Old Testament · Poetry (songs and prayers of worship)

The Psalms: Author, Context and Complete Study

The Psalms are the prayer book and hymnbook of the Bible: 150 songs of praise, lament, thanksgiving, trust and wisdom gathered in five books. They teach God's people to bring every emotion before the Lord and point to the anointed King who will reign forever.

Updated on November 14, 2026

What is Psalms about?

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 Hebrew poems that Israel sang and prayed in worship. David wrote many of them, along with temple musicians such as Asaph and the sons of Korah, and they include hymns of praise, laments, songs of thanksgiving, royal psalms and wisdom psalms, gathered in five books from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150. They show how to speak to God honestly in joy and in pain, celebrate the Lord as Creator and King, and look ahead to the Messiah, the son of David whom the New Testament identifies with Jesus.

Author: Many authors: the headings credit 73 psalms to David and others to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, Heman and Ethan; about 50 psalms are anonymous.
Date: Over many centuries, from Moses (Psalm 90) and David (c. 1000 BC) to after the Babylonian exile; compiled after the return.
First readers: Israel as a worshiping people: singers and pilgrims at the temple in Jerusalem, families and individuals in trouble, and later the exiles and the community rebuilt after the exile.
Genre: Poetry (songs and prayers of worship)
Chapters: 150 chapters
Key verse: Psalm 150:6

Historical context

Israel sang to God long before there was a temple: Moses and Miriam sang at the Red Sea (Exodus 15) and Deborah after a victory (Judges 5). David (c. 1010-970 BC), a skilled harpist and poet (1 Samuel 16:23; 2 Samuel 23:1), brought the ark to Jerusalem and appointed Levite singers and musicians led by Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun (1 Chronicles 16:4-7; 25:1-6). Solomon built the temple (c. 960 BC), where these songs became part of daily worship and of the great pilgrim feasts. Centuries later King Hezekiah ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer (2 Chronicles 29:30).

The collection kept growing through the monarchy and beyond it. Some psalms reflect the national disaster that ended the kingdom of Judah: the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its temple in 586 BC, Psalms 74 and 79 lament the ruined sanctuary, and the exiles wept by the rivers of Babylon (Psalm 137). After Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return in 538 BC and the second temple was completed in 516 BC, songs such as Psalm 126 celebrated the restoration of Zion, and the editors gave the Psalter its final shape, ending with a burst of praise (Psalms 146-150).

Geographical context

Jerusalem is the center of the Psalter's map. Mount Zion, the city of the great King (Psalm 48:1-2), and the temple courts are where the worshiper longs to be (Psalm 84; 122), and the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) were probably sung by pilgrims going up to the city for the feasts. The psalms also look back to the places of Israel's history: Egypt, the Red Sea, Sinai and the wilderness (Psalms 78; 105; 106; 114), and the Jordan that turned back before God's people (114:3).

The land itself fills the poems with images: the dry wilderness of Judah where David thirsted for God (Psalm 63), the dew of Mount Hermon (133:3), the cedars of Lebanon broken by the voice of the Lord (29:5), the strong bulls of Bashan (22:12) and the distant kings of Tarshish, Sheba and Seba (72:10). Far from home, the rivers of Babylon became the setting of the exile's most painful song (137:1).

Why does the book of Psalms exist?

The Psalms exist because God's people need words to speak to him. Most of Scripture is God speaking to us; here the Spirit gives inspired words for us to speak back to God: praise when he acts, cries for help when he seems silent, confession after sin, thanks after rescue and trust in the middle of danger. Nothing human is left out. Fear, anger, guilt, doubt, loneliness and joy are all brought into the presence of the Lord, and nearly every lament moves, sooner or later, toward trust.

The book also teaches. Psalm 1 opens the collection by blessing the one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it, so the Psalter is meant to be pondered, not only sung. Its five books trace the hope placed in David's dynasty, its crisis when the crown fell (Psalm 89) and the answer that the Lord himself reigns (Psalms 93-99). For the exiles and the generations after them, the Psalms kept alive the promise of an anointed King and taught Israel, and later the church, to live by faith and to praise God in every season.

Outline of Psalms

Chapters 1-41
Book I: David's prayers of distress and trust
Psalms 1-2 introduce the whole Psalter with the two ways and the Lord's anointed King. Almost all of Book I is credited to David and is full of personal laments and songs of trust, including Psalms 8, 19, 22, 23 and 32. It closes with a doxology (41:13).
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
Chapters 42-72
Book II: Longing for God and the King's reign
Opens with the sons of Korah thirsting for God like a deer (42-43), includes David's confession (51) and mostly uses the general word for God, Elohim. It ends with a prayer for the king's righteous, worldwide reign (72) and the note that the prayers of David are ended (72:20).
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
Chapters 73-89
Book III: A crisis of faith and the fallen crown
Psalms of Asaph and the sons of Korah wrestle with the prosperity of the wicked (73), the destroyed sanctuary (74; 79) and deep darkness (88). Psalm 89 recalls God's covenant with David and laments that his crown lies in the dust, then closes the book with a doxology (89:52).
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
Chapters 90-106
Book IV: The Lord reigns
Begins with the prayer of Moses (90), taking readers back before the monarchy, and answers the crisis with the cry that the Lord is King (93; 95-99). It retells the exodus and Israel's failures (105-106) and ends with a plea to be gathered from among the nations (106:47-48).
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
Chapters 107-150
Book V: Thanksgiving, the word and endless praise
The redeemed give thanks for being gathered from the lands (107). This book holds Psalm 110, the Hallel sung at the feasts (113-118), the great psalm of the word (119), the Songs of Ascents (120-134), a last group of David's psalms (138-145) and five Hallelujah psalms (146-150).
- 107
- 108
- 109
- 110
- 111
- 112
- 113
- 114
- 115
- 116
- 117
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- 123
- 124
- 125
- 126
- 127
- 128
- 129
- 130
- 131
- 132
- 133
- 134
- 135
- 136
- 137
- 138
- 139
- 140
- 141
- 142
- 143
- 144
- 145
- 146
- 147
- 148
- 149
- 150

Famous passages in Psalms

Psalm 1:1-6
Two ways: the tree and the chaff
The opening psalm calls blessed the person who refuses the counsel of the wicked and delights in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. That person is like a tree planted beside flowing streams, while the wicked are like chaff the wind blows away. It sets the tone of the whole Psalter: these songs are a path of life to walk, not only words to sing.
Study Psalm 1 →
Psalm 22:1-18
The cry of the forsaken one
David asks why God has forsaken him and describes mockers who shake their heads, a body poured out like water and enemies who divide his garments by casting lots. Jesus prayed its opening words on the cross (Matthew 27:46), and the Gospels saw the crucifixion in its details (John 19:24). The psalm ends in praise, with the ends of the earth turning to the Lord (22:27).
Study Psalm 22 →
Psalm 23:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd
The best-known psalm pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides green pastures and still waters, leads in right paths and stays near in the darkest valley, and then as a host who prepares a table in the presence of enemies. It is read at hospital beds and funerals because it joins comfort for this life with the hope of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. Jesus called himself the good shepherd (John 10:11).
Study Psalm 23 →
Psalm 46:1-11
God our refuge and fortress
A song of the sons of Korah celebrates God as refuge and strength when the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea. A river makes glad the city of God, the Lord of hosts is with his people, and he calls the nations to be still and know that he is God (46:10). Believers turn to it in disasters, wars and seasons of fear.
Study Psalm 46 →
Psalm 51:1-17
David's prayer of repentance
According to its heading, David prayed it after the prophet Nathan confronted him over his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12). He appeals to God's steadfast love, confesses that he has sinned against God, asks to be washed whiter than snow and prays for a clean heart and a right spirit. It is the classic model of honest confession and of the broken and contrite heart that God does not despise (51:17).
Study Psalm 51 →
Psalm 91:1-16
Under the shadow of the Almighty
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High finds refuge under his wings, safe from the terror of the night, the arrow by day and the plague. The promise that angels will guard the faithful (91:11-12) was quoted by Satan when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:6), and Jesus' answer shows that the psalm calls us to trust God, not to test him. Many pray it in times of danger and sickness.
Study Psalm 91 →
Psalm 119:105
A lamp for my feet
In the longest chapter of the Bible, 176 verses arranged as an acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet, the psalmist calls God's word a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. The picture of a small lamp showing the next step on a dark road has made this verse a favorite for memorization and a motto for daily Bible reading.
Study Psalm 119 →
Psalm 139:1-18
Known and formed by God
David marvels that God knows when he sits down and when he rises, that there is nowhere to flee from his Spirit, and that God formed him in his mother's womb, fearfully and wonderfully made (139:13-14). The psalm ends by asking God to search his heart (139:23-24). It is a key text on God's knowledge and presence and on the worth of every human life.
Study Psalm 139 →

Main themes

Praise of the Lord as Creator and King: The Hebrew title of the book, Tehillim, means praises. The psalms praise God for creating the heavens and the earth (8; 19; 104), for ruling over the nations (47; 93; 96-99) and for his saving acts, and the book ends with everything that has breath praising the Lord (150:6).
Honest lament: Laments are the most frequent kind of psalm. Psalms such as 13, 42 and 88 ask how long, why and where God is. They show that faith can complain to God without abandoning him, and most laments move from complaint to request, then to trust and a vow of praise.
Steadfast love and faithfulness: The Hebrew word hesed, God's loyal covenant love, runs through the book, from the refrain repeated in all 26 verses of Psalm 136 to the confidence that goodness and mercy will follow the believer all his days (23:6). God's faithfulness is the ground of every prayer in the Psalter.
The anointed King: Royal psalms (2; 72; 89; 110) celebrate the king of David's line as God's son and representative. When the monarchy fell, these promises pointed forward to the Messiah, and the New Testament applies them to Jesus (Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5-13).
The word of God and the two ways: Psalms 1, 19 and 119 delight in the law of the Lord as perfect, life-giving and sweeter than honey (19:7-10). Wisdom psalms (37; 49; 73) contrast the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked and call for patient trust when evil seems to prosper.
Zion and the worshiping community: Jerusalem, the temple and the gathered congregation are the setting of the Psalter. The psalms call people to enter God's gates with thanksgiving (100:4), to go up to his house with gladness (122:1) and, finally, invite all nations to praise him (117:1).

Main characters

David: Shepherd, warrior and king of Israel (c. 1010-970 BC), remembered as Israel's beloved singer of psalms (2 Samuel 23:1). The headings credit him with 73 psalms, some tied to episodes of his life, such as his flight from Absalom (3) and his sin with Bathsheba (51).
Asaph: A Levite singer appointed by David to lead worship before the ark (1 Chronicles 16:4-7). Psalm 50 and Psalms 73-83 bear his name, probably including songs of the guild of his descendants; they often deal with God's judgment and Israel's history.
The sons of Korah: A family of Levite singers descended from the Korah who rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16), whose sons did not die with him (Numbers 26:11). Eleven psalms bear their name, among them the longing of Psalm 42, the strong refuge of Psalm 46 and the love for God's house in Psalm 84.
Moses: Israel's lawgiver is credited with Psalm 90, perhaps the oldest psalm, a meditation on God's eternity and human frailty that asks God to teach us to number our days (90:12).
Solomon: David's son and successor, credited with Psalm 72, a prayer for the king's just rule over all nations, and Psalm 127, which teaches that any house built without the Lord is built in vain.
Heman and Ethan the Ezrahites: Men renowned for wisdom in Solomon's era (1 Kings 4:31). Heman is named in the heading of Psalm 88, the darkest lament of the book, and Ethan in that of Psalm 89, which weighs God's covenant with David against the fall of his throne.
The anointed King: The king of David's line whom God calls his son (2:7) and invites to sit at his right hand (110:1). Beyond any king of Judah, the New Testament sees this figure fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.
The righteous and the wicked: The two kinds of people present from Psalm 1 onward: those who trust God and delight in his law, often poor and oppressed, and the proud who ignore God and seem to prosper for a time (73:3-17).

In-depth study of Psalms

Introduction

The book of Psalms has more chapters than any other book of the Bible and is, for many believers, the most loved. It holds 150 songs and prayers written over many centuries and gathered for the worship of Israel. Jesus prayed them, the New Testament quotes them more than almost any other Old Testament book, and Christians in every generation have read them to learn how to talk with God.

The Hebrew title, Tehillim, means praises. The English name comes from the Greek psalmoi, songs sung to the music of stringed instruments, and the word Psalter comes from psalterion, a kind of harp. Yet the book is far more than a collection of cheerful songs. It holds tears, protests, confessions and questions as well as praise, and it shows that all of them can become prayer.

Who wrote the Psalms and when?

The headings

More than a hundred psalms open with a heading that may name an author, a tune, an instrument or an occasion. These headings are very old: they were already in the Hebrew text that was translated into Greek before the time of Christ, and Hebrew Bibles count them as part of the text. Thirteen headings link a psalm to an event in David's life, such as his flight from Absalom (Psalm 3), his hiding in the cave (57 and 142) and Nathan's rebuke after his sin with Bathsheba (51).

Many authors

The headings credit 73 psalms to David, 12 to Asaph, 11 to the sons of Korah, 2 to Solomon, 1 to Moses and 1 to Ethan, with Heman named in Psalm 88. About 50 psalms are anonymous. The New Testament names David as the author of several psalms (Mark 12:36 for Psalm 110; Acts 2:25 for Psalm 16; Romans 4:6 for Psalm 32). Hebrews 4:7 even speaks of Psalm 95 as spoken through David; that psalm has no heading in Hebrew, but the ancient Greek translation credits it to him.

How the collection grew

The Psalter grew from smaller collections. Psalm 72:20 says the prayers of David are ended, yet more psalms of David appear later (86, 101, 103, 108-110, 138-145 and others), a sign that earlier collections were joined together. Psalms 42-83 prefer the general word for God, Elohim, over the divine name, which is why Psalm 53 repeats Psalm 14 with that change. Other groups are easy to see: the psalms of Asaph, of the sons of Korah, the Songs of Ascents and the closing Hallelujah psalms.

The oldest psalm may be Psalm 90, credited to Moses; Psalm 137, sung in Babylon, is among the latest. Most interpreters think the book took its final shape after the return from exile. Many scholars see the headings as later additions that preserve tradition, while many evangelical scholars treat them as reliable ancient witness. Both agree that the psalms were used, prayed and treasured by Israel for centuries before the collection was closed.

Literary style and structure

Hebrew poetry

The heart of Hebrew poetry is parallelism: the second line echoes the first in other words (19:1), contrasts with it (1:6) or carries the thought further. This gives the psalms a rhythm that survives translation. Their language is rich in images of God as rock, shield, fortress, shepherd, light and king. Several psalms are acrostics, with lines or stanzas following the Hebrew alphabet (9-10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145), and some use refrains, like the repeated question of 42:5, 42:11 and 43:5.

Kinds of psalms

Hymns of praise celebrate who God is and what he has done (8, 29, 100, 103, 104).
Laments, individual (3, 13, 22) and communal (44, 74, 80), bring distress to God.
Thanksgiving psalms tell how God answered (30, 34, 116).
Songs of trust rest in God's care (23, 27, 62, 121).
Royal psalms speak of the king of David's line (2, 45, 72, 110).
Wisdom and Torah psalms teach the way of life (1, 37, 73, 119).
Penitential psalms confess sin (32, 51, 130).
Psalms of the Lord's reign proclaim that the Lord is King (93, 96-99).

Five books

The Psalter is divided into five books, each of the first four ending with a doxology (41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48), while Psalms 146-150 close the whole. An ancient Jewish commentary on the Psalms compares these five books to the five books of Moses. Many readers also see a story in the arrangement: Psalms 1-2 introduce the law and the King; Books I and II are dominated by David; Book III ends with the crown of David in the dust (89); Book IV answers with Moses and the cry that the Lord reigns; and Book V gathers the returning exiles into thanksgiving and endless praise.

The Psalms in the story of the Bible

The Psalms stand in a long tradition of biblical song: the song of Moses at the sea (Exodus 15), the prayer of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) and David's song of deliverance, which appears twice, as 2 Samuel 22 and as Psalm 18. Chronicles describes David organizing the temple singers, and 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 combines parts of Psalms 105, 96 and 106. The prophets pray in the same language: Jonah's prayer from the fish echoes several psalms, and Habakkuk 3 is a psalm complete with Selah.

In the New Testament the Psalms are everywhere. Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn after the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30), probably part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118) sung at Passover. Jesus said that what was written about him in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled (Luke 24:44). Paul encouraged believers to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), and Revelation borrows the Psalms' picture of the King who rules the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 19:15).

The Psalms and Jesus Christ

The promised King

God tells the king of David's line, You are my Son (2:7), and the New Testament applies that word to Jesus (Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5). Psalm 110:1, where the Lord invites David's Lord to sit at his right hand, is the Old Testament verse most often quoted or echoed in the New. Jesus used it to show that the Messiah is more than David's son (Matthew 22:41-46), Peter preached it at Pentecost (Acts 2:34-36), and Hebrews builds on Psalm 110:4 to present Jesus as a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17).

The suffering righteous one

The laments of David find their deepest meaning in the Son of David. Jesus prayed Psalm 22:1 on the cross (Matthew 27:46) and committed his spirit to the Father with the words of Psalm 31:5 (Luke 23:46). The soldiers divided his garments as Psalm 22:18 describes (John 19:24), his zeal for the temple recalled Psalm 69:9 (John 2:17), and he saw Judas' betrayal in Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18).

Victory over death

Peter and Paul preached that Psalm 16:10, the promise that God's holy one would not see corruption, was fulfilled in the resurrection (Acts 2:25-31; 13:35). The rejected stone that became the cornerstone (118:22) is Jesus (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). Hebrews even places psalms on the lips of Christ (Hebrews 2:12; 10:5-7), so that when the church prays the Psalms it prays with Jesus, its true worship leader.

Interpretive challenges

What does the heading of David mean?

The Hebrew preposition can mean by, for, about or belonging to David. Some headings plainly claim authorship, since they describe what David was doing when he wrote. Others may mean a psalm in the Davidic collection or style. The New Testament treats several psalms as David's own words, which supports taking the tradition seriously.

How can Christians pray the cursing psalms?

Psalms such as 69, 109 and 137 ask God to destroy the wicked in words that shock modern readers. They are prayers of people suffering real injustice who leave vengeance to God instead of taking it themselves (Romans 12:19). Read in the light of the cross, they teach us to take evil seriously and to long for God's justice, while Jesus calls us to love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Did the psalmists hope for life after death?

Some psalms say the dead cannot praise God in Sheol (6:5; 88:10-12), speaking from the limits of this life. Others express a hope that God will not abandon his faithful one to the grave (16:10-11), will ransom him from Sheol (49:15) and will receive him into glory (73:24). Full light on the resurrection comes with Christ, but the seed of that hope is already here.

Why are psalms numbered differently in some Bibles?

The ancient Greek and Latin translations join Psalms 9-10 and 114-115 and divide Psalms 116 and 147, so from Psalm 10 to 147 their numbering is usually one behind the Hebrew. Bibles based on the Hebrew text use the numbering followed on this page.

Little-known facts

Some psalms appear twice: Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 are nearly identical, Psalm 70 repeats 40:13-17, and Psalm 108 joins 57:7-11 with 60:5-12.
Psalm 136 repeats its refrain about God's steadfast love in every one of its 26 verses, probably sung as a response by the congregation.
The ancient Greek translation includes a Psalm 151 about David's victory over Goliath. It is not part of the Hebrew Bible, though a Hebrew form of it was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
More copies of the Psalms were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls than of any other biblical book, and some of those scrolls arrange the last part of the book in a different order.
Because Hebrew Bibles count the headings as verses, many psalms have verse numbers one or two higher in Hebrew than in English; Psalm 51:1 in English is 51:3 in Hebrew, because its long heading takes two verses.
The heading To the choirmaster appears in 55 psalms, and terms like Maskil and Miktam, still not fully understood, probably describe kinds of songs.

How to study the Psalms

Reading pace

Read one psalm a day and you will finish the book in five months; five psalms a day take you through it in a month. Psalm 119 is best read one or two stanzas at a time. Read aloud whenever possible, since these are songs.

What to look for

What kind of psalm is this, and who is speaking to whom?
Where is the turning point, the moment a lament turns to trust or praise?
Which images of God appear, and what do they say about him?
Is the psalm quoted in the New Testament, and how does it point to Christ?
How can I pray this psalm today, in my own situation?

Teaching it in a Sunday school class or small group

A series by kind of psalm works well: lament with Psalm 13, trust with 23, confession with 51, the word with 19, the King with 2 and 110, and praise with 100 and 150. Invite the group to write a short prayer following the shape of a lament: address God, tell the problem, ask for help, express trust and promise praise. Read psalms responsively, memorize a short one together and end sessions by singing a psalm. With youth groups, Psalm 73 speaks to envy of others' success and Psalm 139 to identity and worth.

Psalms chapter by chapter

Every chapter of Psalms with a summary, key verses explained, themes, people, questions with answers and application.

Frequently asked questions about Psalms

Who wrote the Psalms?

Many authors. The Hebrew headings credit 73 psalms to David, 12 to Asaph (50; 73-83), 11 to the sons of Korah, 2 to Solomon (72; 127), 1 to Moses (90) and 1 to Ethan (89), with Heman named in the heading of Psalm 88; about 50 psalms name no author. The headings are very ancient, but the Hebrew expression translated of David can also mean for or dedicated to David, so some attributions are debated.

When were the Psalms written?

Over many centuries. Psalm 90 is credited to Moses, the largest group comes from David's time (c. 1000 BC) and from the temple musicians who followed him, and some psalms come from the exile and the return, such as Psalm 137, which remembers Babylon. The five books probably received their final form after the return from exile, in the time of the second temple.

What is the main message of the Psalms?

That the Lord reigns and is worthy of praise, and that his people can bring all of life to him in prayer. The psalms move from lament to praise, ground hope in God's steadfast love and in his promise to David's line, and end by calling everything that has breath to praise the Lord (150:6).

How many chapters does Psalms have and how is it organized?

It has 150 psalms, each counted as a chapter, divided into five books: 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106 and 107-150. Each of the first four books ends with a doxology (41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48), and Psalms 146-150 close the whole collection with praise. Psalms 1 and 2 serve as an introduction to the entire book.

What does Selah mean in the Psalms?

No one knows for sure. The word appears 71 times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk 3. It is probably a musical or liturgical instruction, perhaps a pause, an interlude or a signal to lift the voices or the instruments. Many readers take it as an invitation to stop and reflect on what has just been said.

Which is the longest psalm and which is the shortest?

Psalm 119, with 176 verses, is the longest chapter in the Bible; its 22 stanzas of eight verses follow the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and almost every verse speaks of God's word. Psalm 117, with only two verses, is the shortest chapter in the Bible; it calls all nations to praise the Lord, and Paul quotes it in Romans 15:11.

Which psalms are messianic?

The New Testament applies several psalms to Jesus: Psalm 2 (God's Son), 16 (the resurrection, Acts 2:25-31), 22 (the cross), 40 (Hebrews 10:5-7), 45 (Hebrews 1:8-9), 69, 110 (the King and Priest at God's right hand) and 118 (the rejected stone). Some are royal psalms that look beyond David's line; others describe the suffering of the righteous, which Jesus fulfilled in the fullest sense.

How can Christians pray the psalms that curse enemies?

Psalms such as 35, 69, 109 and 137 ask God to punish the wicked. They are honest cries for justice that hand vengeance over to God instead of taking it into one's own hands (Romans 12:19). Christians pray them in the light of Jesus, who taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, while still longing for the day when God will put every evil right.