Psalms Introduction

Psalm—The title of the book in the Hebrew Bible is Tehillim which means Praise Songs. When the book was translated to Greek they used the word Psalmoi which means “songs to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument”. Psalmoi eventually came to mean “Songs of Praise” and English translators transliterated the word to “Psalms” when translating it to English.

Psalms is a deep look into the spiritual life of individual Israelites and the nation of Israel.

A.K.A. Israel’s Hymnal

A source of encouragement and spiritual blessing

Structure—Poetry

Contains a Title

Body (Stanzas and Lines)

Parallelism

Some of the Main types of Psalms:

Personal Lament - Psalm 73

National (Corporate) Lament - Psalm 137 

Personal Praise  -  Psalm 32

National (Corporate) Praise  - Psalm 33

61 Psalms are classified as Lament Psalms

Messianic Psalms  - 34:20, 22, 68, 69, many others

Imprecatory Psalms  - 35, 109

Divided into 5 sections “Book I, Book II, etc.”

Written by: (Divinely Inspired) Moses (90 around 1405 B.C.), David, Asaph, Solomon, Korah’s descendants, Heman, and Ethan.

Synonymous: A close similarity between each consecutive line.     Example 7:13  

             He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
             He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

Synthetic: The second line further develops the thought in the first line. Example 95:3

For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,

Emblematic: The second line illuminates or illustrates the first line. Example 42:1

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.

Antithetical: The second line contrasts the thought of the first line. Example 1:6

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

Climatic: Part of one line, either a word or phrase, is repeated in the second and other following lines, until a theme is developed culminating in a main idea or statement. Example 29:1-2

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.