Prayers for all Occasions, Needs, and Intentions

OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

THE BOOK OF PSALMS

  The Book of Psalms, or Psalter, is a collection of religious songs, traditionally listed as 150. This number, however, is only approximately correct, for several psalms contain two or more originally independent songs, while others, which were originally a single unit, have been broken up into two or more psalms. Moreover, certain psalms and parts of psalms occur more than once in this collection.

  The present collection is divided into five "books," perhaps in imitation of the five Books of the Pentateuch. But internal evidence shows that there existed at an earlier period more numerous, smaller collections which were gradually gathered together to form the present Psalter.

  In form and subject matter the psalms are most varied. Some were composed for liturgical use in the temple; others, for recitation elsewhere. In some psalms the singer is an individual; in others, the community. One of the most common types is that of supplication to God for his help in various spiritual and temporal needs. But hymns of thanksgiving and of praise are also numerous. Less frequent are poems written primarily to discuss some problem or to teach some lesson.

  Prefixed to most of the psalms are certain words and phrases which offer traditional information about the psalm, such as the tone in which it is to be sung, the musical instruments which are to accompany its singing, the historical circumstances connected in some way with its composition, the name of its author, and so forth. These "titles," as they are called, were added, at least in most cases, by later writers. It cannot be proved that they were divinely inspired. They have some value, however, as representing ancient tradition.

  About half of the psalms are attributed in these "titles" to David. The Davidic authorship of some of these is taken for granted in the New Testament. Some other psalms are attributed to certain groups of temple singers known as ‘the sons of Korah" and the sons of Asaph." One psalm each is ascribed to Moses, Solomon, Herman and Ethan. About a third of the psalms have no author’s name prefixed to them. Although some of the psalms appear to have been composed during the early post-exilic period (the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.), it cannot be demonstrated that any psalms are as late as the Maccahean age.