts about the author, the setting, the literary genre, and the audience help us better understand the book itself. This article provides some foundational background information about the book of Psalms. (Also see “First Steps to Study a Bible Book” and “Quick Tips for Handling 8 Different Literary Genres.”)

In the Hebrew Bible, the book we know as “Psalms” is called Tehillim which means “praises” or “book of praises.” The English title “Psalms” is derived from the title of the book in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. (Also see “Weird Biblical Text Names in my Bible’s Footnotes” and “Resources to Study the Bible’s Greek and Hebrew Words.”)

What are psalms?

A psalm is a poetic composition written and used by ancient Hebrews to express prayer, praise, thanksgiving, lament, and other responses to God. Psalms typically use literary features such as parallelism, imagery, and repetition. They were used by individuals and in corporate worship situations. Some psalms were recited, but many were sung, often accompanied by instruments.

The Bible book of Psalms is a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew prayers, songs, and poems. Thirty-three percent of the Old Testament is poetry, with Psalms being the biggest book of poetry in the Bible. Although all of Psalms is poetry, it includes many different types of poetry such as prayers, praises, hymns, meditations, and liturgies. Originally, the psalms served as Israel’s hymn book for the temple, and many were used by the temple choirs.

Throughout the whole of the Bible God speaks to mankind, but the psalms add a dimension. In this collection of poems, mankind also speaks to God, expressing our heart and emotions. With the psalms, we use God’s words to speak to or about God. The psalms have been used by God’s people to foster worship and prayer for about 3,000 years! They are still a model for us today, helping us understand appropriate ways to talk to God.

What are “superscriptions?”

Many of the psalms include a heading or superscription. These appear at the very beginning, typically in a different font on text style than the rest of the psalm. Sometimes they connect the psalm to a particular person. For instance, Psalm 86 begins with “A Prayer of David” and Psalm 87 with “A psalm of the sons of Korah.” 

The Hebrew preposition that connects a psalm to a person can be translated as “by,” “for,” or “of.” Grammatically, the superscription could indicate a psalm was written by David or for him by someone else. However, the traditional understanding is that these superscriptions give the early, traditional understanding of authorship.

Other times, the superscriptions connect the psalm with a historical event. For instance, psalms 51 and 52 connect the author David with a specific event in his life. Sometimes the superscription contains musical or liturgical details. For instance, the superscription of Psalm 76 reads “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”

Scholars don’t agree on whether these editorial comments were original to the composition or added later by a scribe. However, even if added by a scribe, these superscriptions record ancient traditions, and most conservative scholars feel they are reliable. 

Who wrote the Psalms?

The psalms were written by a multiple people over the course of several centuries. The authors include royalty, priests, Levites, prophets, musicians, and more. King David is given credit for 73 psalms, Solomon with two (Psalms 72 and 127), and Moses with one (Psalm 90). Almost a third (49) are anonymous. 

Several more are attributed to Asaph and the sons of Korah. Asaph was one of David’s choirmasters. He and his sons were Levites that served in the temple as musicians and worship leaders. They are attributed with twelve psalms. The sons of Korah, who were also Levites and temple musicians, are attributed with eleven.

Of course God is the source of all Scripture and primary author of every psalm. To find out more about the authorship of the Bible see “Who Wrote the Bible and Why does it Matter?”

How are the psalms organized?

Psalms 1 and 2, which are anonymous, serve as an introduction to the entire collection. Together they encourage God’s people to know and live by God’s Word while we wait for our promised salvation through the Messiah. The psalms collection is the prayer book for those who live by this sure hope.

The entire collection of psalms is divided into 5 smaller “books.” Some commentators think the final arrangement of the psalms into books happened after the exile and return of the remnant. Many believe that Ezra or one of his contemporaries organized the psalms during the 4^th century BC. (Also see “What is the Post-Exilic Period in the Bible?”)

Each of the five books of the psalms seem to center on a particular theme, potentially corresponding with the periods of Israel’s history like the monarchy, the failure of the nation, exile, and restoration. Many scholars also think the five books of Psalms reflect the five books of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible).

There is also intentional organization within each of the five books. The individual psalms within a book appear to be grouped by author, type of psalm, or theme. For instance, in Book I psalms of David are grouped together (Psalms 3-41) and Book IV contains a group of enthronement psalms (Psalms 95-100).

The last psalm of each book ends with a very similar voice of praise such as “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” or “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!” See 41:13, 72:18-19, 89:51, 106:48, and 150:6.

What are the divisions and themes of the five books?

The five groups are listed below:

• Book I: Psalm 1-41
• Book II: Psalm 42-72
• Book III: Psalm 73-89
• Book IV: Psalm 90-106
• Book V: Psalm 107-150

Books I and II highlight God’s interaction with His people through the Davidic monarchy and God’s covenant with David. These two books also emphasize the people’s responsibility to keep God’s covenant through obedience.

Book III presents a picture of God’s people under God’s impending judgment. Because of their idolatry and unrepentant sin, God used the nations to deliver His discipline. Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and carried the people into exile.

Book IV is sometimes referred to as the “Mosaic” collection because much of it looks back to the time of Moses. Like God used Moses to bring the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, He would also bring a remnant of His people out of Babylonian exile back to the Promised Land. A common theme is the faithfulness of God through His people’s sin and wandering. This book also includes “enthronement” psalms that celebrate God’s rule and reign over the earth.

Book V focuses on the hope for God’s people. It includes topics of return from exile, reestablishment of the temple, and looks further ahead to our eternal future hope. These psalms highlight thanksgiving and reliance on God.

The last five psalms (146-150) of Book V form a doxology for the whole collection of psalms. Each one begins with the Hebrew “Hallelujah,” which is a command to “praise the LORD!”

This post only scratches the surface of the Book of Psalms but I hope it will be helpful as you dive into the rich treasures of this unique Bible book. Next week the post will share some specific tips for helping us understand the Psalms so watch for that!

What is your favorite psalm and why?

If you’d like to learn more about the structure of the Book of Psalms and the content of the five books, see the Bible Project’s video overview of Psalms.