During the time of David, Jerusalem became the political and the religious center of the nation. After the temple was built by Solomon, Jerusalem became the worship center of the nation and this contributed further to the centrality of Zion as the abode of Yahweh. The Book of Psalms is a collection of hymns and prayers used in the worship of Yahweh.
The title of the book in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, is Psalmoi, the word which was translated “Psalms” in our English Bibles. The Greek name of the book, Psalmoi is a translation of the Hebrew word mizmor, a word which means “songs.” In Hebrew a psalm is a mizmor, that is, a song sung to the accompaniment of a musical instrument.
The title of the book in Hebrew is Tehelim, a word that means “praises.” The word appears in Psalm 145:1 and it is translated as “a song of praise.” The Hebrew title represents the main theme of the book.
In our English Bibles, the book of Psalms is also known as “the Psalter.” This old English title for the book is derived from the Greek word Psalterion, a word that means “a stringed instrument.” The Greek word Psalterion translates the Hebrew words kinnor (“lyre”) and the word nevel (“lyre”).
The Christian church adopted the book of Psalms from the Jews. The Book of Psalms was incorporated into the Christian Bible as sacred scriptures which became a liturgical hymn book used in the worship of the church.
There are 150 psalms in the book of Psalms. These psalms present the faith of the people of Israel as they interacted with God. The psalms present several characteristics of the psalmist’s faith and of the God in whom they believed and worshiped.
1. The faith expressed in the book of Psalms is based upon the personal trust of the worshiper in the God of Israel.
2. The origin of this trust in the God of Israel lies in the mighty acts of God on behalf of his people.
3. These acts of God in the history of Israel provide the foundation for the psalmist’s faith because they were works of salvation.
4. The psalmist celebrates this historical act of God because they have given meaning to Israel’s existence
5. The psalmist also celebrates God as the creator because creation is seen as a way by which God brings into being the reality that is called Israel.
This post is not an introduction to the book of Psalms. Such an introduction would require several posts dealing with the different issues present in the Psalms.
Over the years I have written several posts on the book of Psalms. These posts deal with different topics. These posts reflect my study of the book of Psalms and my desire to explore some of the issues that affected the life of the psalmist.
Enjoy these posts.
STUDIES ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS
Psalm 2
Psalm 7
Psalm 8
Rereading Psalm 8:5: In Search of a Better Translation
Psalm 9
Psalm 14
Psalm 17
Psalm 19
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Psalm 22
Psalm 23
Defending the Bible: The King James Version
Psalm 23 – A Video Presentation
Psalm 28
Psalm 45
Jezebel’s Wedding Song – Part 1
Jezebel’s Wedding Song – Part 2
Psalm 50
The Cattle on a Thousand Hills
Psalm 52
Psalm 52: The Fate of the Arrogant Man
Psalm 68
Women Who Proclaim the Good News
Psalm 69
Psalm 70
Psalm 73
Psalm 73 and the Problem of Theodicy
Psalm 82
The Just God: The Nature of Deity in Psalm 82
Psalm 85
Psalm 88
Psalm 90
Psalm 90: 12 – Counting Our Days
Psalm 92
Psalm 100
Rereading Psalm 100:3: In Search of a Better Translation
Psalm 100:3: Which Version Is Better?
Psalm 103
Psalm 104
Psalms 104 Sung in Ancient Hebrew
Psalm 107
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So
Psalm 109
Praying for the Death of the President
Psalm 110
Psalm 111
Psalm 113
Searching for a Woman’s Voice in Psalms
Psalm 116
Psalm 116:15: The Death of a Saint
Psalm 116:15: Is Death Precious or Grievous?
Psalm 116:15: The Death of a Saint (2)
Psalm 118
Psalm 121
Psalm 122
Psalm 127
Psalm 127:3: Sons or Children?
A Woman Who Was Better Than Seven Sons
Psalm 137
Dashing Babies Against the Rocks
The Fall of Jerusalem and the Exile of Judah
The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
Psalm 148
Gargoyles in the Old Testament
Psalm 151
Other Studies on the Book of Psalms
Ancient Book of Psalms Discovered in a Bog
The Medieval Irish Book of Psalms: A Clarification
Praying the Psalms: A Response to John C. Endres
The Ant Bully” and the God of the Old Testament
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR’S PAGE
BUY MY BOOKS ON AMAZON (Click here).
NOTE: Did you like this post? Do you think other people would like to read this post? Be sure to share this post on Facebook and share a link on Twitter or Tumblr so that others may enjoy reading it too!
I would love to hear from you! Let me know what you thought of this post by leaving a comment below. Be sure to like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, follow me on Tumblr, Facebook, and subscribe to my blog to receive each post by email.
If you are looking for other series of studies on the Old Testament, visit the Archive section and you will find many studies that deal with a variety of topics.
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 