Your quick reference guide to the Biblical book of Psalms, including summary, key verse, important info, and reading guides.
The post Look at the Book: Psalms [Infographic] appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.
Welcome back to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible and its content traverses probably the longest time frame.
Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.
Summary
A collection of songs that were written across several centuries, with the earliest written about the time of Moses and the latest following the Babylonian exile. Organized into five separate books: (1) Psalms 1-41, (2) Psalms 42-72, (3) Psalms 73-89, (4) Psalms 90-106, and (5) Psalms 107-150.
- Category: Wisdom
- Theme: Worship
- Timeline: The time range of the Psalms extends from Moses (Ps 90) to the Post-Exilic period (Ps 126), spanning 900 years of Jewish history.
- Written: Many authors, including David, Asaph, Solomon, the sons of Korah, and more.
Key Verse
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” — Psalm 103:1 (NIV)
Two Places at Once
The basic theme of the Psalms is living real life in the real world, where two dimensions operate simultaneously: 1) our day-to-day temporal reality, and 2) our spiritual, transcendent reality.
The Psalms are Israel’s ancient, God-breathed “hymnbook,” defining the proper spirit and content of worship.
7 Day Reading Guide
Note: more than any other book of the Bible, the Psalms benefit from slower reading. Most Bible reading plans suggest 1-2 Psalms per day. Still, if you’re on a speed-reading mission, here’s the best cadence to power through them in a week.
(See 30-day guide below.)
- Day 1: Psalms 1-21
- Day 2: Psalms 22-41
- Day 3: Psalms 42-72
- Day 4: Psalms 73-89
- Day 5: Psalms 90-106
- Day 6: Psalms 107-120
- Day 7: Psalms 121-150
Praise Him
The entire collection of Psalms is entitled “Praises” in the Hebrew text. Later, rabbis often designated it “The Book of Praises.”
Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.
The post Look at the Book: Psalms [Infographic] appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.