The Psalms are the songbook and prayer book of the Bible — a collection of 150 poems written to be sung and prayed in worship. They gather the full range of human experience before God, from deepest grief to highest praise, and for both Jews and Christians they have been the words of worship for thousands of years.
What the name means
In Hebrew the book is called Tehillim, meaning “Praises.” The English word “psalm” comes through Greek: the Septuagint titled the book Psalmoi, from a word for songs sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. Both names capture what the psalms are — praises and prayers set to music. This is worship meant to be voiced aloud, not merely read in silence.
Poems, not prose
The psalms are Hebrew poetry, and they work differently from a narrative or a letter. Their chief device is not rhyme but parallelism: a line makes a statement, and the next line echoes, sharpens, or answers it. “The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1) is a simple example, the second line restating the first in fresh words. Rich imagery — a shepherd, a fortress, a deer panting for water — carries feeling that plain statement could not.
The whole range of the heart
What sets the Psalms apart is their honesty. They do not offer only polished praise; they give voice to fear, anger, loneliness, guilt, doubt, and joy. There are psalms of lament that cry “How long, Yahweh?” and psalms of praise that call all creation to worship. This is why readers in every kind of circumstance find their own words waiting for them here — the Psalter puts language to what the heart already feels.
One book in five
The 150 psalms are arranged into five books (Psalms 1–41, 42–72, 73–89, 90–106, and 107–150), each ending with a doxology of praise, a shape many see as echoing the five books of Moses. They were written by many hands over roughly a thousand years — David most of all, along with Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, and others, plus many anonymous writers — then gathered into the single book we have today.
Songs written to be sung
It is easy to forget that the Psalms began as music. Many carry headings addressed to “the chief musician,” and some name tunes or instruments — strings, flutes, the eight-stringed lyre. The word Selah, scattered through the book, appears to mark musical pauses. The Psalter was Israel’s hymnal, sung by Levite choirs in the temple and carried in the hearts of ordinary worshipers. Reading them today, we are handling lyrics that were meant to be lifted up in a congregation, not studied in silence alone.
Where they sit in the Bible
The Psalms belong to the section of the Old Testament known as the writings, alongside books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. They sit near the center of most Bibles, and in sheer size the Psalter is one of the largest books in Scripture. Jesus referred to “the Psalms” as one of the recognized divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures (Luke 24:44), a sign of how central the book already was to the faith of Israel by his day.
How the Psalms are used
From ancient temple worship to the modern church and synagogue, the Psalms have been sung, chanted, and prayed. Jesus quoted them, the apostles preached from them, and believers have turned to them at the bedside, the graveside, and the moment of celebration ever since. To open the Psalms is to join a chorus of worship that has never fallen silent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Psalms?
The Psalms are a collection of 150 poems written to be sung and prayed in worship. Known in Hebrew as Tehillim (“Praises”), they form the Bible’s songbook and prayer book, expressing the full range of human emotion before God.
What does the word “psalm” mean?
It comes from the Greek psalmos, a song sung with a stringed instrument. The Hebrew title, Tehillim, means “praises.” Together the names describe praises and prayers set to music.
Who wrote the Psalms?
Many people, over about a thousand years. David is credited with the largest share, alongside Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, Heman, and Ethan, plus roughly fifty anonymous psalms.
Are the Psalms poetry or prose?
They are Hebrew poetry. Their main feature is parallelism, in which a second line echoes or sharpens the first, and they rely on vivid imagery rather than rhyme to carry meaning and emotion.
How are the Psalms used in worship?
They have been sung, chanted, and prayed in temple, synagogue, and church for millennia. Jesus and the apostles quoted them, and believers still turn to them in grief, in celebration, and in everyday prayer.