Psalms (Tiberian: Təhillîm; Modern: Tehillim, תְהִלִּים, or "praises") is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Taken together, its 150 poems "express virtually the full range of Israel's religious faith."
Etymology
The word
psalms is derived from the
Greek Ψαλμοί (
Psalmoi), perhaps originally meaning "songs sung to a harp", from
psallein "play on a stringed instrument".
Composition and numbering
The Book of Psalms in its current, most commonly used forms, consists of 150 songs and prayers referred to individually as psalms and referenced by chapter and verse. They each have a poetic character with frequent use of
parallelism. In addition to the title of the collection which translates as "song" or "hymns" from both Hebrew and Greek, superscriptions (or headings) in many of the Psalms provide musical references and some direction, in some cases even references to melodies that would have been well-known by early congregations. Songs that can be identified as such in the Psalms include songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 30), hymns of praise (e.g., Ps 117) and royal psalms, which may have been used in coronations and weddings. Identification of some psalms as prayers is also seen within the text, for example in the conclusion to Psalm 72, "The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended." The largest category of Psalms, though not grouped as such in the text, is that of lament (expressions of complaint and pleas for help from God). There appears to also have been an instructional function of the psalms as seen in their references to the law (e.g., Ps 1 and 119).
Dating of individual compositions is difficult, and in some cases impossible. Many appear to have been written early in the history of ancient Israel, others after the exile to Babylon. Biblical scholars note the early organization into five collections, paralleling the Torah or Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible). However, other reasons for dividing the book in this way are unclear. Authorship is also uncertain in spite of frequent attributions to David.
Numbering
The organization and numbering of the Psalms differs slightly between the (
Masoretic) Hebrew and the (
Septuagint) Greek manuscripts:
Christian traditions vary:
Catholic official liturgical texts follow the Greek numbering, but modern Catholic translations often use the Hebrew numbering, sometimes adding, in parenthesis, the Greek numbering as well.
Eastern Orthodox translations are based on the Greek numbering;
in the Syriac Orthodox Church Peshitta tradition there are 155 Psalms.
Protestant translations are based on the Hebrew numbering;
For the remainder of this article, the Hebrew numbering is used unless otherwise noted.
Other psalms
Most manuscripts of the Septuagint also include a
Psalm 151, present in Eastern Orthodox translations; a Hebrew version of this poem was found in the
Psalms Scroll of the
Dead Sea Scrolls. The Psalms Scroll presents the Psalms in an order different from that found elsewhere, and also contains a number of non-canonical poems and hymns in the same style as the canonical Psalms, suggesting that the current collection of 150 may have been selected from a wider set.
Some versions of the Peshitta also include Psalms 152–155.
==Authorship and ascriptions==
Jewish tradition posits that the Psalms are the work of David (seventy-three Psalms are with David's name), based on the writings of ten ancient psalmists (including Adam and Moses).
In the
New Testament, six of the Psalms (2, 16, 32, 69, 95, and 110) are specifically identified as the work of David (in, respectively,
Acts 4:25; Acts 2:31;
Rom. 4:6; Rom. 11:9;
Heb. 4:7; and
Matt. 22:43 and corresponding verses in the other
Synoptic Gospels, as well as Acts 2:34).
Muslim tradition maintains that the Psalms, known as Zabur in the Quran, were revealed to David by God in the same way that the Torah was revealed to Moses and the Quran to Muhammad.
Many modern scholars see them as the product of several authors or groups of authors, many unknown. The majority of Psalms are prefixed with introductory words—"superscriptions", which are frequently different in the Masoretic and Septuagint traditions, or missing in one while present in the other. In the Masoretic text, 101 bear in the headings the name of a specific person or group; 73 of these refer to David. The ascription to David usually takes the form לדוד, with the preposition "le-" attached to David's name. This can mean "of," "by," "for," or "concerning".
Additionally, thirteen Psalms have headings that refer to some event in the life of David. These Psalms are 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63 and 142.
Other scholars think the Psalms is a post-Exilic collection of poems, the work of several authors from differing dates. The early poems may have been used in worship at the temple.
Psalm 18 is also found, with minor variations, at , for which reason, in accordance with the naming convention used elsewhere in the historic parts of the Bible, it is known as the Song of David. Portions of Psalms 105, 96, and possibly 106 appear in under the ambiguous heading (in the Douay translation), "In that day David made Asaph the chief to give praise to the Lord with his brethren."
Benjamin Urrutia wrote a brief article on the Egyptian religious ritual of the Opening of the Mouth. In it, he traces common themes between the Opening of the Mouth and Psalm 51, such as opening the mouth (or of the lips, in Psalm 51), healing of broken bones, and washing the inner organs with special cleansing spices.
Sections of the book
In Jewish usage, the Book of Psalms is divided, after the analogy of the
Pentateuch, into five books, each closing with a doxology or benediction (For the
Orthodox Christian division into twenty
kathismata, see
Eastern Orthodox usage, below):
# The first book comprises the first 41 Psalms. All of these are ascribed to David except Psalms 1, 2, 10, and 33, which, though untitled in the Hebrew, were also traditionally ascribed to David. While Davidic authorship cannot be confirmed, this probably is the oldest section of the Psalms.
# The second book consists of the next 31 Psalms (42–72). Eighteen of these are ascribed to David. Psalm 72 begins "For
Solomon", but is traditionally understood as being written by David as a prayer for his son. The rest are anonymous.
# The third book contains seventeen Psalms (73–89), of which Psalm 86 is ascribed to David, Psalm 88 to
Heman the Ezrahite, and Psalm 89 to
Ethan the Ezrahite.
# The fourth book also contains seventeen Psalms (90–106), of which Psalm 90 is ascribed to
Moses, and Psalms 101 and 103 to David.
# The fifth book contains the remaining 44 Psalms. Of these, 15 are ascribed to David, one (Psalm 127) as a charge to Solomon.
Psalm 136 is generally called "the great Hallel", but the Talmud also includes Psalms 120–135. Psalms 113–118 constitute the Hallel, which is recited on the three great feasts, (Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles); at the new moon; and on the eight days of Hanukkah. A version of Psalm 136 with slightly different wording appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Psalms 120–134 are referred to as Songs of Ascents, and are thought to have been used as hymns of approach by pilgrims to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm. It is composed of 176 verses, in sets of eight verses, each set beginning with one of the 22 Hebrew letters. Several other Psalms also have alphabetical arrangements. These psalms are believed to be written (rather than oral) compositions from the first, and thus of a relatively late date.
Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm, containing only two verses.
Psalm forms
illustration of
Psalm 23, from the
Religious Tract Society's magazine
The Sunday at Home.]]
Hermann Gunkel's pioneering form-critical work on the psalms sought to provide a new and meaningful context in which to interpret individual psalms – not by looking at their literary context within the Psalter (which he didn’t see as significant), but by bringing together psalms of the same
genre (Gattung) from throughout the Psalter. The main genres are:
#
Hymns
#
Lament/Complaint Psalms
#
Royal Psalms
# Thanksgiving Psalms
# Wisdom Psalms
# Smaller Genres and Mixed Type
Psalm forms or types also include:
Songs of Zion – Psalms 48, 76, 84, 87, 122, 134;
Historical Litanies – Psalms 78, 105, 106, 135, 136;
Pilgrim Liturgies – Psalms 81, 21;
Entrance Liturgies – Psalms 15, 24;
Judgment Liturgies – Psalms 50, 82;
Mixed Types – 36, 40, 41, 68
Hymn Genre
Generally these psalms consist of praise and can be subdivided into 1)Hymns of Divine Kingship (i.e. Psalm 29), 2) Creation Hymns (i.e. Psalm 104), and 3) Hymns celebrating divine action in Israel's history (i.e. Psalm 105 and 106). These psalms describe the relationship between the Israelite people and Yahweh and recognizes his power and majesty, a theme that is found in other wisdom literature. Gunkel also described a special subset of Eschatological Hymns which includes themes of future restoration (Psalm 126) or of judgment (Psalm 82).
Lament Genre
The Lament/Complaint Psalms can be subdivided into two categories 1) the individual and 2) communal lament. Both types of laments typically but did not always include the following elements nor is there a systematic order in which they appear in body of the Lament Psalm; 1) an address to God, 2) A description of suffering, 3) Cursing of the party responsible for suffering, 4) Protestation of innocence or admission of guilt, 5) A petition for divine assistance, 6) Faith in God's receipt of prayer, 7) Anticipation of divine response, and 8) A song of thanksgiving. In general, the difference between the two subtypes can be distinguished by the use of the singular "I" or the plural "we". However, the "I" could also be characterizing an individual's personal experience that was reflective of the entire community.
Walter Brueggemann suggests another way of categorizing the Psalms:
Orientation, Disorientation, Reorientation.
Parallelism
The biblical poetry of Psalms uses parallelism as their primary poetic device. Parallelism is a kind of rhyme, in which an idea is developed by the use of repetition, synonyms, or opposites. Synonymous parallelism involves two lines expressing essentially the same idea. An example of synonymous parallelism:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Two lines expressing opposites is known as antithetic parallelism. An example of antithetic parallelism:
The LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:6)
Use of the Psalms in Jewish ritual
In the
Pentateuch (or
Torah), Moses leads the Jews in two songs of praise: upon the splitting of the
Red Sea (Exodus 15) and before his death (Deuteronomy 32). Also, the Jews sing upon miracles done for them with the well (Numbers 21). Other Jewish figures would sing songs to celebrate miracles, including
Joshua and
Deborah. It is David, though, who is known as the "sweet singer of Israel".
In Jewish tradition, the Psalms were actually sung in front of the Tabernacle, and then later during the reign of King Solomon, when the Temple was completed, they were sung from the steps of the Temple. The singers all came from the tribe of Levi (Levites), and it was exclusively their privilege - no non-Levites were allowed to sing in that area of the Temple. Levites played musical accompaniment on various instruments, some mentioned within the Psalms themselves. While the Psalms are used extensively in worship and prayer, the original intent was as a vehicle to teach, explain, encourage, and communicate with the individual listener as well as the entire people, hence their public performance. Today we have some knowledge as to which Psalms were sung on specific days or occasions, but we do not know the entire schedule.
Some of the titles given to the Psalms in their ascriptions suggest their use in worship:
Some bear the Hebrew designation shir (Greek ode, a song). Thirteen have this title. It means the flow of speech, as it were, in a straight line or in a regular strain. This title includes secular as well as sacred song.
Fifty-eight Psalms bear the designation (Hebrew) mizmor (Greek psalmos, a Psalm), a lyric ode, or a song set to music; a sacred song accompanied with a musical instrument.
Psalm 145, and many others, have the designation (Hebrew) tehillah (Greek hymnos, a hymn), meaning a song of praise; a song the prominent thought of which is the praise of God. Tehillah is also the singular of the name of the book in Hebrew, Tehillim.
Six Psalms (16, 56–60) have the title (Hebrew) michtam.
Psalm 7 and Habakkuk 3 bear the title (Hebrew) shiggaion.
Psalms are used throughout traditional Jewish worship. Many complete Psalms and verses from Psalms appear in the morning services. Psalm 145 (commonly referred to as "Ashrei", which is really the first word of 2 verses appended to the beginning of the Psalm), is read during or before services, three times every day. Psalms 95–99, 29, 92, and 93, along with some later readings, comprise the introduction ("Kabbalat Shabbat") to the Friday night service.
Traditionally, a different "Psalm for the Day" is read after the morning service each day of the week (starting Sunday, Psalms: 24, 48, 82, 94, 81, 93, 92). This is described in the Mishnah (the initial codification of the Jewish oral tradition) in the tractate "Tamid". According to the Talmud, these daily Psalms were originally recited on that day of the week by the Levites in the Temple in Jerusalem.
From Rosh Chodesh Elul until Hoshanah Rabbah, Psalm 27 is recited twice daily by traditional Jews.
When a Jew dies, a watch is kept over the body and Tehillim (Psalms) are recited constantly by sun or candlelight, until the burial service. Historically, this watch would be carried out by the immediate family – usually in shifts – but in contemporary practice, this service is provided by an employee of the funeral home or Chevra kadisha.
Many Jews complete the Book of Psalms on a weekly or monthly basis. Each week, some also say a Psalm connected to that week's events or the Torah portion read during that week. In addition, many Jews (notably Lubavitch, and other Chasidim) read the entire Book of Psalms prior to the morning service, on the Sabbath preceding the calculated appearance of the new moon.
The reading of psalms is viewed in Jewish tradition as a vehicle for gaining God's favor. They are thus often specially recited in times of trouble, such as poverty, disease, or physical danger; in many synagogues, Psalms are recited after services for the security of the State of Israel. Note that Sefer ha-Chinuch states that this practice is designed not to achieve favor, as such, but rather to inculcate belief in Divine Providence into one's consciousness - as consistent with Maimonides' general view on Providence. (Relatedly, according to some people, the Hebrew verb for prayer - hitpalal התפלל - is in fact the reflexive form of palal פלל, to judge. Thus, "to pray" conveys the notion of "judging oneself": ultimately, the purpose of prayer - tefilah תפלה - is to transform ourselves; for the relationship between prayer and psalms - "tehillah and tefillah" - see S. R. Hirsch, Horeb §620. See also under Jewish services.)
Psalms may also be read by a group of people who divide up the psalms between them to allow for a complete reading of the book.
The 116 direct quotations from the Psalms in the New Testament show that they were familiar to the Judean community in the first century of the Christian era.
Taken together, the Psalms express virtually the full range of Israel's faith. the Orthodox church often uses this hymn during Lent.
New translations and settings of the Psalms continue to be produced. An individually printed volume of Psalms for use in Christian religious rituals is called a Psalter.
Byzantine usage
Orthodox Christians and Greek-Catholics (
Eastern Catholics who follow the
Byzantine rite), have long made the Psalms an integral part of their corporate and private prayers. The official version of the
Psalter used by the Orthodox Church is the
Septuagint. To facilitate its reading, the 150 Psalms are divided into 20
kathismata (Greek: καθισματα; Slavonic: каѳисмы,
kafismy; lit. "sittings"), and each
kathisma (Greek: καθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма,
kafisma) is further subdivided into three
stases (Greek: στασεις,
staseis' lit. "standings", sing. στασις, stasis
), so-called because the faithful stand at the end of each stasis'' for the
Glory to the Father....
At Vespers and Matins, different kathismata are read at different times of the liturgical year and on different days of the week, according to the Church's calendar, so that all 150 psalms (20 kathismata) are read in the course of a week. During Great Lent the number of kathisata are increased so that the entire Psalter is read twice a week. In the twentieth century, some lay Christians have adopted a continuous reading of the Psalms on weekdays, praying the whole book in four weeks.
Aside from kathisma readings, Psalms occupy a prominent place in every other Orthodox service including the services of the Hours and the Divine Liturgy. In particular, the penitential Psalm 50 is very widely used. Fragments of Psalms and individual verses are used as Prokimena (introductions to Scriptural readings), and Stichera. The bulk of Vespers would still be composed of Psalms even if the kathisma were to be disregarded; Psalm 119, "The Psalm of the Law", is the centerpiece of Matins on Saturdays, some Sundays, and the Funeral service. The entire book of Psalms is traditionally read out loud or chanted at the side of the deceased during the time leading up to the funeral, mirroring Jewish tradition.
Oriental Christianity
Several branches of
Oriental Orthodox and those
Eastern Catholics who follow one of the Oriental Rites will chant the entire Psalter during the course of a day during the
Daily Office. This practice continues to be a requirement of
monastics in the Oriental churches.
Catholic usage
The Psalms have always been an important part of
Catholic liturgy. The
Liturgy of the Hours is centered on chanting or recitation of the Psalms, using fixed melodic formulas known as
psalm tones. Early Catholics employed the Psalms widely in their individual prayers also; however, as knowledge of
Latin (the language of the
Latin Rite) became uncommon, this practice ceased among the unlearned. However, until the end of the Middle Ages it was not unknown for the laity to join in the singing of the
Little Office of Our Lady, which was a shortened version of the
Liturgy of the Hours providing a fixed daily cycle of twenty-five psalms to be recited, and nine other psalms divided across Matins.
The work of Bishop Richard Challoner in providing devotional materials in English meant that many of the psalms were familiar to English-speaking Catholics from the eighteenth century onwards. Challoner translated the entire of the Lady Office into English, as well as Sunday Vespers and daily Compline. He also provided other individual Psalms such as 129/130 for prayer in his devotional books. Challoner is also noted for revising the Douay-Rheims Bible, and the translations he used in his devotional books are taken from this work.
Until the Second Vatican Council the Psalms were either recited on a one-week or, less frequently (as in the case of Ambrosian rite), two-week cycle. Different one-week schemata were employed: all secular clergy followed the Roman distribution, while Monastic Houses almost universally followed that of St Benedict, with only a few congregations (such as the Benedictines of St Maur) following individualistic arrangements. The Breviary introduced in 1974 distributed the psalms over a four-week cycle. Monastic usage varies widely. Some use the four week cycle of the secular clergy, many retain a one week cycle, either following St Benedict's scheme or another of their own devising, while others opt for some other arrangement.
Official approval was also given to other arrangements (see "Short" Breviaries in the 20th and early 21st century America for an in-progress study) by which the complete Psalter is recited in a one or two-week cycle. These arrangements are used principally by Catholic contemplative religious orders, such as that of the Trappists (see for example the Divine Office schedule at New Melleray Abbey).
The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, 122 sanctions three modes of singing/recitation for the Psalms:
directly (all sing or recite the entire psalm);
antiphonally (two choirs or sections of the congregation sing or recite alternate verses or strophes); and
responsorially (the cantor or choir sings or recites the verses while the congregation sings or recites a given response after each verse).
Of these three the antiphonal mode is the most widely followed.
Over the centuries, the use of complete Psalms in the liturgy declined. The Tridentine Mass preserved only isolated verses that, in some cases, were originally refrains sung during recitation of the whole Psalm from which they were taken. After the Second Vatican Council (which also permitted the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy) longer psalm texts were reintroduced into the Mass, during the readings. The revision of the Roman Missal after the Second Vatican Council reintroduced the singing or recitation of a more substantial section of a Psalm, in some cases an entire Psalm, after the first Reading from Scripture. This Psalm, called the Responsorial Psalm, is usually sung or recited responsorially, although the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 61 permits direct recitation.
Protestant usage
The Psalms are extremely popular among those who follow the
Reformed tradition.
Following the Protestant Reformation, verse paraphrases of many of the Psalms were set as hymns. These were particularly popular in the Calvinist tradition, where in the past they were typically sung to the exclusion of hymns. Calvin himself made some French translations of the Psalms for church usage, but most of the psalms that were sung in Geneva were put to music by Claude Goudimel (see Genevan Psalter). Martin Luther's A Mighty Fortress is Our God is based on Psalm 46. Among famous hymn settings of the Psalter were the Scottish Psalter and the settings by Isaac Watts. The first book printed in North America was a collection of Psalm settings, the Bay Psalm Book (1640).
By the 20th century they were mostly replaced by hymns in church services. However, the Psalms are popular for private devotion among many Protestants and still used in many churches for traditional worship. There exists in some circles a custom of reading one Psalm and one chapter of Proverbs a day, corresponding to the day of the month.
Metrical Psalms are still very popular among many Reformed Churches.
Anglican usage
The version of the Psalter in the American
Book of Common Prayer prior to the 1979 edition is a sixteenth century
Coverdale Psalter. The Psalter in the American Book of Common Prayer of 1979 is a new translation, with some attempt to keep the rhythms of the Coverdale Psalter.
In Great Britain the Coverdale psalter still lies at the heart of daily worship in Cathedrals and many parish churches. The new Common Worship service book has a companion psalter in modern English.
Anglican chant is a method of singing prose versions of the Psalms.
In the early 17th century, when the King James Bible was introduced, the metrical arrangements by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins were also popular and were provided with printed tunes. This version and the New Version of the Psalms of David by Tate and Brady produced in the late seventeenth century (see article on Metrical Psalter) remained the normal congregational way of singing psalms in the Church of England until well into the nineteenth century.
Psalms Used Today
According to Coogan, the Psalms do not mention any of the
Feast Days observed by the
Israelites. As a result, they continue to attract people of all faiths as they can be applied to a variety of contexts that imply a relationship with God. As prayers that primarily deal with the state of human beings, they continue to be relative to the modern man. Joseph Williams OT 11-500 02:52, 30 September 2010 (UTC)
Psalms in the Rastafari movement
The Psalms are one of the most popular parts of the Bible among followers of the
Rastafari movement. Rasta singer
Prince Far I released an atmospheric spoken version of the psalms,
Psalms for I, set to a
roots reggae backdrop from
The Aggrovators.
Psalms set to music
Notable settings of multiple psalms as a single composition include:
Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein
Melodie na psałterz polski by Mikołaj Gomółka
Le Roi David by Arthur Honegger
Tehillim by Steve Reich
Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky
The psalms also feature large in settings of Vespers, including by Claudio Monteverdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Antonio Vivaldi who wrote such settings as part of their responsibilities as church musicians.
Psalms were inserted in Requiem compositions, such as Psalm 126 in A German Requiem of Brahms and Psalms 130 and 23 in Rutter's Requiem.
Bach used lines from psalms in several of his cantatas, often in the opening chorus:
Psalm 29:1 in Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148
Psalm 50:23 in Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17
Psalm 75:2 in Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29
Psalm 103:2 in Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a
Psalm 104:28–29 in Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187
Psalm 149:1 in Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190
Psalm 150:4,6 in Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190
Most settings of individual psalms are indicated under the articles devoted to those particular psalms; settings for other psalms not in such articles include:
Psalms 100, 121, and 124 by Loys Bourgeois (c. 1500–1559)
Psalm 38 and Levavi oculos meos (Psalm 121) by Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594)
Psalm 1, Psalm 29, Psalm 121, and Psalm 150 by Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672)
Beatus Vir (Psalm 112) by Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Psalm 121 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Psalm 148 by William Billings (1746–1800)
Psalm 111 by Samuel Wesley (1766–1837)
Psalm 42 (1837) by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Psalm 150 by César Franck (1822–1890)
Psalm 13 by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Psalm 13 by Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Psalm 18 by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
Psalm 148 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Psalm 148 by Gustav Holst (1874–1934)
Psalms 14, 24, 25, 42, 54, 90, 100, 135, 150 by Charles Ives (1874–1954)
Psalm 121 and Psalm 150 by Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967)
In convertendo Dominus (Psalm 125/126) and seven more settings by Jules Van Nuffel (1883–1953)
Psalm 121 by Darius Milhaud (1892–1974)
Psalm 24, 129 and 130 by Lili Boulanger (1893–1918)
Psalm 121 and Psalm 150 by Howard Hanson (1896–1981)
Praise Ye the Lord (Psalm 147, 148, and 150) by Roger Sessions (1896–1985)
Psalm 121 by Henry Cowell (1897–1965)
Psalm 150 by Roy Harris (1898–1979)
Two Motets (including Psalm 121) by Gerald Finzi (1901–1956)
Psalm 28 by Alan Hovhaness (1911–2000)
Psalm 29 by Hugo Weisgall (1912–1997)
Psalm 150 (1962, op. 67) by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Psalm 150 by George Rochberg (1918–2005)
I Was Glad (Psalm 122) by Daniel Pinkham (1923–2006)
I Was Glad (Psalm 122) by Howard Goodall (b.1958)
A Psalm (13) and a Proverb by Ned Rorem (b. 1923)
A Psalm of David (Psalm 13) by Robert Starer (1924–2001)
Psalm 24, Psalm 40, Psalm 121, and Psalm 150 by Samuel Adler (b. 1928)
Three Settings of the 13th Psalm by Edwin London (b. 1929)
Psalm 143 by Yehudi Wyner (b. 1929)
Psalm 4 by Alexander Goehr (b. 1932)
Psalm 150 by William Mathias (1934–1992)
Psalm 8 by John Corigliano (b. 1938)
Psalms 1, 3, 6, and 92 by Mark Alburger (b. 1957)
Psalm 73 by BarlowGirl
Psalm 40 and Psalm 116 by U2
Psalm 50 by Underoath
Psalm 63: 2-3 by Matisyahu
There are also multiple contemporary artists, such as Soul-Junk, Shane and Shane, and Enter the Worship Circle, who have set multiple psalms to music on various albums.
See also
Biblical poetry
Benefit of clergy (use of Psalm 51)
Exclusive psalmody
Hallel (Psalms 113–118)
Liturgy of the Hours
Metrical Psalter
Penitential Psalms
Psalm 90 (Ives)
Psalter
Selah
They have pierced my hands and my feet
Zabur
References
External links
Full reading and translation of all 150 Psalms
Psalms from Dead Sea Scrolls (Psalm 151-154)
Translations
Hebrew->French translations
Jewish translations:
* Tehillim – Psalms (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
Christian translations:
* Book of Psalms – NIV
Commentary and other
Online encyclopedia
* "Psalms." Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Jewish
* Psalms (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
* Penetrating beneath the surface level of the Tehillim – Psalms
Christian
* Introduction to the Psalms by Wilbert R. Gawrisch
|-
Further reading
Dickson, David (1583–1662). A Commentary on The Psalms. Geneva Series of Commentaries, first published 1653-1655, First Banner of Truth edition, 1959, Banner of Truth. ISBN 0-85151-481-2.
Spurgeon, Charles (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892), The Treasury of David, 3 Volumes, Hendrickson Publishers, 2912 pages, ISBN 0-917006-25-9
Category:David
![Knucklebones die, made of Steatite A collection of historical dice from Asia Dice have been used throughout Asia since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a 5000-year-old backgammon set, at Shahr-i Sokhta, the Burnt City, an archeological site in south-eastern Iran.[2] Excavations from ancient tombs in the Harappan civilization,[3] seem to further indicate a South Asian origin. Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda[4] and Buddha](http://web.archive.org./web/20110606033832im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/3f/af/69a9ffad2506603b50f522deae09_grande.jpg "Knucklebones die, made of Steatite A collection of historical dice from Asia Dice have been used throughout Asia since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a 5000-year-old backgammon set, at Shahr-i Sokhta, the Burnt City, an archeological site in south-eastern Iran.[2] Excavations from ancient tombs in the Harappan civilization,[3] seem to further indicate a South Asian origin. Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda[4] and Buddha")
![Knucklebones die, made of Steatite A collection of historical dice from Asia Dice have been used throughout Asia since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a 5000-year-old backgammon set, at Shahr-i Sokhta, the Burnt City, an archeological site in south-eastern Iran.[2] Excavations from ancient tombs in the Harappan civilization,[3] seem to further indicate a South Asian origin. Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda[4] and Buddha](http://web.archive.org./web/20110606033832im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/3f/af/69a9ffad2506603b50f522deae09_thumb.jpg "Knucklebones die, made of Steatite A collection of historical dice from Asia Dice have been used throughout Asia since before recorded history. The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a 5000-year-old backgammon set, at Shahr-i Sokhta, the Burnt City, an archeological site in south-eastern Iran.[2] Excavations from ancient tombs in the Harappan civilization,[3] seem to further indicate a South Asian origin. Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda[4] and Buddha")
