PSAL3IS (+easel, from *cfastoo, to strike trolly, and so, to play on ts stringed instrument) denote generally the lioems which form one of the canonical books of the Old Ttstatneut. This book is called in Hebrew --mp (sepiter tellillim), the book of praises.' Except in thirty-four cases, the Psalms have titles, which, though they are no part of the original, are of great antiquity. Some designate the writer or the subject, or the occasion, and souse are not to be understood.
The book of Psalms is often called the Psalms of David,' though many of them were not written by him. The authors of the Psalms named in the titles are Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, lieman, Ethan, Jeduthun, and the sons of Borah. Between the earliest and latest of the Psalms, a period of about one thousand years seems to have inter vened.
According to the Masoritea, the Psalms are divided into five books, of which the first ends with Psalm xli., the second with Psalm lxxii., the third with Psalm lxxix., the fourth with Psalm evi., and the fifth with l'salm cl. The first three books end with Amen and Amen;' the last two with ' Hallelujah: This division existed in the time of Jerome, but how long before is uncertain. It is thought to have been made for the purpose of rendering the Psalms in this respect like the Pentateuch. The collecting of the Psalms into one book is generally attributed to Ezra.
The Psalms afford an exemplification of every variety of Ilebrew metre, and they are pervaded by the highest poetic) feeling. They were designed to be rehearsed in the worship of God with the aid of instrumental music. David appointed the singing of the Psalms by a
company of persons, trained for this purpose, in the worship of the tabernacle. (1 Chron., vi. 31 ; xvi. 4-S.) This practice was continued by Solomon in his Temple (2 Chron., v. 11-13), and, after the inter iniption occasioned by the Captivity, it was renewed by Ezra. (Ezra, iii. 10, 11.) The New Testament furnishes evidence that Psalmody formed, in the time of Christ and his Apostles, a part of the worship of God, and the Christian church has in all ages followed the example, The book of Psalms obtained extraordinary attention among the early Christians. Theodoret, who wrote in the first half of the 5th century, says (' Preface to the Psalms') that while most men paid little or no attention to the rest of the Scriptures, they were so familiar with the Psalms, that in their houses, in the streets, and in the highways, they enjoyed profit and delight by the singing of these divine odes.
The canonical authority of the book of Psalms has never been disputed. There have been many works written as commentaries or explanations of the Psalms, and more than one translation. Indeed the version in the authorised translation of the Bible and that in the Prayer Book vary, though not much. Among the best works on the subject may be mentioned Tholuck, Hebersetzung mid Auslegung der Psalmeu,' 1843 ; and Hengstenberg, Commentar caber die Psalmen,' 1843-5.