Containing 150 Psalms, the Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible.

The Psalms are prayers and they teach us how to pray. They were intended to be
accompanied by music; therefore, they are often referred to as songs. They are
also Hebrew poetry. The Psalms are mainly about God and His relationship with
His people.
There are also passages that are technically psalms that are found elsewhere in
the Bible, not in the book of Psalms. For example:

The Song of the Sea

The Song of Moses
The Song of Hannah
Davids Song of Deliverance
King Hezekiahs Song
Jonahs Prayer
The Prayer of Habakkuk

The Book of Psalms is thought of as being divided into five different collections of
Psalms, each concluding with a doxology. These five sections are said to have some
things in common (in themes/topics) with the first five books of the Bible. The first
Psalm is attributed to Moses, who was the human author of those first five books.
1. Psalms 1-41 (This section has man & creation in common with Genesis.)
2. Psalms 42-72
(This section has redemption & deliverance in common
with Exodus.)
3. Psalms 73-89
(This section has worship & sanctuary in common with
Leviticus.)
4. Psalms 90-106
(This section has wilderness & wandering in common
with Numbers.)
5. Psalms 107-150
(This section has scripture & praise as a theme in
common with Deuteronomy.)
There are three major types of Psalms:
1. Hymns of Praise
2. Laments (Cries of distress in a situation of trial or suffering with the Psalmist
is expressing sorrow. There is, however, an expression of confidence/trust in
God.)
3. Thanksgiving (Psalms of Trust, they enthusiastically praise the works of God
and express gratitude.)
Other types of Psalms:
4.

Royal or Messianic Psalms (the King of Israel is either the speaker or the
focus)
5. Wisdom Psalms (about issues discussed in the OT wisdom books: evil, the
suffering of the righteous, and the justice of God.)

6. Historical Psalms

Four uses of the Psalms:

1. Theological (about Gods relationship to His creation, mans relationship with
God, and Israels relationship with God.)
2. Historical (speaks of much of the 2,000 years of history of Israel in the NT)
3. Practical (can be put to practical use for the situations we face in our daily
lives by providing a source of strength)
4. Devotional (written as prayers to God and praises sang to God, these are
primarily devotional in nature)
Four settings/situations commonly used for the Psalms:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Celebrations
Daily events
Lament
Personal Prayer

Psalms as Hebrew Poetry

ParallelismHebrew poetry is balanced in ideas and parallelism puts one line in
balance with the next line. The three major types of parallel grammatical
construction are:
1. Synonymous
2. Synthetic
3. Antithetical
Other minor forms of Hebrew poetry:
4. Emblematic
5. Climatic
Click here for the characteristics of Hebrew Poetry