Authorship And Purpose Of Psalms

The Book of Psalms is a collection of lyrical pieces intended to be sung, with its Hebrew name Tehillim meaning "Praises" ^[8]. While only one psalm (Psalm 145) is explicitly titled Tehillah, the Septuagint (LXX) entitled the collection psalmoi, referring to songs sung with a musical instrument ^[8]. The Christian Church adopted the Psalter from the Jewish tradition as both sacred scripture and a liturgical hymn-book for temple use ^[8].

The authorship of the Psalms is diverse, though King David is traditionally associated with a significant portion of the collection. Seventy-three psalms are ascribed to David in their titles ^[1]. Patristic writers like Hippolytus and Augustine highlight David's role, noting that he introduced a new style of psalmody to the Hebrews and was skilled in musical harmony, using it to serve God ^{[10, 11, 13]}. However, the book contains contributions from various authors across successive generations, which allowed it to reflect a broader range of human emotions and circumstances ^[1].

Other named authors include Solomon, to whom at least one psalm (Psalm 72) is attributed ^{[2, 12]}. The "Songs of Degrees" (Psalms 120-134) include four attributed to David and one to Solomon, with the rest being anonymous ^[2]. These psalms are believed to have been pilgrim songs sung by people traveling to Jerusalem for festivals ^{[2, 9]}. Some psalms are also attributed to Asaph and the sons of Korah ^[12]. Matthew Henry suggests that some psalms, even if penned by David, might have been prophetic, addressing future events like the Babylonian captivity ^[14].

The purpose of the Psalms is multifaceted. They serve to make known God's mighty acts, the glory of His majestic kingdom, and His enduring righteousness ^{[3, 6]}. They also express a wide range of human experiences, including affliction and the consolation found in God ^{[1, 7]}. For instance, Psalm 19:1 declares that "The heavens are recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse is declaring" ^[4]. Some psalms also speak of executing vengeance and punishments ^[5]. Augustine noted that titles that seem historical are often best understood prophetically, revealing deeper meanings ^[15]. The Psalms were also intended for specific ordinances, such as the new moon festival ^[16].

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Psalms — The psalms are the production of various authors. "Only a portion of the Book of Psalms claims David as its author. Other inspired poets in successive generations added now one now another contribution to the sacred collection, and thus in the wisdom of Providence it more completely reflects every phase of human emotion and circumstances than it otherwise could." But it is specially to David and his contemporaries that we owe this precious book. In the "titles" of the psalms, the genuineness of which there is no sufficient reason to doubt, 73 are ascribed to”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Degrees, Songs Of — a title given to fifteen Psalms, from 120 to 134 inclusive. Four of them are attributed to David, one is ascribed to the pen of Solomon, and the other ten give no indication of their author. With respect to the term rendered in the Authorized Version "degrees" a great diversity of views prevails, but the most probable opinion is that they were pilgrim songs, sung by the people as they went up to Jerusalem.”
Psalms “to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom. -- Psalms 145:12”
Psalms “Psalms 19:1 (YLT) — To the Overseer. --A Psalm of David. The heavens <FI>are<Fi> recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse <FI>is<Fi> declaring.”
Psalms “To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; -- Psalms 149:7”
Psalms “His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever. -- Psalms 111:3”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Consolation Under — God is the author and Giver of -- Ps 23:4; Ro 15:5; 2Co 1:3; 7:6; Col 1:11; 2Th 2:16,17. Christ is the Author and Giver of -- Isa 61:2; Joh 14:18; 2Co 1:5. The Holy Spirit is the Author and Giver of -- Joh 14:16,17; 15:26; 16:7; Ac 9:31. Promised -- Isa 51:3,12; 66:13; Eze 14:22,23; Ho 2:14; Zec 1:17. Through the Holy Scriptures -- Ps 119:50,76; Ro 15:4. By ministers of the gospel -- Isa 40:1,2; 1Co 14:3; 2Co 1:4,6. Is abundant -- Ps 71:21; Isa 66:11. Is strong -- Heb 6:18. Is everlasting -- 2Th 2:16. Is a cause of praise -- Isa 12:1; ”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Psalms, Book Of — The present Hebrew name of the book is Tehill'im, "Praises;" but in the actual superscriptions of the psalms the word Tehillah is applied only to one, (Psalms 145:1) ... which is indeed emphatically a praise-hymn. The LXX. entitled them psalmoi or "psalms," i.e., lyrical pieces to be sung to a musical instrument. The Christian Church obviously received the Psalter from the Jews not only as a constituent portion of the sacred volume of Holy Scripture, but also as the liturgical hymn-book which the Jewish Church had regularly used in the temple. Divisi”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Degrees, Song of — Song of steps, a title given to each of these fifteen psalms, 120-134 inclusive. The probable origin of this name is the circumstance that these psalms came to be sung by the people on the ascents or goings up to Jerusalem to attend the three great festivals (Deut. 16:16). They were well fitted for being sung by the way from their peculiar form, and from the sentiments they express. "They are characterized by brevity, by a key-word, by epanaphora [i.e, repetition], and by their epigrammatic style...More than half of them are cheerful, and all of th”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — ON THE PSALMS.(1) I. (part 1): The argument of the exposition of the Psalms by Hippolytus, (bishop) of Rome. 1. The book of Psalms contains new doctrine after the law which was given by Moses; and thus it is the second book of doctrine after the Scripture of Moses. After the death, then of Moses and Joshua, and after the judges, David arose, one deemed worthy to be called the father of the Saviour, and he was the first to give the Hebrews a new style of psalmody, by which he did away with the ordinances established by Moses with respect to sacr”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 14.--OF DAVID'S CONCERN IN THE WRITING OF THE PSALMS. (part 1): In the progress of the city of God through the ages, therefore, David first reigned in the earthly Jerusalem as a shadow of that which was to come. Now David was a man skilled in songs, who dearly loved musical harmony, not with a vulgar delight, but with a believing disposition, and by it served his God, who is the true God, by the mystical representation of a great thing. For the rational and well-ordered concord of diverse sounds in harmonious variety suggests the”
Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 71 (introduction): For, or literally, "of Solomon." The closing verse rather relates to the second book of Psalms, of which this is the last, and was perhaps added by some collector, to intimate that the collection, to which, as chief author, David's name was appended, was closed. In this view, these may consistently be the productions of others included, as of Asaph, sons of Korah, and Solomon; and a few of David's may be placed in the latter series. The fact that here the usual mode of denoting authorship is used, is strongly conclusive that Solomon was th”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — ON THE PSALMS.: The argument prefixed by Hippolytus, bishop of Rome, to his Exposition of the Psalms.(1) The book of Psalms contains new doctrine after the law of Moses. And after the writing of Moses, it is the second book of doctrine. Now, after the death of Moses and Joshua, and after the judges, arose David, who was deemed worthy of bearing the name of father of the Saviour himself; and he first gave to the Hebrews a new style of psalmody, by which he abrogates the ordinances established by Moses with respect to sacrifices, and introduces t”
Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 44 (introduction): We are not told either who was the penmen of this psalm or when and upon what occasion it was penned, upon a melancholy occasion, we are sure, not so much to the penman himself (then we could have found occasions enough for it in the history of David and his afflictions), but to the church of God in general; and therefore, if we suppose it penned by David, yet we must attribute it purely to the Spirit of prophecy, and must conclude that the Spirit (whatever he himself had) had in view the captivity of Babylon, or the sufferings of the Jewish church un”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM CVII. (1) (part 2): the same with "our enemies," in this.(16) 2. We are taught by this Psalm, that those titles which seem to refer to history are most rightly understood prophetically, according to the object of the composition of the Psalms. ... And yet this Psalm is composed of the latter portions of two,(17) whose titles are different. Where it is signified that each concur in a common object, not in the surface of the history, but in the depth of prophecy, the objects of both being united in this one, the title of which is, "A Song or ”
Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 81 (introduction): This psalm was penned, as is supposed, not upon occasion of any particular providence, but for the solemnity of a particular ordinance, either that of the new-moon in general or that of the feast of trumpets on the new moon of the seventh month, Lev 23:24; Num 29:1. When David, by the Spirit, introduced the singing of psalms into the temple-service this psalm was intended for that day, to excite and assist the proper devotions of it. All the psalms are profitable; but, if one psalm be more suitable than another to the day and observances of it, we sho”

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