Psalms Foreword
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Introduction
A psalm is a hymn of praise to God. The Book of Psalms was originally the hymn book for Israel. The Psalms are a classic example of Hebrew poetry which, unlike English poetry made of rhyme and rhythm, consists of parallel or contrasting ideas. Many of the psalms are known as acrostics because each verse begins with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet (for example, Psalm 119).
David, who authored many of the psalms, was considered a prophet, because many of the psalms contain prophecies about the Messiah. These predictions were direct references to Jesus Christ.
Some psalms were also written by Asaph and Moses. The entire collection of 150 psalms is divided into five smaller books: Psalms 1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150.