Psalms 2:7 - "Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee" ( Acts 13:33) The following Psalms ought to be mentioned especially: Christ is very distinguished in the "messianic psalms" but many psalms are referred to Him in the NT (and these are not the so-called messianic psalms). Psalms 16 Psalms 22 Psalms 24 Psalms 40 Psalms 68 Psalms 69 Psalms 118. This is why we find Christ everywhere in the Psalms and not only in the so-called "messianic psalms", e. The Spirit of Christ was working in them and was sharing in their distresses and joys and was at one with them (compare Is.
For the psalmists not only described their own feelings. In many of these situations the Bible reader finds himself and therefore is especially attracted and spoken to by the Psalms.īut this does not yet exhaust the substance of the Psalms.
The Psalms particularly speak to the Bible-reader because the sentiments of God fearing men are expressed more than in other books of the Scriptures, be it in prayer, in confession, in praises or in grief. The name "psalm" for a singular praise originates from the Greek and means "singing with instrumental accompaniment" or "playing a stringed instrument". hillil, which means "to praise" compare hallelujah) and signifies "praises". The reference in Luke 24:44 "psalms" probably means the whole third part of the OT.
The book of Psalms is the first and main book of the third part of the Hebrew Bible, of the "writings" (hebr. According to many researchers it was Ezra, the priest and scribe, himself who completed the final collection of the Psalms ( Ezra 3:10). Psalms 137 clearly refers to the Babylonian captivity. The last Psalms were written in the days of Ezra (5th century BC). These psalms therefore had already been joined to a sort of collection. At the time of Hezekiah ( 2 Chronicles 29:25-30) reference is made to that (".according to the commandment of David") and to the Psalms of David and Asaph. Most of the Psalms however have been written at the time of David who introduced the singing in the temple (1 Chronicles 25). Psalms 90 is probably the oldest psalm: "A prayer of Moses the man of God". This is where we find a nearly word-by-word parallel to Psalms 18. One of these occasions is described in 2 Samuel 22. In some places David mentions the occasion or the reason for the composition of a Psalm in the heading: Psalms 3 Psalms 7 Psalms 18 Psalms 34 Psalms 51 Psalms 52 Psalms 54 Psalms 57 Psalms 59 Psalms 60 Psalms 63 Psalms 142. Many references of Scripture tell us that David was very active in spiritual poetry and music (e. He was filled with the Spirit of God ( 1 Samuel 16:13 2 Samuel 23:2) and had gone through many experiences with God in his life of faith. He was an able poet, player (of an instrument) and singer ( 1 Samuel 16:18 2 Samuel 23:1). Together with the Psalms that bear David's name they add up to 75, which means David has written exactly half of all the Psalms.ĭavid was very suitable for this. The following Psalms are also ascribed to David in the New Testament (NT): Psalms 2 ( Acts 4:25) and Psalms 95 ( Hebrews 4:7). The remaining 50 Psalms bear no author's name. Ten Psalms are written by the sons of Korah (Psalms 42 Psalms 44 Psalms 45 Psalms 46 Psalms 47 Psalms 48 Psalms 49 Psalms 84 Psalms 85 Psalms 87), two by Solomon (Psalms 72 Psalms 127), one each by Moses (Psalms 90), Ethan (Psalms 89) and Heman (Psalms 88). Asaph's Psalms are Psalms 50 Psalms 73 Psalms 74 Psalms 75 Psalms 76 Psalms 77 Psalms 78 Psalms 79 Psalms 80 Psalms 81 Psalms 82 Psalms 83. Twelve Psalms bear the name of Asaph, the conductor of David's choir of the temple ( 1 Chronicles 16:7 2 Chronicles 29:30). They are mainly to be found in the first, second and fifth book. It is a collection of 150 poems or songs by various authors and it is divided into five books (similar to the Pentateuch).ĭavid wrote 73 Psalms. The book of the Psalms is probably the best known part of the Old Testament (OT).