Who Authored the Psalms?

The psalms were meant to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

They are poetic and lyrical in voicing praise to the Lord and lose much when simply read silently. Some psalms are still sung as part of Jewish worship.

There is beauty in hearing these songs of our redemption.

While numerous musicians contributed to the assembled works, David is generally acknowledged as the author or collector of a majority of the 150 psalms found in the Bible.

Approximately fifty psalms are anonymous.

These are often called Orphan Psalms.

Twelve psalms are attributed to Asaph, but it is likely David and Asaph collaborated on them. “Asaph was a Levite, one of David’s choir leaders. Like David, Asaph was a seer and a musical composer (see 1 Chron. 6:39; 2 Chron. 29:30; Neh. 12:46). In the list of captives who returned to Jerusalem, the children of Asaph are the only singers mentioned (Ezra 2:41).” “The titles to three psalms (Ps. 39, 62, and 77) contain the name of Jeduthun, who was the head of a company of Temple musicians (see 1 Chron. 16:41, 42), and probably an arranger and compiler of Temple music.” Researchers cannot, with certainty, delineate all the psalms David authored or coauthored. “Man is in trouble—God gives relief. This is the theme—universal in its appeal—of the book of Psalms. In these sacred poems we hear the cry, not only of the Hebrew, but of universal man, ascending to God for help, and see the hand of Omnipotence reaching down to bring relief. No wonder that for centuries, for Jew and Gentile alike, the Psalter has supplied material for private prayer and for public devotion; it has served with equal satisfaction as the formal liturgy for the Hebrew Temple and synagogue, as the hymnbook of the Christian church, and as the prayer book of the solitary child of God, regardless of race or creed.” There exists a psalm for every outlook and every desire. Praise the Lord in song!