Psalms-What Do You Know?

Why We Like Psalms so Much

Ever need that quick spiritual 'pick-me up?' Psalms are short and sweet-they get right to the point. They are also nondogmatic views of God that serve as a resource for spiritual renewal for a people no matter the culture or religion.

What about the Origin of Psalms?

The word 'psalms' comes from the Greek word Psalter. The word 'psalter' comes from the Hebrew word 'techillim' which means Song.

This is one of the things we love about psalms! They are like songs-both poetic and metaphorical.

When were the Psalms Written?

It is believed that they were written around the tenth century BC, although many of the Psalms are ascribed to David. However, some modern day scholars doubt that David wrote them at all. The most likely birth of the psalms is that they were written over a number of centuries by many, unknown authors. Too bad for them, but these unknown authors didn't get credit. Credit was instead given to other authors at a later time.

What is Best Way to Enjoy Psalms?

Psalms may seem to be a bit disorganized, however if they are read as poems, they are easier to understand and enjoy.


What are Psalms Really About?

Some of the most common themes of psalms are beauty, sweetness, nature, adoration and death.


What Makes Psalms Different than Poetry?

They flow beautifully, but unlike most traditional poetry, the authors address God directly. Poetry in Western cultures tend to address man and nature while Psalms are more of an expression of human feelings of repentence or praise, doubt or faith, anger or calm, sorry or joy all within the relationship with God. This makes Psalms incredibly hardy and inspirational reading material, and why I've devoted several pages to Psalms in the Pray with Beads website.