Introduction to the Psalms

Name of the Book

The Hebrew name for Psalms is Sepher Tehillim meaning “Book of Praises.” The word psalm is the Hebrew word mizmor meaning “melody” and derives from a word to mean “to sing, sing praise, make music.” The English word psalm derives from the Greek word psalmos meaning “a song sung to harp music.”

The Nature of the Book

The Book of Psalms is a collection of devotional materials including prayers, poems, and hymns some of which were set to music. Worship and praise of Elohim through music is a unifying aspect of this book. The psalms include songs of thanksgiving, hymns of praise, psalms of repentance and confession, psalms which invoke curses upon one’s enemies, psalms sung by pilgrims en route to Jerusalem, and messianic psalms.

Authors of the Psalms

This book contains psalms by at least six authors. David wrote 73 psalms (according to the titles of the psalms) and two others are ascribed to him in the Testimony of Yeshua (Ps 2, see Acts 4:25 and Ps 95, see Heb 4:7). Asaph either wrote or was responsible for preserving 12 psalms (Pss 50 and 73 through 83). The sons of Korah wrote 11 psalms (Pss 42, 44 through 49). Solomon composed two psalms (Pss72 and 127), while Etham wrote Psalm 89, Moses authored Psalm 90 (and possibly Ps 91), and Heman (Ps 88). Several Psalms have no designated author.

Categories of Psalms

• The psalms can be group into five categories.
• Didactic and wisdom psalms that give instruction (e.g., Ps 119).
• The Messianic psalms containing prophecies relating to the Messiah (e.g., Ps 22).
• The imprecatory psalms where the servant of Elohim pleads his case before the Almighty pleading for justice for the righteous and punishment upon the wicked (e.g. Ps 109).
• Penitential psalms expressing the feelings of the repentant heart but also the desire for spiritual cleansing (Pss 32; 38; 51;102; 130; 143).
• Psalms of praise, worship and thanksgiving.
• Other classifications of Psalms include
• Psalms of degrees or ascent (i.e., Pss 120–134). These are psalms that were sung on special occasions as the priests were ascending the steps of the temple, or that were sung as the Israelites were going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the yearly biblical pilgrimage feasts (i.e. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Tabernacles).
• The miktam (or michtam) psalms (Pss 16; 56–60). Though the meaning of the term michtam is unclear, it seems to refer toa psalm that is considered as precious as stamped gold.

The Five Books Within the Psalms

According to Jewish tradition, the Book of Psalms can be divided into five smaller books or sections. They are,

• Book One: Pss 1–41
• Book Two: Pss 42–72
• Book Three: Pss 73–89
• Book Four: Pss 90–106
• Book Five: Pss 107–150

Scholars aren’t sure why Psalms is so sub-divided. One theory is that the five sections correspond to the five books of the Torah (or Pentateuch). Or they may simply be individual collections of psalms that were eventually combined to form the larger book we now have. 

The first three books end with the word, “Amein and amein” (the only places in the Scriptures where this double-amein phrase occurs. The last two books end with the phrase, “Praise YHVH.”

A Topical Index to Key Subjects in the Psalms (and elsewhere)

• Afterlife, The— Job 14:14–15; 19:25–27; Pss 6:5; 42:2; 50:4; 73:24; 17:15; 71:20; 90:10; Prov 14:32; Eccl 3:21; 12:7
• God Bubble— Pss 91:1; 119:114
• Fear of YHVH— Ps 34:9; Prov 1:7
• Healing— Pss 41:3; 103:3
• Hunger, Spiritual— Pss 42:1; 63:1
• Leanness of Soul— Pss 106:15; 107:9
• Lifter of My Head— Pss 3:3; 27:6; 110:7
• Name of YHVH— Ps 20:1
• Pit, The— Pss 28:1; 40:1; 69:1ff
• Prayer, Answered— Pss 3:4; 4:3; 6:9; 9:12; 20:6; 34:4, 6, 15, 17; 55:17; 65:2; 66:19; 69:33; 86:12; 99:6; 109:7; 118:5; 145:18, 19; Prov 15:29; Isa 55:8; Jas 5:16;  
• Prayer, Unanswered— Pss 66:18; 35:13; 99:6–8; 109:7; Prov 15:8, 29; 28:9; Isa 1:15; 1 Pet 3:12
• Repentance— Job 42:6; Ps 51:38
• Resurrection of the Saints, The— Job 14:15; 19:26–27; Pss 16:10; 17:15; 50:4–5; 71:20; 73:24; 102:17; 118:5; Dan 12:2; 1 John 3:1–2
• Revelation, Divine— Pss 13:3; 25:14; 36:1; 63:2; 77:13; Prov 3:32; 4:18; 20:27;
• Sacrifice, Higher— Pss 4:5; 20:6; 27:6; 35:8–15; 51:17; 107:22; 116:17; 119:108; Prov 15:8; 21:3; Jer 17:26; 33:11; Hos 6:6; 14:2; Jon 2:9; Mal 1:11; Matt 9:13; 12:7; Rom 12:2; Eph 5:2; Phil 2:17; 4:18; Heb 9:26; 13:15; 1 Pet 2:4 cp. Ps 113:11; 141:2; Rev 5:8; 8:3
• Sacrifice of Praise— Ps 27:6
• Tabernacle Holy of Holies/Throne Room of Elohim— Ps 77:13
• Waiting on YHVH— Pss 25:3, 5; 27:14; 37:7, 34; 39:7; 59:9; 52:9; 62:5; 69:3, 6; 104:27; 106:13; 123:2; 130:5; 145:15; Prov 20:22; Isa 8:15; 40:31; Lam 3:25; Hos 12:6; Mic 7:7; Hab 2:3; Zeph 3:8
• Warfare, Spiritual— Deut 1:30; 20:1; Pss 91:1ff; Ps 3:1–8; 18:29
• Woman, A Contentious—Prov 19:3; 21:19; 24:24; 27:15
• YHVH, The Name— Ps 20:1
• Yeshua (a list of where the Hebrew word Yeshua appears in the OT)— Gen 49:18; Exod 14:13; 15:2; Deut 3:15; 1 Sam 2:1; 14:45; 2 Sam 10:11; 22: 51; 1 Chron 16:23; 2 Chron 20:17; Job 13:16; 30:15; Pss 3:2, 8; 9:14; 13:5; 14:7; 18:50; 20:5; 21:1, 5; 22:1; 28:8; 35:3, 9; 42:5, 11; 44:4; 53:6; 61:1, 2; 67:2; 68:19; 69:29; 70:4; 74:12; 78:22; 80:2; 88:1; 89:26; 91;16; 96:2; 98:2, 3; 106:4; 116; 13; 118:14, 15, 21; 119:123, 155, 166, 174; 140:7; 149:4; Isa 12:2, 3; 25:9; 26:1, 18; 33:2, 6; 49:6, 8; 51:6, 8; 52:7, 10; 56:1; 59:11, 17; 60:18; 62:1; Jon 2:9; Hab 3:8 (The word Yeshua occurs 78 times in the OT. Mathematically, this is 7 and 8 signifying perfection and new beginnings or eternity, or 7 x 70 + 8 signifying perfect law and order plus new beginnings or eternity.) 
• YHVH Hates— Pss 5:5; 11:5
• YHVH, The Voice of— Ps 29:3

Hebrew Words of Praise Found in the Psalms

• Barak means “to bless YHVH as an act of adoration by kneeling (literally means ‘breaking the knee’).”
• Basar means “to be cheerful, to announce glad news.”
• Halal means “to be boastful, to shine, to make a show, to be thunderously foolish, to rave, to celebrate; denotes a tremendous explosion of enthusiasm in praising YHVH.”
• Nagad means “to declare, stand boldly, to announce.”
• Qara means “to cry out, to proclaim, to cry out to YHVH, to proclaim YHVH’s name.”
• Ruah means “to split the ear with sound, shout for joy, to make a joyful noise, to sound the victory.”
• Rum means “to extol, to lift up, to celebrate, to honor, to exalt.”
• Shabach means “to address in a loud voice, to shout, to glorify, to give praise to YHVH with a loud voice or shout.”
• Tehillah means “a laudation or hymn.” From the root of hallal.
• Todah means “adoration, giving thanks, giving thanks, a choir of worshippers.” From yaddah meaning “an extension of the hands.”
• Yadah means “to hold out the hands, to revere or worship with extended hands. The root of yad means “an open hand.”
• Zaman means “to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, to make music accompanied by the voice; that is, to celebrate with songs and music; to give praise, to sing forth praises and psalms.”