The book of Psalms is filled with the songs and prayers offered to God by the nation of Israel. Their expressions of praise, faith, sorrow, and frustration cover the range of human emotions. Some of the Psalms dwell on the treasure of wisdom and God's Word. Others reveal the troubled heart of a mourner. Still others explode with praise to God and invite others to join in song. This diversity is unified by one element: they are centered upon the one and only living God. This Creator God is King of all the earth and a refuge to all who trust in him. Many of the Psalms are attributed to King David. The writing and collection of the Psalms into their present form spans the fifteenth to the third centuries b.c.

 

• Hebrew - Sephr Tehillim “Book of Praises” 
• Greek - Psalmoi ‘psalter, psalm’

 

• 75 attributed to David 
• 12 attributed to Asaph 
• 10 attributed to Korah 
• Solomon
• Moses
• Heman the Ezrahite
• Ethan the Ezrahite 
• 50 are anonymous (some traditions say Ezra)

• Psalm 90 - earliest psalm written by Moses ~1406 BC 
• Psalm 137 - latest psalm likely have the Temple Destroyed in 586 BC 
• Likely compiled & arranged during the time of Ezra & Nehemiah.

 

 

• Lament - 3-7; 12; 13; 22; 25-28; 35; 38-40; 42-4; 51; 54-57; 59-61; 63; 64; 69-71; 74; 79; 80; 83; 85; 86; 88; 90; 102; 109; 120; 123; 130; 140-143 
• Thanksgiving - 8; 18; 19; 29; 30; 32-34; 36; 40; 41; 66; 103-106; 11; 113; 116; 117; 124; 129; 135; 136; 138; 139; 146-148; & 150 
• Enthronement - 47; 93; 96-99  
• Pilgrimage - 43; 46; 48; 76; 84; 87; & 120-134
• Royal - 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144
• Wisdom - 1; 37; 119 
• Imprecatory - 7; 35; 40; 55; 58; 59; 69; 79; 109; 137; 139; 144

• Synonymous Parallelism - 2nd line repeats the idea of the 1st line (3:1; 24:1) 
• Antithetic Parallelism - 2nd line is contrasted with the 1st line (1:6; 90:6) 
• Synthetic Parallelism - 2nd line is a further development of the 1st line (1:1; 19:7) 
• Emblematic Parallelism - 2nd line illustrates the 1st line. often through simile (42:1)

• Psalms 9, 10 , 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, & 145 
• Acrostic is each successive line or group of lines begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  

• Typical Messianic - Ps 34:20; 69:4,9
• Typical Prophetic - Ps 22
• Indirectly Messianic - Ps 2; 45; 72
• Purely Prophetic - Ps 110
• Enthronement - Ps 96-99

• Ps 2:7 The Son of God Matthew 3:17 
• Ps 8:2 Praised by children Matthew 21:15,16 
• Ps 8:6 Ruler of all Hebrews 2:8 
• Ps 16:10 Rises from death Matthew 28:7 
• Ps 22:1 Forsaken by God Matthew 27:46 
• Ps 22:7,8 Derided by enemies Luke 23:35 
• Ps 22:16 Hands and feet pierced John 20:27 
• Ps 22:18 Lots cast for clothes Matthew 27:35,36 
• Ps 34:20 Bones unbroken John 19:32,33,36 
• Ps 35:11 Accused by false witnesses Mark 14:57 
• Ps 35:19 Hated without cause John 15:25 
• Ps 40:7,8 Delights in God’s will Hebrews 10:7 
• Ps 41:9 Betrayed by a friend Luke 22:47 
• Ps 45:6 The eternal King Hebrews 1:8 
• Ps 68:18 Ascends to heaven Acts 1:9-11 
• Ps 69:9 Zealous for God’s house John 2:17 
• Ps 69:21 Given vinegar and gall Matthews 27:34 
• Ps 109:4 Prays for enemies Luke 23:34 
• Ps 109:8 His betrayer replaced Acts 1:20 
• Ps 110:1 Rules over His enemies Matthew 22:44 
• Ps 110:4 A priest forever Hebrews 5:6 
• Ps 118:22 The chief stone of God’s building Matthews 21:42 
• Ps 118:26 Comes in the name of the Lord Matthew 21:9

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