Hebrew Bible

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The Book of Psalms is among the longest books of the Hebrew Bible, with one 150 chapters in total, and each chapter represents a discrete composition (thus, each chapter is an individual psalm). These psalms constitute the ancient hymnbook of the Israelite people. Many of the songs are ascribed to the authorship of King David, although there are a significant minority that are said to have been composed by other authors, like Asaph or the sons of Korah, usually identified as Levites who led worship in the temple. The psalms vary both in theme and length, from two verses (Psalm 117) to 176 (Psalm 119). 

Most common are songs of praise to G-d, celebrating G-d’s sovereignty and gracious care for the people of Israel. Other psalms, particularly those attributed to King David, reflect the pathos of David’s life. Many appear to have been written during the years when he was on the run, being hunted by King Saul, while others come from the time when he had fallen under G-d’s judgment for his affair with Bathsheba. Still others may come from the period when he suffered the coup d’état raised by his son Absalom since many of his psalms relate a sense of personal turmoil and suffering.