What Is
a Psalm?
3
The book of Psalms is just one of sixty-six books of the Holy
Bible. The psalms are part of the Old Testament of the Bible.
The book of Psalms is divided into five sections, each closing
with a benediction, a kind of prayer. The word psalm comes
from a Greek word meaning “instrumental music” and spe-
cifically relates to the words accompanying the music. So, the
book of Psalms is a collection of 150 individual lyrics to old
Hebrew songs. Many of the psalms were thought to be written
by the Hebrew king David, but we cannot know that for sure.
What we can know is that whoever the authors were, each was
empowered by God to write these words.
But what are psalms? Psalms are poems. Unlike other
parts of the Bible, they don’t preach or tell a story or prophesy.
They use figurative language to either praise God, thank God
or express deep emotion. Psalms are also songs. The Hebrew
title of the book of Psalms is Tehillim, which means “songs
of praise,” and many of the psalms note that they are for the
“Director of Music.”
And why are the psalms important? Psalms are tools of
worship and praise. The writers of the psalms used them to
express their emotions about their circumstances, to praise
God and to thank God for his wonderful gifts. The psalms
are another way for us to interact with the God of our hearts
through the power of his Word.