Introduction to the Book of Psalms [Theology 101]

by Andrew Kim PhD

The Hebrew Bible has three sections: the Law, Prophets, and Writings.

• The Law contains the first five books of the Old Testament.
• The Prophets is made up of eight books divided into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets.
• The Writings consists of religious poetry and wisdom literature.

Jesus refers to the three-part division of the Hebrew Bible this way: that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44), showing that psalms appears in the Writings section.

The title, Psalms, comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint.

The primary use of the book of Psalms during the Old Testament period was in the public corporate worship of Israel. Psalms has rightly been called the “Hymnbook of the Old Testament.” The Psalms were sung in the temple on Mount Zion

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! (Psalm 65:1, 4).

The historical books of the Old Testament describes what God has done in Israel’s history and the prophetic books describes what God will do in the future. The Psalms describes the present response of God’s people to
the works and words of God.

Since the book of Psalms is a collection of different writings, it has been argued that the authorship spans from the fifteenth to the third centuries B.C.

The book of Psalms consists of 150 psalms divided into five books.

• Book One is Psalms 1-41
• Book Two is Psalms 42-72
• Book Three is Psalms 73-89
• Book Four is Psalms 90-106
• Book Five is Psalms 107-150

According to Jewish writings, the five books of Psalms correspond to the five books of the Pentateuch, referring to the first five books of the Bible. Just like Moses gave five books to Israel, David gave five books to Israel.

Now, when looking at the book of Psalms, the chapters are not listed in chronological order. Instead, they are arranged thematically with the Davidic Covenant.

Psalm 1 functions as the introduction to the entire book, which means Psalm 2 functions as the introduction to Book 1 and introduces the idea of the Davidic covenant by alluding to language from 2 Sam 7:14 and celebrates the covenant of kingship given to David and his descendant, namely the “Son of David.” Then, in Psalm 41, the final chapter of Book 1, David echoes the language of rebellious kings of the earth from Psalm 2 by writing that God will protect him from them (Ps 41:1–2).

In Psalm 72, the final chapter in Book 2, shows Solomon’s prayer regarding justice, dominion over enemies, and a blessed life are given to him because of the covenant promises given to his father, David. So, the covenant God made with David, in Psalm 2, will secure David from his enemies, in Psalm 41, is passed to his “son”, in Psalm 72.

Then, Psalm 89, which ends Book 3, makes explicit references to the Davidic covenant but is concerned with the downfall of the Davidic dynasty. At the end of Psalm 89, it seems that the Davidic Covenant will not be fulfilled and the hope for a future Son of David seems unlikely.

Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? (Psalm 89:49).

Considering Israel’s cry for God to remain faithful to the Davidic Covenant, God responds in Books 4 and 5 by saying that his presence will restore Zion, namely Jerusalem, as the center of a future messianic kingdom. In this kingdom, there will be a multinational people (Psalm 87). God communicates his special love for Jerusalem because of his love for his “son,” who will reign from this city and make Israel’s enemies his footstool (Psalm 110).

So, the book of Psalms has a dominant theme throughout but there are different types of psalms that are connected to the theme of the Davidic Covenant.

The first type of psalms are laments. Laments are prayers that cry out to God for mercy during times of national crisis. Psalms 44, 60, 74, and 79 are examples of lament psalms. Five lament psalms are grouped together in the final section of Book 3 which describes the downfall of the Davidic monarchy. These psalms typically include a complaint and a request to God for help, while affirming trust in God and praise to God when a crisis has ended.

The second type of psalms are songs of praise. Psalms 8, 29, 33, 47 and 65 are some examples of psalms of praise. Many of these hymns begin with a call to a congregation to praise God and gives reasons for the praise. Reasons for praise include God as Creator (Psalms 8, 104, 148) or God’s acts in history (Psalm 78, 105, 106).

The third type of psalms are songs of thanksgiving. Psalms 18, 30, 32, 92, 116, and 118 are examples of thanksgiving psalms. These psalms describe a grateful response to God for a specific act of deliverance, such as healing from illness (Psalms 30), or deliverance from enemies (Psalm 18), or deliverance from trials (Psalm 66). These psalms are given within a context of a congregation and are used for worship (Psalms 8) or instruction (Psalm 32). Sometimes there are clues in how these psalms were used in worship, such as Psalm 66 and 116, which indicate a thanksgiving offering accompanying these psalms. Or Psalm 138 where the worshipper is said to be in the outer courts of the temple (Psalm 138:2).

The fourth type of psalms are royal psalms. These are psalms composed for an event connected with a king. Psalms 2, 18, 20, 45, 72, 89, 101, 132 and 144 are examples of royal psalms. Psalm 45 was written for a royal wedding, while Psalm 2 was intended for a king’s coronation. Psalm 18 and Psalm 20 are royal thanksgivings where a king expresses gratitude for a victory in battle. Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king, probably at the time of his coronation or his anniversary. Psalm 89 is a lament from a king asking for deliverance from enemies. Psalm 101 refers to a king who promises to rule with loyalty and justice. Psalm 132 recalls the divine choice of the Davidic line and of Zion as the place from where he rules. After the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., the royal psalms took on a deeper meaning by prophesying of a future messianic
king who is to come and fulfill all the expectations of the Davidic Covenant.

The fifth type of psalms are the songs of Zion. These psalms celebrate God’s choice of Zion as the center of his presence in the kingdom. Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, and 122 are examples of this type of psalms.

The final type of psalms are wisdom psalms. Psalms 37, 39, 73, 112, and 127 are examples of this type of psalms. Usually, these psalms are not addressed to God but reflect on the problems of life and provides advice on how to live life wisely. These psalms are typically linked with other wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Wisdom Literature usually come in two forms: short sayings, as seen in Proverbs, or reflective essays, as seen in Ecclesiastes. Both forms are found throughout these psalms.

Although the book of Psalms was for the purpose of Israel’s corporate worship,
it also helps God’s people today. This book reminds us that we can also lament and express grief to God. It reminds us that we must remember who God is and what he has done in history. It reminds us that God is faithful to his promises, and we can rest in his sovereignty and joy in all circumstances. As the hymnbook of the Old Testament, the book of Psalms still provides a framework for Christians on how we can continue to worship the God of Israel today.

Dr. Andrew Kim received his B.A. in Religious Studies from U.C. Berkeley, M.Div and Th.M from The Master's Seminary, and his Ph.D in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Multinational Kingdom in Isaiah and the creator of Theology 101, a YouTube channel committed to teaching Christian theology in everyday language.