Book 19 of 66 · Old Testament

Psalms

Israel's songbook — 150 poems of praise, lament, trust, and thanks, gathered for worship.

150 chapters2,461 versesWritten in HebrewSet Israel's songbook, for worship and prayer

Overview

The Psalms are the Bible's songbook: 150 poems used for worship and prayer over centuries. They hold the full range of human experience before God — soaring praise, raw lament, quiet trust, thanksgiving, and cries for justice. About half are attributed to David; others to temple musicians and anonymous writers. They are arranged into five "books," and include the best-loved passages in Scripture, from "The Lord is my shepherd" to "by the rivers of Babylon."

Book facts

Author: David and othersAbout half are attributed to David; others to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Moses, Solomon, and anonymous writers.
Date written: c. 1000–400 BCCollected over centuries, from David's time to after the exile.
Original language: HebrewHebrew poetry, meant to be sung.
Setting: Israel's songbook, for worship and prayerThe prayer and praise book of God's people.

How it came to be

The Psalms are a collection, not a single author's work. About half carry David's name; others are ascribed to Asaph, the sons of Korah, Moses, and Solomon, and many are anonymous.

They were gathered over centuries and arranged into five "books," each closing with a burst of praise.

What is arguedWho wrote which psalms, and when the collection reached its final shape. The superscriptions ("A Psalm of David") are ancient but debated.

The whole book, chapter by chapter

Chapter	What this chapter covers
Book I — mostly psalms of David, chapters 1–41
Chapter 1The tree by rivers	A wisdom psalm on the two ways: the righteous and the wicked.
Chapter 2The nations rage	A royal psalm: the nations rage, but God installs his anointed king.
Chapter 3The shield	A morning cry of David fleeing Absalom; God his shield.
Chapter 4The evening prayer	An evening prayer of quiet trust.
Chapter 5The morning prayer	A morning prayer for guidance against the deceitful.
Chapter 6The tears at night	A penitential lament, weeping through the night.
Chapter 7The judge of hearts	A plea to God, the righteous judge of hearts.
Chapter 8The moon and stars	A hymn of praise: "what is man?" beneath the moon and stars.
Chapter 9The throne of judgment	Thanksgiving for God's righteous judgment.
Chapter 10The lurking wicked	A lament over the lurking, boastful wicked.
Chapter 11The refuge tested	A song of confidence: the Lord is my refuge.
Chapter 12The flattering lips	A lament over flattering, faithless speech.
Chapter 13The long waiting	A lament — "how long?" — ending in trust.
Chapter 14The fool	On the fool who says there is no God.
Chapter 15The holy hill	Who may dwell on God's holy hill?
Chapter 16The goodly heritage	A song of confidence in God, the "goodly heritage."
Chapter 17The apple of the eye	A prayer for justice: keep me "as the apple of the eye."
Chapter 18The rock and fortress	David's great song of deliverance: the Lord my rock and fortress.
Chapter 19The heavens declare	The heavens declare God's glory, and the law revives the soul.
Chapter 20The chariots and horses	A prayer for the king before battle.
Chapter 21The crown of gold	Thanksgiving for the king's victory.
Chapter 22The forsaken cry	A cry of forsakenness: "my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Chapter 23The shepherd	David's psalm of trust: the Lord is my shepherd.
Chapter 24The gates lift up	"Lift up your heads": the King of glory enters.
Chapter 25The paths shown	A prayer to be taught God's paths.
Chapter 26The washed hands	A plea of integrity: "I have washed my hands."
Chapter 27The light and salvation	Confidence in danger: "the Lord is my light and my salvation."
Chapter 28The lifted hands	A prayer with lifted hands, answered.
Chapter 29The voice of thunder	The voice of the Lord in the thunderstorm.
Chapter 30The morning joy	Thanksgiving for healing: joy comes in the morning.
Chapter 31The strong tower	A prayer of trust: "into thine hand I commit my spirit."
Chapter 32The sin covered	A penitential psalm on the blessing of forgiven sin.
Chapter 33The new song	A call to praise God with a new song.
Chapter 34The taste of goodness	"O taste and see that the Lord is good."
Chapter 35The false witnesses	A plea against false accusers.
Chapter 36The fountain of life	Human wickedness set against God's fountain of life.
Chapter 37The meek inherit	Wisdom on the wicked and the meek who inherit the earth.
Chapter 38The heavy burden	A penitential lament under a heavy burden.
Chapter 39The measured days	On the brevity of life: "make me to know mine end."
Chapter 40The miry clay	Thanksgiving: lifted from the miry clay; then a fresh plea.
Chapter 41The sick bed	A prayer of the sick, betrayed by a friend.
Book II — psalms of the sons of Korah and of David, chapters 42–72
Chapter 42The thirsting hart	A thirsting soul: "as the hart panteth after the water brooks."
Chapter 43The altar approached	A companion prayer: send out thy light; approach God's altar.
Chapter 44The sleeping deliverer	A communal lament: God seems to sleep while the nation suffers.
Chapter 45The royal wedding	A royal wedding song.
Chapter 46The river of the city	"God is our refuge": the river gladdens the city.
Chapter 47The clapping hands	A call to clap and praise God the King.
Chapter 48The city of the king	A song of Zion, the city of the great King.
Chapter 49The riches left behind	A wisdom psalm: riches cannot ransom from death.
Chapter 50The cattle on hills	God the judge desires thanksgiving, not mere sacrifice.
Chapter 51The broken spirit	David's great penitential psalm after Bathsheba: a broken spirit.
Chapter 52The green olive tree	Against a boaster; the psalmist a green olive tree.
Chapter 53The corrupt doers	A near-repeat of Psalm 14, on the fool.
Chapter 54The strangers risen	A short prayer when betrayed to Saul.
Chapter 55The wings of a dove	A lament over a friend's betrayal: "oh for the wings of a dove."
Chapter 56The tears in a bottle	Trust amid fear: God keeps my tears in a bottle.
Chapter 57The shadow of wings	A cry from a cave: "in the shadow of thy wings."
Chapter 58The deaf adder	An imprecatory psalm against unjust judges.
Chapter 59The dogs at evening	A prayer for rescue from enemies prowling like dogs.
Chapter 60The banner	A communal prayer after defeat, and a plea for help.
Chapter 61The rock that is higher	"Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Chapter 62The waiting soul	The soul waits only upon God.
Chapter 63The dry and thirsty land	Longing for God "in a dry and thirsty land."
Chapter 64The secret counsel	A prayer against the secret plots of the wicked.
Chapter 65The crowned year	Thanksgiving for the harvest: the year crowned with goodness.
Chapter 66The fire and water	A call to praise for God's tested deliverance.
Chapter 67The shining face	A prayer that God's face shine and all nations praise him.
Chapter 68The scattered kings	A triumphant procession: God scatters his enemies.
Chapter 69The deep waters	A cry from deep waters, betrayed and reproached.
Chapter 70The hastened help	A short, urgent plea: "make haste to help me."
Chapter 71The gray hairs	A prayer of old age: forsake me not "when I am gray."
Chapter 72The king's son	A prayer for the king's righteous reign; the prayers of David are ended.
Book III — psalms of Asaph and others, chapters 73–89
Chapter 73The slipping feet	Asaph's struggle: why the wicked prosper, resolved in God's presence.
Chapter 74The burned sanctuary	A lament over the burned sanctuary.
Chapter 75The cup of red wine	God holds the cup of judgment.
Chapter 76The broken arrows	God breaks the weapons of war.
Chapter 77The sleepless night	A sleepless night, comforted by remembering God's deeds.
Chapter 78The lessons of the fathers	A long recital of Israel's history and rebellion.
Chapter 79The heathen invasion	A lament over the heathen invasion of Jerusalem.
Chapter 80The vine from Egypt	A prayer for the vine God brought out of Egypt.
Chapter 81The trumpet at the new moon	A festival call to listen and obey.
Chapter 82The judges judged	God judges the unjust "judges."
Chapter 83The confederate enemies	A prayer against a confederacy of enemies.
Chapter 84The sparrow's house	Longing for God's courts: "the sparrow hath found an house."
Chapter 85The kiss of peace	A prayer for revival: mercy and truth meet together.
Chapter 86The undivided heart	David's prayer for an undivided heart.
Chapter 87The birth in Zion	The glory of Zion, birthplace of the nations.
Chapter 88The darkness of the grave	The darkest psalm, a cry from near the grave.
Chapter 89The covenant with David	God's covenant with David, and a lament that it seems broken.
Book IV — psalms of the Lord's reign, chapters 90–106
Chapter 90The days numbered	Moses' psalm: teach us to number our days.
Chapter 91The secret place	The refuge of the Most High: "he shall give his angels charge."
Chapter 92The palm tree	A sabbath song: the righteous flourish like a palm.
Chapter 93The floods lift up	The Lord reigns; the floods lift up their voice.
Chapter 94The avenger	A cry to God the avenger of the oppressed.
Chapter 95The hardened hearts	A call to worship, and a warning not to harden the heart.
Chapter 96The singing trees	"Sing unto the Lord a new song": all creation praise him.
Chapter 97The melting hills	The Lord reigns; the hills melt like wax.
Chapter 98The clapping floods	A new song for God's salvation, seen by all the earth.
Chapter 99The cherubim throne	The Lord reigns between the cherubim; he is holy.
Chapter 100The gates of thanksgiving	A call for all lands to enter his gates with thanksgiving.
Chapter 101The perfect way	A king's resolve to walk in a perfect way.
Chapter 102The pelican of the wilderness	A penitential lament of affliction, "like a pelican of the wilderness."
Chapter 103The eagle's youth	"Bless the Lord, O my soul": his mercies renew youth like the eagle's.
Chapter 104The garments of light	A hymn to God the Creator, clothed with light.
Chapter 105The wonders in Egypt	A recital of God's faithfulness from Abraham to the Exodus.
Chapter 106The forgotten works	A confession of Israel's repeated forgetting of God.
Book V — the Hallel, the Songs of Ascents, and the final praise, chapters 107–150
Chapter 107The redeemed wanderers	Thanksgiving of the redeemed, gathered from every trouble.
Chapter 108The awakened psaltery	A song of praise and a plea for victory.
Chapter 109The accusers	An imprecatory psalm against a false accuser.
Chapter 110The priest forever	A royal psalm: "sit thou at my right hand"; a priest for ever.
Chapter 111The works remembered	An acrostic praising God's remembered works.
Chapter 112The upright household	An acrostic on the blessing of the upright household.
Chapter 113The dunghill raised	A Hallel psalm: God who raises the poor from the dunghill.
Chapter 114The fleeing sea	A hymn on the Exodus: the sea flees, the mountains skip.
Chapter 115The idols of silver	Not to us, but to God be glory; idols are lifeless.
Chapter 116The cords of death	Thanksgiving for rescue from the cords of death.
Chapter 117The shortest praise	The shortest psalm: a call to all nations to praise.
Chapter 118The rejected stone	A festal thanksgiving: "the stone which the builders refused."
Chapter 119The word and the law	The longest psalm, an acrostic in praise of God's word and law.
Chapter 120The deceitful tongue	A song of ascents: distress among the deceitful.
Chapter 121The hills	A song of ascents: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills."
Chapter 122The house of the Lord	A song of ascents: joy at going to the house of the Lord.
Chapter 123The servant's eyes	A song of ascents: eyes lifted to God, like a servant's.
Chapter 124The escaped bird	A song of ascents: "if it had not been the Lord" — escaped like a bird.
Chapter 125The mountains round about	A song of ascents: the faithful are like Mount Zion.
Chapter 126The sowing in tears	A song of ascents: those who sow in tears reap in joy.
Chapter 127The builded house	A song of ascents: unless the Lord builds the house.
Chapter 128The fruitful vine	A song of ascents: the blessing of the God-fearing home.
Chapter 129The plowed back	A song of ascents: often afflicted, but not overcome.
Chapter 130The depths	A song of ascents: "out of the depths"; a penitential cry.
Chapter 131The weaned child	A song of ascents: a quieted soul, like a weaned child.
Chapter 132The ark's resting place	A song of ascents: the ark, and God's promise to David.
Chapter 133The precious ointment	A song of ascents: how good it is for brothers to dwell in unity.
Chapter 134The night watchers	A song of ascents: a call to the night watchers to bless the Lord.
Chapter 135The treasuries of wind	A call to praise God above all idols.
Chapter 136The enduring mercy	A litany of thanks: "his mercy endureth for ever."
Chapter 137The rivers of Babylon	The exiles' lament: "by the rivers of Babylon."
Chapter 138The strengthened soul	David's thanks for answered prayer.
Chapter 139The searching knowledge	God's complete knowledge: "thou hast searched me, and known me."
Chapter 140The snares laid	A prayer for rescue from violent men.
Chapter 141The incense of prayer	An evening prayer: let my prayer be set forth as incense.
Chapter 142The cave	A prayer from the cave, pouring out complaint.
Chapter 143The stretched hands	A penitential prayer, hands stretched out to God.
Chapter 144The polished cornerstones	A king's prayer for rescue and prosperity.
Chapter 145The generations praise	An acrostic of praise: "every day will I bless thee."
Chapter 146The princes not trusted	Praise: put no trust in princes, but in God.
Chapter 147The named stars	Praise: God heals the broken and names the stars.
Chapter 148The praising creation	A call for all creation to praise the Lord.
Chapter 149The two-edged sword	Praise with a new song and a two-edged sword.
Chapter 150The loud cymbals	The final Hallelujah: praise him with every instrument.

All 150 chapters. Start reading →

Worth knowing

Key people

The psalmist behind about half the collection.

Key places

Zion, God's city, and the place of exile.

Known for

A few of the best-loved psalms — tap the verse to read it.

The shepherd psalmPsalms 23:1
"Create in me a clean heart"Psalms 51:10
"By the rivers of Babylon"Psalms 137:1
"O give thanks unto the Lord"Psalms 136:1