Over the summer, we are going to explore the book of Psalms. It contains some of the most loved passages in the Bible. Over several centuries (approximately 1400s BC, from the time of Moses, through the 500s BC, the time of the Jews’ Babylonian exile), God led various individuals (nearly half attributed to King David) to compose emotionally charged poetic songs.
This ancient Jewish songbook showcases prayers, praise, and even complaints to God. There are 150 psalms divided into 8 different categories. First, there are those simply called Psalms. This is the biggest category of psalms. The Hebrew word for psalm means “melody.” You won’t find this word anywhere else in the Bible, only in the titles of the Psalms.
We also have Psalms of Praise. This song is derived from a Hebrew word for showing praise and appreciation. It’s a song that recognizes the acts and character of God and responds appropriately in worship. Only one psalm is called a psalm of praise in the Bible, and that’s Psalm 146. But get this, in the Hebrew Bible, the whole book is named “Psalms of Praise.” So, in this sense, all 150 could be grouped into this category.
The third category of Psalms is a Song. The word for “song” in Hebrew is the noun form of “sing,” so it’s safe to say these psalms are meant to be sung. It’s used more generally than “psalm” in the Bible. These “songs” are not always directed toward God. There’s a good amount of overlap between psalms and songs in the book of Psalms. Thirteen pieces are labeled as both. Of course, that should be no surprise since psalms are melodious poems.
Then we have Maskils. To be honest, we are unsure what kind of psalm this is. It could refer to a sort of wisdom poem or music genre, but we don’t know. The word only shows up in the book of Psalms. However, we understand that a psalm can be a Maskil, a Psalm, and a Song all at once (Ps 88). It can also double as a prayer (Ps 142). In fact, our fifth category of psalms is Prayer. This kind of psalm is just what it sounds like. It’s a direct plea or request to the Lord. We also have Mikhtams. This kind of psalm is a mystery. However, five of the six Mikhtam poems have musical recommendations, and four of them are connected to specific events in David’s life.
The seventh category of psalms is Shiggaions. This word comes from the Hebrew word for reeling or going astray. Then, lastly, we have Songs of Ascents. The word “Ascents” refers to a pilgrimage upward to the city of Jerusalem. The Law required Jews to make their way to the temple for certain festivals every year. These songs may have been a means of preparing the travelers’ hearts for worship.
You may be thinking, “Do I need to know all this to get anything from the book of Psalms?” The answer is a resounding, “No!” But, it is a fun way to present an overview of such a beloved book.
Many of the psalms express agony on the writer’s part, but nearly every psalm returns to the theme of praise to God. This is characterized by how the book of Psalms ends: “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD” (Psalm 150:6). Although the psalms were written hundreds of years before Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection, we still can find Him in the psalms. In our series: Christ in the Psalms, we will be exploring a sample from each of the 8 categories, discovering the genuinely fulfilled promises and hope offered to us through Christ in the Psalms. I hope you will plan on joining us. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!