The Book of Psalms

The Psalms are 150 prayers, songs, laments and praises — the Bible's prayer book, used by Jesus, the apostles, monks and modern Christians. They give words to every season of the soul, from the depths to the heights.

Testament
Old (150 chapters)
Type
Wisdom
Author
Seventy-three psalms are attributed to David; others to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses and anonymous psalmists. Composed across roughly a thousand years.
Date
Earliest material from the time of David (10th c. BC); the Psalter reached its final shape after the exile.

Honest prayer

The Psalms are stunning in their range: praise (Psalm 8, 103, 150), lament (22, 88), repentance (51), trust (23, 27), thanksgiving (107), wisdom (1, 119). Nothing human is censored — anger, doubt, exhaustion all have a home here. Christians have always prayed the Psalms because they give us permission to be real.

The coming Messiah

Psalm 2, 22, 110 and others speak of an anointed king whose reign the New Testament identifies with Christ. Jesus prayed Psalm 22 from the cross. Many Christian liturgies and prayer offices are still saturated with the Psalms — they are the original Christian songbook.

Key verses (KJV)

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” — Psalm 23:1 (KJV)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24 (KJV)

How to read Psalms

Don't try to read it like a book. Pray one psalm a day in order (five months), or match a psalm to your mood. Our guide on praying the Psalms gives five practical patterns. Psalm 23 is the perfect place to start.

Read Psalms on your iPhone

Read the full book of Psalms in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.

Read Psalms free on iPhone.

Download on the App Store

Popular chapters in Psalms

More Old Testament books