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The Book of
Psalms
Israel’s prayerbook of songs and poems that teaches God’s people to speak honestly to God in praise, fear, grief, and hope.
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Read the text, then open Study for context and deeper resources.
How to read Psalms
Read Psalms as poetry meant to be prayed and sung, not as a single linear argument. Notice who is speaking, what is being asked, and where the turning point comes. Use repeated lines and images to trace the main emotion and the main claim about God.
Context
Big idea and book facts
Psalms gathers worship songs and prayers that give words for every season of life. It trains God’s people to bring joy, guilt, fear, anger, and wonder to God, trusting his rule, help, and justice.
- Author
- David, Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, and other named or anonymous psalmists; superscriptions preserve important attributions and associations, while their precise authorship function is interpreted in different ways.
- Date
- Composed, collected, and shaped across many periods of Israel's history; dates and final-form development are debated.
- Location
- Israel's worship life across monarchy, exile, return, and later collection
- Audience
- Israel's worshiping community
- Genre
- Poetry, prayer, and praise