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

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.

Popular chapters in Psalms

• Psalm 1
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 27
• Psalm 34
• Psalm 46
• Psalm 51
• Psalm 91
• Psalm 103
• Psalm 119
• Psalm 121
• Psalm 139

More Old Testament books

• The Book of Proverbs
• The Book of Ecclesiastes
• The Book of Song of Solomon
• The Book of Isaiah
• The Book of Jeremiah

From the blog

Frequently asked questions

What is the Book of Psalms about?

Psalms is a book of Wisdom, running to 150 chapters. Its main threads: Honest prayer; The coming Messiah.

Who wrote the Book of Psalms?

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.

Where does Psalms come in the Bible?

Psalms is one of the 39 books of the Old Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the Wisdom books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.