Synopsis of the of Psalms in the Bible - Book Report/Review Example

Synopsis of the Book of Psalms in the Bible The book of Psalms is alleged to be the most widely read and valued book in the bible. The title ‘psalms’ implies a book of praises. In essence, a psalm is a religious song or poem (Sumney, 2001). Every chapter in this book is dedicated to thanksgiving and praise from the authors to God. Psalms offer hope and confidence in God as the creator of all things and the eventual leader of everything and everyone including the universe. Psalms also portray God as omnipresent and with no restrictions.

Psalms are an amalgamation of prayers, and songs and poetry put together in a fascinating and powerful style1. Needless to say, Psalms is the largest book in the entire Bible and has been quoted in more than 74 times in the New Testament. The book of Psalms also contains the shortest and the longest verses in the bible and the verses that are at the center of the Bible. The Psalms contain 150 songs, which are prophetic in nature. This is because they foretold the coming of Jesus and His ministry.

The primary theme of the book of Psalms is “My God and Me." This is because the book portrays that a true believer in God is marked by right experiences and right thinking2.Additionally, the book of Psalms has other themes that include humankind’s need for salvation from sin and misery, humankind’s celebration of their deliverance offered by God and humankind’s praises and thanksgiving to God. Notably, all these themes are reflected in all psalms3.The Psalms was written by numerous authors who include King David, Asaph, Solomon, Moses, Ethan, Heman and sons of Korah.

David wrote 73 Psalms, Asaph 12, Solomon 3, Moses one, Ethan one, Heman one and sons of Korah wrote 94. It was written for a period of approximately 900 years. King David was the most-prolific writer of the book of Psalms and wrote almost 80 songs in the book. Among these Psalms in this book, the oldest is Moses’s prayer, a replication on the weakness of man as contrasted to the perpetuity of God.Majority of the Psalms run through incidents of Israel’s history, particularly the story of Israel’s flight from Egypt and its entry into the Promised Land5.

Psalm 137 offers a beautiful lamentation of the ancient periods of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. This poem starts with the visualization of the Israelites crying by the banks of the Babylonian rivers, desiring for Zion. Psalms are divided into thanksgiving and praise, supplications and lamentations and those devoted to wisdom6.The book of Psalms is portioned into five segments. These include the Davidic Section, Hezekiah’s collection, Josiah’s collection, worship section and praise and thanksgiving section.

The Davidic section consists of chapter one to forty-one of the book of Psalms. This section contains Psalms that were written by David. These Psalms refer to God as Jehova and Elohim and identify Him as the King of the Hebrews. Hezekiah’s collection consists of Psalms between chapter forty-two to seventy-two of the book of Psalms7. These were written before the existence of Hezekiah and refer to God as Elohim. Josiah’s collection consists of chapter seventy-three to eighty-nine of this book, which were compiled during the reign of King Josiah.

The worship section consists of Psalms between chapters ninety and hundred and six. These were designed to be used in temples. The last division of Psalms consists of thanksgiving hymns that were gathered after the Jews returned to their homeland.BibliographyKugler, R A., and P. J. Hartin. An introduction to the Bible. 2009. Sumney, J L. The Bible: An Introduction. Fortress, 2001.