Psalms, the Book of. The "praise" or hymn-book of Jew and Christian for thousands of years. The following description of the book is given in Rice's Our Sixty-six Sacred Books: The book of Psalms in the Hebrew Bible was the first of the third division called Kʾthubim, or "Writings." The Psalms, Proverbs, and Job were regarded as pre-eminently poetical books, and the Massoretes distinguished them by a peculiar accentuation. The Psalms were called "Sepher Tʾhellim," or "Book of Praises." The Greeks called it "Psalmos," from which the English "Psalms" is derived. The Psalms counted one book in the A. V., in the Hebrew Bible are divided into five collections, rather inaptly termed "books" in the Revised English Version. The end of each of the first four "books" is indicated by a doxology. The books are: 1.Psalms 1:1-6, Psalms 1:2-12, Psalms 1:3-8, Psalms 1:4-8, Psalms 1:5-12, Psalms 1:6-10, Psalms 1:7-17, Psalms 1:8-9, Psalms 1:9-20, Psalms 1:10-18, Psalms 1:11-7, Psalms 1:12-8, Psalms 1:13-6, Psalms 1:14-7, Psalms 1:15-5, Psalms 1:16-11, Psalms 1:17-15, Psalms 1:18-50, Psalms 1:19-14, Psalms 1:20-9, Psalms 1:21-13, Psalms 1:22-31, Psalms 1:23-6, Psalms 1:24-10, Psalms 1:25-22, Psalms 1:26-12, Psalms 1:27-14, Psalms 1:28-9, Psalms 1:29-11, Psalms 1:30-12, Psalms 1:31-24, Psalms 1:32-11, Psalms 1:33-22, Psalms 1:34-22, Psalms 1:35-28, Psalms 1:36-12, Psalms 1:37-40, Psalms 1:38-22, Psalms 1:39-13, Psalms 1:40-17, Psalms 1:41-13, Psalms 1:2-12. Psalms 1:42-11, Psalms 1:43-5, Psalms 1:44-26, Psalms 1:45-17, Psalms 1:46-11, Psalms 1:47-9, Psalms 1:48-14, Psalms 1:49-20, Psalms 1:50-23, Psalms 1:51-19, Psalms 1:52-9, Psalms 1:53-6, Psalms 1:54-7, Psalms 1:55-23, Psalms 1:56-13, Psalms 1:57-11, Psalms 1:58-11, Psalms 1:59-17, Psalms 1:60-12, Psalms 1:61-8, Psalms 1:62-12, Psalms 1:63-11, Psalms 1:64-10, Psalms 1:65-13, Psalms 1:66-20, Psalms 1:67-7, Psalms 1:68-35, Psalms 1:69-36, Psalms 1:70-5, Psalms 1:71-24, Psalms 1:72-20, Psalms 1:3-8. Psalms 1:73-28, Psalms 1:74-23, Psalms 1:75-10, Psalms 1:76-12, Psalms 1:77-20, Psalms 1:78-72, Psalms 1:79-13, Psalms 1:80-19, Psalms 1:81-16, Psalms 1:82-8, Psalms 1:83-18, Psalms 1:84-12, Psalms 1:85-13, Psalms 1:86-17, Psalms 1:87-7, Psalms 1:88-18, Psalms 1:89-52, Psalms 1:4-8. Psalms 1:90-17, Psalms 1:91-16, Psalms 1:92-15, Psalms 1:93-5, Psalms 1:94-23, Psalms 1:95-11, Psalms 1:96-13, Psalms 1:97-12, Psalms 1:98-9, Psalms 1:99-9, Psalms 1:100-5, Psalms 1:101-8, Psalms 1:102-28, Psalms 1:103-22, Psalms 1:104-35, Psalms 1:105-45, Psalms 1:106-48, Psalms 1:5-12. Psalms 1:107-43, Psalms 1:108-13, Psalms 1:109-31, Psalms 1:110-7, Psalms 1:111-10, Psalms 1:112-10, Psalms 1:113-9, Psalms 1:114-8, Psalms 1:115-18, Psalms 1:116-19, Psalms 1:117-2, Psalms 1:118-29, Psalms 1:119-176, Psalms 1:120-7, Psalms 1:121-8, Psalms 1:122-9, Psalms 1:123-4, Psalms 1:124-8, Psalms 1:125-5, Psalms 1:126-6, Psalms 1:127-5, Psalms 1:128-6, Psalms 1:129-8, Psalms 1:130-8, Psalms 1:131-3, Psalms 1:132-18, Psalms 1:133-3, Psalms 1:134-3, Psalms 1:135-21, Psalms 1:136-26, Psalms 1:137-9, Psalms 1:138-8, Psalms 1:139-24, Psalms 1:140-13, Psalms 1:141-10, Psalms 1:142-7, Psalms 1:143-12, Psalms 1:144-15, Psalms 1:145-21, Psalms 1:146-10, Psalms 1:147-20, Psalms 1:148-14, Psalms 1:149-9, Psalms 1:150-6. The topics of the Psalms have been compared to an oratorio in five parts: 1. Decline of Man 1:2. Revival; 3. Plaintive complaint; 4. Response to the complaint; 5. Final thanksgiving and triumph. This fivefold division of the Psalms is very ancient, but when or by whom it was made is uncertain. Some ascribe it to Nehemiah or his time; it certainly is two or three centuries older than the Christian era. The division appears in the Septuagint. Why it was made is not clear. Some conjecture that it was in accord with the supposed chronological order of the Psalms, or was an arrangement according to authors, topics, or for liturgical use. The collection could not have been completed before the time of Ezra. About fifty Psalms are quoted in the New Testament. The titles or inscriptions of the Psalms are not by the original authors, but belong to an early age. They are attached to 101 Psalms. The 49 not having titles, the Talmud calls "Orphan Psalms." According to these titles, 73 Psalms are ascribed to David, 12 to Asaph, one of David's singers, 12 to the sons of Korah, a priestly family of singers of David's time, 2 (72d and 127th) to Solomon, 1 (90th) to Moses, and 1 (89th) to Ethan. The other 49 are anonymous. but the Septuagint assigns 85 Psalms to David, the 127th to Jeremiah, the 146th to Haggai, and the 147th to Zechariah. The New Testament also cites Psalms 1:2-12, Psalms 1:95-11 as if David were the author. It is worthy of note that the great Hallel songs, Psalms 1:115-18, Psalms 1:116-19, Psalms 1:117-2, Psalms 1:118-29, and the famous alphabetic hymn, the 119th, are among the anonymous songs. The most ancient classification, aside from the division into five collections, is found in the titles. The meaning of these is obscure. Some are termed Shir, a solo for the voice; Mizmor, song of praise accompanied with an instrument; Maschil, ode or didactic song; Michtam, a catch-word poem (Delitzsch); Shiggaion, an excited ode; Tephillah, a prayer-song; Shir jedidoth, a song of loves; Shir hammaʾaloth, a song of ascent or pilgrim songs; Kinah, dirge or elegy. Modern groups are based upon the contents, as seven (some say eight) penitential (6th, 25th, 32d [38th], 51st, 102d, 130th, 143d), seven imprecatory psalms (35th, 52d, 58th, 59th, 69th, 109th, 137th), pilgrim songs, psalms of thanksgiving, of adoration, of faith and hope. Messianic psalms, and historic psalms. Some psalms have parallelisms or longer stanzas, each beginning with an initial letter corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. There are seven of these alphabetic psalms and five other alphabetic poems in the Old Testament. Some psalms are choral, as 24th, 115th, 135th; some gradational, as 121st, 124th. Of the psalms ascribed to David, several have Aramaic forms, but according to the latest linguistic researches these forms may betray an earlier rather than a later author. The psalms have suggested many of the noblest Christian hymns.