Who wrote the book of Psalms?

Q: Who wrote the book of Psalms?

The Psalms had many authors over roughly a thousand years: David wrote at least 73, with others by Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, and Moses (Psalm 90). Some psalms remain anonymous.

The book of Psalms is a collected hymnbook, not a single-author work. The Hebrew titles attribute at least 73 psalms to David, 12 to Asaph, 11 to the sons of Korah, 2 to Solomon (Psalms 72 and 127), one each to Heman and Ethan, and one — Psalm 90, likely the oldest — to Moses. Around 50 psalms name no author at all.

David's role as Israel's chief songwriter is affirmed within Scripture itself. His own last words call him "the sweet psalmist of Israel":

“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,”2 Samuel 23:1 (KJV)

And Jesus quotes Psalm 110 as David's, speaking "in the book of Psalms":

“And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,”Luke 20:42 (KJV)

The collection grew over centuries — from Moses in the wilderness to psalms written after the Babylonian exile (Psalm 137) — and was arranged into five "books," echoing the five books of the Torah. The Hebrew title of the whole collection is Tehillim: "Praises."

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Who wrote the book of Psalms?

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