What Is a Psalm?
I’ve recently finished a beta read for a book on the Psalms where the author looked for psalms not included in the book of Psalms. This got me thinking – what is a psalm? How do you differentiate from other poems in the Bible? And how did some come to be included in the book of Psalms while others were left out?
What is a Psalm?
Psalms are sung prayers of the Hebrew nation. They are poems and songs prayed by individuals or used for communal prayer. While attributed to David, only 70 of the psalms in the book of Psalms were actually written by David. Others are attributed to Moses, Heman the Ezrahite, Ethan the Ezrahite, Solomon, Asaph, and the sons of Korah. Others have no author connected to them. You might say the book of Psalms is the hymnal of the Hebrew people.
Choosing a Hymnal
If you ever participated in a process for choosing a new hymnal for a church, you know it can pose a number of challenges. No matter how hard you try, you will not find a hymnal that will satisfy everyone. Every church member has certain hymns they think have to be included in a new hymnal. And when you finally agree on one, chances are you will be disappointed as you realize certain favorite songs have been left out.
I’ve been through this process several times in my years in ministry. Sometimes, no sooner do you settle on one book and make the required purchase, then you have church members looking to add on to that hymnal by buying another.
Some may suggest you compile your own hymnal, letting church members submit and vote on favorites. Then you have the challenge of getting copyrights for all of these songs, a process that is time consuming and expensive.
The Psalms – An Early Hymnal
Can you imagine what it took to compile the Book of Psalms? Out of all the hymns being sung by the Hebrew people, around 527 BC, an unnamed editor chose one hundred and fifty and put them into some semblance of order. What criteria this editor used in determining which ones to use and which ones to leave out, I don’t know. Perhaps he had a committee of scholars working with him. Or, perhaps these were the most well-known songs used by the Hebrew community at the time, leaving out lesser-known works. Maybe he included his personal favorites.
While not the writer of the psalms himself, still God guided his work of selecting and organizing. God inspired his efforts. It was more than the work of a church committee. Hymnals come and go and churches routinely upgrade them. But this hymnal has never been upgraded, nor is it outdated.
What is a Psalm?
So what is a psalm? It remains God’s word to God’s people. God’s book of prayers. Inspired words helping us pray, leading us closer to God.
What is your favorite psalm? How have the Psalms helped you grow in faith?
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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