Old Testament • Wisdom & Poetry

Psalms

Book 19 of 39 in the Old Testament — Worship & prayer.

Summary

What Psalms is about

Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers, written by David and several other authors over many centuries, spanning nearly every human emotion brought before God. There are psalms of praise and thanksgiving, raw laments over suffering and injustice, songs of trust, and prayers for the nation and its king. Many point forward to a future anointed king, or Messiah, language the New Testament later applies to Jesus. As Israel's hymnbook and prayer book, it has shaped worship for millennia.

  • CategoryWisdom & Poetry
  • AuthorDavid & others
  • Date writtenComposed over centuries, c. 1400s–500s BC
  • Chapters150
  • TestamentOld Testament
  • Key themeWorship & prayer
Noticeable verses

Key verses in Psalms